Solar panels: service life and guarantees
The lifetime of solar panels and their output depends on many factors, including climate, type of module and installation system.
Solar panels are covered by two warranties, two types: 1) product warranty (against manufacturing defects), known in English as product warranty and 2) performance warranty.
The first type of warranty is typical for any product/good we buy. It is a warranty against failure due to manufacturing defects. For solar panels, it is higher than the standard warranty periods for many other products. The usual, most common warranty period against defect for solar modules: 10-12 years.
The most common performance warranty period for solar panels: 25 years at 80 per cent of original capacity. This does not mean that a solar panel’s life is over after 25 years. No, it can last 40 or 50 years, it is just that further degradation of the module is not described in any way by the manufacturer and is not associated with any obligations on his part.
