Solar Panel Output Degradation
Note these figures may have a minus sign in front of them as in 0 7 or 0 25.
Solar panel output degradation. The worst degradation rate is 80 a year but as a benchmark you can expect an average degradation rate of 50 a year for any panel. But in the meantime your panels are guaranteed to degrade at or below a specific rate so you can rest assured your investment is a safe one. Manufacturing quality has a huge impact on the rate of solar panel output degradation. A 2012 study by the national renewable energy laboratory nrel found that on average solar panel output falls by 0 8 percent each year.
Solar panel manufacturers are constantly evolving and coming up with ways to reduce that degradation rate so your panels can keep up their power output. In addition degradation rates for 10 selected systems were found to be larger than 1 year. Those panels could retain 96 of their production capabilities after 20 years. Manufacturers realize this so solar panels come with a power output or performance warranty that usually guarantees 80 production at 25 years.
Degradation rates are used in solar site assessments in order to estimate the energy production over the life of a system and to calculate the payback period and return on investment. In 1977 the department of energy established the solar energy research institute in golden colorado. Reported on block iv and v monocrystalline si systems deployed in florida and found degradation rates well below 1 year 32. According to a national renewable energy laboratory nrel study premium modern solar panel manufacturers such as panasonic and lg offer panels with degradation rates as low as 0 30 per year.
Solar site assessors use these rates. For many panels this is given as 2 to 3 in the first year and then 0 7 a year after that but it can be as low as 0 25 a year for some sunpower panels. In studies low quality panels weigh down the average degrading at rates meeting or exceeding that old rule of thumb standard of 1. As we mentioned above the quality of a panel makes a big difference in its lifespan.
Solar panel degradation rate. This rate of decline is called solar panel degradation rate.