With an increase in popularity of solar power systems for home use, solar panel installation has been growing steadily in the last few years. A big concern for homeowners is the question of, how long do these solar panels actually last? An important factor when considering the installation of a solar power system is cost. When investing thousands of dollars for solar power installation, even with possible government incentives, you want to know the panels are resilient and will last a long time. Let’s take a look at how long solar panels will last on your roof so you will be prepared and will know how to maintain them for as long as possible.

Your Roof Matters

Before you have solar panels installed and move forward with a new solar power system, it’s very important to have your roof inspected. According to Shelton Roofing, people often make the mistake of scheduling solar panel installation and find out later that their roof needs repaired or replaced.

At Solar Solution AZ, we perform a thorough roof inspection before we install or engineer any solar panels to go on your roof. If any damage is found, we can help you work with a reputable roofing contractor for repairs. This precautionary measure lets us warranty the portions of your roof that your solar impacts for a full 25 years.

Taking care of roof damage or replacing your old roof prior to the installation can greatly affect the number of years your panels will last on the roof. With the way you can save money with solar power, a thorough roof inspection fee and even making a few repairs if needed is worth the cost to prevent heavier charges in the future if the roof collapses or you must replace panels damaged by a bad roof.

The Past Life Expectancy of Solar Panels

Several years ago, it was determined that solar panels could last for up to 25 years. Most warranties offered only went up as far as 20 years and sometimes 25 years depending on the company doing the sales and installation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) initially suggested that on average, solar panels would see a 1% decrease in power production as each year passed.

What We Know Today

That figure has changed over the years and today it has been determined that on average, with proper installation and care, most solar panels are only seeing an annual decrease of .5% or less. With this new figure, solar panels are now expected to last an average of 30 to 40 years. With new designs today, solar panels are better equipped now than ever before to resist cracking that damages cells which often happens during soldering when the panels are built. Cells that have cracks will react as a panel that is shaded and can cause a loss of energy.

It is important to make sure you have regular maintenance and make repairs as soon as they are needed. Most warranties today still go to 20-25 years although the panels have a life expectancy to last up to 40 years when well-maintained. A warranty will guarantee that the level of power won’t drop below 80% for the time span of the warranty whether the system is large or small.

At Solar Solution AZ, all our solar panel systems carry a full warranty for 25 years. This covers all necessary maintenance and repairs, including labor fees, for the life of the solar panel system.

Increase the Time

As a homeowner, there are steps you can take to help increase the time your solar panels will last. These include:

Cleaning

Keep the solar panels clean and free from debris. If you have large trees near the house, keep them cut away so branches cannot fall onto the panels.

Items in the Yard

This brings us to things that can damage the panels. Scratching can really cause issues with solar panels, and the worse the scratches are, the more problems you may have with them. Again, keep trees cut back and make sure nothing is in your yard that can be blown onto the roof during storms or heavy winds. Sometimes it is not possible to prevent things like this from happening but taking steps to prevent it does help.

Maintenance

Solar panels are primarily maintenance-free, however, there are some things you can do to increase your power production. Clean your panels by spraying them off with a garden hose, when dirty, in the early evenings, or in the morning before the sun fully comes out. Do not clean your panels when they are very hot to avoid any risk of cracking. Keep leaves and other debris swept away, and make sure to keep all tree branches trimmed back from your solar panel system. Never touch the wiring when you are cleaning your panels!

When properly installed and maintained, a solar panel system can easily provide clean power for the next 25 years. Be sure to choose a solar installation company that performs a thorough roof inspection before installation of the solar panels, and offers a comprehensive warranty. Warranty length is typically a good indication of solar panel installation quality. That is why we strive to offer the longest, most comprehensive warranties in the industry.

Call the experts at Solar Solution AZ today to learn more! (520) 858-0220

Over the years, we’ve installed our solar panels in each and every season, we’re always asked “What About Solar Panels in the Winter?” So we thought we could answer a few of those in advance. Here are some answers to our most frequently asked questions about solar panel performance during the winter months.

How do solar panels perform in winter?

Since solar panels work with light, not heat, it doesn’t matter how cold it gets outside. In fact, solar panels perform better in cooler temperatures than in very hot temperatures. With pretty much continuous sunshine throughout the year here in Tucson, there are 0 problems with lack of energy conversion.

Since it’s so cloudy in the winter, will my solar panels produce any electricity at all?

Yes. Even when it’s cloudy outside, your solar panels will still produce electricity. As long as there is light, your system will convert it into clean energy. Since the days are a bit shorter, you won’t produce energy for as long as you would during long summer days.

What if it snows?

When Solar Solution Az installs your panels are in the best position to get the maximum amount of sunlight possible; usually, your system will be installed facing the south, west, or southwest. Since the panels are smooth, snow doesn’t stick to them as it would to rough roof shingles, so it typically melts or slides away quickly and easily on its own. So the 1 to 3 inches  (in a blizzard here in Tucson) we MAY get, there would be no issues regarding your panels or energy output.

What about big shifts in temperature between night and day?

Extreme shifts in temperature can wreak havoc on conventional solar cells and panels, if you ever had a question about extremes in the weather, see our roads. When the temperature is above freezing, rain can seep down into the asphalt. When the temperature drops below freezing, the water that seeped into the asphalt freezes and expands, causing cracks and potholes. Solar hot water cells can crack from extremes in temperature, but photo-voltaic solar cells (the kind that power your home) are very unlikely to ever crack or be damaged from extremes in temperature.

For any other questions regarding Solar Panels in the winter contact us immediately at 520-858-0220.

Most everyone knows thе іmmеnѕе роwеr оf thе sun, іtѕ hеаt and nоw, іtѕ utіlіtу is being ѕсіеntіfісаllу proven by thе vаrіоuѕ wауѕ іn whісh ѕоlаr еnеrgу саn bе utіlіzеd. Have you ever wondered how solar panels work? Read on as Solar Solution Az offers a brief technical point of view.

The better wау tо harness ѕunlіght and gеnеrаtе electricity for residential оr businesses іѕ by uѕіng ѕоlаr раnеlѕ. It is a grеаt аltеrnаtіvе, mауbе the bеѕt wау tо avoid hіgh еnеrgу соѕtѕ and thаt іѕ the rеаѕоn why the gоvеrnmеnt, іn general, has been еnсоurаgіng hоuѕеhоldеrѕ tо determine the роѕѕіbіlіtу оf installing ѕоlаr раnеlѕ on thеіr hоmеѕ. But bеfоrе tаkіng thе step to buу the ѕуѕtеm, іt is hеlрful tо knоw hоw a solar раnеl wоrkѕ.

The fоundаtіоn оf ѕоlаr еnеrgу technology іѕ a рrіnсірlе knоwn аѕ thе photovoltaic еffесt. It is a сhеmісаl reaction thаt hарреnѕ on the cell surface whеn thеу are еxроѕеd to ѕunlіght. Thе core material used іn рhоtоvоltаіс сеllѕ іѕ silicon. The ѕіlісоn іѕ a semiconductor material, аnd its сrуѕtаlѕ аrе аѕѕеmblеd under a glass рlаtе. Whеn lіght асhіеvеѕ the ѕоlаr сеll, іt is аbѕоrbеd by thе silicon whісh thеn ѕtеmѕ a сhеmісаl reaction thаt releases рhоtоnѕ. Thіѕ phenomenon happens within thе сеll and ultіmаtеlу wіll create a current of еlесtrісіtу. The presence of mеtаl соntасtѕ аt the bottom and tор оf the photovoltaic сеll allow this electrical сurrеnt to bе hаrnеѕѕеd to power ѕоmе еlесtrоnіс devices.

Thе solar panel іѕ соmроѕеd оf a grоuр оf іndіvіduаl рhоtоvоltаіс сеllѕ whісh are ѕеаlеd using a wеаthеrрrооf frame. It ѕееmѕ оbvіоuѕ, but a unіԛuе photovoltaic сеll рrоduсеѕ juѕt a ѕmаll аmоunt оf еlесtrісаl сurrеnt, thеrеfоrе when thеrе is аn аrrау оf thеѕе сеllѕ соnnесtеd wіthіn a раnеl thе ѕum оf thе соmbіnеd еlесtrісаl output frоm several рhоtоvоltаіс cells саn generate еnоugh power to supply a ѕmаll building. Althоugh, before using thе еlесtrісіtу сrеаtеd, thе direct сurrеnt оr DC generated frоm thе photovoltaic сеllѕ hаvе tо pass through аn іnvеrtеr tо bе соnvеrtеd іntо AC whісh is the uѕаblе аltеrnаtіng сurrеnt thаt can bе harnessed іmmеdіаtеlу tо роwеr аррlіаnсеѕ, еlесtrоnісѕ, etc. Thе ѕurрluѕ energy саn bе ѕtоrеd in bаttеrіеѕ, or іt can rеturn to thе electricity grіd, оf соurѕе, you wіll get уоur share rеgаrdіng profit, оr аt least a dіѕсоunt on уоur bill.

Thе solar раnеl structure іѕ vеrу ѕtаblе аnd durаblе, mainly bесаuѕе there are nо mоvіng соmроnеntѕ which make the rеԛuіrеmеnt fоr mаіntеnаnсе tо bе mіnіmаl. And thаt is nоt аll, because, аѕ ѕоlаr tесhnоlоgу evolved аnd mоrе research hаvе bееn mаdе іn thе field, now we fасе rеаlіtу whеrе рhоtоvоltаіс сеllѕ have a muсh hіghеr еffісіеnсу аnd the соѕt tо рrоduсе the cells аrе a lot lоwеr. And thаt іѕ only роѕѕіblе duе tо thе lеѕѕ uѕаgе оf ѕеmісоnduсtоr mаtеrіаl іn thе process оf mаnufасturіng each оf the рhоtоvоltаіс сеllѕ. Mауbе thіѕ іѕ the mаjоr rеаѕоn whу the оrdіnаrу hоmеоwnеr is wіllіng tо uрgrаdе hіѕ electrical installation аnd turn іt іntо a grееn аnd renewable еnеrgу ѕuррlу bу іnvеѕtіng in ѕоlаr роwеr fоr thеіr home.

Anоthеr reason fоr соnѕumеrѕ tо dесіdе оn іnѕtаllіng solar раnеlѕ іѕ rеlаtеd to thе rеduсtіоn іn carbon footprint, but many of thеm аrе аlѕо іntеrеѕtеd іn rеduсіng роwеr bіllѕ. Besides thаt, thе іdеа оf gеnеrаtіng a ѕurрluѕ еnеrgу аnd ѕеllіng it bасk tо thе grіd ѕоundѕ compelling.

There are a lot of ways that you can improve the value of your house, but there are fewer ways to improve the value of your house while making your budgeting concerns less than they are before you start that investment. Home values increase with solar panels. With solar panels, you will find not only a reduction in your energy bills but at certain parts of the year, you may be able to generate enough electricity that you can sell the excess back to the power company. Do you want to increase the value of your house and improve your life all at the same time? Read on!

Will Solar Panels Make Your Home Attractive to Buyers?

According to a study conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, researchers found that potential home buyers were willing to pay more for homes equipped with customer-owned solar. When you get to the point where you are looking to sell your house. you will find that buyers will be impressed with your solar panels. Not only that, but many buyers will be more interested in your house because it is going to be less reliant on the energy providers. This will help you to get a better selling price when you do decide to sell your house. This is because everyone that wants to save on their energy prices will be willing to pay the extra money in order to have those solar panels to help them reduce their expenses every month.

When you have solar panels, you have to make sure that they are exposed to the sun’s light. If they are dirty or covered by snow, then you will not generate solar power at all. This can be relieved by proper care and maintenance. After all, you are making an investment and you want the best return you can possibly get from your solar panels when it’s time to re-sale your home.

For more information about the value of solar, contact Solar Solution AZ!

Solar power is always with us. We believe that what we do is important. With that, we have decided to create a series of short articles on how solar can help the environment. If you have any questions or concerns afterward, feel free to contact us to discuss what you can do as well.

How Solar Can Help the Environment

Even when it is cloudy and/or overcast, not that we see that much around here, the sun is still there providing us with energy. If you know anything about solar already, then you know solar panels are constantly storing some amount of energy by garnering photons in their photovoltaic cells. So without getting too technical in the science of it all, we’ll start by explaining how solar helps the environment.   Since solar panels are constantly being hit by sun rays, solar panels are just absorbing the energy rather than taking it from burning fossil fuels through a pretty unfriendly (environmentally) process, solar panels are one of the most environmentally beneficial ways to generate electricity. the average nonsolar home creates about 7 metric tons of CO2 per year. Whereas, a home using solar energy, runs closer to 1.5 metric tons per year.

What about production pollution?

So a common misconception on the production of panels creating more pollution than it reduces has long been a myth, as cited here by the United States Department of Energy.

“An average U.S. household uses 830 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. On average, producing 1000 kWh of electricity with solar power reduces emissions by nearly 8 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 5 pounds of nitrogen oxides, and more than 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide. During its projected 28 years of clean energy production, a rooftop system with 2-year payback and meeting half of a household’s electricity use would avoid conventional electrical plant emissions of more than half a ton of sulfur dioxide, one-third a ton of nitrogen oxides, and 100 tons of carbon dioxide.”

The study concludes, “PV is clearly a wise energy investment with great environmental benefits!”

How can I promote solar power?

You can start by investing in your own solar power. If you own your house you could install solar panels on your roof that will be able to collect solar power most of the year. You can also create a small solar farm in your yard if that is more to your liking.  You may only be one person, but your impact always makes a difference.

To be continued…We will continue to educate and inform on the many areas of solar, including how solar can help the environment in your own backyard!

Is solar energy the right choice for me and my home?

More and more homeowners are making the switch to clean energy every day. I’m sure you’ve seen your neighbor with solar panels down the street; keep an eye out if you haven’t. They are everywhere!

A Solar Solution AZ, we have helped over 2,000 Arizona homeowners make the switch to affordable, renewable energy. While helping these homeowners, we have developed a few questions to determine whether solar energy will be beneficial to you and your home:

Do you own your home?

Do you plan on staying in your home for the next few years?

Do you pay more than $50 a month in electricity bills?

Do you want to increase the value of your house?

Do you want to have more money every month than you do now?

Do you want to help our planet and local economy?

If you answered yes to these questions, then the power of the sun may be just what you are looking for to achieve your financial goals.

However, there is a bit more to look into to make sure that you and your house are ready for solar panels. This is where having an expert solar installer on your side is incredibly valuable. Your solar installer should help you evaluate these key items, your answers will help shape your consultant’s recommendation:

What direction does your roof face?

Does your roof receive any shade during the day?

What size is your main electrical service?

Is your roof in good condition?

Keep in mind that there is no right answer to these questions, but they are crucial to help your solar installation partner determine the best program for your needs. It may be helpful to write down your answers to these questions so that you can review them with your solar consultant.

The next step is the most important. To get the most accurate information applicable to your unique scenario, it is best to sit down with an energy consultant, get a personalized recommendation and review your options from there. Our energy experts are hand-picked by our family and have over 1,000 hours of experience on average in designing and consulting solar electric systems.

Call today to get your custom home energy analysis! (520) 858-0220