Research Reveals Solar Panels May Last Only 11 Years Due to Cracks and Heat
While it’s common for solar panels to gradually lose their energy-generating capacity over time, recent findings indicate that approximately 20% of them are deteriorating much more quickly than anticipated. This unexpected decline can be attributed to tiny hairline cracks and other minor manufacturing defects that elude quality control checks.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are optimistic that their study, which investigates tens of thousands of solar systems worldwide, can aid manufacturers in producing more reliable products, ultimately benefiting the financial stability of solar farms.
The Expected Lifespan of Solar Systems
Typically, solar systems are engineered for a lifespan of around 25 years and come with warranties that guarantee a minimum level of performance throughout this period. However, it is expected that solar panels will gradually lose some of their generation efficiency over time. The UNSW study reveals that, on average, there is a 0.9% decline in system performance annually across the entirety of the dataset examined.
For a significant subset of panels, the energy-generating decline is occurring at a far quicker rate. Notably, one in five solar panels have degraded 1.5 times the standard rate, and one in twelve have seen performance drop at twice the expected speed. “This means that for some systems, their useful life could be closer to just 11 years,” explained Yang Tang, a PhD student at UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewables Energy Engineering and co-author of the paper.
Factors Influencing Rapid Decline
The research indicates that while high temperatures are associated with faster declines in performance, the troubling degradation pattern can be observed across various climates and geographical locations. The researchers attribute these rapid declines and sudden failures to several factors, including unnoticed minor flaws, such as small cracks in the solar cells that initially do not cause issues but later lead to significant performance drops.
Moreover, some panels were identified to have larger defects that were overlooked during quality control or testing processes. In certain cases, a series of interconnected problems resulted in a swift decline in performance.
The Need for Improved Testing Standards
Co-author Shukla Poddar highlighted that the current stress-testing methods do not adequately encompass the full range of real-world conditions that solar systems encounter. “We need to start thinking about different testing standards which would help to ensure we have more resilient types of modules,” Dr Poddar stated.
Poddar also pointed out that the rapid decline observed in some photovoltaic systems has hidden financial implications for solar farm operators. He emphasised that addressing the manufacturing and testing challenges is crucial for maintaining the economic health of these solar operations.
