30-year-old solar panels still going strong - ChemistryWorld [View all]

30-year-old solar panels still going strong

ChemistryWorld.com | Mason Wakley | 28 August 2025

An analysis of six solar panel systems installed in Switzerland over 30 years ago shows they remain effective, with material quality emerging as the main factor determining their longevity.

Solar panel manufacturers typically guarantee their products for 25 to 30 years. While accelerated ageing tests performed in the lab support these estimates, they offer limited insight into their operational lifetime under real-world conditions.

Various studies have investigated how factors such as temperature, climate and mounting angle influence the lifetime of in-use solar panels. However, few have examined panels in extreme climates or systematically compared panels from different manufacturers.

A team based across Switzerland, Austria and Germany has now analysed the long-term performance of six photovoltaic systems installed across Switzerland between 1987 and 1993. Panel locations ranged from low-altitude domestic properties to solar panel farms to commercial buildings in mountainous regions, each experiencing different climates and mounting angles...more
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/30-year-old-solar-panels-still-going-strong/4022052.article

Related: SOLAR PANEL IS 30 YEARS OLD AND STILL WORKS GREAT !!!
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Solar panels include pv electric, hot water & swimming pool heat.