Why Degradation Rate Matters When Going Solar

If you are interested in installing solar panels for your home, odds are good that you have heard of the concept of solar degradation rate. It’s not something anyone wants to talk about—the speed at which your solar panels begin to show wear and tear over the years—but here at Solar Bear Tampa, we know that degradation rate matters when you consider going solar.

Here are just a few reasons that degradation rate matters when going solar. 

A higher degradation rate means less electricity for you and your family. 

Solar panels, even the most affordable and poorly built, last a long time, typically staying useful for a decade at least, for almost thirty years at most. But, just like any other piece of machinery or construction material, solar panels aren’t invulnerable to the ravages of time. Over time, they will wear down, due to exposure to the elements, wear and tear, and just age in general. Because of the way that solar panels work, when they age, their efficacy begins to dwindle. This is what we’re talking about when we say, “degradation rate.” As solar panels degrade, their ability to turn solar power into electricity for your family to use decreases, usually by only a fraction at first, but it’s important to know about your solar panels’ degradation rate so that you and your family can prepare for the eventual need to replace or repair your existing solar panels. 

Better materials mean a lower degradation rate. 

Generally speaking, if you invest in higher quality solar panels manufactured reliably with more durable materials, you’re going to experience a slower degradation rate. The downside of this decision, of course, is that higher quality materials usually make better solar panels more expensive from the jump. But thinking in the long-term about degradation rate might help you decide what you want to do about your initial install choices at the get-go. 

Yearly degradation compounds over time. 

Probably the biggest reason degradation rate matters to your home solar solutions is that as solar panels degrade year after year, the rate at which they lose efficacy compounds, meaning that each year that your solar panels continue to degrade, they lose a greater and greater percentage of efficacy. That means that year in and year out, if your solar panels have a high degradation rate to begin with, you can only expect things to get worse the next year. This may seem like bad news, but there are ways to combat degradation rate–namely to invest in higher quality solar panels. 

If you have questions about solar panel degradation, or if you need more information on going solar in general, do not hesitate to contact our friendly, helpful team of solar experts at Solar Bear Tampa. Call today!