Most panels are warranted to be producing a MINIMUM of 80% of their original power in 25 years.

 The panel is not going to to turn off at the 25 year mark. Many factors affect solar panel longevity. Many of the early solar panels made back in the 1970s are still running at 80% of their original power capacity. After 40 years, they are producing power well past their predicted useful life, these old panels are still operating efficiently.

The regular warranty for most photovoltaic solar panels is 25 -30 years. Here is how the manufacturers come up with this number: They calculate a loss of efficiency of .8% for every year. At this rate of degradation, after 25 years, the panels will be operating at 80% of their original efficiency. Solar panels should meet a minimum 80% efficiency standard, in order to be effective. Therefore 25 years is the time predicted for these panels to degrade below an 80% efficiency rate.

The Good News, there are crystalline panels that have been running for over 40 years.

What can you do to increase your solar panel longevity?

Solar panels don’t require heavy maintenance. Here are some simple steps you can take to keep them functioning at full capacity for a longer period of time than usual.

• Pick a manufacturer with a good reputation. For the most part, solar panels are encapsulated in low iron tempered glass and unaffected by the environment. The semiconductor material is isolated from the corrosive atmosphere. If a manufacturer uses sub-standard materials to encapsulate the metal and conductive materials, the panel will degrade.

• Make sure they have full access to light. Remove any tree limbs or other plant growth that block sunlight. Any shade will have a negative impact on a solar panel’s efficiency – but not just because of blocked photons. The shaded area will be a high-resistance“hotspot”, even, to some degree, with diodes installed. These hotspots can accelerate degradation of the module over time and lead to premature failure.

• Be sure to keep your solar panels clean. This is doubly true in areas with lots of wind. Keep your panels free of dust, dirt, sand and pollen. In more polluted cities, don’t let smog settle on the panels. In winter, keep snow and frost off the panels when possible.

At Sun City Solar, we find you the “Best Panel at the Best Price”. Give us a call.

Distributed Solar Power

Remember when we relied on Mainframe computers with outlying workstations?  A computer could not process information on its own.  Today, we rely on small portable laptops, I-phones, I-pads and other electronic devices for information, giving us independence and mobility.

Just as smaller sized computers enable independence, the same is now true for electricity.

Distributed energy refers to small modular power generating systems. Power is “distributed” and

Solar Power Battery System

“decentralized” because it is placed at or near the point of energy consumption.  Distributed energy is unlike traditional “centralized” power systems where electricity is generated at a remote large scale power plant and then transmitted through power lines to consumers.

Most of us have experienced power outages and know the unreliability of our current “centralized/transmitted power structure. With distributed energy, the quality and reliability of our electric supply is improved.  Homeowners and businesses can implement distributed energy simply by installing a small solar powered on-site battery system.  Solar Power battery systems provide both emergency backup and remote power.

Generators are the most common distributed energy technology in use today for stand-by power. However, generators create significant pollution and noise. Those who used generators during the recent power outages can attest that generators all also very expensive to operate.

There are many benefits to distributed decentralized energy including having a very important role in our nation’s energy portfolio and strengthening America’s energy security.

Grid-connected distributed solar power can and is being used to meet the peak demands of current “centralized” power systems.  These systems can be used to meet traditional base load power and peak demand power in hot summer months. Grid-connected solar adds greater stability to the electric grid, decreases transmission and distribution maintenance costs and reduces the need to construct more nuclear, gas or coal fired power plants.

Solar power can provide power when and where it is needed. Distributed solar power systems are modular and flexible. Solar Power is quiet and non- polluting. Now more than ever, Americans have a choice on where their power comes from; a choice to be independent and have a reliable clean quiet source of power at their location.  Every day, one customer at a time, Sun City Solar Energy empowers Americans a little closer to decentralized energy independence.

Thank you so much for making our dreams of solar a reality. This whole experience with your company, from start to finish, has been wonderful. We felt so taken care of with you and your communications and updates as we moved through the process. This meant a lot to us.

It was really fun to have you, Garrett, Steve, and Pete here on our property in the mountains. You all have a work ethic that is hard to beat.

We truly are on cloud nine with our solar setup. It feels so good to be able to be comfortable, play music, have lights on when we want and need them- and to know that it all comes from the sun!

We are thankful to have made some new friends and be a part of the Sun City Solar family. We would love to be a part of your reference network to let others know about our great experience with Sun City Solar.

Sincerely,
Lucie Forbes
Rod Nyberg
Eureka Springs, AR
Off Grid Solar Power System
July 28, 2012