How long do solar panels last?

Q: How long do solar panels last?

There is no fixed end date: systems lose a little output each year. An NREL-led study of about 2,200 commercial, industrial and utility solar sites found a median performance loss of about 0.75% a year. At that rate a system still makes about 83% of its first-year output after 25 years. Check your panel warranty for the output the maker guarantees.

Updated October 25, 2026. Every answer lists the sources we read it from. If we couldn't back an answer, we left the question out.

The same study found the rate depends on climate, with panels degrading more slowly in cooler places, and that it did not differ much between module technologies.

For the arithmetic: losing 0.75% a year compounds to about 93% of the original output after 10 years and about 80% after 30. The study measured larger, non-home systems; home systems were not part of it.

Sources

U.S. Department of Energy: Success Story, A Clearer Picture of U.S. Solar Power Performance (NREL PV Fleet)

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Estimates only. Your actual costs depend on your utility's rate plan, how and when you charge or use power, and local prices. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. See our disclaimer.

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