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How Long a Solar Panel Lasts
Hi this is Greg Peterson creator of the video series 12 things you must know before building a solar panel. One question I get asked is, “How Long Will A Homemade Solar Panel Last?”
The honest answer usually is, not as long as a commercial solar panel. A commercial solar panel will easily last 25 years, probably more depending on your location and the type of weather it is exposed to. The reason that homemade panels don’t last quite as long is that most people make their solar panels out of materials such as wood and plexiglass, which will wear down quicker when out in the elements year after year.
That being said, these will still last a long time. A wooden panel that is properly coated with UV resistant paint will easily last 15 years or more outside. And when you consider that these panels are about a third of the cost, it still works out better in the long run to build them yourself.
If you take the time to build your solar panel correctly, and I basically just mean not taking shortcuts, you can build a panel that will provide you with free electricity for years and years to come. If you use wood for your solar panel, get some good UV resistant paint. The kind I got was an outdoor deck paint. This stuff was made for people to be walking on all the time, so I know it’s going to protect my panels for a long long time. I also chose tempered glass for the front of my panels instead of plexiglass, which is something you could look into. It was a bit more expensive, but I felt that it would hold up longer, as long as we don’t get any super crazy hailstorms any time soon!
So, “How Long Will A DIY Solar Panel Last?” In my opinion, long enough to make it worthwhile. Thanks for watching see you in the next video.
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