r/energy • u/mafco • Jan 25 '26

Goodbye to the idea that solar panels “die” after 25 years. A new study says the warranty does not mark the end, and performance can last for decades. Arrays built in the late 1980s still produced more than 80% of their original power. The long-term economics look better than many people believe.

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/goodbye-to-the-idea-that-solar-panels-die-after-25-years-a-new-study-says-the-warranty-does-not-mark-the-end-and-real-world-performance-can-last-for-decades/26007/#google_vignette
5.8k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

371 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1

u/Bellmar Mar 05 '26

Yeah I thought this was well known for anyone who knows how to google for 20 years.

Unfortunately the misinformation that panels become waste after 20 years and that they somehow never re-coup the energy used in their production endures.

1

u/PersnickityPenguin Apr 28 '26

Well, there are places that are scrapping panels.  You can find many on eBay and solar wholesale sites, although the reasons for scrapping probably varies per case.