How Long Do Solar Panels Last
Solar panels last 25 to 35 years, according to the US Department of Energy, up from about 20 years in 2007. Over that time their output declines slowly: the federal lab's PV Fleet study of 4,915 inverters finds a median loss of 0.75% a year, faster in hot climates.
How much power a system keeps
Heat speeds up wear. In the 2022 analysis of the same fleet, systems in cooler climates lost a median 0.48% a year and those in hotter climates 0.88%. Compounded:
| System age | Cooler climates 0.48%/yr | All systems (median) 0.75%/yr | Hotter climates 0.88%/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 99.5% | 99.3% | 99.1% |
| 10 years | 95.3% | 92.7% | 91.5% |
| 20 years | 90.8% | 86.0% | 83.8% |
| 25 years | 88.7% | 82.8% | 80.2% |
| 30 years | 86.6% | 79.8% | 76.7% |
| 35 years | 84.5% | 76.8% | 73.4% |
Our calculation: (1 − yearly loss)years, output compared with new. Individual systems vary around these medians.
About the data
The PV Fleet study measures real output from commercial and utility systems larger than 250 kW, at least three years old, at the inverter level, so its rates include wiring, soiling and inverter losses as well as the panels themselves. Home rooftop systems aren't in the dataset; they use the same panel technology, but their losses can differ with installation and upkeep. The lab updates the results at least once a year.
Sources
- US Department of Energy, End-of-Life Management for Solar Photovoltaics
- National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), PV Fleet Performance Data Initiative, updated October 2026
- D. C. Jordan et al., "Photovoltaic Fleet Degradation Insights," Progress in Photovoltaics (2022)
Cite: Home Stats Data, "How Long Do Solar Panels Last," https://homestatsdata.com/solar/solar-panel-lifespan/