How Long Do Solar Panel Inverters Last?

Last Updated on July 11th, 2023

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A Solar Panel inverter is a mechanism that converts the Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel into an Alternating Current, Direct Current, which can be fed into the commercial grid as a surplus of the daily needs of the home or business farming this energy.

Typically, the inverter equipment will last an owner about ten to fifteen years from set up to need replacement, all of which will depend on the load of daily work the unit is exposed to regularly.

Some of the DC optimizers and microinverters will have a lifespan rating between twenty and twenty-five years.

A solar inverter attached to a concrete wall - How Long Do they Last?

How Often Should You Replace Your Solar inverters?

As mentioned in the earlier section, there is going to be an expiration date window that ranges between ten and fifteen years, in some cases twenty-five years. This will mean that replacement schedules could be made every ten years to be safe.

On the other hand, if the system happens to be newer and lightly used, then twenty years might be appropriate.

There will also be some companies that offer rebates to upgrade equipment when newer and more efficient technologies become available.

So this can be a good time to get a newer system, a check-up of the other equipment and lines, and upgrades to the infrastructure, amongst other solar panel systems checks.

How can You tell it’s Time to Change it?

As mentioned earlier, there is an average window between ten and fifteen years after installation when a Solar Panel Inverter should be replaced.

Therefore, a safe practice would be to have a total systems check every decade to ensure everything is working, including the inverter equipment.

Their experts, installers, or systems professionals will provide expert knowledge on what parts need replacement or upgrade and also be able to get a crew together to make the needed changes happen.

Otherwise, simple fluctuations in the whole system’s performance can be noticed in the daily storage and uses of graphics provided.

Do Solar Inverters lose Efficiency over time?

As with any piece of electrical equipment, there will be some performance loss as the unit ages from time and usage.

The degradation rate will vary from panel setup to panel setup, but for the most part, the units will stay in the upper eighties and ninety percent range for efficiency.

When this number dips below the eighty percent mark, there will be a need for a systems inspection to locate the fault in the line and, more than likely, replace the inverter mechanisms.

Do Solar Inverters need Maintenance?

Any piece of equipment that moves or needs electricity will require a certain amount of maintenance to keep the systems running.

The same will be said for Solar Panels and the inverter units used as part of the whole system, which will need occasional cleaning and testing to ensure performance.

As mentioned in an earlier section, there will be an expiration date between ten and fifteen years after installation, which means that there will be a need for some TLC and regular maintenance on those decade marks.

What is the Maximum a Solar Panel can last?

There are going to be some units that claim that they last longer, and there will be some that will only last for a short time, as the industry standard of which solar panels are regulated to last around twenty-five to thirty years.

However, some systems have been well maintained, so much so that the solar panels have lasted as long as forty or fifty years since installation.

There are, however, new types of solar collecting technology, like the solar tiles from Tesla, that are said to be life-long installations with warranties on each of the pieces sold.

Final Thoughts on How long do Solar Panel Inverters last

The Solar Panel system as a whole will revolve in cycles of repair that start around ten years in, which could be the time to replace the inverter and other systems, and then another comes around at around twenty years.

This period is when the solar panels might need upgrading, and the wiring and battery storage lines might need replacing.

So no matter how one approaches the maintenance of their solar panel units, there will be specific ten year cycles that will help remind homeowners or solar farmers to check their equipment and systems.