By Kriss on January 27th, 2011
Customer Question: Longevity of DIY Solar Panels
We’ve decided to start a new segment where we answer customer questions and post them here.
Q: An engineer friend (not a solar engineer) told me that unless solar panels are vacuum sealed, they will break down quickly. Won’t this happen with your (DIY Solar Panel) system? Andrew M.
A: The short answer is ‘sort of’. There’s no question that homemade solar panels will not last as long as manufactured solar panels. This is just a result of you building a panel in your garage and the factory have ideal conditions. But we have seen homemade panels last for 5-10 years and longer when built correctly. The better you keep the elements out of the electrical connections the longer your panels will last. So, yes, your DIY solar panels wont last as long but they will provide solid energy production and be worth your while if you follow the instructions.
This solved my question too.Thanks