For today’s installment of Solar Basics, we’re going to discuss the importance of system reliability. SunPower solar technology delivers the highest reliability in the industry, so our dealers and salespeople talk a lot about reliability with prospective customers. But for customers who are comparing many different manufacturers at many different price points, they want to know how to measure reliability and why it matters. Those are very fair questions. Here’s one video from SunPower dealer Independent Power Systems of Boulder, CO, which demonstrates one type of reliability:
SUNPOWER HAILSTORM VIDEO:
Solar system reliability is best summed up by three metrics:
1. The functional lifetime of the panels - All dealers should share the functional lifetime of the panels. This is the number of years the panels are expected to produce power (as set by the manufacturer).
2. How well the panels perform over their lifetime - Just like a computer processor or a rechargeable battery, solar panel production degrades over time. Some panels maintain higher levels of production over the course of their lifetime.
3. Energy production continuity - Since solar panels need to face the sun, they are subject to the elements. Over a 25-year lifetime, the panels are exposed to a lot of rainstorms, hailstorms, snowstorms and even the occasional hurricane. All of these factors represent risks that could knock a panel offline. All panels differ on how well they can handle extreme weather and maintain consistent uptime. Be sure to ask your dealer for more details.
Reliability is important when you take into consideration the total cost of ownership over the lifetime of your panels. You are not receiving the full value of your investment whenever your panels aren’t functioning properly. A standard 25-year warranty may not cover you for everything. In addition, imagine having to go through the hassles of dealing with the company to replace the panels and the loss of energy production - and, what if this happened every two years or less? The losses can add up quickly…
To make sure you are investing in a reliable solar energy system, we’d recommend you to get answers to the following questions before you buy:
1. How much experience does the company have installing and manufacturing solar panels?
2. How extensively do they test their panels?
3. What certifications do they have? Do they settle for the industry standard or go beyond it?
4. How much of the design and manufacturing process does the company control
At SunPower, we take reliability very seriously. Check out this video detailing how we build and test our solar panels to provide the highest level of reliability in the industry:
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