1.8.2 Solar panels last a very long time

Modern panels comfortably reach 25 years.

First, panels have no moving parts — no compressor, no motor, no gears. No friction means almost no wear.

Second, a panel is a sealed semiconductor sandwich. A silicon crystal stack laminated under glass, with no water ingress and no impact damage, doesn't "break suddenly." It just degrades slowly. Today's panels routinely retain 90%+ of nameplate output even at year 25.

Third, the finance system forces panel quality up. Bank lending, insurance underwriting, and project pro formas all assume long-term stable production. A panel that can't survive 25 years can't get financed. The flow of capital forces the industry to build to that threshold.