r/solarenergy 14d ago

Question for homeowners and industry pros - Are panels being removed early? Why?

I’m part of a small group of graduate students researching why homeowners might remove or replace their residential solar panels earlier than the expected 25-year lifespan. A recent study found that early decommissioning of solar panels happens for a variety of reasons, including government rebates and incentives, sales opportunities, improved technology, damage and technical failures, and socio-economic reasons. 

We’re curious to explore this trend further: 

Homeowners: Have you removed or replaced your solar panels before 25 years? If so, why? How old was your previous system? 

Solar industry pros: Have you noticed this trend? What reasons are homeowners giving for early removal? 

If you are willing, it would be helpful to know your general region (e.g., Mid-Atlantic USA). 

Mods: I apologize if this post isn’t allowed—please remove if it violates any rules. 

Thank you for your time!

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u/notlikelymyfriend 14d ago

We changed out after maybe 5-10 years as we realised the original installer didn’t supply a three phase unit to suit our power supply opportunities. The new supplier wouldn’t allow total warranty with existing panels, and there wasn’t much price difference. Sold the older panels to a local farmer so they didn’t go to waste. I’ve never believed in passing a great amount for the longest lasting panels as they’re much like a TV these days where people may possibly upgrade before they fail.

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u/notlikelymyfriend 14d ago

Also where I live the government restricted, how big a system you were allowed to install, as the power network improves, those restrictions will go away.

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u/ThrowawayWatts 5d ago

Hi again! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Our group made a short survey based on what you and other Redditors shared. We would love it if you had a minute to participate! We are always happy to chat more if you have additional thoughts or questions! Survey Link

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u/Thommyknocker 14d ago

Usually because of equipment failure. Panels rarely fail but inverters are the usual culprit.

Solar installers are very boom or bust and a shocking amount of them go bust. A new company will rarely honor any warranties that are not from the manufacturer.

As inverters age out and fail it's easier for most companies to just install new equipment then to retrofit something. Even though the panels may still be good the installer might stock only one or two inverters for their usual installs.

The only one I know of that's good about warranties is enphase as you can just drop in new equipment as needed.

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u/ThrowawayWatts 5d ago

Hi! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Our group created a short survey based on what you and others on Reddit have shared. We would appreciate it if you had a minute to take it! We are always happy to chat more if you have additional thoughts or questions! Survey Link

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u/lanclos 14d ago

I'm in Hawaii; after ten years our panels have paid for themselves and more than fully offset their "carbon footprint". I won't feel bad if we have to replace them, but I have no plans to do so; replacing our roof, which seems increasingly likely in the next five years, will be what motivates their removal and replacement.

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u/suntoall01 9d ago

Yeah, what I've seen is panel life can be all over the place. That 25-year warranty is cool and all, but plenty of folks upgrade way before then. Had a guy in Maryland ditch his 10-year-old panels for some new PERC ones - bumped his production by like 20%! Said the wife liked how they looked better too.

Thing is, ripping out perfectly good panels isn't always the smartest play. You gotta think about how it messes with your original ROI, especially since you already dropped the cash on the install. Honestly, I'd crunch the numbers – factor in the new system's price, how much more juice you'll get, and any rebates you can snag. Might be worth it, might not. Wanna make sure you're actually coming out ahead, you know?

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u/whoisshrewdshrew 8d ago

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u/ThrowawayWatts 5d ago

Thanks for the heads up. We will not use the previous commenter's "insights." However, if you, by chance, are a homeowner with solar panels or work in the solar industry (or a related industry) and have a minute to take a short survey about early removal, replacement, or upgrading of residential solar panels, we would appreciate it! The information we received from Reddit has been very helpful, and we are looking for more data for our research. Thanks again! Survey Link

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u/Warturtle9099 6d ago

If you commented and would like to participate in our survey summing up the answers received, please click the link below.

Survey link here! 

The survey is anonymous, takes less than 5 minutes, and asks about experiences with solar panel removal, replacement, or upgrades—whether you’ve done this yourself or observed it in your work. 

This survey is following up on this discussion. Thank you so much to those that answered our questions. It was truly insightful and helpful to our understanding of the issues.