Solar (PV) is low impact, long lifespan, minimal maintenance and contains no moving parts. Solar panels are not a “designed to fail” commodity. Solar modules are not like my car. I don’t have to take it in to get my oil changed every 3,000 miles or fill up the tank every other day. However, nothing is “hassle free.” Maintenance of a solar system opn average is no more than washing the panels twice a year. Compared to other sources of energy that is nothing. Coal plants require hundreds of train cars each week filled with coal to keep operating.

However, no matter how high of quality something may be it won’t last forever. A PV solar system’s first point of failure will be generally at the inverter. Warranties vary, but some solar manufacturers offer a 20 year warranty on their inverters. The industry standard warranty for panels are 25 years. The average life of a solar system is 40 - 50 years. Solar modules can still produce electricity long beyond that. The longevity and minimal maintenance of solar systems is because of no moving parts.