Quote:
Originally Posted by Scuba Steve
Are dead panels typically easy to identify? I've seen a life of 30 years mentioned a lot, but on a normal house with no severe weather taking the things out how many would normally expire per year (and is that something a warranty would cover)?
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Pretty easy. You would check the Open Circuit voltage and the Short Circuit current with a volt meter and that will tell you for sure.
You'll notice power production is down and you will test the individual strings for voltage. Then you will test each panel in the string.
Most of the panels have a 20 year warranty. I wouldn't expect any to quit. They are pretty reliable. I expect they will suffer the most from lightning strikes, so most system incorporate a lighting arrestor.