While it’s rare to experience a broken solar panel, they do still break on occasion. The most common reason for a breakage is damage sustained by an object, such as a falling tree branch. In high winds, debris with sharp corners and edges (like a piece of sheet metal) may be picked up and slammed into the panel’s surface.
Nearly seven in 10 owners had had no problems with their solar panels in our survey of over 2,000 owners.* The most common – and most serious – problem owners face is with the inverter. In some cases inverter problems mean you don't get any usable renewable electricity. It can also be a pricey problem to fix.
UV exposure contributes to discoloration and backsheet degradation. These things just happen, and it’s difficult to determine how bad the degradation will be. “Solar panel degradation and failure is not a clear-cut situation,” Kurtz said. “There are lots of different reasons why they degrade and why they fail.”
The general rule of thumb is that broken or scratched glass can be replaced if it hasn’t caused any further damage to the solar panel. Any damage to the inner components requires the solar panel to be replaced. Can I Fix Solar Panel Parts Myself?
Solar panels also degrade gradually over time. So, after a decade of ownership, your panels might produce slightly less power than they did when new. You can find the expected degradation of your panels on their datasheet (search online for it using their make and model: find this on your MCS certificate).
WINAICO carefully selects IP67 rated junction boxes that stop dust and water from trickling in to damage the circuits. When the underlying solar cells are broken, cells can continue to generate electric current along the cracks, causing localised heat that breakdown the cell surface and EVA.