Part 4: Costs of Owning Solar Panels; What You Should Expect

What's New with Renewable Energy? Part 4

One great aspect of solar panels is that they don't require much maintenance. A lack of moving parts can be credited for the generally low maintenance costs along with well made materials. Lets talk about some costs that a solar panel owner may run into.  On the lower end of the scale there are items such as wiring, nuts, bolts, frames etc. that may need replacement or repair over the panel’s lifetime. Items that may need to be replaced before the end of the panel’s lifetime that is more on the expensive side are the inverters. The two types of inverters are  central inverters and micro inverters. Central inverters are usually located in a central area where the panels, which are wired in a series, are connected and the power is converted from DC to AC. They usually come with a 10 year warranty.  Micro inverters are located on the back of  each solar panel where the conversion takes place. If one panel is not producing power, lets say because of an obstruction, the rest of the panels can still function independently where as with a central inverter if one panel is not working, the rest will most likely be effected as well due to their series setup. The micro inverters usually have  a 15 year warranty. The downside to the micro type is they are more expensive and there is a chance multiple inverters may need maintenance or replacement where as central inverters would only have one. The price of replacing an inverter can range from approximately $1200-$2000. Other than the parts mentioned there is little to no possible cost, making solar panels an even more appealing investment.