Let’s talk solar panels.
When you buy a solar panel, you are effectively getting two things; a physical product that produces solar electricity, and a promise from the manufacturer that this product will continue to produce power for its warranted life of about 25 years. Bloomberg produces an annual list of “Tier 1” manufactures that approximates high quality in both areas. It’s an imperfect gauge, but I find it useful to ensure I’m offering the right panel brands to customers.
Panels have continued to become more affordable over the past decade (2021 inflationary pressure aside) and continue to become more powerful within the standard frame size of 39×66 inches. Manufactures continue to innovate with coatings and layouts but seem to be working around the edges of improvement. I always read about the “game changer” but suspect we are in a range of performance for the time being. No predictions, but I am concerned about panel prices going forward considering increased sanctions on China, ongoing container shortages, and rapidly growing demand.
