Gabriele Özkalay

Stories

Solar panels from the 1980s still produce over 80% of original power, Swiss study finds

Published the 30-year degradation study in January 2026

Six solar arrays installed in Switzerland between 1987 and 1993 still produce more than 80% of their original power after 30 years of operation. The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) measured annual degradation of just 0.16% to 0.24% — about three times slower than the industry-standard assumption of 0.75% to 1%.

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