{"id":119065,"date":"2026-08-22T12:30:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T12:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/119065\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T12:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T12:30:14","slug":"swiss-rooftop-has-nearly-50-solar-panels-still-working-from-1982-outlasting-other-equipment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/119065\/","title":{"rendered":"Swiss rooftop has nearly 50 solar panels still working from 1982, outlasting other equipment"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Swiss rooftop solar installation that first fed electricity into the grid in 1982 is still producing power more than four decades later.<\/p>\n

The equipment around the array has not lasted as well: the site has gone through five inverter replacements, even though 48 of its original panels continue to operate.<\/p>\n

Here’s what to know<\/p>\n

In Canobbio, Switzerland, the TISO array entered service on May 13, 1982, with 288 panels totaling 10.6 kilowatts. By 2024, Autonoci\u00f3n<\/a> reported that 48 of those original modules were still active, despite the system being reconfigured and moved to a different roof in 2008.<\/p>\n

That long record highlights a difference between the durability of the panels and that of the surrounding electronics.<\/p>\n

Researchers found that performance differences between stronger and weaker panels were tied to the encapsulant material sealed inside the module, not the brand name or listed wattage.<\/p>\n

A 2017 analysis showed how large that gap could be: one group of panels degraded by an average of just 0.2% per year, while the worst material class had lost 26.1% of total power by 2017.<\/p>\n

More background<\/p>\n

Many buyers treat a 25-year solar warranty as if it were a firm expiration date. In reality, that warranty is largely a promise about power output over a certain period, not proof that panels stop working once that timeline ends.<\/p>\n

Solar panels<\/a> can keep lowering utility bills for decades, and they help reduce the pollution that harms air quality and drives planet-warming temperatures.<\/p>\n

Taken together, the findings suggest that long-term solar costs may hinge more on maintenance planning and replacement electronics than on the panels themselves.<\/p>\n

As Autonoci\u00f3n reported, a broader Swiss study examined six systems dating from 1987 to 1993 and backed up that conclusion. It found average performance losses of about 0.24% per year, far below the 0.75% to 1% annual decline often cited in solar research.<\/p>\n

What can be done?<\/p>\n

When comparing quotes, buyers may want to ask installers about the expected life span of the inverter, how much a replacement would cost, and whether monitoring and labor are included.<\/p>\n

It is also worth asking about the panel bill of materials, not just the brand name. The Swiss rooftop showed that small manufacturing choices can shape performance decades later.<\/p>\n

Product warranties, workmanship guarantees, and service support may matter just as much as the efficiency number advertised on a spec sheet.<\/p>\n

For cities and companies planning larger installations<\/a>, the lesson is similar: Plan for inverter turnover, prioritize proven components, and evaluate operating costs over time.<\/p>\n

The Swiss rooftop’s 44-year history suggests that solar panels can keep working for a very long time, even if the surrounding parts need attention much sooner.<\/p>\n

Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Cool<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Swiss rooftop solar installation that first fed electricity into the grid in 1982 is still producing power…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119066,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[52565,114,52564,713,52566,804,8839,52568,16832,41,17,49729,52569],"class_list":["post-119065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-switzerland","tag-and-water","tag-business","tag-change-the-way-you-use-electricity","tag-clean-energy","tag-clean-energy-showcase","tag-gas","tag-home","tag-install-solar-panels","tag-solar-panels","tag-swiss","tag-switzerland","tag-tech-showcase","tag-yahoo-tech"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/117139172905741300","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}