How to make solar panels more robust

I've been toying with the idea of solar pV for a while. We're not off grid so the payoff is fairly steep, but in our long summer days (still a way away at the moment) we could theroetically generate a fair amount of energy. One of the things that concerns me is durability. I hear that the panels don't last long, that they degrade in time. I live in a windy area - how to I ensure that the panels have the best life expectancy possible? What have you done to ensure that your panels survive storms. Is it just a matter of spending more money, or are there tricks that can help?

Does anyone know if panel mounting systems have been developed for Hurricane force winds? There are a number of Islands that would benefit from solar panels, but they're also in the line of Hurricanes (Typhoon in the Pacific, but same principles apply).

Are there any "cheater" systems that can be applied quickly to reinforce the panels if really bad weather is incoming? I remember reading (I think here on permies) of a family who had a giant fishing net which they put over their roof and properly anchored when there were storm warnings.

I can't imagine how people cope. We just had 60 km/h gusts the other day and I'm still cleaning up the chaos and will be for at least a week. That's baby wind compared to a hurricane.

Jay Angler wrote:I can't imagine how people cope. We just had 60 km/h gusts the other day and I'm still cleaning up the chaos and will be for at least a week. That's baby wind compared to a hurricane.

We get storms of about 90 mph most winters (still short of hurricanes - that is a bit more unusual) If you get it all the time the infrastructure and environment get used to it - if not they fail....that's what I want to avoid too. There is no point in forking out hundreds (or thousands) of pounds and having the panels sail away into the Loch. Also the constant battering of lesser winds (temperature fluctuations are less of an issue here, but appear to be huge in parts of the USofA), might lead to fatigue issues too.
That's good what you say about the panels lasting reasonably well these days Michael. All the technology seems so confusing it's difficult to know what might be best.

Nancy Reading wrote:

Jay Angler wrote:I can't imagine how people cope. We just had 60 km/h gusts the other day and I'm still cleaning up the chaos and will be for at least a week. That's baby wind compared to a hurricane.

We get storms of about 90 mph most winters (still short of hurricanes - that is a bit more unusual) If you get it all the time the infrastructure and environment get used to it - if not they fail....that's what I want to avoid too. There is no point in forking out hundreds (or thousands) of pounds and having the panels sail away into the Loch. Also the constant battering of lesser winds (temperature fluctuations are less of an issue here, but appear to be huge in parts of the USofA), might lead to fatigue issues too.
That's good what you say about the panels lasting reasonably well these days Michael. All the technology seems so confusing it's difficult to know what might be best.

Nancy I always recommend if you have the land put them on the ground. Just that will reduce the possibility of wind damage. There is no need to loose the ground either as under an array turns out to be a great place to store firewood or a lawn tractor or a chicken run or a compost station etc.Next would be buy a rack engineered for the climate. There are a lot of flimsy racks being sold online. Another point is panel size. The utility sized panels are huge and their ratio of surface area to glass is very large. For roofs I have limited my arrays to the 450-500 watt range now. You can also add a third horizontal rail for extra support. I use these racking systems here:
https://fast-rack.ca/

 they have on staff engineering as well.
As far as longevity its 25 years plus and even then barring mechanical failures of the seals your panel will be putting out 85-90 percent or its original rated power. I wish every device you buy was forced to have lifespan ratings on them like solar panels must. Solar is definitely having a moment with another oil war ongoing, data centres driving up utility bills and just general societal angst. Interview installers,find a company aligned with your goals, take the time to plan it out; good solar is slow and deliberate, make sure the system incorporates batteries either now or in the future as its turning into a must have more and more.
Cheers,
David Baillie

Jay Angler wrote:Does anyone know if panel mounting systems have been developed for Hurricane force winds? There are a number of Islands that would benefit from solar panels, but they're also in the line of Hurricanes (Typhoon in the Pacific, but same principles apply).

Are there any "cheater" systems that can be applied quickly to reinforce the panels if really bad weather is incoming? I remember reading (I think here on permies) of a family who had a giant fishing net which they put over their roof and properly anchored when there were storm warnings.

I can't imagine how people cope. We just had 60 km/h gusts the other day and I'm still cleaning up the chaos and will be for at least a week. That's baby wind compared to a hurricane.

My solution is to lay all of the panels flat on the ground for hurricanes....

Here is a timely link to research done on used panels. It matches my own observations and other papers I've read.
Cheers,  
David

Extensive testing validates reuse of 23-year-old second-life polycrystalline solar modules – pv magazine International https://share.google/P51RUvuF5rntwnBBZ