Without any moving parts, solar panels last a very long time and require next to no maintenance. They continue to perform for 40+ years. Their performance degrades slightly over the years, usually around 0.3% per year. Solar panels are typically warrantied to perform at 80 to 85% of their nameplate rated production capacity after 20 to 25 years.The inverter is the only major component of a solar system over which the question of maintenance is a concern. Today’s inverters are warrantied for 12 to 15 years and manufacturers are now beginning to offer extended warranties up to 20 or 25 years.