A new global study has found that ultraviolet (UV) radiation may significantly shorten the lifespan of solar panels, with engineers at UNSW Sydney warning that current industry testing standards may underestimate real‑world UV exposure by a wide margin.
The research team has developed the first high‑precision global model capable of estimating how much UV radiation solar panels receive depending on their location, local climate and mounting configuration. The findings show that UV exposure varies far more than previously understood — and that in high‑irradiance regions, UV‑related degradation alone could reduce the operational life of some systems by seven to ten years.
The study, led by Dr Shukla Poddar and supervised by Prof. Bram Hoex and A. Prof. Merlinde Kay, provides the first worldwide comparison of UV exposure for both fixed‑tilt and sun‑tracking solar systems.
The researchers found that newer high‑efficiency solar technologies, which capture a broader portion of the solar spectrum including UV light, may be more vulnerable to UV‑driven degradation.
“Modules with similar technology and orientation can still exhibit region‑specific degradation,” the team writes.
“This underscores the need for climate‑specific indoor testing and accelerated tests for reliability and better lifetime predictions.”
One of the study’s key findings is that tracking systems receive substantially more UV radiation than fixed‑tilt panels because they follow the sun throughout the day.
“They’re always trying to track the sun to catch the maximum amount of sunlight,” Dr Poddar says. “That means they’re also getting the maximum UV on top of them, which makes those panels more susceptible and vulnerable.”
In high‑UV regions, the model suggests that single‑axis tracking systems could experience UV‑related degradation of around 0.35 per cent per year, a figure that compounds significantly over two decades.
The study also highlights a major gap in current international testing standards. Solar modules are required to pass a UV test equivalent to 15 kilowatt‑hours per square metre, yet the researchers found that panels in locations such as Alice Springs can receive that amount of UV in just over a month.
“It is a significant underestimation of the amount of UV radiation the panels may be exposed to,” Dr Poddar says.
The researchers say their modelling tool can help manufacturers and asset owners make better decisions, including conducting more rigorous accelerated UV stress testing before installation.
Dr Poddar says the global UV map offers a practical resource for the industry.
“It gives a holistic overview for manufacturers or developers who want to install panels somewhere, without having to do all the background calculations themselves.”