Why Older Solar Panel Installations Are at Risk – and How Thermal Imaging Makes a Difference

Solar panels are built to last, but that doesn’t mean they keep performing at their best. Especially older installations (10+ years) are more likely to suffer from hidden defects, reduced output, or even safety issues. A thermal drone inspection offers a fast and safe way to detect these problems.

Older panels: weak or missing bypass diodes

Modern solar panels come with bypass diodes that help redirect current around faulty cells or zones. But older panels — often pre-2010 — don’t always have them, or they no longer function properly.

  • Some panels have no bypass diodes at all.

  • Others have cheap or damaged diodes after years of use.

  • Some were poorly designed, so the diode doesn’t activate as it should.

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