Glass-glass or glass-foil: why the panel matters on the salt coast

By the sea, the panel matters more

Salt in the air, plenty of sun and heat: the coast is a harsh place for a solar panel. A panel that lasts thirty years in Northern Europe degrades faster here — unless you choose the right type.

The difference: glass-glass versus glass-foil

An ordinary panel (glass-foil) has glass on the front and a plastic foil backsheet. That foil eventually lets moisture through, grows brittle in the sun and degrades. A glass-glass panel has glass on both sides:

• No moisture ingress between the layers.
• Safer in a fire — glass doesn’t burn.
• Slower to degrade — so more yield, for years longer.
• A 25 to 30-year product warranty instead of the usual 10 to 12.

Right by the sea, glass-glass isn’t a luxury but the logical choice.

And it costs barely more

The price difference is small — a few hundred euros on an average system, around 4 to 5%. For that bit extra you get the panel that stands up to the salt coast for decades longer. That’s why we fit glass-glass only.

We pair it with Enphase microinverters: the conversion happens on the roof, so there’s no inverter box in the house and you have the least chance of a fault.

Read more about our solar panels