short lived solar power generators

Last year I introduced you to Tree Beard, the mighty oak that poops several tons of leaves. We spend hours each week cleaning up those leaves.

Tree Beard carelessly dropping his failed solar power generators (leaves).

Discarded non-functional solar power generators choking grass.

Why does Tree Beard put up with such shoddy manufacturing?  He exerts an enormous amount of time, effort, and energy to build these power generators.  The duty cycle of these leaves is quite good but their service lifetime is terrible.  Leaves generate power for only eight months.  When the leaves get a little cold, they shut down.  Tree Beard then litters these failed systems wherever the wind blows them.

After several hours of struggle, we finally gather the broken power generators (leaves).  But Tree Beard has many more to discard and we shall be out working again next week, sigh.