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Several important components need to be examined when evaluating solar panel warranties. You should be aware of what the equipment manufacturer offers versus what your installation company offers. The two typically vary, and you need to know the difference to make sure your solar investment is as safe as possible.

This blog will help you navigate through solar panel warranties and equip you with the questions you need to ask to make sure you get the best possible solar investment.

What Are The Standard Warranties on Solar Panels?

Leading solar panel manufacturers provide two types of warranties for their solar panels. The first is a performance warranty that guarantees the panel's output will not decline below a specific percentage. These are typically 25 to 30 years in length. The second is a product warranty, which safeguards against receiving panels with defects.

We dive into both types of solar panel warranties in more detail below. 

Performance Warranty

What it is:

Most solar panel manufacturers back their products with a linear performance warranty for 25 to 30 years. The linear performance warranty guarantees that a panel's performance will stay above a specified degradation rate (the decline in output that all solar panels experience). This assures you that the panel will continue to be able to produce a specified percentage of power during the warranty period. The panel brands that we carry guarantee the performance to be 79–87% of the original performance at the end of the warranty period.

What it's not:

The manufacturer's linear performance warranty does not guarantee a specific amount of solar production for your system; it guarantees that each panel has the ability to produce a certain amount of instantaneous power on its own. In most cases, this warranty will not cover the labor costs associated with replacing panels.  

Example:

Say your solar system was installed correctly and gets adequate sunlight, but its production is below the desired output. The underperformance is likely due to a faulty solar panel. In this scenario, your manufacturer’s warranty would kick in to replace the faulty panel. 

Product Warranty

What it is:

Product warranties are in place to protect you from defects in material or workmanship issues during the manufacturing process. The manufacturer may choose to repair or replace the product at their discretion.

What it’s not:

The manufacturer's product warranty does not cover the cost of labor to diagnose and or replace the equipment or the shipping costs to get replacements on-site. However, some solar installation companies will cover this under their workmanship warranty.


Common Factors That Could Void Your Solar Panel Warranty

Every solar panel manufacturer has their own set of warranty guidelines. However, there are some common factors that could potentially void your warranty regardless of the brand. These include:

  • Installing the panels on your own instead of using a certified installation company
  • Not properly cleaning your panels - You should never use abrasive tools or cleaning solvents
  • Physical damage from tree branches, lightning, hail, or other acts of God - this is when your property insurance would kick in

What Other Components of a Solar Energy System Are Covered By Warranties?

Each solar system has multiple components, and each will have separate warranties from its manufacturer. The other components that typically come with a warranty are the inverters, batteries, and racking.

  • Most inverters come with a 10 to 25-year product warranty.
  • Batteries come with a 5 to 10-year warranty.
  • Racking comes with a 10 to 20-year warranty on workmanship and material defects.

How To File A Solar Panel Warranty Claim?

In most cases, it is best to contact your installer to start the warranty claim process. If your installation company is no longer in business, you can contact the manufacturer directly. The manufacturers typically have established partnerships with other installers in your area who can assist in diagnosing any issues and replacing components as needed.

Comparing Manufacturer Warranties and Solar Installer Guarantees

Some solar installation companies will offer additional warranties/guarantees in addition to what the product manufacturer offers. For example, Paradise Energy Solutions offers a Triple Ten Guarantee. The main component of this guarantee is the performance guarantee, which guarantees the total solar production of your system, whereas the manufacturer warranty only guarantees the panel will have the capability to produce a specified amount of energy. This is a big difference.  

Example:

Your panels are all functioning properly, but the system as a whole isn’t producing as it should. This could be the result of poor installation, poor placement of the system, or abnormal weather conditions during that time frame. This scenario is likely when the performance guarantee from your installer kicks in.

The Triple Ten Guarantee: Paradise Energy’s Commitment to You

Triple-Ten-Logo_With-New-Blue

Our Triple Ten Guarantee gives you total peace of mind because your investment is backed by our money. If your system doesn’t produce the amount of electricity promised, we will write you a check for the difference.  We’ve purposely put our company in a position of responsibility for your system’s performance so that you can be confident in your investment and know that you will get exactly what you paid for.

The Triple Ten Guarantee includes:

10 Year Performance Guarantee guarantees the total solar production of your system for the first 10 years.  If your system does not produce the amount of electricity that we guaranteed, we will send you a check for the difference in production.

10 Year Workmanship Guarantee covers any issues caused by our installation process, as well as labor to replace parts of the system that are covered under a warranty replacement from the manufacturer (These costs are not typically covered under the manufacturer's warranty).

10 Year System Monitoring helps us uncover issues by monitoring the system's performance remotely. This helps us quickly find and fix anything that is not functioning properly. 

Making Informed Decisions on Solar Warranties

It’s important that you know the difference between the manufacturer warranties and what your installation company is offering. Production warranties from the manufacturer back the panel’s capability to produce energy. A performance guarantee, like the Triple Ten Guarantee from Paradise Energy, gives you the assurance that the total system output will be at the level specified in your solar proposal.

When reviewing your solar proposal with an installer, ask for the specifics of what they are offering.

  • What happens if my solar system doesn’t produce the amount of energy specified in the proposal?
  • What happens if something breaks? Who is responsible for the cost of replacing the component?

Make sure your bases are covered, and pick an installer who stands behind the product they sell. Your solar investment deserves it!

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