Solar Panel Warranties: Things You Need to Know

A warranty is a form of a written guarantee statement from the manufacturer about the product’s condition and a commitment to repair, replace, or refund within a specified period if it undergoes any performance issues.

Similarly, a solar panel warranty is a guarantee issued by the solar panel manufacturers to cover the durability, defects, and performance issues over a certain time.

Solar panel warranties are important for homeowners. They cover the labor and shipping charges to safeguard the huge investment, compensate for the losses due to the errors made by installers, and confirm long-term reliability and best performance.

Usually, consumers can expect coverage for defects in equipment and guaranteed performance, ensuring an 80-90% power output in the first year with a minimum degradation rate between 0.25% and 0.75%.

Along with exploring the different types of warranties, you need to know how to file a claim and avoid voiding your solar panel warranty. As a homeowner, you should have an idea about warranty transferability and insurance coverage for solar power panels.

What are Solar Panel Warranties?

The main concept of a solar panel warranty is to protect your long-term investment. A favorable solar panel warranty confirms your modules continue to deliver a specified level of performance for many years to ensure security to your return on investment. Typically, you can expect a warranty period between 10 years and 25 years for a solar panel.

Mainly, the huge difference between value and premium panels occurs in terms of warranties and the efficiency of solar panels. It is observed that premium PV panels come with higher efficiency rates, longer product warranties, and more effective power performance.

Many manufacturers offer extended warranties that provide added benefits to the standard coverage. They offer additional safety measures to the whole PV system as well as provide peace of mind to customers who might face issues after the conclusion of the initial warranty period.

These are the important criteria consumers should look for in a solar panel warranty while selecting various brands:

1. Product warranty terms to ensure the length and coverage details for defects in equipment and customer service.
2. Performance warranty to ensure a satisfactory level of power output within a certain time with minimum degradation rate.
3. Labor and shipping costs are to be included in the warranty.
4. The ability to transfer a warranty to a new owner if the existing property is sold out.
5. Extension of warranties for extra protection.

Different Types of Solar Panel Warranties

Product warranty and performance warranty are two main types of solar panel warranties whereas installation warranty as well as labor and shipping charges are the crucial factors that should be covered within a warranty, which are discussed below in detail:

Product Warranty

Through product warranty, there is an assurance of a free replacement of your solar panels due to any malfunction caused by equipment or workmanship errors at the early stages. Although the tenure varies according to the brand and product’s version, it is commonly observed that the solar industry offers a warranty period of 10–12 years. However, few leading brands such as SunPower and QCells provide a 25-year warranty period.

Defects in solar equipment arise due to manufacturing errors, poor-quality parts, or technical problems during the production process. At times you can observe common defects such as incorrect wiring, premature wear and tear of materials, corrosion, or issues with the frame or junction box. This is where product warranties play a crucial role by offering financial safety and a secure feel to homeowners.

At the same time, there are certain conditions and limitations of product warranty you need to know. One such drawback is the variation in terms of coverage and exclusion. Commonly, these exclusions include the damages that happen due to wrong installation, natural disasters, or improper alterations to the panels.

Nowadays, premium solar panels are manufactured with longer warranty periods due to their superior quality and durability. For instance, a standard solar panel loses about 0.6% to 0.7% of its basic production value yearly. While, the premium panels, despite being expensive, are highly efficient to commence with and try to maintain their production capacity for a longer span. Most importantly, the premium panel manufacturers have a strong belief that their product has superior longevity and performance, which allows them to provide extended warranties as proof of solid functionality.

Performance Warranty

A power warranty or performance warranty ensures that the minimal annual reduction in electricity generation due to the performance decline of solar panels occurs at a gradual rate. In other words, this type of warranty guarantees solar panels to maintain specific output throughout their lifetime, usually for 25 years.

Most often, performance warranties guarantee 90% production in 10 years and 80% in 25 years, by ensuring that they degrade at a specified rate over a certain time. In comparison, product warranties protect the physical structure of solar panels against material defects or workmanship faults.

Also, a power warranty can be extended longer than a product warrant which includes these common terms and degradation rates:

• Initial Degradation of 2-3% in the first year.
• Annual Degradation not more than 0.50% in the next years.
• Long-term coverage extended with 25 to 30 years helps to overcome productivity loss.

Consumers should interpret and compare degradation rates and warranty terms of different solar panels by considering these aspects:

• A Guaranteed output of upto 80% by the completion of the warranty period (typically 25 years).
• Lower degradation rates produce more energy over its life cycle.
• The manufacturer’s reputation helps to estimate the long-term performance of panels.

However, consumers should keep in mind the real-life performance vs warranty guarantees. This is because warranties provide an estimated safety life, but real-life performances vary due to various factors such as installation quality, environmental conditions, and maintenance.

It is important to maintain and choose high-quality solar panels to ensure their better performance beyond warranty terms. As a result, you should select PV modules with better warranties and degradation rates similar to SunPower or Hanwha Q-Cells roof panels. This ensures PV systems resist degradation much better than standard modules to give better results on a long-term basis.

Installer Warranty

An installation warranty provided by the solar installation company covers all the issues related to the set-up process such as damages on your roofs or property. The warranties usually vary from 1 year to 10 years depending upon the installer you choose. Manufacturer warranties evaluate the durability and reliability of solar energy systems for home use that range from 10 to 25 years.

The main concept of the installer warranty is to compensate for any damage incurred due to errors in workmanship during the panel’s initial installation. It includes issues with wiring connections or mounting hardware that wasn’t set up properly. Few warranties provide compensation for damages caused due to poor weather conditions such as severe hailstorms or winds.

It is beneficial for homeowners to consider the installation warranties in addition to the product and performance warranties in the following ways:

• Comprehensive coverage consists of other system components such as racking and wiring. As solar panel brands focus on manufacturing, top companies such as SunPower and Tesla provide installation services providing the best warranties.
• Cost Savings include labor costs and other expenses related to improving installation defects, which is important.
• Increased protection complements the manufacturer’s warranty for your solar investment.

The duration for installation warranties ranges from 5 to 25 years. A longer coverage of the warranty period points out the huge confidence level in the installation quality and offers increased protection to your overall solar investment.

Labor and Shipping Costs in Solar Panel Warranties

Usually, labor and shipping costs are not covered under the traditional solar panel warranties. This is because a majority of warranties focus on covering faults in materials and workmanship, but the costs linked with labor for maintenance, alterations, and transportation of faulty or refurbished panels are often ignored.

You need to understand that the labor and shipping costs vary according to the individual manufacturers and warranty agreements such as:

• Labor Costs: Few manufacturers provide partial coverage for labor costs which is something not common. If the labor costs are covered, it is typically for a certain period under certain conditions. For instance, a manufacturer might cover labor costs for the starting year but not for the subsequent years.
• Shipping Costs: Similar to the concept of labor costs, the standard warranties do not cover shipping costs under certain conditions.

Along with the labor and shipping costs, the warranty doesn’t cover accidental damages and routine deterioration of the panels.

While evaluating solar panel warranties, consumers should consider the following factors regarding the labor and shipping charges:

• Extension of Coverage: Few warranties include coverage for labor and shipping costs.
• Warranty Terms: You need to carefully read the terms and conditions of the warranty to understand its coverage limits and exclusions.
• Manufacturer’s Track Record: It is important to select manufacturers with a proven track record to satisfy the warranties and provide great customer service.
• Additional Costs: You need to be prepared to invest extra amounts on labor and shipping if they aren’t covered under the warranty.

Degradation and Warranties

Solar panels placed on roofs are often very dependable, have no moving parts, and require little upkeep. Despite this, it is typical for solar PV cells to degrade slightly over time. The performance of solar panels is predicted to be unaffected by a wide range of extremely harsh conditions, including freezing winter temperatures, extremely hot summer temperatures, high humidity, wind, and harsh UV radiation, not to mention corrosion from the salt mist in coastal seashore settings. All solar panels degrade slightly under these harsh conditions due to several well-known natural phenomena.

To explain it easily, the P-type and N-type cell substrates in a panel, of which there are two primary types, are used by manufacturers to determine the deterioration rates of solar panels. Panels made from premium N-type silicon substrates exhibit the least level of deterioration.

After 25 years of service, these high-performance N-type cells will retain close to 90% of their original power output thanks to their lower rate of light-induced deterioration, which is expected to be only 0.5% annually. Most manufacturers employ P-type cells, which have a slightly greater rate of degradation at about 0.8% per year because they have a cheaper cost of production. This degradation is covered under the performance warranty by the manufacturer.

A Solar Warranty usually does not include the following:

• Statements that your system will produce a certain amount of solar power.
• The price of labor to repair and replace equipment or the cost of delivering replacements to your location. Only the cost of the components shall be borne by the company.
• Damages are caused due to power outages, surges, fire, flood, direct or indirect lightning strikes, or other natural disasters.
• Malfunctions brought on by unintentional breaking, explosions, vandalism, war, or other uncontrollable natural or man-caused events.

Additionally, some warranties cover labor expenses while others charge extra for labor. If labor is not included in the price, you must pay the solar installer to climb up on your roof, remove the old panels, and install the new ones. It depends on the company’s policy.

How to File a Claim for Solar Panel Warranty?

Here is the brief process of filing a warranty claim for your solar panels in a step-by-step manner:

1. Try to identify the exact issue and provide clear evidence of the issue.

2. Go through your warranty documents and understand a detailed description of what’s offered, the period of coverage, and any requirements or limitations that must be met.

3. Record the problem you’re currently facing with your existing solar panels and take clear images and videos to maintain solid proof. Also, make a note of any incorrect messages or malfunctioning since this evidence can be essential to validate your claim.

4. Contact the company’s manufacturer or installer for workmanship warranties by explaining the issue thoroughly and providing all required documentation.

5. Follow the company’s procedure. Every company has its own set of guidelines on how to provide warranty claims. Few companies might want you to fill out forms by providing detailed information, or arrange for an expert to review the issue.

6. Get prepared for inspections or repairs. The company might assign a technician to inspect the issue or provide instructions to transport backup products for repair.

7. Maintain a clear record of your conversations which includes emails, calls, and personal discussions so that this could be useful in handling any disputes.

At the same time, there are common challenges in the warranty-claiming process such as determining its coverage and issues with communication and documentation. However, these issues can be solved by using real-time monitoring systems, maintaining consistent communication, and keeping all relevant documents organized.

If your warranty claim is denied, as a consumer, you have the right to register a complaint with your state’s attorney general office by providing all important documents to support your case.

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How to Avoid Voiding Your Solar Panel Warranty?

To avoid voiding your solar panels, you need to save yourself from committing these common mistakes:

1. Unapproved modifications involve performing repairs on your own without any guidance. You can overcome the issue by using authorized service providers for repairs or modifications.
2. Improper installation occurs due to attempting the installation process on your own or hiring unqualified installers. As a result, you might face issues during the initial setup. It is mandatory to select a certified and professional installer to guarantee a proper and safe installation.
3. Failure in maintenance occurs due to the inability to perform frequent maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer. This issue can be avoided by following the maintenance schedule provided by the manufacturer and maintaining a track record of all maintenance activities.
4. The voltage or wind speed limits are exceeded when solar panels operate beyond a specified voltage or wind speed affecting the overall performance. Maintaining the operational limits specified in the warrant documentation helps you to avoid such issues.
5. Using Low-Quality Racking Systems can damage your solar panel or roof. It is advisable to invest in premium-quality racking systems to ensure that they are installed correctly.

What Cannot Be Covered by a Solar Panel Warranty?

Solar panel warranties do not cover components such as inverters, batteries, and racking due to their shorter lifespan.

Most often, solar batteries, inverters, and other components have a basic warranty period of 10 to 12 years, whereas a few top manufacturers might offer 25 years. In comparison, solar panels with product warranty offer a protection scheme to the equipment and a guarantee of 10 to 12 years to perform successfully, while a performance warranty ensures 90% production in 10 years and 80% at 25 years.

Consumers can ensure that they get comprehensive protection for the entire solar power system through the following ways:

1. Proper installation: Hiring a certified installer and using high-quality components that can minimize installation errors and enhance longer lifespan.
2. Frequent maintenance: It is essential to clean your panels regularly to reduce the accumulation of dust, dirt, and debris. Also, perform inspections regularly to find out the indications of wear and tear on panels. Using a solar monitoring system can help you track the performance of the panels and find out if there is any drop in efficiency.
3. Satisfactory insurance coverage: Homeowners should carefully read the terms and conditions of the warranty so that it covers all the possible risks such as external damages, theft, natural disasters, and many others.
4. Extra protection measures: Additionally, you should follow certain helpful tips to protect your solar system. This includes adjusting the panel’s angle according to sun orientation, applying a thin layer of methacrylate on the surface, staying updated with the weather conditions in your locality, protect panels with wire mesh and covers.

Transferability of Warranty

A transferable solar panel warranty means that the warranty coverage can be passed on from the real owner to the new owner upon the selling of the property.

Warranty transferability is crucial for homeowners and potential homebuyers due to the following reasons:

• The warranties for HVAC systems safeguard homeowners from unpredictable expenses.
• It provides peace of mind and security from possible repair costs.
• Increases the property value during the sale.
• Ensures that the warranty coverage is available to new homeowners.

These are the main steps you should follow to transfer a solar panel warranty:

• Reach out to your solar company: This is the first step where you have to contact your solar installer and describe in detail your plans to sell your existing solar-powered property. Most importantly, it is necessary to inform the buyer that the deal includes PV warranties or leases to ensure that they are up-to-date during the deal-making process.
• Complete the paperwork: You should follow the procedures fixed by the manufacturer, which includes signing warranty transfer documents. This is to confirm that you are transferring the ownership.
• Credit Check: Later, the solar company will perform a credit check on the homebuyer.
• Finalizing the transfer process: Once you have completed the legal documentation work, the warranty is officially ready to be transferred to a new owner.

At the same time, you should know these limitations of transferring a solar panel warranty:

• A few manufacturers might restrict warranties to the original property owners.
• At times, you might need to pay additional fees to transfer the warranty.
• You must satisfy certain conditions for the warranty to be transferable which includes proper maintenance and installation by qualified professionals.

Best Solar Panel Warranties

These are the 6 leading solar panel brands in the market that offer the best warranties and the important data are tabulated below in detail:

Brand	Warranty Years Covered	Performance Guarantee over 25 years	Labor / Shipping Warranty  (Yes / No)	Extended Product Warranty  (Yes / No)	Transferability	Inverter (Yes / No)	Racking  (Yes / No)
Sunpower	25 years	92% of original output	Yes	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes
Panasonic	25 years	86-92% of original output	Yes	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes
Silfab	25 years  (product warranty),  30 years (Performance warranty)	97.1% of original output	Yes	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes
SolarREC Group	20 years (product warranty),  25 years (performance warranty)	92% of original output	Yes (Protrust Group)	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes
Qcells	25 years	98% of original output (for 1st year), 0.5% annual degradation rate	Yes	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes
CertainTeed	25 years	85% of original output	Yes	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Solar Panels?

Yes, Homeowners insurance typically covers solar panels because they are a permanent fixture to your property, which is similar to a security system installed outdoors. However, it is important to know that few policies might exclude damages to these attachments such as wind, fire, lightning, and severe storms.

The risks or damages typically covered include:

• Fire and smoke damage
• Hail, wind, or lightning effect
• Destruction or theft
• Water damage (from freeze or linked to mold)

At the same time, the risks, or damages excluded are flooding, pest infections, earthquakes, and routine wear and tear.

Also, you need to know that installing solar panels can affect the insurance premiums of a homeowner in the following ways:

• Increased home value: Increasing the number of solar panels can enhance your home value, which might slightly increase insurance premiums.
• Policy Limitations: Homeowners need to adjust according to their policy limits to guarantee adequate insurance coverage of solar panels for their home needs.