What Kind of Warranty Protection Is Available for My Newly Installed Solar Panels?

If you’re going to spend the money on solar panel installation, it’s reasonable to want to know what warranty protection will be included in your investment. After all, solar panels aren’t a small purchase and you need to protect yourself and your investment.

There are different types of warranties that may be applied to your solar panels, so it’s good to understand more. 

What Kinds of Warranties Are Offered?

There are four main types of warranties that are often offered with your solar panel installation. Here’s a glimpse at them:

1. Product Warranty

A product warranty is ensured by the manufacturer and covers any defects or problems that are caused by manufacturing errors, poor quality, or material failures. Depending on the manufacturer, your defective panel may be replaced, or you may receive a refund.

There is a minimum required product warranty that all solar panel manufacturers must offer, which is 10 years. Some manufacturers may offer a longer warranty, though, either 15, 20, or even 25 years.

2. Performance Warranty

This type of warranty ensures that your solar panels are performing as expected. You can expect the performance of your panels to drop by about 3% within the first year alone, but after this, solar panels usually only lose an additional 0.3-0.7% in the next 25 years. 

On average, you can expect a performance of around 80-84% by the end of 25 years. However, some brands guarantee as much as 92% after 25 years. 

3. Labor Warranty

A labor warranty will cover any issues that crop up from your installation. If there’s any damage that is done to your panels or they aren’t properly installed, a labor warranty will cover the costs of repairing the panels.

Labor warranties usually include proper conduit and wire runs and correct panel installation. 

4. Roof Warranty

Since most solar panels are installed on your home roof, a roof warranty is very important. Replacing your roof is expensive, but it’s doubly so if you have solar panels attached that will first need to be safely removed.

Ideally, those that install your solar panels will treat your roof with care and ensure they aren’t causing excess damage. However, one common complication that may arise from an improper installation is leaking. When holes are drilled to install the panels, they mustn’t be so deep as to allow water to leak into your home later on. A roof warranty will cover this.

Why Are Warranties Important?

Solar panels should be a reliable, long-term energy source, but if they aren’t, it can cause problems for the homeowner. Since solar panels are an expensive investment, there’s even more reason to ensure that you have a good warranty on them.

Warranties can protect you in the case where there’s a defect in the product. Instead of having to pay for an expensive repair or replacement, you can contact your warranty provider to cover the costs. This being said, not every problem is covered by warranties, so you should always carefully read through your warranty.

It’s crucial to note that if the parts for your solar panels come from different manufacturers, you’ll need to consult the different warranty policies for each one. You can’t use one manufacturer’s warranty to cover a part of your system that isn’t theirs. 

Conclusion

Solar panels are an important and significant investment, and you need to protect both your solar panel system and yourself. The last thing you want to do is pay for a costly repair, so make sure a comprehensive warranty covers your panels. This will save you not only money, but the stress that comes with having to replace, repair, or reinstall your system.