2024 Solar Panel Warranty Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Buy
Solar panels are a valuable investment, largely due to their long warranty periods. Leading solar manufacturers now offer product warranties of up to 25 years, ensuring your power bill savings are protected for a considerable duration. The best solar companies may even offer warranties that cover not only the panels themselves, but also the installation.
Types of Solar Panel Warranties
Solar panels come with different types of warranties, offering protection against various issues.
Product Warranty: The product warranty ensures free replacement of your solar panels if they malfunction due to material or workmanship defects. The coverage period can vary depending on the brand and specific product, but the solar industry standard is 10 years or more. The best warranties offer 25-year coverage, available from leading brands like SunPower and Q Cells. At a minimum, you should look for a warranty that offers coverage against panel failure for at least 10 years. However, there are now several brands that offer a 25-year product warranty.
Power Warranty: Also known as performance warranties, power warranties are offered with renewable energy equipment such as solar panels and wind turbines. Photovoltaic (PV) cells gradually lose performance, which means the amount of electricity generated will decrease slightly each year. However, a power warranty ensures that this will happen at a very slow rate. Solar panel manufacturers specify a maximum degradation rate, and the power warranty covers you if they deteriorate faster.
What Isn’t Covered
While warranties provide extensive coverage, there are certain aspects that they do not cover. It’s important to thoroughly read and understand the terms and conditions of your warranty to know what is and isn’t covered.
Researching Solar Panel Warranties
Before purchasing solar panels, it’s crucial to research and compare the warranties offered by different manufacturers. This will help you understand what protections are in place and how they can benefit you in the long run.
Keeping Warranties Valid
To keep your warranty valid, you must adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines for installation, maintenance, and usage. Failure to do so may result in the warranty being voided.
In conclusion, understanding solar panel warranties is crucial when investing in a solar system. They provide assurance and protection, helping you get the most out of your investment.
