While solar energy systems are built to withstand decades of outdoor use, the right warranty coverage assures extra peace of mind by protecting your investment against potential malfunctions, damage, or underperformance. Like many aspects of a photovoltaic (PV) system, understanding solar warranties can be challenging, especially when comparing your installation options for the first time.
To help you make an informed decision for your home solar installation, this guide walks through typical product warranties for PV systems and outlines everything you need to know about service and warranty coverage before you go solar.
Understanding solar warranties for home installations
When you install solar, your warranty won’t take the form of a single policy, but rather several different coverages offered by your installer and the manufacturers of your solar equipment. Today, most home solar energy systems include three primary coverages: product warranties, performance guarantees, and installation warranties.
1. Product warranties
A solar product warranty covers the physical components of your system, such as the panels, inverters, or batteries. Product warranties guarantee free part replacements in case of a defect or malfunction. While what warranties cover varies by manufacturer, here’s a list of typical product warranties for solar installations:
- Solar panels: 10-25 years
- String inverters: 10-15 years
- Microinverters: 25 years
- Solar batteries: 10-15 years
- Mounting equipment: 10-25 years
Critically, solar product warranties cover manufacturing defects rather than any issues that arise during or after your installation. For a product warranty to remain valid, a certified solar professional may need to handle, install, and maintain your solar panels, inverters, or batteries.
2. Performance warranties
Performance guarantees - also known as power or production guarantees- ensure your equipment maintains a certain level of productivity over an expected lifespan. As solar panels, batteries, and other PV components slowly lose efficiency over time, performance guarantees are essential in both calculating and ensuring the long-term value of your system.
The table below shows typical performance guarantees for residential solar energy system components.
| Component | Warranty length | Performance guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | 20-30 years | At least 80% of original output, 85%+ for premium equipment |
| String inverters | 10-12 years | At least 90% energy conversion efficiency after 10 years |
| Microinverters | 25-30 years | At least 80% energy conversion efficiency after 25 years |
| Solar batteries | 10-15 years | At least 70% of original usable battery storage capacity |
3. Installation warranties
An installation warranty covers the labor, service, and workmanship aspects of your solar system. Offered by your installer, contractor, or solar company, installation or workmanship warranties are essential in guaranteeing the quality, longevity, and ROI of your installation.
Workmanship warranties can differ widely between solar companies, with coverage typically lasting anywhere between 1 to 10 years, depending on your installer. While inclusions vary between providers, most workmanship warranties will cover installation-related issues such as wiring, roof penetrations, and improperly installed components.
Unfortunately, workmanship warranties are only good if your installer stays in business to service your warranty. So, it’s imperative to choose a reliable installer. The good news is that if your installer does go out of business, and if you have an Enphase system, you can take advantage of Enphase Care or Enphase Care Plus to take care of some of that servicing.
Assessing your solar warranty coverage details
When reviewing your solar system warranty, it is important to consider more than just the length of the coverage. Here are a few key solar warranty details to review when evaluating your manufacturer and installer warranty agreements:
- Transferability: Most solar warranties can be transferred to new system owners, with some exceptions. So, if you plan on selling your home with solar, it’s important to ensure the warranty can be transferred to maximize the added property value for potential buyers.
- Labor reimbursement: If you need to replace one of your solar components before your warranty expires, you may still need to pay for certain maintenance expenses like labor. For this reason, solar warranties from manufacturers with labor reimbursement included can create the most long-term value for PV owners, with fewer potential costs incurred during future system maintenance.
- Exclusions and limitations: While some solar warranties can offer nearly comprehensive coverage, your contract may contain exclusions for fire damage, extreme weather, or other potential risks.
- Company reputation and claim ease: The manufacturers and installers that offer solar warranties play a critical role in the quality and value of your coverage. Hence, working with reputable solar product and service providers is essential for the long-term value of your warranty coverage and the likelihood that future claims will be honored in a timely manner.
Maintaining and maximizing your solar warranty coverage
To keep your solar warranty valid through its entire contract length, it’s essential to avoid any actions that disqualify your eligibility or void your coverage agreement. Most importantly, attempting a DIY solar panel installation or performing your own maintenance could automatically disqualify your system from future warranty claims.
Considering your installation’s long-term performance and value, a professional system inspection is recommended before your solar warranty coverage expires. For example, if your installer offers a 2-year workmanship warranty, inspecting your system’s hardware prior to your agreement’s expiration can help fix potential issues with some or all the expenses covered.
Between inspections, checking your solar monitoring app can help you ensure your system performs as expected within the energy bill offset or production guarantees from your installer or panel manufacturer. If you suspect that there may be any issue with any aspect of your PV installation, it’s important to contact a solar professional near you as soon as possible to diagnose and solve the issue.
Discover industry-leading solar system warranties with Enphase
Evaluating solar system warranty coverage options is a very important consideration in the process of going solar. The first step to a high-quality installation is finding high-quality equipment. Enphase Home Energy Systems are designed for safety, reliability, and performance, with top-tier warranty coverage and long-term value ensured for every installation.
To help ensure the long-term performance, reliability, and value of your PV system, Enphase warranties include industry-leading, 25-year microinverter performance coverage, a 15-year battery product warranty, 24/7 customer support, and long-term peace of mind with labor reimbursement for projects with certified installers.
Additionally, even if your installer goes out of business, your Enphase warranties will still cover your system’s components, and Enphase can send service technicians to take care of any issues. Plus, even if you sell your home, your warranties will also transfer over to the new homeowner, adding value to both your system and your property.
Solar system warranty FAQ
What does a solar warranty cover?
Solar warranties and guarantees cover your PV system components, their performance, and the workmanship performed by your installer. Warranty coverage periods and inclusions vary by provider.
What parts aren’t covered in a solar warranty?
A solar panel warranty doesn’t cover the performance of your other system components like your inverter, mounting materials, or battery. These products are covered by their own separate warranties and are also vital for your system’s long-term value and performance.
What’s the power warranty on solar panels?
A solar panel’s power warranty ensures that it will generate a certain percentage of its original output through its expected lifespan. Also known as the performance warranty, today’s top-tier solar panels are sold with power warranties of at least 80% electricity-generating capacity after 25 or 30 years.
How long does a solar system last?
A properly installed and well-maintained solar system can last for 25-30 years or longer, depending on the hardware quality, local climate conditions, and other unique project factors. For this reason, choosing high-quality home solar panels, long-lasting microinverters, and a reputable installer can help maximize your system's expected lifespan significantly.
Will installing solar panels void my roof warranty?
No, if a certified professional installs your solar panels correctly, this shouldn’t void your roof warranty. In the rare case that your mounting penetrations do void your roof warranty, the workmanship warranty from your solar installer may also cover the parts of your roof where the system is installed.
Will cleaning solar panels void the warranty?
In general, cleaning solar panels doesn’t void their warranty under manufacturer guidelines. Solar panels should never be cleaned with abrasive tools or chemicals, and a soft brush and soapy water are recommended. For rooftop and other hard-to-reach solar panels, professional assistance can also ensure both your safety and that of your warranty.
How do you claim a solar warranty?
To make a claim within your solar warranty agreement, contact your provider. If the claim is related to the performance of your solar panels, inverters, or batteries, you’ll need to contact the part manufacturer. Alternatively, if there’s a problem with your mounting hardware, wiring, or another aspect of your installation’s workmanship, you will need to contact your original solar installer.
Does a solar warranty pay for everything?
While some agreements include more comprehensive coverage, a solar warranty may not pay for everything when you make a claim. Before you sign your agreement, it’s important to carefully review your solar warranty inclusions and exclusions to see if future parts, labor, or shipping costs will be covered.
