A common concern with many homeowners that are considering investing in solar energy production for their home is what kind of coverage the solar equipment warranties will have. While this can vary significantly from one manufacturer to another, there are some commonalities that you may find from one type of panel to another. Often there will be separate warranty conditions for different kinds of equipment, as well as potential labor costs, but these may not apply in all situations.
Common Components Of Solar Equipment Warranties
When discussing your solar system design with your solar professional, you will want to ensure that the solar equipment warranties include at least some of the following features. They may not all be attainable at once, but discussing your options with your solar partner can give you a good idea of what to potentially expect, and what not to.
Product Warranty
A product warranty will generally be fairly straightforward and will cover specific items and components that help to make up your system. While this may cover manufacturer defects and similar issues, there will often be significant exclusions laid out in the warranty contract. Most panels and microinverters are warranted for 25 years, which makes them a very sound investment.
Performance Warranty
Also known as a degradation warranty, the performance warranty will cover panels that dip below accepted margins of performance while still covered under the warranty. For most standard panels, this will mean they’re warranted if they drop below 80%-82%, while for premium panels they will often be guaranteed to maintain performance above 90%. The performance warranty is often for the life of the panel, commonly 25 years.
Labor Warranty
Having a warranty component that helps cover the labor of certain components that may become damaged or need to be replaced can be crucial to keeping your system up and running and in good working order. Sometimes, even though a particular component will be covered, the labor to have the old one removed and replaced will not be covered unless there is a specific labor warranty.
Do Solar Equipment Warranties Cover Weather Damage?
While most solar panels are incredibly durable, and their tempered glass will generally keep them safe from extreme weather conditions, there are exceptions. One particularly damaging form of weather is hail, and damage from hail or similarly extreme weather, however rare, will not usually be covered by any warranty protection.
How To Get Your Solar Equipment Covered
The primary way that homeowners can get nearly any solar system repairs or labor costs covered that aren’t covered by the warranty is to have the solar panels and other components added to their homeowner’s insurance policy. This allows the insurance company to reimburse the homeowner for any costs that they may incur related to storm damage recovery, that isn’t explicitly covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Warranty Coverage Can Vary Significantly
One thing that every homeowner should do when researching their potential solar investment is to read the entirety of the warranty coverage specifics. While this may sound like the absolute driest reading assignment ever, knowing the exact verbiage and coverage stipulations set forth by the manufacturer can save incalculable amounts of frustration, as well as a significant expense during repairs or replacements.
Lean On A Local Expert
For more information about specific products, the installation process, or to get a free quote and discuss some numbers, reach out to Barrett Solar today. You can get more details on what it may cost to have a system installed, potential rebates and other incentives, as well as details about their solar equipment warranties.
