Part of deciding which solar panel company has the product you’re going to use is how good their warranties are. Solar panels are a significant investment upfront, and if something goes wrong with the entire array early on, that bill may be up to you to handle- not ideal. You have to pay for someone to come to your home, diagnose the problem, pay for the parts and labor and fix the issue. That’s why the warranties that solar panel companies provide are so important. Naturally, the length of the warranty is important but what it covers is equally critical.
That’s why it’s important to really think about a warranty before you sign on with any solar panel company. This guide will walk you through what most of the major warranty options are and which companies give you the best warranties.
What Types of Warranties Do Solar Panel Companies Offer?
Generally, solar panel companies offer four types of warranties:
Product warranty: The most standard warranty protects you against any defect in the solar panel or faulty wiring.
Power warranty: Every solar panel slowly degrades over time, limiting the amount of power you can receive. Power warranties guarantee you an amount of power through the lifetime of the panel.
Product and power warranty: Some companies offer bundles of both, but generally, they tend to offer less time on the warranty to make up for what they cover.
Performance Guarantees: Performance guarantees are similar to a power warranty, but instead of promising a certain wattage over a lifetime, it guarantees a certain amount of kilowatt-hours.
What Warranties Do Large Solar Panel Companies Offer?
Many people choose to buy solar panels from the largest companies but do they offer the best warranties?
Panasonic: Panasonic warranties vary greatly with the product, but on average, they offer 25-year warranties with a power warranty guaranteeing you 92% power over those 25 years.
LG: LG’s warranty is very similar to Panasonic; it offers various warranties based on the product, but on average, they offer a 25-year warranty with a power warranty guaranteeing you 92% power over those 25 years.
REC: REC’s warranty is very similar to Panasonic and LG’s, offering a 92% power warranty over 25 years.
QCell: QCell offers the same 92% power warranty but only over 12 years.
Silfab: Silfab offers a 25-year product warranty and a 30-year power warranty guaranteeing 83% power over those 30 years.
In general, the degradation percentage of the panels differs based on the model, which is where we come in to provide guidance, selecting the best solution for your home or business.
Why Solar Optimum Offers the Best Warranty in the Business
Not only does Solar Optimum offer a 25-year guarantee on every part of your solar power array. To be precise about how much clean energy your home can generate, Solar Optimum uses the industry’s most trusted and leading-edge tools to not only design your system but also analyze and monitor your home’s energy potential. And unlike other solar companies, we’ll guarantee this — and put it in writing before you give us your commitment!
We’ve Got You Covered
If your solar system over-performs, the savings are yours to keep. But if your system falls under our production estimates, we’ll resolve the issue immediately and compensate you during the annual reconciliation period. This means that you are covered in the event of a power or service interruption. In addition, Solar Optimum integrates cell-based monitoring into your energy system that’s better and more reliable than Wi-Fi. We use this device at our Fleet Management department to monitor and ensure that potential issues can be corrected before you even know about them. If you want more information on our award-winning guarantee, click here for more information.
