What a Solar Panel Warranty Covers for Palm Beach Gardens Owners
A solar system carries several warranties at once, each on a different part and for a different length of time. Here is what each one covers, how long it usually runs, and what to do when the installer is gone.
Free, no-obligation estimates. (561) 813-7536, Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 6 pm.
Not sure what's still covered?
Call for a Free EstimateThe Warranties on a Solar Panel System
A solar panel system carries a panel performance warranty, a panel product warranty, an inverter warranty and the installer's workmanship warranty, and many add a separate warranty on the holes in the roof.
The warranties on a system are listed below.
-
Performance warranty
How much power the panels keep making over the years
-
Product warranty
Defects in the panel itself, its materials and its build
-
Inverter warranty
The wall-mounted inverter, or the microinverter under each panel
-
Workmanship warranty
The installer's labor and the connections they made
-
Roof penetration warranty
Each bolt hole and the flashing that seals it
How Long Solar Warranties Run
Panels typically carry a 25-year performance warranty and a 10 to 12 year product warranty, and inverters carry 5 to 12 years.
Typical terms for each warranty are set out below.
| Warranty | What it stands behind | Typical term |
|---|---|---|
| Panel performance | The panel's power output, so production that falls off faster than it should is a claim | 25 years |
| Panel product | The panel itself: a defect in the glass, the frame, the cells or the backsheet | 10 to 12 years |
| Inverter | The "string inverter" on the wall, or each "microinverter", the box under each panel | 5 to 12 years |
| Stronger packages | Production, labor, roof penetrations, and the panels and inverters, all on one term | Up to 25 years |
| Longer panel warranties | Some panel makers go further than the usual term; Maxeon panels carry a 40-year warranty | 40 years |
The inverter usually runs out first. If yours is past its term and showing an error, call before you replace anything.
Call for a Free EstimateWorkmanship and Roof Penetration Coverage
The stronger warranty packages cover the installer's labor and every roof penetration for up to 25 years, including resealing and reflashing around the mounts.
The panel and inverter warranties come from the manufacturers. These two come from whoever put the system up, and they cover the parts of the job no factory can: how the system was fastened, wired and sealed to your house.
A "roof penetration" is each place a mount goes through the roof, the bolt holes owners worry about, and it is often warrantied on its own. The weatherproofing at each one is the "flashing", the seal around the bolts, and missing flashing is the main cause of solar roof leaks. Some third-party system warranties go as far as resealing and reflashing the penetrations around the mounting hardware.
Workmanship
The labor: the racking, the wiring and the connections, done the way the installer promised.
Roof penetration
A dry ceiling under the array, for as long as the term runs.
When the Original Installer Is Gone
When the company that installed your system has gone out of business, manufacturer warranty claims get harder, and a repair company takes the system on in its place.
The panel and inverter warranties still come from the manufacturers, but the installer is often the one who diagnoses the fault, files the claim and swaps the part. With that company gone, the claim falls to you, and the workmanship and roof penetration warranties usually went with it.
An orphaned system is not a lost cause. Repair work covers systems of every brand, whoever installed them, so the fault can still be found and fixed, and a manufacturer claim pursued where one still applies.
Further down the road
Two questions owners ask later
Solar Panel Lifespan After the Warranty
Panels can keep making power after the 25-year performance warranty ends, with output that declines slowly rather than stopping.
That long life is why a targeted repair usually costs far less than replacing the system: a system 10 years old still has 15 to 20 or more years of panel life left. When something fails out of warranty, have it diagnosed before you price a new array.
Solar and the Roof Warranty
Yes: a solar installation can void the roof's warranty, unless the roof and the solar work are covered together.
Ask before the panels go up, and again before a reroof, when the panels come off and go back on around the new roof. Keeping the roof and the solar under one set of hands is the simplest way to keep both covered.
Solar Roofer ServicesStill reading the fine print?
Call and tell us what you have. The estimate is free and carries no obligation.
Call for a Free EstimateFrom our Google listing
What neighbors say
I want to give a huge thumbs-up to the SolarBright Power team! They are incredibly knowledgeable. I had numerous questions about solar options for my small business, and they patiently addressed each one. Their expertise and meticulous approach are exceptional. The installation process went smoothly, and now we're enjoying savings on our energy bills – a win-win situation!
I want to give a big shoutout to SolarBright Power for a fantastic job! I have a home-based bakery, and my energy bills were sky-high. Their team installed solar panels seamlessly. My energy costs are down, and I'm reducing my carbon footprint. Baking with sunshine feels even sweeter now!
I'm impressed with the expertise and dedication of SolarBright Power. They tailored a solar solution to my specific needs and guided me through the entire process. The solar panels are performing exceptionally well, and I'm thrilled with the energy savings.
A warranty question on your system?
Call with the brand on your panels and your inverter, and tell us what it's doing. We quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after.
Call for a Free EstimateMonday to Saturday, 7 am to 6 pm. Calls outside those hours go to voicemail and we return them the next working morning.
- Free, no-obligation estimates
- We show up when we say we will
- The whole job quoted before we start