Solar Panel Warranties Explained: What Is Actually Covered?
A home solar installation may come with several warranties rather than one policy covering the entire system.
The panels, inverter, battery and installation work can each have separate terms, claim procedures and expiry dates. A long headline warranty does not necessarily mean that every fault, repair or loss of generation will be covered for that period.
Before accepting a solar-panel quotation, check who provides each warranty, what it covers and what happens if the installer stops trading.
What is a solar-panel product warranty?
The product warranty covers manufacturing faults or defects in the physical panel.
Depending on its terms, it might cover problems such as premature failure, defective components or faults in the panel’s construction. It does not normally cover poor installation, accidental damage, storm damage or normal deterioration.
Energy Saving Trust says solar panels commonly have product warranties lasting approximately five to ten years, although individual manufacturers may provide longer cover. Energy Saving Trust
Check whether the manufacturer pays only for a replacement panel or also covers:
- Removing the defective panel
- Scaffolding
- Transport
- Installation labour
- Testing and recommissioning
- Disposal of the failed equipment
A replacement component may be supplied without the associated labour and access costs.
What is a performance warranty?
A performance warranty relates to the amount of power a panel should retain as it ages.
Solar panels gradually produce less electricity over time. A manufacturer may guarantee that the panel will retain a stated percentage of its original rated output after a particular number of years.
This is not a guarantee that the household solar system will generate a fixed number of kilowatt hours every year.
Annual generation can change because of:
- Weather
- Shading
- Dirt or debris
- Inverter faults
- System downtime
- Changes to nearby trees or buildings
- Differences between estimated and actual conditions
A performance claim may also require testing that shows the panel itself has degraded beyond the permitted level. Read who is responsible for arranging and paying for that test.
Is a performance warranty the same as a savings guarantee?
No.
A panel-performance warranty concerns the equipment’s ability to produce power under specified conditions. It does not normally guarantee lower energy bills, export income or a particular financial return.
Savings depend on how much electricity the system generates, how much the household uses directly, import and export rates and future energy prices.
An installer may provide a generation estimate, but that forecast should be based on the property, roof direction, shading and system design. It should not be confused with the manufacturer’s panel warranty.
SaveAmp’s Solar Savings Calculator can provide an initial estimate using information about the home, roof and electricity use. Its result is an estimate rather than a warranty or guaranteed saving.
What does the workmanship warranty cover?
A workmanship warranty covers faults arising from the installation work rather than a defect in the equipment.
Depending on the terms, this could include problems with mounting, cabling, weatherproofing or other work carried out by the installer.
The Renewable Energy Consumer Code requires its members to provide a written workmanship guarantee lasting at least two years. The current code also requires arrangements that protect that guarantee if the installer becomes insolvent or stops trading. Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC)
The installer’s workmanship warranty should state:
- How long it lasts
- Which work is covered
- Which exclusions apply
- How to report a fault
- Whether it transfers to a new homeowner
- Who protects it if the installer stops trading
Keep the actual warranty and insurance documents. A sentence in a sales brochure may not provide enough information to make a claim.
What about the inverter and battery?
The inverter and battery normally have warranties separate from the solar panels.
Energy Saving Trust says solar panels can last 25 years or more, while an inverter may need replacing after around 12 years. It notes that inverter warranties often begin at about five years and may be extendable. Energy Saving Trust
Battery warranties may be based on several conditions, including:
- Number of years
- Number of charging cycles
- Total energy processed
- Minimum retained capacity
- Approved operating conditions
- Internet or monitoring connectivity
Check which limit ends the warranty first. A ten-year description may be subject to an earlier cycle or energy-throughput limit.
Also confirm whether the battery warranty covers labour, replacement transport and recommissioning.
What can invalidate a warranty?
The exact conditions vary, but cover may be affected by:
- Unauthorised repairs or alterations
- Using incompatible equipment
- Failing to follow maintenance requirements
- Moving or modifying the system
- Damage caused by weather or pests
- Missing product registration deadlines
- Installing equipment outside approved conditions
- Inability to provide purchase and installation documents
Do not assume that routine cleaning is required unless the warranty or maintenance instructions say so. Equally, do not ignore a specific inspection or servicing condition.
Ask the installer to identify every action needed to keep each warranty valid.
What happens if the installer stops trading?
A manufacturer may still honour a valid equipment warranty, but it will not normally take responsibility for poor installation unless it also provided the installation.
An insurance-backed workmanship guarantee may provide protection when the original installer no longer trades. However, cover exists only if the installation was registered correctly and the required policy was issued.
RECC advises homeowners to check their paperwork and MCS certificate for the name of the warranty insurer. It also warns that membership of a consumer code does not mean the code administrator itself becomes the insurer. Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC)
Contact the named insurer directly and follow the claims procedure in the policy.
Which documents should you receive?
Keep digital and paper copies of:
- Signed quotation and contract
- Final invoice and payment records
- MCS installation certificate
- System design and generation estimate
- Panel product and performance warranties
- Inverter and battery warranties
- Workmanship guarantee
- Insurance-backed guarantee documents
- Electrical certificates
- Commissioning records
- Manufacturer manuals
- Installer contact details
These records can also be useful when selling the property or asking another company to inspect the system.
Check the warranty before comparing prices
Two quotations using apparently similar equipment may offer different levels of protection.
Before choosing, ask who handles a claim and which costs remain your responsibility. Check that the manufacturer or UK distributor can be contacted and that important promises appear in the written contract.
A long performance warranty can look reassuring, but the product warranty, workmanship cover and claim costs may be more relevant when something actually fails.
A solar-panel warranty is not one blanket promise covering the entire installation.
Separate the product, performance, inverter, battery and workmanship warranties. Read the exclusions, confirm whether labour is included and keep evidence of any insurance-backed protection.
The strongest quotation is not necessarily the one displaying the longest headline warranty. It is the one whose cover, responsibilities and claim process are clearly explained in writing.
