Monalee is waiving the security deposit ($100 value) on new solar projects. Promotion expires 9/11/24.
Switching to solar energy is a big investment, and you want to be covered should issues arise.
Choosing to go solar is a big investment, and it’s important that homeowners are fully covered in case of any equipment malfunctions.
In this post, we’ll cover:
Let’s get started.
A solar warranty–sometimes referred to as ‘solar panel product warranty’ or ‘materials warranty’–is a guarantee that manufacturers put in place to protect homeowners from any defects or performance issues related to their equipment.
Warranty conditions vary, although they typically cover a variety of damages, from cracks to panel failures. In some cases, warranties protect against normal wear and tear such as issues brought on by humidity, extreme heat, or solder bond failures.
Even though solar panels are designed with durability in mind, having a comprehensive warranty provides peace of mind should something go wrong. In general, the better the product, the better the warranty package.
EnergySage does a good job at creating a warranty scoring system for homeowners about to go solar. We’ve summed up a few of their criteria below:
A solar panel warranty typically covers both product and performance. Monalee projects come with warranties on solar equipment, installation, and performance.
Product warranties for solar protect homeowners from defects relating to the material quality or any manufacturing errors that may have occurred.
While this might sound daunting, these types of defects tend to reveal themselves early on and are easy to spot. Usually, your solar installer will catch the error before the solar panel is even installed on your roof. Other, less obvious defects might include premature wear and tear, corrosion, or faulty wiring.
The length of a product warranty depends on both the manufacturer and the model of equipment. Most manufacturers will offer warranties between 20-25 years for solar panels and 10-15 years for other equipment such as a solar battery.
The good news is that solar panel failures are rare. According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the chances of this happening are about 0.05%—or 5 in 10,000 cases. If a solar panel does fail, the manufacturer will either repair the panel or replace it altogether. Some warranties cover the labor and shipping costs associated with the repair or replacement, while others do not.
Performance warranties are in place to ensure that your solar panels—and other solar equipment—maintain a certain level of output throughout their lifetime. For solar panels, that’s often 25 years. Keep in mind that solar panels degrade over time and as they degrade, their level of output decreases.
As explained here, a performance warranty guarantees a maximum level of degradation – typically between .25% and .75% – per year so that in 25 years the panel will still have 80-90% of the power output it did in its first year.
At Monalee, we use Tier One Mitrex M405-L3H solar panels. Monalee homeowners also benefit from Mitrex’s 25-year product and performance warranty. This means that your system is guaranteed to have 92% output power for the first 12 years, and at least 85% power up to 25 years.
In case you missed it, Monalee installs now include Tesla’s Powerwall 3 solar battery (if you added battery storage to your project).
While you don’t need to add a battery to your Monalee project, a good percentage of our homeowners choose to make this additional investment. Whether or not to have a dedicated backup battery really comes down to personal preference, and you can always add one at a later date.
In any case, Tesla Powerwall 3 comes with a 10-year warranty backed by Tesla and dependent upon it being connected to the Internet. If your Internet connection is interrupted, contact Tesla immediately so they can help.
According to Solar Insure, the lifespan of the Powerwall 3 is 20 years and by that point, it will be at 50-60% capacity.
If you notice a visible defect on one or more of your solar panels or have questions about a possible performance issue, the first step is to contact your installer. It’s important to not try to fix the issues yourself—leave that to the professionals. Plus, attempting to solve the problem on your own may make your warranty null and void.
Your installer will be able to perform an inspection either at your home or remotely and if they determine that the issue steps from the manufacturer, they will help you create a claim for repair or replacement. Each manufacturer is different, but you’ll likely need to fill out one or more forms as well as submit photographs of the defected panel(s).
At Monalee, we ask our customers to contact us as soon as they spot a potential problem. They can either call our support line or send us an email. From there, we will review their case right away and assess whether we think it warrants an in-person visit. We’ll look at their solar system production data for their equipment and may ask them to send us a few photos to help us better understand their concern.
Switching to solar is a long-term investment and you deserve to be protected against panel defects and malfunctioning equipment. Manufacturers typically cover both product and performance warranties while installer warranties help ensure that your solar panels continue to perform at a certain level throughout their life. If you think there might be a performance issue with one or more pieces of equipment, contact your installer and/or the manufacturer directly.
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