Product, performance and workmanship warranties

A quote might say “25-year warranty” in bold. It sounds like a single promise. In practice, a rooftop system comes with several warranties, from different companies, covering different things for different lengths of time. Knowing which is which can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of arguing years from now.

This guide belongs with our other articles on panels and equipment.

The four warranties to know

Product warranty

This covers defects in the panel itself, such as faulty materials or manufacturing problems, and in some cases cracking or delamination not caused by outside damage. Product warranties often run somewhere from 10 to 25 years, though the length varies by product. A longer one is a good sign, but read what it covers and what it excludes.

Performance warranty

Panels lose a little output each year, commonly about 0.4 to 0.6 percent. The performance warranty guarantees a minimum output after a stated time, typically about 25 years, and often a stated level at year one and a stated yearly decline. If a panel falls below the guaranteed curve, the manufacturer should repair or replace it, or sometimes credit you for lost output. Our guide to efficiency and wattage explains degradation in more detail.

Inverter warranty

The inverter is the part most likely to fail within the life of the array, with typical life roughly 10 to 15 years. Warranties are often shorter than for panels, though microinverters are often covered for longer than string units. Extended coverage is sometimes sold separately. We compare the designs in our article on string inverters and microinverters.

Workmanship warranty

This comes from the installer, not the manufacturer, and covers the quality of the installation: roof penetrations, wiring, mounting and so on. It might run from a couple of years to a decade or more. It matters because most real-world problems, such as roof leaks or loose connections, come from installation rather than faulty panels.

What a warranty may not pay for

Many people assume that a warranty means free repair. It often does not. Look for these gaps:

1. Labour. Some manufacturer warranties replace a panel but do not pay for the crew, scaffolding or removal. That may be your cost or the installer’s.
2. Shipping and disposal of the faulty unit.
3. Consequential damage, such as to the roof or your home, usually excluded.
4. Weather and impact damage, which are usually insurance matters, not warranty ones.
5. Production shortfalls caused by shade, dirt or grid outages.

If you are in an area with severe weather, ask your home insurer how the array is covered. Our piece on hail and weather goes into this.

What can void a warranty

Warranties usually come with conditions. Common ones include:

• Installation by someone who is not licensed or certified by the manufacturer.
• Modifications to the system, such as adding panels or swapping parts without approval.
• Using non-recommended cleaning methods or pressure washers, or scraping snow with a hard tool.
• Failure to register the product, where registration is required.
• Removing and reinstalling panels without the right approvals, for example during a re-roof.

Registration deadlines are an easy trap. Ask the installer to register products and give you copies.

Who stands behind the paper

A long warranty from a company that disappears is worth little. Large, established manufacturers tend to honour their terms, but some have exited markets, and claims then get complicated. Ask whether your warranty is backed by insurance or a third party, how claims are made, and which entity (manufacturer, installer or distributor) you would contact first.

The installer matters as much. A workmanship warranty is only as strong as the business behind it. Our guide to choosing an installer lists the questions to ask, including how long they have operated and how they handle service calls.

Making a claim

When something goes wrong, work through this order. Check your monitoring to confirm which panel or inverter is affected. Photograph any visible damage. Contact the installer first, since they usually coordinate with the manufacturer. Keep your contract, serial numbers, commissioning report and warranty documents in one folder. Ask for a written response and a timeline.

Warranty length versus system life

Panels often keep producing well beyond their performance warranty, as we discuss in how long solar panels last. A warranty is a minimum promise, not a prediction of failure. It is also not a substitute for good installation and routine checks.

Before you sign

Ask for every warranty in writing, with the start date, length, what is covered, who pays for labour and removal, and what voids it. Confirm that equipment carries recognised certification such as CSA marks, since uncertified equipment may complicate both warranty and insurance. Treat a quote that cannot show you these documents as incomplete.

Keeping records

Build a small file when the system goes in. Include the signed contract, equipment model and serial numbers, the commissioning report, the electrical inspection certificate, photos of the finished installation and all warranty paperwork. Add monitoring screenshots from the first month, so you have a baseline. If you sell the house, this file is what the next owner will want, and some warranties transfer only if the paperwork is in order. Ask the installer how a transfer works before you need it.