Warranties: What should you take into account while looking for rooftop solar PV installation?
In this series of articles about solar photovoltaics we will discuss different aspects of rooftop installations. Such as a solar PV rooftop system is an essential part of roof, it is expected to work 20+ years and it costs a lot of money, warranties have to be very important part of purchase decision. In this article we will discuss solar panel related warranties, risks associated with them and strategies how to mitigate these risks.
Solar panels: Manufacturer's warranty. Almost all manufacturers of solar panels offer the same warranty. For solar panels, the industry standard is 5 years on parts and labours and 25 years on 20% output degradation. It is well known that typical lifetime of solar panels is much more than 20-25 years- solar farms, which were built in mid 70-th still generate electricity. However, if you need extra peace of mind you can consider buying extended warranty or panels with warranty above the industry standards (obviously they cost more).
Solar panels: Waiving of warranty due to manufacturer's bankruptcy. There is a possibility that panel manufacturer will go out of business and will not honor the warranty. Again, typical lifetime of solar panels is much more than 20-25 years. Moreover, all solar panels sold in North America and used in grid tie installations are subjects to strict certification (UL, TUV, etc). Thus, a panel failure within warranty lifespan is a pretty rare event and a possibility that that a manufacturer will go out of business and will not honor warranty is pretty remote as well.
To learn more about solar photovoltaics visit Solar PV Installation. To learn more about roofing visit Toronto Roofers.
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