Key Takeaways
Are solar warranty plans worth it? For many homeowners, a solar warranty plan can provide valuable protection against unexpected repair costs, labor charges, and service issues that standard manufacturer warranties often don’t cover. The biggest benefits include long-term labor coverage, monitoring, protection against installer or manufacturer failure, and greater peace of mind. However, homeowners should carefully evaluate coverage limits, exclusions, provider stability, and the likelihood of future repair costs to determine whether the added protection justifies the investment.
The typical homeowner goes solar to save money and be more energy independent. A solar protection plan is designed to help homeowners manage the cost of unexpected solar repairs and breakdowns.
Solar Insure’s SI-30 warranty solutions are the longest warranty available on the market – covering parts, labor, truckrolls, and more for 30 years with zero deductible.
Table of Contents
How Solar Warranties Work – Installer and Manufacturer Warranties
A typical workmanship warranty from a solar contractor can range anywhere from 1 to 10 years. The workmanship warranty covers any defects in workmanship, like loose screws, firmware updates that were not installed upon installation, and roof penetrations.
Contractors are typically responsible for any damage caused to the home during installations, such as broken tiles, damage to the roof, stucco, etc.
The manufacturer’s parts warranty for solar panels is 10-25 years. Most panel manufacturers also have what is referred to in the industry as a Linear Output Warranty, typically for 25-30 years. This means that the panel will not degrade more than .05% per year over the 25 years, leaving the panel’s efficiency somewhere around 85% typically in year 25.
Inverters have warranties ranging from 12 years for string inverters to 25 years for microinverters.
| Coverage | Manufacturer Warranty | Installer Warranty | Independent Warranty |
| Equipment Defects | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Labor for Repairs | ❌ | ⚠️ Sometimes | ✅ |
| Service Calls / Truck Rolls | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Transferable Fee-Free | ⚠️ Sometimes | ⚠️ Sometimes | ✅ |
| Installer Bankruptcy Protection | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
What Homeowners Need to Know about Solar Warranties and Labor Coverage
Most homeowners aren’t aware that manufacturers typically don’t cover or limit truck rolls, shipping, and labor to remove and replace defective panels, optimizers, racking, and inverters for the term of their part warranty. Typically, the expense of the truck roll and labor is the homeowner’s responsibility for the 30-year life of the system.
For instance, the two largest manufacturers provided limited labor coverage.
Enphase IQ Microinverter Labor Reimbursement Policy
Truck Roll Reimbursement:
- Amount: $200 for each truck roll to a site.
- Purpose: This is for performing the removal and replacement of a defective eligible product.
Defective Product Replacement Reimbursement:
- Microinverters: $25 for each defective Enphase Microinverter (either stand-alone or inside an IQ Battery) replaced at the site.
- Gateway Products (Envoy): $25 for each defective Enphase Gateway product replaced at the site.
Eligibility Timeframe:
- First two years only. The reimbursement applies to eligible product warranty replacements completed within the first two years from the date a PV solar energy system is “activated” (i.e., when permission to operate is granted by the authorities having jurisdiction).
SolarEdge String Inverter Labor Reimbursement Policy
SolarEdge covers reimbursement amounts for inverter replacements in the first 5 years, optimizer replacements in the first 12 years, and inverter boards/external devices in the first 5 years.
Reimbursement includes a fixed amount for the first/main item replaced, plus an additional amount per any other items replaced.
String Inverters
- First 2 years: First $225 plus $25 per additional item
- Years 2-5: First $125 plus $25 per additional item
Inverter Boards/External Connected Devices
- Years 0-5: First $125 plus $25 per additional item
Optimizer Replacement:
- Years 0-12: First $125 plus $25 per additional item
Most Solar panel manufacturers do not cover truck rolls, labor, and shipping. The few that do cover the labor have a limited payout amount. The inverter manufacturers have anywhere from 10-25 year parts warranty. Some have a labor payout for 2-5 years, but labor pricing falls far beneath what it typically takes to remove and replace defective products.
Warranty Transfer Fees if You Sell Your Home
For several reasons, charging a transfer fee for warranty and account transfer, as practiced by companies like Enphase, can be seen as less than ideal.
Firstly, it introduces an additional financial burden for homeowners during property sales, potentially complicating or deterring the sales process. Secondly, this fee can be perceived as unnecessary, particularly since the homeowner has already invested significantly in the solar energy system.
In contrast, our 30-year warranty offers a distinct advantage. We do not charge any transfer fee, making transferring the warranty to new homeowners seamless and cost-effective.
This approach enhances our solar energy systems’ value proposition and reflects our commitment to customer convenience and satisfaction.
By eliminating transfer fees, we ensure that the transition of ownership is smooth and without additional financial implications, making our warranty product more attractive and user-friendly for both current and prospective homeowners.
Why is an additional layer of protection needed?
Solar warranties are in high demand with new solar installations. Homeowners want peace of mind that their new investment will cover failing panels, inverters, roof penetrations, and other equipment. Installers also want to assure potential buyers that their solar will be cared for for the long haul.
Most solar panels come backed with a manufacturer’s warranty that protects a product against defects. Typically, a manufacturer’s warranty lasts 10-25 years.
A standard manufacturer warranty generally protects against normal wear and tear and product defects — things like a panel or inverter that fails because of a factory defect or due to heat, humidity, or solder bond failures.
A Solar Insure 30 Year Warranty covers the panels, racking, optimizers, inverters, and roof penetrations for 30 years.
Why Solar Insure 30-Year Warranty?
Solar Insure carries manufacturer default coverage by an AM Best rated A+ Insurance carrier. Our carrier has the same goals as Solar Insure, to help people go solar faster and easier to help slow down climate change.
Rest assured that if a manufacturer defaults, ie. fail to support their product or is insolvent, our partner carrier will step in and cover the part. Having a financially-backed warranty away from the manufacturer and the installer is the best protection you can get for your home, especially given that workmanship and manufacturer warranties typically disappear if the company goes under.
What to look out for when shopping for solar
In addition to knowing what aspects of your solar products are covered by a warranty, be sure to closely examine the service terms. It’s good to know how quickly you can get your product repaired and returned to you, especially for solar contractors and O&M service businesses, which will suffer losses and a decline in customer satisfaction if panel operations are suspended due to product failure. Some questions to ask your contractor or sales representative:
- Is there a monthly fee I have to pay for the warranty service?
- Do I have to pay for repairs out of pocket for 30 years?
- Do I pay a deductible when making a claim?
- Can I make a claim easily?
- Does the company guarantee to return my product in a reasonable time?
- Do you cover shipping from my house to the service center and back?
- Does the warranty cover the costs for both parts and labor for 30 years?
- Does the warranty cover roof penetrations for 30 years?
- Can I call and talk to a real person?
- Is monitoring my system for 30 years included?
- Has a 3rd party vetted your contracting business?
- Do you have manufacturer default coverage?
A 30-year Solar Insure Warranty ensures that you will get prompt, friendly service and monitoring, with zero deductible covering parts labor and roof penetrations included in going solar with our vetted, Certified Providers.
The Pros of Purchasing Solar from a Solar Insure Certified Provider
Certified Providers pass an extensive background check including, but not limited to:
- OSHA violations
- Insurance claims
- Credit history
- Online reputation check- Service Ratings
- BBB rating
- License and insurance compliance check
- In business for at least 3 years (or have sufficient experience)
If you’re considering a solar warranty, you may not be sure if it’s right for you. Consider these pros and cons of buying a solar warranty to decide if a warranty is a good idea for your solar.
Peace of mind: A solar warranty’s single biggest benefit is the ability to relax and avoid worrying about repairs for your solar investment. Defective panels with solar warranty: a fix is just a phone call away. Costly repairs that might have brought financial hardships aren’t an issue as they’re likely covered under your solar warranty. A single solar panel’s average truck roll and labor claim is $595. With Solar Insure, $0 deductible for 30 years.
It’s an easy fix: With a solar warranty, you need only to have one contact to address for repair, whether by phone or email. We work with the original installer to get your system repaired. If they are not available or no longer around, we will get another service provider to take care of your system for warranty repair with $0 deductible for 30 years.
You don’t have to spend time researching reputable repair companies or try to contact the manufacturer to try and get a Return Material Authorization (RMA) because your solar warranty has administration and friendly staff to take care of the job. You also don’t have to wait until business hours to start your repair: Solar Warranty claims can be submitted online or by email. All you have to do is call the original installer or our office and wait for your repair.
A warranty is relatively inexpensive and can more than pay for itself: With a solar warranty, you’re likely to see big savings on the most common repairs over a lifetime of 30 years. The Solar Insure Warranty is included in our Certified Provider network’s overall cost of going solar. Call us today to see if your solar installer is approved with Solar Insure.
A solar warranty is an excellent incentive for resale ability and value: If you plan to sell your home, a solar warranty can instill confidence in buyers. You can highlight that your solar has carried a solar warranty, so repairs have been completed on time and in a satisfactory manner, and give new homeowners peace of mind that they’ll be covered if anything goes wrong. With Solar Insure, all warranties are easily transferable, at no additional cost, unlimited times.
Ensure you are working with a vetted and approved Certified Provider. If not, your warranty may only be as good as long as the manufacturer or installer is in business. The Solar Insure SI-30 warranties are only available for new installations. Solar installations that have already been installed but no longer have an installer may qualify for SolarDetect.
Important system components may cost extra: Your inverter(s) and racking system represent a significant repair expense if anything goes wrong, but they may not be included in a basic solar warranty agreement. You’ll have to pay extra if you want these important items covered. Solar Insure covers inverters, microinverters, and roof penetrations in this case with zero deductible for 30 years.
There’s a lot to love about solar warranty products: you can save money and rest easy knowing that solar professionals at Solar Insure are keeping watch on your solar investment, major repairs for your solar array will be taken care of, and panic-inducing breakdowns become an easy fix. The pros easily outweigh the cons, so we recommend all homeowners consider purchasing a Solar Insure Warranty when shopping for solar. Don’t just go solar, go Solar Insure!
Learn more about Solar Insure’s suite of warranty offerings for solar, solar + battery, battery only, and commercial systems: https://www.solarinsure.com/warranty-comparison
FAQs
1. Do I need a solar warranty plan if my equipment already has a manufacturer warranty?
Yes. Most manufacturer warranties cover replacement equipment but often exclude labor, shipping, service calls, and other costs associated with repairs. A solar warranty plan may provide broader coverage for these expenses.
2. What does a solar warranty plan typically cover?
Coverage varies by provider, but many plans include labor costs, monitoring, roof penetration protection, service calls, equipment failures, and protection if an installer or manufacturer goes out of business.
3. What are the biggest drawbacks of buying a solar warranty plan?
The primary downside is the additional upfront cost. Homeowners should compare the cost of the plan against the likelihood and potential expense of future repairs to determine its value.
4. What happens if my solar installer goes out of business?
Without independent warranty protection, homeowners may have difficulty obtaining service or warranty support. A warranty plan can provide continuity of coverage even if the original installer is no longer operating.
