Solar Warranties & Claims: Product vs Performance vs Workmanship

Welcome

Hello, and welcome. This is Super Structures General Contractors — a national general contractor headquartered in Powhatan, Virginia — here to help you and your clients build something that lasts. We're glad you're with us, and we look forward to connecting with you.

When equipment fails, the first question is "who pays?" The answer lives in the warranties — and in whether someone kept the records to prove a claim. Knowing how warranties work protects your customer, your company, and your margins.

Educational content only — not electrical design, a safety program, or hands-on testing and troubleshooting training, and not a substitute for a licensed electrician or a NABCEP-certified professional. Testing energized PV equipment is hazardous. Follow the NEC as adopted by your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), NFPA 70E and OSHA, your company's electrical safety program, the manufacturers' instructions, and your utility's rules. Code and standard editions change — confirm the ones that apply to your work.

The three main warranty types

• Product (materials and workmanship) warranty: from the manufacturer, covering defects in the equipment itself — a module with a failed junction box, delamination, or a broken frame. Module product warranties commonly run from about 10 to 25 years depending on the manufacturer and product line. Inverter warranties vary widely: string inverters often carry shorter standard terms with optional extensions, while microinverters and optimizers often carry long terms. Batteries carry their own warranties based on years and energy throughput.
• Performance (power output) warranty: from the module manufacturer, guaranteeing that the module will still produce a stated percentage of its rated power after a stated time — commonly 25 to 30 years, with a guaranteed retained output often in the mid-80s to around 90% range at the end, depending on product. It is usually linear, allowing a small degradation each year. Proving a claim requires showing the module's output has fallen below the guarantee — not just that the system made less energy.
• Workmanship (installation) warranty: from the installer, covering the quality of the installation — roof penetrations, wiring, terminations, racking. Terms vary widely by contractor, commonly from a few years to 10 years or more. Roof-penetration leak warranties are sometimes separate.

Other coverages

• Roof warranties: installing on a roof may affect the roofer's or roofing manufacturer's warranty. Coordinate with the roofer, follow approved attachment methods, and document.
• Extended or third-party warranties and service plans can cover labor and replacements beyond manufacturer terms.
• Production guarantees in leases, power purchase agreements, or commercial contracts promise a level of energy output and are separate from module warranties.

What a warranty usually doesn't cover

Labor to remove and replace equipment is often excluded or limited — a free replacement module doesn't mean free roof labor. Other common exclusions: improper installation, unapproved connectors, damage from weather events or pests, modifications, and failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Some manufacturers require installers to be certified and products to be registered and monitored to keep warranties valid.

Filing a claim

1. Identify the failure with evidence: monitoring data, error codes, test results, thermal images, and photos.
2. Gather records: serial numbers, purchase dates, commissioning reports, installation photos, and registration.
3. Contact the manufacturer through its installer or service portal and follow its troubleshooting steps — many require specific tests before approving a return.
4. Get an RMA (return merchandise authorization) and follow shipping and replacement instructions.
5. Document the repair: new serial numbers, test results, and updated as-builts.

Workmanship warranties from the installer's side

A workmanship warranty is a promise your company has to keep for years, so write it carefully. Define exactly what's covered (roof penetrations, wiring, terminations, racking), the term, how the customer reports a problem, and what voids it — such as another contractor modifying the system or roof work by others around the array. Budget for warranty service: every callback costs a truck roll, labor, and sometimes a roofer. The best way to keep warranty costs low is the same as everywhere else in this course: install to the manual, commission thoroughly, and document everything.

Going Deeper (Intermediate)

Commissioning data is your best friend in a claim. A module that tested normal at commissioning and now shows a failed bypass diode on an IV curve and thermal image is a straightforward claim. Without a baseline, the manufacturer may argue the problem was installation-related.

Manufacturers can go out of business during a 25-year warranty term. Pros consider manufacturer financial strength and whether warranties are backed by insurance or a successor. When a product is discontinued, replacement modules must be electrically and physically compatible — mixing modules in a string requires careful matching.

Advanced / Pro-Level

On commercial portfolios, pros track warranty terms in a database, flag serial-batch defect patterns, and file serial defect claims supported by statistical evidence from thermography and IV testing. They negotiate warranty terms, labor reimbursement, and spare stock in procurement contracts before the project is built. They also understand that a performance warranty claim requires measuring module power under standard conditions or a correctable equivalent — not just pointing to lower energy.

Practice Challenge

A seven-year-old residential system's production has dropped. Monitoring shows two microinverters reporting zero. The customer asks whether the warranty covers it and who pays for the roof labor. (Answer: the microinverters likely fall under the manufacturer's product warranty — check the term, registration, and whether the manufacturer provides any labor reimbursement. Labor beyond that depends on the installer's workmanship warranty term and the customer's service plan. Pull serial numbers and monitoring data, file through the manufacturer's portal, and explain any labor cost before rolling the truck.)

In Practice

At every install, register the equipment, save serial numbers to the job file, and give the customer a warranty summary that explains product, performance, and workmanship terms in plain language.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing a performance warranty with a production guarantee
• Assuming warranties include roof or replacement labor
• Failing to register products or keep serial numbers
• Using unapproved connectors or methods that void warranties
• Filing claims without commissioning data or test evidence

Takeaway: Product warranties cover defects, performance warranties cover long-term power output, workmanship warranties cover the install — and good records turn a dispute into an approved claim.