Product Warranty

A product warranty (also called a materials or equipment warranty) covers defects in manufacturing, materials, and workmanship of individual solar components — panels, inverters, racking, and batteries. It is separate from the performance degradation warranty and the installer’s workmanship warranty.

For solar panels, product warranties typically last 12–25 years and cover issues like delamination, junction box failure, glass breakage (from manufacturing defects), cell cracking, connector failures, and frame corrosion. If a panel fails due to a manufacturing defect within the warranty period, the manufacturer will repair or replace it. For inverters, product warranties range from 12 to 25 years — Enphase microinverters offer 25-year warranties, while many string inverters come with 12-year warranties that can be extended to 20–25 years for an additional cost. Battery product warranties typically cover 10–15 years. When comparing solar proposals, pay attention to product warranty lengths for all major components and consider whether extended warranties are worth the cost. Also note whether the warranty covers only the replacement equipment or also includes the labor cost of removing and installing the replacement.