The three warranties
- The manufacturer equipment warranty. From whoever made the panel, inverter, battery, collector, tank or controller. It covers the product failing. It follows the equipment, not the installer.
- The manufacturer performance warranty. Solar electric panels usually carry one on top of the product warranty, guaranteeing that output will stay above a stated percentage over time. Terms vary a great deal by brand and by year.
- The installer workmanship warranty. From whoever did the installation, covering their labor rather than the parts. This is the one that disappears when a company closes.
Do not assume any specific term. Lengths and conditions vary by manufacturer, by product and by the year it was made. Read the documents that came with your own system.
What AllSolar Energy warrants on its own work
These terms apply to work AllSolar performed. They are published in full with the official warranty documents.
- 1 Year Limited Workmanship Warranty, covering AllSolar labor on solar electric, solar pool heating and solar water heating installations, and on service work. One year from install completion or from the service date. Equipment itself remains under its manufacturer warranty. Transferable once, with written notice within 30 days of a title transfer.
- 25 Year Limited Solar Electric Penetration Warranty, covering workmanship causing active water intrusion at AllSolar penetrations and flashing on solar electric installations. Labor only. It requires an annual paid AllSolar inspection to remain active, and coverage suspends if an inspection is missed. It is suspended during a named storm watch or warning in your county and for 72 hours afterwards. Transferable once, for a $500 fee and a passed paid inspection within 30 days.
The 25 year penetration warranty is solar electric only. It does not apply to solar pool heating or solar water heating collectors, which have their own separate terms.
When the installer has closed
Manufacturer coverage generally survives. Installer workmanship coverage generally does not. Filing a manufacturer claim usually needs the serial numbers and evidence of the installation date, and some manufacturers will only accept a claim submitted by a servicing company.
What to keep, and where
- The original proposal or contract, which usually states what was warranted.
- The permit and the utility interconnection approval.
- Equipment makes, models and serial numbers, plus photographs of the labels.
- Warranty certificates and registration confirmations.
- Every service record, because a maintenance history is often what a manufacturer asks for.
Common questions
My panels are ten years old. Am I still covered?
Very possibly for the panels themselves, since solar electric product and performance warranties are commonly long. Whether the inverter is still covered is a different question, and inverter terms are usually much shorter. Check each piece of equipment separately.
Does a repair by another company void my warranty?
It can affect an installer workmanship warranty. It does not usually affect a manufacturer product warranty unless the equipment itself was modified or damaged in the process.
Do I need to register a warranty?
Some manufacturers require registration within a set window after installation and reduce coverage without it. If your system is new, check this now rather than at the point of claim.