How does a photovoltaic solar system warranty work? – Written by: Adriana Zeledón, Directora de Operaciones.
An equipment’s warranty is one of the most important characteristics customers look for when investing in solar energy. Any consumer feels safe when doing an investment that is backed by a warranty. Therefore, offering this characteristic in the projects we install is part of our responsibility.
At greenenergy® we are reps of Trina Solar panels and Fronius inverters, therefore we have guarantee and direct support from the manufacturers. We are the only company in Costa Rica qualified as a Fronius Service Partner Plus, which means the possibility of having Fronius pieces and parts in stock, annual trainings, amongst other benefits. We also have the certification to directly repair this equipment without putting our customer’s warranty at risk. To be able to offer these services is one of our most added values as a company, since we assure our clients that our technical staff is trained to solve or detect faults.
Trina Solar offers two types of guarantees over the solar panels: a 10 year warranty over the product, guaranteeing that in that time laps the product will not present design defect, materials, workforce or manufacturing defects that limits its functioning in a significant way and that will adjust to the specifications and applicable designs. On the other hand, they offer a 25-30 year warranty that is limited to the power output. To understand this, we have to go back to basics: monocristalyn products (such as solar panels) are made out of silicon, a mineral which along with other components and minerals, achieves to capture energy from sunlight. With solar exposure, the monocrystals degrade over time. The warranty states that during the first year of solar exposure, the modules will degrade in 2,5% and then 0,7% each year; by the end 25 years the modules will be 80,7% degraded and the solar panel will generate much less energy than when it started functioning. All of these is taken into consideration when designing a system to assure the equipments performance over time.
On the other hand, the Fronius inverters give a 60 months warranty starting the month the equipment is installed. During those months the brand guarantees the correct functioning of the inverters as well as complete coverage of manufacturing defects. If the customer wants to, the warranty can be extended for 10 additional years.
It is important to clarify that the time of the guarantees may vary depending on the equipment’s technology and their improvements. What is important is that customers know the limitations of the warrantees and claim their existence and application when needed. For a correct warranty application, it is essential that the equipment has a preventive maintenance each year. In this article you can read about the importance of the annual maintenance.
