Warranties and Power
Here at JP Electric & Solar, we are proud to be a SunPower Elite Dealer and stand behind every panel we sell. It is not a secret that SunPower panels are priced higher than conventional panels. Then why are the majority of the panels we sell SunPower? The performance is usually the first on the list; since SunPower panels are the World’s Record holders in solar efficiency with 24.2%. This allows for more wattage per square foot, flexibility in design, and expandability over time. Also, the construction of the panels put them above the competitors, with the unique manufacturing and enhanced durability. The product itself shines about the rest, but the usual deciding factor for our customers has to do with the support of a long term investment and ensuring it remains an investment years after the purchase.
The main reason, and often the deal breaker, is SunPower’s industry-leading warranty.
The 25-year Product and Power warranty is unheard of in the Solar Industry. Most other manufacturers offer a 10-year, at most 20-year, or rope you in to a ‘life-of-the-system’ coverage bundled in a high-priced escalating lease.
SunPower is able to offer this due to their belief in their product.
Here is SunPower’s recommendation in what to look for in a Warranty:
Home solar warranties can be complicated and full of fine print. For example, some only cover the solar panels. So if there’s an issue with another important component (such as the inverter), you may be out of luck or you could be unpleasantly surprised to discover that you have separate warranties for components that aren’t serviced by the company that sold you your solar system. Those separate warranties likely have different terms and varying time limits for coverage.
Your solar warranty could also include hidden servicing costs that you will be required to pay. For example, some warranties require the homeowner to pay shipping costs to get a defective panel replaced. What’s covered and for how long can tell you a lot about how confident a solar company is in the products it’s selling.
SunPower’s home solar warranty covers your entire system1, including the power it generates, for 25 years. (Monitoring hardware is also covered by SunPower, but term is for 10 years.) And we’re the only company to cover all costs associated with repairs. It’s that simple. Because we design and manufacture the entire solar system, instead of piecing it together from different suppliers, we confidently stand behind our products with the SunPower ® Complete Confidence Warranty.
There are no pass-through warranties to worry about. If you ever need something fixed, which isn’t common, you just make one phone call to SunPower.
Their Product and Power Warranty is what guarantees service; the purpose of a well functioning Solar System. What this means is SunPower will guarantee the percentage of output is performing at a certain standard, and will fix it if it doesn’t.
As you’re doing your solar warranty research, ask about product warranties and power warranties. Product warranties cover material and workmanship. Power warranties cover power generation. The SunPower warranty covers both the product and the energy that it will produce for 25 years.
While there is a natural loss of energy production at a certain rate per year for all solar panels – like humans, solar cells get a little sunburn — SunPower’s highly efficient, highly durable panels degrade at a much slower rate than conventional panels, so we’re comfortable backing up our energy production with the best power warranty in the industry, which assures that your system will produce 92 percent of its rated power in year 25.
In partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, we developed a robust method to calculate solar panel degradation. When this method was applied to eight years of energy performance data from 264 SunPower solar systems operating at various locations worldwide, it showed that SunPower panels degraded less than 0.25 percent per year – 50 percent less than the annual degradation rate for conventional panels. This is why we are confident to provide our industry-leading power production warranty.
If you buy a lower quality solar panel, poor workmanship issues can lead to a faster-than-normal decline in energy production over time. Many solar manufacturers try to take advantage of this ambiguity by providing, for example, only a 10-year power warranty.
SunPower covers the entire system with one warranty for the full 25-years, regardless of whether the issue is a product or power one.
As always, shop around before you go solar. Read our handy Solar Buyer’s Guide for tips and information, and as a starting point to compare quotes. Do not forget to note the warranties while shopping, as they may save you money 25 years from now.