This week in Solar Basics we’re talking about the importance of solar panel performance guarantees and how consumers can know that they’re receiving the most value from their solar panel purchase.
Solar panel performance can be measured in many ways, some of which we covered in the earlier post on reliability. For example, the ability for panels to stay online and functional throughout various external conditions (what we call ‘energy production continuity’) is one valuable metric for measuring the overall performance of a system. But on a more general level, strong performance can be expressed by a panel maximizing its energy output (and thus energy savings) over its lifetime. Some panel manufacturers like SunPower take steps to guarantee that customers reach an expected level of output by providing long-term warranties and additional services. Warranty packages lessen the investment risk for consumers by fixing or replacing malfunctioning equipment and providing benefits to consumers that make up for lost power production.
If you are making a solar purchase decision, work with your dealer and the solar panel manufacturer to obtain information about the following areas:
Service warranties – Service warranties generally ensure that dealers or manufacturers will correct defects in materials and/or workmanship such as roof leaks (from installation), loose modules, wire faults and other issues. SunPower provides a 10-year service warranty on materials and workmanship.
Power warranties – Power warranties generally ensure that solar panels will produce a certain level of minimum output over a certain number of years or the manufacturer will fix/replace the panels, or provide compensation to the homeowner equal to the power shortfall. In addition, SunPower offers an industry-leading power warranty of 25 years, ensuring that panels will produce up to 80% of their expected minimum peak power output or SunPower will address the shortfall.
Click to find more information SunPower service and product warranties.
Monitoring services – Many customers take a hands-on approach when following their system output. Monitoring services allow users to track their energy production and their overall environmental impact. With monitoring services, customers can also monitor the energy usage for the entire building. SunPower provides monitoring services on an in-home display, online or through an iPhone application. We also offer an additional service whereby dealers are alerted when systems don’t meet expected performance standards, saving time and money for the customer.
Click to learn more about SunPower monitoring services.
At SunPower, we want our customers to have the peace of mind that they are guaranteed a certain level of performance over the lifetime of their solar installation.
Check out this video about SunPower’s guaranteed performance:
Follow Us: