25-year performance warranty

25-Year Performance Warranty: What Solar Panel Output Guarantees Cover

A 25-year performance warranty promises your panels will still produce at least a stated percentage of original power after decades on the roof — often around 80–92% by year 25. It is not a guarantee that the installer still answers the phone, nor a product warranty against cracked glass. Australian buyers should read the schedule, the claim process and who stands behind it.

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Performance versus product warranties

Product warranties cover manufacturing defects for a shorter period (often 10–25 years depending on brand). Performance warranties cover gradual output fade against a curve. You need both explained in plain English on the quote.

How the year-25 number works

Warranties specify annual or linear degradation limits culminating in a year-25 floor. If independent testing shows output below the floor, a claim may yield replacement modules, additional panels or compensation — per the fine print.

Claim practicalities in Australia

You will need installation records, serial numbers and credible measurements. Brands without local representation make claims painful. Prefer manufacturers with Australian service pathways and installers who register systems correctly.

What voids or weakens claims

Unaccredited installs, unapproved clamping, ignored tilt rules, animal damage exclusions and missing maintenance notes can complicate claims. CEC-accredited installation is the first defence.

Inverters are the weak link timeline

Panels may be warranted for 25 years while inverters often sit on 5–10 year base cover. Budget electronics replacement inside the performance warranty window so the array is not idle.

Using warranties in comparisons

Do not pick a panel only for a 92% vs 84% year-25 headline if the company cannot service claims. Compare three CEC-accredited quotes via MrSolar with datasheets and warranty PDFs attached.

Choose panels with enforceable performance cover — compare CEC-accredited quotes on MrSolar.

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How we verify this page

Written and reviewed by Daniel (Marketplace lead, Epic Unicorn Pty Ltd). We build pages from Australian solar datasets and regulatory references, then map you to CEC-accredited installers only.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It covers performance below a curve (and sometimes product defects under separate terms). Labour, scaffolding and shipping rules vary.
Longer can help, but bankability and local support matter more than a number alone.
STCs require eligible products and accredited install. Warranty length is a buyer quality filter, not the certificate formula.
That is the bankability risk. Established brands and documented supply chains reduce — not eliminate — it.
Shade reduces output but is not the same as module degradation. Still, design defects and hot-spot damage from chronic shade can create disputes — design shade out where possible.

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