product warranty vs performance warranty

Product Warranty vs Performance Warranty on Solar Panels

Solar panel contracts usually include two promises: a product warranty against manufacturing defects, and a performance warranty against excessive output fade. Mixing them up leads Australian buyers to think “25 years free repairs” when they only have a fade curve guarantee. Read both — then check inverter and workmanship cover separately.

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Indicative 2026 pricing: a typical 6.6kW system often quotes around $5,000–$8,000 after the STC discount (metro installs often $5,000–$7,500; premium/regional can run higher). See our solar cost guide.

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Product warranty in plain terms

Covers defects in materials and workmanship for a defined period. Claims may address delamination, junction box failures or early failures not caused by mishandling. Exclusions for storm damage, poor installation and animal chewing are common.

Performance warranty in plain terms

Guarantees output will stay above a degradation schedule for up to 25–30 years. It does not automatically replace a panel that is dirty, shaded or attached to a dead inverter.

Workmanship warranty is the third leg

Your installer's workmanship cover (often 5–10 years) handles leaks, loose rails and wiring faults. Manufacturer warranties do not fix a botched flashing job. Get it in writing from CEC-accredited installers.

Inverter warranties differ again

Inverters carry their own product warranties and sometimes optional extensions. A strong panel performance warranty cannot energise your house if the inverter is dead and out of cover.

Battery warranties add more axes

Storage adds cycle/throughput and capacity retention warranties — separate from panel promises. Federal ~$372/kWh usable discounts do not extend manufacturer cover.

How to compare without drowning

Make a four-row table on each quote: panel product years, panel performance year-25 %, inverter years, workmanship years. MrSolar quote packs should let you align those rows across installers.

Compare warranty tables side by side — request CEC-accredited quotes via 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

Both. Product cover handles early failures; performance cover handles long fade. Workmanship covers the install itself.
Often yes if registered and transfer rules are followed. Confirm before sale — buyers increasingly ask.
Home insurance may cover storm impact; warranties cover manufacturing/performance issues. They overlap poorly — keep both sorted.
Treat vague “lifetime” claims sceptically. Prefer numbered years and written schedules.
No. STCs follow capacity, zone and deeming. Warranties affect risk, not certificate count.

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