Photovoltaic panels warranties
A few weeks ago we were talking with a colleague who has had problems in his individual self-consumption photovoltaic installation at home. Specifically, a dispute with the photovoltaic panel warranty.
Although from a professional and technical perspective it can be complicated and there may be a heated dispute over the minimum quality conditions that must have and be required of solar panels within the world of renewables. Non-professional users, what we need is to clarify and know the key points before a purchase.
There is a lot of fine print and features to look at; From the simple fact of whether we buy the solar panel that our home really needs, going through having an adequate installation or components, to the guarantee conditions offered by the photovoltaic plate and its production as reviewed by Sun Fields in the article on solar panels with more guarantee, just to give some examples.
It is important to know what characteristics must solar panels meet to be efficient and have a long shelf life, and, in this article, we break down what should we look at in the guarantee of a photovoltaic solar panel and what shouldn't we do to keep that guarantee, which is just as important, so that you don't waste your money …
How is a photovoltaic installation for individual self-consumption
Although we can understand that solar panels are intended to convert sunlight into electricity To use it at home, to make it work, you need an installation that has a series of elements and components that together will produce and store (if that's the case) the electricity we need.
Each element that comprises that installation that we will put at home has some guarantees, so we must understand what are the elements that, together, make that photovoltaic installation work.
Each element that comprises a photovoltaic installation has an individual guarantee, so we will have to know its parts
Although the Spanish regulations on renewable energies for individual energy self-consumption contemplate different variables and possibilities: Self-consumption WITHOUT surpluses (Simpler installation) and Self-consumption WITH surpluses (More complicated installation where we return the energy that works to the electricity grid) or that is for a consumer (just one home) or several (for a community - more complicated installation).
To get a general idea, we will focus on a photovoltaic installation for individual self-consumption simple, for a single home, and we would have the following scheme:
What elements of a photovoltaic installation are more expensive?
First, and how factor determine the price of the installation, you have to take into account the energy needs of the home and its situation, which will determine the number of photovoltaic panels that we will need:
Solar installation price depends on:
| Power required to supply housing | Solar irradiation (Hours of Sunshine) |
| Greater power greater number of panels | Higher irradiation fewer panels |
As we will see, investment in solar panels is the most expensive, but we have to break it down into two parts; a first, which would represent the legal procedures (legislation, bulletin, etc.), labor and materials, and the second and most important for us, the components of the installation.
Is interesting to know the generalized individual price of the elements that make up the photovoltaic installationIn other words, it is not the same as photovoltaic solar panels breaking, a battery, an inverter or a charge controller. Changing one or the other would mean spending more or less money.
Broadly speaking, we would have the following breakdown by chapters in a budget that an installation company can provide us (Estimate for a house of three people, with average consumption in kW of 350 months, and about 15 photovoltaic panels installed):
Prices of the components of a photovoltaic installation
| Parts - Components | Function in photovoltaic installation | % of the total price |
| Photovoltaic panels | Solar cells convert solar radiation into electrical energy | €€€€€€ |
| Solar inverter | It is responsible for transforming direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) | €€€ |
| Supporting structure panels | Structure that guides the panel, provides support and protects it against inclement weather | €€€ |
| Bidirectional counter | It allows recording the load curve of the house to optimize self-consumption | € |
| Protection panel for DC and AC | Protections for the photovoltaic installation for both alternating current and direct current | € |
| Newsletter and legalization | Includes registration in the corresponding administration and legalization of the installation | € |
| Labor and possible materials | Cost of installation, wiring, connections and possible materials to use | €€ |
More expensive components in a photovoltaic installation assembly are; The cost of the set of all solar panels and solar inverter
In the previous table, we have not indicated prices because depending on the brands they vary a lot, but we can recognize that the more expensive components Are the photovoltaic panels (individually they can be around 180 - 250 Euros, but as we need many, together, it is the largest investment) and the solar inverter (Here the price is according to your pocket and the quality you want to acquire, there are from very cheap with little efficiency, to expensive that quietly exceed 1,000 Euros)
Solar panels and equipment components warranties
We have seen that many users wonder What guarantees does a photovoltaic module have? And although the degradation of photovoltaic panels It is an important part to consider, there are many other aspects that we must look at.
Although the maintenance of solar panels It is usually the responsibility of the user (some companies offer maintenance contracts) we must know what guarantees will we have and demand them when buying a photovoltaic panel or when we install all the solar equipment. First, it is interesting to know the useful life that the components can reach:
| Photovoltaic installation components | Average useful life |
| Photovoltaic panel | Possibility of more than 25 years |
| Solar inverter | Possibility of more than 25 years |
| Panel support structure | Possibility of more than 25 years |
| Bidirectional counter | Possibility of more than 20 years |
| AC and AC protection panel | Possibility of more than 25 years |
| Batteries | Possibility of more than 4 years (A maximum of 7 - 8) |
| Cabling | Possibility of more than 25 years |
Also of interest is our article on photovoltaic windows that will come in the near future.
Photovoltaic solar panels warranty
Although it is estimated that the life of a module is about 30 years, and his performance after 25 years of use is above 80%. There is a lot of fine print to read on the warranty conditions for a solar panel and its maintenance, if we do not want to get a good scare, and pay again.
The panels hide two types of guarantees that go hand in hand with the quality of the panel, and, consequently, at the purchase price of a panel. In a cheap module we will find guarantees of 10 to 15 years, but we have made a significant investment and we really want to amortize it, so:
- Product Warranty: It is the one that covers the damages or flaws that the solar panel itself may have (materials, components, glass, connections, etc). Must be product warranty 25 years.
- Production Guarantee: It is the one that covers the minimum production that the photovoltaic panel must have throughout its life (performance that we obtain from the panel and how much it will decrease during its useful life). Must be 25-year production guarantee.
When you buy a photovoltaic panel, always ask for a 25-year product and production guarantee
We make a significant initial investment and we want it to have a long service life. Buy good quality panels from recognized brands and that they give you the same product guarantee as that of production, such as: LG Energy, Sunpower, Panasonic, to give examples of brands.
Although it can be very boring, we always recommend reading the guarantee to have some basic notions, and among the various points that we can find:
- An alteration, modification or repair without the prior consent of the installer.
- The removal of the Photovoltaic Modules and their new installation in a new location.
- A breach of the provisions and indicated in the Installation and User Manual by the manufacturer.
- A case of improper use, neglect or accident during storage, abuse, transportation, installation, handling, application, use
or service of the installation company. - A case of power surge, flood, lightning, fire, vandalism, tampering, accidental breakage, mold, or any other event more
beyond the manufacturer's control. - Installation on mobile platforms or in a marine environment. Damage from insect pests. Malfunction of the components of the
photovoltaic system and other operating conditions, which are not expressly allowed in the Installation and User Manual.
Solar inverter warranty and others to consider
As we have seen, for the entire installation of solar panels to work, other elements are needed that together generate electricity for us. Of these other elements, it is worth highlighting the conditions of solar inverter warranty (They have guarantees of between 10 and 25 years) because this device, although it is not very big, is worth money.
In reality, the solar inverter does not usually break and as it is an electronic element and is normally sheltered inside the house, it has a long useful life.
The power you should choose for your inverter will be determined by the power of your installation
The more technically advanced investors, of good brands and that allow to obtain better returns, are obviously more expensive. Apart from the ways to save energy at home that we usually practice, we must study and see what needs we have and decide the final purchase, of course, the professionals are there to help us.
We should also look at the warranty conditions indicated in the labor, that is, if the installation company takes care of possible defects in the installation of the solar modules.
Many photovoltaic equipment installation companies offer the maintenance contract for "X" years. If we end up hiring him, there we will also have to require that the warranty conditions be rigorously detailed.
The world of energy self-consumption is complicated and with many nuances in the facilities. It is an important investment if we want to power an entire home, in our opinion, we always advise you to look for an installation company that has a real professional career. Compare prices and budget, I have to try to acquire equipment from recognized brands, which, in the long run, we will appreciate it.
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