☀️ Solar Warranties: Protecting Your Investment When Companies Close

The solar market can sometimes feel like a solar minefield, especially when it comes to warranties and the potential longevity of your solar installer or manufacturer. When you’re as excited as most people are about providing renewable energy to the national grid, or just as excited to reduce your energy bill, the last thing you want is to be looking at a defective warranty that is not worth the paper it is written on because your installer has gone into liquidation. Unfortunately, this has happened far too often in the Australian solar market, which until recently, suffered from a glut of cheap systems being imported, many of which were of inferior quality. What happens to your warranty if your installer goes belly-up? And is there anything you can do to protect your investment? Let’s have a look.

The Fate of Warranties

And a warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it. If the manufacturer or installer goes out of business, you’re out of luck. Your warranty will be worthless if the company closes, rebrands and ‘phoenixes’ — a practice in which companies shut down but soon reopen under a new name.

Protecting Your Solar Investment

The good news is that, with some homework and diligence, you can cut the odds of buying a well-planned dud. Here are the cards you should play:

• Choose Reputable Companies: Focus on companies that have been in the solar business a long time, says Gold. That way you’ll be funding an extra tax deduction, but you’ll also be investing in a business that isn’t going to evaporate.
• Ensure an Australian Presence: Choosing local installers can give you a third reason to feel safe and secure. You at least have a local office to contact if problems arise – and many of us would prefer that to overseas manufacturers.
• Demand High-Quality Components: Putting money into systems that use the best panels, inverters, accessories and cabling might result in higher initial expenditure, but will save you expense – and bother – in the long run. High-quality kit is less likely to fail and likely to come with the best warranties.

Actionable Insights for Homeowners

• Research potential solar providers thoroughly, focusing on their market reputation and longevity.
• Stick with companies with a strong Australian footprint so that you can get post-sale support and warranty claims with ease.
• Invest in quality solar systems with reputable components to safeguard against premature system failures.

In short, solar-power consumers should be concerned about the likelihood of brittle and short-lived warranties, but these risks can be tempered through preemptive steps, such as selecting responsible providers and purchasing high-quality equipment. Home solar systems represent an exciting and rewarding technology, which homeowners can confidently capture as part of a larger, more sustainable future.