MANUFACTURER I GUARANTEES
O
f the energy investment classes, solar panels have until recently been among the safest.
Relatively simple technology backed by the strong government support in the form of feed-in-tariff gave the technology the aura of a triple-A rating. The high level of government support is under review in many markets, so attention is turning to quality. What happens now if the technology goes wrong? The solar industry is young enough that it has had to deal with only a few customer complaints – but these are certain to rise in the future as installations face the elements in diverse climates. As government support falls, how can the industry give full confidence in their investments?
Under European law, customers of any kind of product are entitled to a two-year warranty as a minimum. If there is a defect or fault, the manufacturer must fix it, offer a replacement, or reimburse the customer, who is also able to withdraw from the contract if the case arises. While these protections are neither well known to customers or installers across Europe, they are backed by a European directive, signed into law at the country level, and well-known to consumer rights advocacy groups.
This guarantee is suitable for most products such as fridges or TVs, which are easily replaceable, or for cars, where a certain amount of maintenance can be expected. Solar modules are different. By and large, maintenance should be non existent, and the products are sold specifically to provide long-term returns, more comparable with property investment than electrical equipment. Inverters for solar installations typically have five year guarantees, but most panel manufacturers offer 10-year, or even 12-year, product guarantees – much longer than comparable products. Under these, the manufacturer warrants that its modules will be free from defects relating to their manufacture or the materials used.
There are often a large number of exclusions that can lead to the warranty being invalidated, with these varying according to the manufacturer. Take care to read the small print. Typically, the faulty module must, quite rightly, have been installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A common, but more concerning omission, is the plugs and cables used to connect the modules. Here, customers are often not protected.
Performance Guarantees
Manufacturers also offer what are known as ‘performance guarantees’, designed to reflect the main driver of purchases –feed-in-tariffs – covering the power output of the modules over a period of time. These fall into two categories: ‘staged’ and ‘linear’.
The ‘staged’ variety normally guarantees around 90 percent of the nominal or minimum performance during the first 10 years of installation - and 80 percent over the following 15 years. The ‘linear’ guarantee tends to be more customer-friendly and ensures the customer is protected against reduced performance
Issue IV 2012 I
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