said by cowboyro:Performance warranty or 100% of the initial performance warranty? And who will take the claims in 15 years if the company is out of business?
Excellent questions and concerns.
A name brand solar panel will have a 20- to 25-year warranty. This figure, however, applies to power output.
Most manufacturers guarantee at least 80% output (for the specified number of years).
The warranty for "materials and workmanship" is one or two years.
With respect to warranty support 15 years down the road, that is an inherent risk that comes with any long(er) term investment. So if one wants to minimize this risk, probably best to purchase from manufactures that have been in business a good amount of time.
Solar Manufactures/time in businessSolarPower/40+ years in Solar business
First Solar/13 years in Solar business
Sharp/53 years in Solar business
Panasonic-Sanyo/30 years in Solar business
General Electric (GE)/just getting into the Solar business, but they would likely honor warranties on their products for the long run.
...and the list goes on.
FWIW, this is not an industry in it's infancy...contrary to popular belief.