While residential solar electric systems are generally low maintenance, they are still an electronic technology! Like many electronics, issues can pop up, either from the system itself or from external forces (like a tree branch in a winter storm). Prioritizing support and maintenance when choosing a solar provider can save you headaches and money in the long run.
Red flag: They provide solar warranties with minimal protection for the system and don’t have clear information on how claims are handled.
Red flag: They tell you the system won't need any service.
Yellow flag: They’re vague about what is and isn’t covered by the warranty, and who exactly will service the system if any issues arise.
Green flag: They have a dedicated in-house service team, comprehensive workmanship and manufacturer warranties, and they can explain all conditions in simple terms.
It’s important to note that there aren’t nationwide standards for what a solar warranty should cover, so one company’s workmanship warranty might be very different from another’s. A company might offer a 30-year warranty through a third-party provider, which sounds great at first. But if you look closer, you might find that this warranty doesn’t cover electrical wiring or general electrical workmanship. Given that the goal of your solar installation is to produce electricity for your home, the quality of electrical work is pretty important! Under that 30-year warranty, you could be left paying for those repairs out of pocket, so it is really important to understand exactly what your warranty covers.
It’s also important to know who will be servicing your system if it breaks. If the company who installed the system has a full-scale, dedicated service team for support, they’ll be the ones coming to fix your system. However, most solar companies don’t have a dedicated service team.
Some reputable solar companies use third-party warranty services simply because they don’t have the capacity to do their service in-house. That can be fine and is not automatically a red flag. Just be aware that this means you’re adding another layer of complexity. Now you will need to assess both the installer you are choosing AND the service company, with whom you'll be working for the next 25+ years.
The installer and third-party company might not know exactly who will show up to fix the system if there’s an issue. In fact, we often get calls from third-party warranty providers asking us to service the systems they are under contract to cover.
"I contacted [the company that installed my system] and they had me do a system reset by powering off and back on, but the issue persists. They said I need to have a service call, but I'm on my own to find someone to do it." —A Non-ReVision Customer
Warranties matter, and so does having someone to service those warranties. More information about the ReVision’s service team and our warranties can be found on our service page FAQs.
The takeaways from this guide.
