Warranty and Support, in Plain English
Five separate warranties cover a solar installation, they run for different lengths, and they are claimed in different places. Here is what each one does — including what none of them covers.
Most solar warranties are explained badly, and usually on purpose. “25-year warranty” gets printed on a brochure without saying which of the five warranties it refers to, who is actually liable, or what happens when the company that installed the system is no longer around.
So here is ours, set out properly. If anything below is unclear, phone us and ask — that is a reasonable thing to want settled before you buy, not after.
The five warranties on a solar system
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Performance warranty (how much the panels produce)
This is the manufacturer's, not ours. All solar panels lose a little output as they age, and the performance warranty puts a floor under how far — usually as a straight line, a guaranteed minimum percentage of original rated output that steps down slightly each year for the life of the term.
Ours: a linear power warranty of 25 to 30 years, depending on the panel specified for your roof. Panel choice is part of system design, so the exact end-of-term figure belongs to your system rather than to a brochure — it is stated on your quote, and we will walk you through it before you sign.
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Product warranty (the panels physically failing)
Different thing, different length. The performance warranty covers how much a panel produces; the product warranty covers the panel physically failing — delamination, junction-box faults, frame defects. A panel can fail the product warranty on day one and never have had a performance problem.
Ours: 25 years on the panels themselves.
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The inverter, which is usually where the catch is
The inverter converts DC to AC, and it is the component most likely to need attention first. On most systems its warranty is far shorter than the panels' — which is why “25-year warranty” on a brochure is worth checking rather than taking at face value.
Ours: 25 years on the APsystems microinverters we fit as standard, the same length as the panels. One honest caveat, because it is exactly the sort of thing a brochure leaves out — the ECU, the small communications unit that feeds your monitoring, carries 3 years. It is a monitoring component, not a generating one: if it fails, your panels keep producing while it is dealt with.
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Racking warranty (what holds it all to the roof)
Rarely mentioned by anyone, and worth asking about, because the mounting system carries the array through every freeze-thaw cycle and every Alberta wind event for the life of the system.
Ours: 20 years on the racking system and 25 years on the feet — the parts in contact with your roof.
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Workmanship guarantee (our installation)
This one is ours, and it is the only one on the list that depends on us rather than on a manufacturer. It covers the work we did — mounting, penetrations, flashing, wiring and the electrical tie-in. If water gets in where we put a bracket, that is a workmanship claim, not a manufacturer one.
Ours: 10 years as standard, covering the labour to repair, replace or correct defective construction at no cost to you. A 25-year term is available as a paid upgrade if you would rather have the longer cover — ask us for it when you are reviewing your quote.
What is not covered
No warranty here covers everything, and you should know the edges before you need them.
Damage from outside the system — hail beyond the panels' rated impact tolerance, falling trees, fire, or anyone walking on the array who should not be. That is a home-insurance conversation, and worth having with your insurer when the system goes in.
Work done by someone else. If another contractor removes and refits panels for a roof replacement, our workmanship guarantee no longer covers what they did.
Consumption, not production. The warranty covers what the system generates. It does not guarantee a power bill, because your bill also depends on how much you use and on rates nobody controls.
If something goes wrong
Phone us first, whichever warranty it turns out to be. We would rather work out whose claim it is than have you try to.
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Get in touch.
One number, one team — call or message 587-287-6527, or email info@guptarenewables.ca.
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We check the monitoring.
Most production problems show up as a pattern in the data before they show up on a bill, and often we can tell you what is wrong before anyone visits. Monitoring and equipment troubleshooting is part of the cover, not a separate call-out.
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We identify which warranty applies and file it.
Manufacturer claims go through the manufacturer; workmanship claims are ours to fix. Either way the filing is ours to do and it costs you nothing — you should not have to negotiate with a factory.
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We repair it if it can be repaired.
If it cannot, the manufacturer replaces the part under its warranty and we handle the claim for you.
For the first ten years, the labour to repair, replace or correct defective equipment is covered at no cost to you. That is the part most warranties leave vague — a free part is not much use if the crew hours to fit it are billable.
Why the installer's longevity matters
A 25-year warranty is only worth as much as the parties standing behind it. That is why the panels we install are Tier 1 — the bankability tier, meaning manufacturers that lenders will still underwrite decades out. Alberta has lost solar installers before, and their customers were left holding manufacturer paperwork with nobody local to help them file it.
We are locally owned and operated in Calgary, with a real address and one phone number that reaches the same team that installed your system. Our installation work also carries liability coverage of up to $5,000,000 — the kind of thing worth asking any contractor to show you before they put holes in your roof, and we are happy to produce ours.
Common questions about the warranty
What does the 25-year performance warranty cover?
It guarantees a minimum share of the panels' original rated output over the life of the term, stepping down slightly each year rather than all at once — a linear power warranty running 25 to 30 years depending on the panel specified for your roof, with the exact end-of-term figure stated on your quote. It is the manufacturer's warranty and it covers gradual degradation, not physical failure: physical failure sits under the 25-year product warranty, and our installation work sits under our 10-year workmanship guarantee.
What happens if a panel underperforms?
Get in touch and we will look at the monitoring data first, because production shortfalls usually show as a pattern before they show as a number on your bill. If a panel is genuinely below its warranted output we file the manufacturer claim on your behalf — and if it cannot be repaired, the manufacturer replaces it.
Who do I contact for a warranty claim?
Us, on our single number, whichever warranty applies — call or message 587-287-6527, or email info@guptarenewables.ca. We work out whether it is a manufacturer or a workmanship matter and handle the filing — you should not have to identify which warranty covers your problem before you can report it.
What is not covered by the warranty?
External damage such as hail beyond the panels' rated tolerance, falling trees or fire — those are home-insurance matters. Work done by another contractor, including panel removal for a roof replacement. And your power bill itself, which depends on your consumption and on rates, not only on what the system generates.
Questions about coverage before you buy?
That is exactly when to ask them.
Contact Us Call 587-287-6527