Your labor and material warranty probably isn't what you think it is

[skipro3]

One of the big parts of the overall installation of a solar package is the warranty. Most here claim they have a labor and a material warranty. But I wonder if the definition they are led to believe is actually what the contract requires.

Here's my situation;
I have a Solaredge inverter and the optional Zigbee wireless communications set-up. This Zigbee radio is like wifi, except that the slave radio in the inverter talks to a gateway radio that also has an ethernet connection to an existing homeowner's router.

Mine isn't working reliably. It crashes regularly that requires the software to be reloaded at least once a week.

After contacting the company I contracted with to put in my solar, I learned what a labor and material warranty really means. For labor, it means the installation of the materials, meaning; only the labor for construction is warrantied. For materials the warranty is what the manufacturer has. They claim that if a material item fails, it's up to me to contact the manufacturer to rectify. The change-out of the material also is not their responsibility, since the initial installation was done correctly and they only warranty their labor for the construction, not any labor to change out faulty materials which have their own warranty.

This opens a huge can of worms. Let's say a solar panel fails and is under warranty. If I were to contact the manufacturer, I don't have an invoice with them or even a registration for warranty card to fill out and send in. They don't know me from Adam. Not only do they not recognize me as their customer, they won't even recognize my installer since they bought the materials not from the manufacturer directly, but through a material supply company, usually a wholesale business that doesn't do business with individuals, but with solar contractors. The manufacturer will have a record of the wholesaler, the wholesaler will have the installer and the installer will have me, but the installer claims the coverage of warranty for materials is ONLY between me and the manufacturer.

I'm sure there are lots of folks out there who think that if some part failed during their warranty period, the installer is going to come out, pull the bad part off and take care of returning it and getting a replacement and install it. I would bet a large majority are mistaken in thinking that.

Read your contract. If it does not specifically state what the labor warranty covers, then don't figure that it covers anything but the labor they did to install the system, not labor for future material failures.

[solarix]

If this is their interpretation of warranty service, I think you chose the wrong installer.

I've found one of the best things of working in the solar industry is the dedication of its people to making solar successful. The people I've dealt with all up and down the solar supply chain are in this industry because they believe in solar and really try to do their best. Unfortunately, as the industry has boomed we have attracted people like your company that are more interested in the money than in making solar work for their customers. Solar equipment is very durable and one of our key selling points is a long warranty period to give people confidence in adopting this new technology. I even give warranty support to people that didn't buy from me or have installers that went out of business. (Its a cheap way to gain a customer and their referrals I figure)

For a company to weasel out of supporting you as you describe, you need to write them up on www.solarreviews.com so others won't make the same mistake.

[skipro3]

I take it you are involved in solar in some capacity other than as a customer?

My installer is approaching this situation much like any home construction contractor might. Let's say instead of solar, you hired a contractor to put in a hot water heater and you later have trouble with the heater that has nothing to do with the quality of the contractor's labor. What would you do, call the original installer back and expect him to handle any material warranty claims for you for free?

All I'm saying is, read your contract. What does it say? If your installer is promising Some set of performance, make him show you the language in the contract that backs up when he implies.

If he says all labor for repairs are included, including dealing directly with the manufacturer over material warranty issues, then be darn sure the co tract says that.

[solar_newbie]

What is the statement in your contract states?

Mine is "repair, diagnostic, labor and replacement of any systems and components, exclude manufacture warranty, at no cost to customers"

I will clarity on the part of dealing with manufacture for RMA part.

[justthinking]

I think the issue you are having is the installer you choose, seems like a shady installer not wanting to honor warranty agreement because there is no money for him to make..

If I were you, I would report him to BBB or reflect on his yelp review

Also, have you tried to contact solar edge directly to see if they can offer any help?

If you are having problem with zigbee, maybe you can try using LAN connection if you can somehow run the ethernet cable from router to your solar edge inverter??

PS. I also have Solar Edge with Zigbee, so maybe I can offer some help if you describe more in detail what your crash is?

[sensij]

Also, have you tried to contact solar edge directly to see if they can offer any help?

If you are having problem with zigbee, maybe you can try using LAN connection if you can somehow run the ethernet cable from router to your solar edge inverter??

PS. I also have Solar Edge with Zigbee, so maybe I can offer some help if you describe more in detail what your crash is?

Have at it:

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?22362-Solaredge-zigbee-keeps-crashing

[skipro3]

I have a ticket open with Solaredge and they are now offering to send me a complete zigbee kit; the slave radio, the gateway and an antenna. I'm really not interested in replacing the hardware, I think the issue is software in the inverter.

What I want now is a refund on the hardware as I have been able to find a LAN solution that eliminates the zigbee. So far though, Solaredge and the contractor have ignored that request.

Thanks for posting the zigbee issue, Sensij.

One thing I'm thankful for is discovering this on a simple issue that I can do the labor myself on. I'm not going to hard press the contractor on his labor warranty unless there is a significant labor task that needs to be done; like an optimizer or panel failure. I will keep hassling them though; hounding them about the issue and hopefully wear them down to where they realize it's easier to just send me the $300 or so for a refund on the Zigbee than it is to keep getting my e-mails and phone calls.

But that's not the point of this thread. My point here is to warn other solar customers to read their contract and make sure that what the salesman promises is actually the language in the contract. I know I discussed all this; the meaning of what a labor warranty is, with the salesman, and I voiced my concerns in writing via e-mails before I signed the contract. He replied with affirmation that they would cover labor on material failures for 25 years in reply e-mails. Whether or not that would hold up in court if I pressed the issue that far or not, I don't know. He told me the contract was for the payment and installation schedule, not a warranty. I have that in e-mails too.

ME;
"The warranty you told me of when you were out here; a 25 year system warranty, I am guessing is a Green NRG service warranty? When something goes wrong, I call GreenNRG and they send someone out to fix it with the first 10 years covered parts and labor and the remaining 15 years parts only, right?"

Contractor;
"Anything goes wrong you call GreenNRG, first 10 yr free service call, and than $99 technician charge (materials free), if NRG not around anymore , solar world will assign other local installer." (I think he means Solaredge, not solar world, but who the heck knows...)

So I do have that in writing on e-mails, just not on the contract.

[igerstein]

this thread is why sunpower is worth it

[inetdog]

this thread is why sunpower is worth it

Only if SunPower enforces warranty condition standards on distributors that they sign up!
If the SunPower warranty requires that their dealer supply the labor for replacement, based on whatever amount SP reimburses them for, then you have a point.

[igerstein]

Only if SunPower enforces warranty condition standards on distributors that they sign up!
If the SunPower warranty requires that their dealer supply the labor for replacement, based on whatever amount SP reimburses them for, then you have a point.

Yes to both

[inetdog]

Yes to both

In that case, I would definitely count it as added value of the panels. The problem then is to calculate or estimate just how much that is worth. Especially if the panels (both SunPower and others) do not fail often after working properly at installation.