Every installer eventually gets the call. Something has stopped working, the customer is unhappy, and the quality of the next fortnight determines whether that household recommends you to their neighbours or warns them off.
Two warranties, routinely confused
Solar modules carry two distinct warranties, and conflating them causes more disputes than any other single misunderstanding in the trade.
| Product warranty | Performance warranty | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Manufacturing defects, delamination, frame and junction box failure | Guaranteed power output over time |
| Typical term | Around 10–12 years, varying by manufacturer and model | Up to 25–30 years on a linear degradation curve |
| Typical claim | A physically failed module | Output has fallen below the guaranteed curve |
A customer who says "my panels have a 25-year warranty" usually means the performance warranty. If a module physically fails in year fifteen, that is a product warranty question, and the answer may well be no. Explaining the distinction at handover — once, plainly — prevents a serious argument a decade later.
Inverters are different again, typically carrying a shorter warranty than modules with extension options. Since the inverter is the component most likely to need attention, its warranty terms deserve more scrutiny at specification time than they usually get.
What actually fails, and when
- Inverters account for most service calls across a system's life. They contain the active electronics and bear the thermal cycling.
- Connectors and cable entries are the next most common source, particularly where monsoon water finds a poorly made joint.
- Earthing and protection faults tend to surface during the first storm season rather than at commissioning.
- Modules fail comparatively rarely. When they do, it is usually physical damage or a junction box issue rather than gradual output loss.
Kerala's climate accelerates the middle two. Sustained humidity, driving monsoon rain and salt air along the coast are unforgiving of workmanship that would pass unnoticed in a drier state. The installation quality that matters most is the part nobody sees: how the cable entries are sealed and how the earthing is bonded.
Documentation is the whole game
Warranty claims succeed or fail on records. Build the habit at commissioning, when it costs ten minutes, rather than reconstructing it under pressure three years later.
- Photograph module serial numbers before installation — retrieving them from a mounted array is miserable work.
- Record inverter serial number, firmware version and commissioning date.
- Keep the commissioning report, the net meter installation record and the inspection sign-off together.
- Note the actual date of supply, since warranty terms typically run from supply or commissioning rather than from purchase.
- Give the customer a copy and keep your own. Customers lose paperwork; that is not a reason for the claim to fail.
Where the unit goes matters
When an inverter fails, the practical question is not whether it is covered but how long the customer sits without a working system. A claim routed through a chain that ends outside the state can leave a household waiting weeks, and every one of those days is charged to your reputation rather than the manufacturer's.
This is why RGS Associates operates a dedicated Deye Service Centre in Kozhikode. Warranty attention for Deye units is handled within Kerala, which turns a multi-week absence into something an installer can manage and explain. For a dealer carrying the customer relationship, turnaround time is not an administrative detail — it is the product.
Structure the relationship deliberately
Set expectations at handover about what the system will and will not do, particularly around outages if it is a grid-tied installation. Offer a first-year check before the monsoon rather than waiting for a complaint. Keep the documentation. Know your escalation path before you need it.
None of this is complicated. It is simply the difference between an installer who sold a system once and one whose customers become the reason the next five jobs arrive.
Common questions
What is the difference between a solar panel product warranty and a performance warranty?
The product warranty covers manufacturing defects and physical failure, typically for around 10 to 12 years. The performance warranty guarantees output against a degradation curve, often for 25 to 30 years. They are separate, and a physical failure outside the product warranty term is generally not covered by the longer performance warranty.
What fails most often in a rooftop solar system?
Inverters account for most service calls, followed by connectors and cable entries where water ingress occurs. Modules themselves fail comparatively rarely, and usually from physical damage rather than gradual output loss.
How long does a solar inverter warranty claim take in Kerala?
It depends heavily on where the unit must be sent. Claims handled through a service centre within Kerala resolve considerably faster than those routed out of state. RGS Associates operates a Deye Service Centre in Kozhikode for this reason.