Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Panel and microinverter replacements are rare, but at Project Solar we have established efficient processes to smoothly and quickly replace damaged or defective solar equipment.
Project Solar’s standard equipment includes Enphase microinverters and premium black on black tier 1 panels. Both microinverters and panels follow a similar warranty claim process, but we will outline the basics of each.
Even though microinverter and panel replacement situations are few and far between, Project Solar is prepared to make the process as smooth as possible. Your system will be producing at its full capacity again before you know it!
Read straight through the article if you want to know about both microinverter and panel replacement processes, or skip ahead by clicking on sections that apply to your situation.
- Troubleshooting for Microinverters
- Enphase Warranty—What it Does and Does Not Cover
- Project Solar’s Role in the Microinverter Replacement Process
- Inverter Issues: Full-Service Installation Customer
- Inverter Issues: DIY Installation Customer
- Panel Warranty—What it Does and Does Not Cover
- Project Solar’s Role in the Panel Replacement Process
- Panel Issues: Full-Service Installation Customer
- Panel Issues: DIY Installation Customer
Microinverter Replacement
Microinverters are a vital part of your solar system. They convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) at the panel level. This conversion allows homes to actually use your solar system's energy.
Project Solar exclusively uses Enphase microinverters. These Enphase microinverters have strong 25-year warranties and are considered the best of the best in the solar industry. As an Enphase customer, you will use the Enphase app to monitor your system’s status and production levels.
With the Enphase app, you can know exactly how much energy your solar system is producing, even when you're away from home.
Since this app allows you to monitor energy production, you should use it as a tool to identify your system's issues. If the app shows that a panel is not efficiently producing energy, that is a clear sign that there’s some kind of issue with your equipment.
Troubleshooting for Microinverters
If Enphase sends you a “Production Issue” error report this means that your site production has fallen below the “Production Threshold” or that Enphase has detected a significant hardware issue with the system.
In other words, the “Production Issue” system status indicates that your system may require more serious maintenance.
In this situation, you can start troubleshooting the system by going to your app's "Devices" tab. Microinverters with a production issue will be displayed with a flag. You’ll need to click the status link of an individual microinverter to see its current issues.
If you can't find any microinverters with production issues on the "Devices" list, the system's “Production Threshold” settings may be too tight. This is probably the case if you find that your system frequently flags a “Production Issue” due to weather, so you may wish to lower the threshold, so you’re not bothered by false alarms. (Enphase, “How Do I Troubleshoot a Production Issue System Status?”)
If needed, contact Enphase Customer Support [(877)797-4743] for further troubleshooting steps.
Enphase Warranty—What it Does and Does Not Cover
It is important to be aware that not all damages or defects are covered by Enphase’s 25-year product warranty. Here I’ll share a few situations that are not covered by the warranty, but I suggest reviewing the microinverters’ warranty in full before making a claim (Enphase warranty).
The limited warranty does not cover
- Cosmetic, technical, or design defects
- Shortcomings which do not materially influence or affect energy production or the product’s function of the product
- Any defects or parts requiring replacement due to ordinary wear and tear, corrosion, rust or stains, scratches, or dents on the casing or paintwork
Naturally, Enphase will need to confirm that your microinverter defect is covered by the warranty. If it is, Enphase will repair or replace the defective inverter free of charge. They will also pay for the shipment of a covered product to and from your home.
However, Enphase does not cover the cost of removing or reinstalling their products. For this reason, if you notice any production issues with the Enphase Enlighten app, and you aren’t successful troubleshooting, you will need to communicate with Project Solar so that we can help find you an installer or handyman to replace the faulty equipment if needed.
In general, the microinverter replacement process will vary on a case-by-case basis since the inverter damage may or may not be covered by Enphase's warranty depending on its source.
Project Solar’s Role in the Microinverter Replacement Process
Project Solar is here to facilitate and answer questions.
Usually microinverter damage is not going to be caused by your installers, but if this is the case, and you received a full-service installation from Project Solar, the costs of acquiring and installing the new equipment will be covered by your installer and Project Solar.
To take advantage of the workmanship warranty, you must send written notice to Project Solar within 30 days of discovering a defect or damage. The notice must describe the location and details of the defect, so that the installer can properly investigate the claim.
When you make your claim, you should be prepared to pay a refundable site visit deposit to the installer. Upon receiving the deposit, the installer will schedule a time to inspect the warranty claim.
Following a proper evaluation and determination of coverage, the site visit deposit will be refunded if the claim ends up being covered by the warranty. If it is not covered, the deposit will be applied to the cost of the installer’s site visit fee, but the installer will not perform any additional repairs or work without your consent.
If your original installer has moved, gone out of business, etc., Project Solar is responsible for finding a new installer in your area to take care of the repair.
If you are a DIY installer and damage the equipment, you will be financially responsible for taking care of the replacement.
If the damage or defect is covered by the microinverters’ performance or product warranty, Project Solar’s facilitates the claims process with Enphase and keeps you involved and informed.
Inverter Issues: Full-Service Installation Customer
1. Contact Project Solar and submit your claim. If needed, we'll schedule a three-way warranty call with Enphase.
2. Project Solar will investigate and facilitate the warranty with Enphase and send a technician to remove and replace the faulty microinverter/s.
3. The customer would just need to pay for the service call and labor. Microinverter replacement is very straightforward and should not take long.
Inverter Issues: DIY Installation Customer
1. Contact Project Solar and submit your claim. We can help you contact Enphase, though they're typically very responsive to customers.
2. Project Solar will investigate your claim and facilitate the warranty with Enphase. As someone who has self-installed, you already have experience handling your system’s equipment, so you can remove the defective equipment and install the replacement without having to pay for a technician to do the job.
If for some reason you would prefer not to, Project Solar can send a technician to remove and replace the faulty microinverter/s.
Solar Panel Replacement
Like microinverters, panels rarely have to be replaced. If there is an issue, however, our panels all come standard with a 25-year product warranty.
Full-service installation customers also have a 10-year workmanship warranty and a 25-year performance warranty through the installer and Project Solar.
Panel Warranty—What it Does and Does Not Cover
All our panels include a performance warranty that guarantees panels will produce at least ~84% (this number may be slightly higher, based on the exact panel model) of their original output by year 25. If a panel produces less efficiently than this, it officially has a performance defect and is warrantied to be replaced or repaired.
The product warranty covers various panel defects and damages, but there are limitations.
For example, damage caused by extreme external sources (e.g. acid rain or snow, blowing sand, saline air, air pollution, unusual oxidation levels, mold, nearby fire, explosion, smoke or charring, lightning, hail, frost, snow, storms, tidal waves, floods, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, typhoons, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, meteorites, ground motions, earth fissures or landslides, etc.) are generally not covered.
As you can see, warranties can get pretty specific, so be sure to review your manufacturer's warranty before making a claim. The chart below can be helpful in classifying your panel damage:
|
Description of Damage |
Generally covered under Manufacturer's Warranty? |
|
Defects in material and/or workmanship |
Yes |
|
Damage due to handling, installation, or incorrect plant planning (e.g. electrical, mechanical) |
No |
|
Damage after installation or commissioning (e.g. broken glass, cracking, significant reduction of optical performance) |
Depends on the claim |
|
Deficient performance |
Yes |
|
Damage due to external forces |
No |
|
Damage due to transportation to the customer/site |
Depends on the claim |
|
No defects established |
No |
(Be aware that warranties will vary slightly based on the manufacturer)
The claims process for panels is typically quite similar to the Enphase microinverter claim process, and Project Solar representatives are here to guide you.
Project Solar’s Role in the Panel Replacement Process
Usually, panel damage is not caused by installers. However, if this is the case and you received a full-service installation from Project Solar, the costs of acquiring and installing the new equipment will be covered by your installer and/or Project Solar.
To take advantage of the workmanship warranty, you must send written notice to Project Solar within 30 days of discovering a defect or damage. The notice must describe the location and details of the defect, so that the installer can properly investigate the claim.
When you make your claim, you should be prepared to pay a refundable visit deposit to the installer. Upon receiving the deposit, the installer will schedule a time to inspect the warranty claim.
Following a proper evaluation and determination of coverage, the site visit deposit will be refunded if the claim ends up being covered by the warranty. If it is not covered, the deposit will be applied to the cost of the installer’s site visit fee, but the installer will not perform any additional repairs or work without your consent.
If your original installer has moved, gone out of business, etc., Project Solar is responsible for finding a new installer in your area to take care of the repair.
If you are a DIY installer and you damage the equipment, you will be financially responsible for taking care of the replacement.
If the damage or defect is covered by the panel’s performance or product warranty, Project Solar’s facilitates the claims process with your manufacturer and keeps you involved and informed.
Panel Issues: Full-Service Installation Customer
1. Contact Project Solar and submit your claim.
2. Project Solar will investigate and facilitate the warranty with your manufacturer and send a technician to remove and replace the faulty panel/s.
3. Even if the panel’s defect or damage is covered by warranty, the warranty does not cover the labor costs of removing and replacing panels. Because of this, you will need to pay for the service call (except if the issue is caused by installation).
Project Solar has helped standardize the cost of the replacement service call. Solar panel replacement is very straightforward and should not take long.
Panel Issues: DIY Installation Customer
1. When you discover an issue with your panels, contact Project Solar. Your manufacturer's customer service will also need to be contacted as soon as possible and notified of any defects.
2. We will need to identify the source of the panel’s defects or damages. This will help us know whether the issue is covered by the product/performance warranty.
3. Since you were able to originally install your system, you have the option of removing the faulty panel and installing the replacement panel provided. This will save on costs because even if the damage or defect is covered by the warranty, panel manufacturers do not cover the labor costs associated with removing and reinstalling the product.
4. In the rare event you need to send your panel(s) to the manufacturer for analysis, the panel(s) will need to be carefully transported to an intermediate store, stored in a dry environment in that intermediate store, and packed in appropriate transport medium.
If possible, you can just use its original packaging, but if needed, Project Solar can also provide you with suitable transport packaging from the manufacturer on request.
An obvious (but important) note for DIY-ers: Do not throw damaged or defective modules or handle them in a way that will cause further damage: the manufacturer will not accept any liability for damage that occurs when panels are being taken down or transported.
Conclusion
Because of photovoltaics’ financial and environmental benefits, our goal at Project Solar is to make solar accessible to as many people as possible. With this goal in mind, we naturally want to guarantee that the solar system performs to the best of its abilities.
A less efficient system will slow down your return on investment, and you simply don’t need to suffer through equipment defects while Project Solar’s panels and microinverters have solid performance, product, and workmanship warranties.
The vast majority of our products continue to function efficiently for years past their warranty period, so the likelihood that you’ll have to go through this process is low.
However, these issues happen, and with Project Solar’s efficient processes, the replacement process isn’t a big deal. We are prepared to help you get your system running again as soon as possible.
Here at Project Solar, we are ready to work with you and our manufacturers to guarantee that your system is everything that motivated you to go solar in the first place.
