Solar panels are built to last decades, but what happens if something goes wrong? From faulty panels to inverter failures, understanding your warranty could save you a nasty surprise further down the line.
Solar panels are routinely sold with warranties lasting 25 or even 30 years.
Sounds simple enough.
Unfortunately, “30-year solar panel warranty” can mean several different things, and some are considerably more useful than others.
Your panels can have separate product and performance warranties. Your installer provides another warranty for the installation itself, while batteries and inverters generally come with their own cover.
So, what should you actually look for?
Here’s the important stuff.
PS We offer MCS-certified solar panel installation nationwide and will handle your G99/G98 application as part of the standard process. Simply answer these questions, get your fixed price and arrange your free design.
Solar panel warranties at a glance
Most solar installations involve three main types of warranty:
Warranty | What it covers | Good benchmark |
Product warranty | Faults and defects with the panel | 20–30 years |
Performance warranty | How much power the panel should retain as it ages | 25–30 years |
Workmanship warranty | Problems caused by the installation | 5+ years is strong |
The important distinction is between the first two.
A panel with a 30-year performance warranty does not necessarily have a 30-year product warranty.
That little detail can make quite a big difference.
What is a solar panel product warranty?
The product warranty covers faults or defects with the physical panel itself.
That could include problems with its materials, components or manufacturing.
If a covered defect develops during the warranty period, the manufacturer may repair, replace or otherwise remedy the faulty panel according to its warranty terms.
For a new residential panel in 2026, we'd generally consider:
Under 15 years: relatively weak
15–20 years: reasonable
25 years: very good
30 years: excellent
Don't judge the panel purely by whichever warranty number is printed largest on the brochure, though.
Check that it is specifically the product warranty.
What is a solar panel performance warranty?
Solar panels gradually produce slightly less electricity as they age.
That's normal and is known as degradation.
A performance or power warranty guarantees that the panel's output won't fall below a certain level over a specified period.
For example, LONGi's premium EcoLife range carries a 30-year power warranty with a guaranteed 88.85% of original power remaining after 30 years.
REC's Alpha Pure-RX goes even further on degradation, guaranteeing 92% of its original rated power in year 25.
So two panels can both say “30-year performance warranty” while offering slightly different long-term guarantees.
Product warranty vs performance warranty: which matters more?
Both matter, but they protect you against different things.
Imagine a solar panel that's 18 years old:
Panel physically fails?
You're probably looking at the product warranty.
Panel still works but has degraded beyond the manufacturer's promised level?
That's where the performance warranty comes in.
This is why we'd be wary of comparing solar panels based on warranty length alone.
A 25-year product warranty + 30-year performance warranty is generally a much stronger package than a 12-year product warranty accompanied by a big shiny “30 YEAR WARRANTY” badge referring only to performance.
Marketing departments do enjoy a large number.
Which solar panels have the best warranties in the UK?
Warranty terms vary by model, market and sometimes installer, so always check the actual warranty supplied with your quotation.
That said, several manufacturers currently stand out.
Solar panel | Product warranty | Performance warranty | Our take |
LONGi EcoLife | 30 years | 30 years | Excellent all-round cover |
REC Alpha Pure-RX | 20 years standard / 25 with eligible ProTrust installations | 25 years | Exceptional output retention |
AIKO Neostar 3S+ | 25 years | 30 years | Strong premium warranty |
Trina Vertex S+ | up to 25 years | 30 years | Strong mainstream option |
LONGi EcoLife
LONGi's premium residential EcoLife range is particularly impressive because both the product and performance warranties run for 30 years.
It also guarantees 88.85% retained power after those 30 years.
One warning: not every LONGi Hi-MO X10 panel gets the same warranty.
For example, the LR7-54HVH range carries a 15-year product warranty and 30-year performance warranty, so make sure you're comparing the exact panel model rather than the manufacturer's logo.
REC Alpha Pure-RX
REC deserves a mention for arguably one of the strongest complete warranty packages.
Its Alpha Pure-RX has a standard 20-year product warranty and 25-year performance warranty, guaranteeing 92% output at year 25.
Eligible systems installed and registered by an REC Certified Solar Professional can qualify for REC ProTrust, increasing product protection to 25 years and adding up to 25 years of labour cover.
That's useful because labour costs aren't automatically included in every manufacturer's warranty.
AIKO Neostar
AIKO's current Neostar 3S+ residential panels offer:
25-year product warranty
30-year performance warranty
That's a strong combination, particularly alongside AIKO's excellent efficiency figures.
Trina Vertex S+
Trina's Vertex S+ is another solid option, with current models offering:
Up to 25 years product warranty
30 years power warranty
Maximum 1% first-year degradation
Maximum 0.4% annual degradation thereafter
Not the flashiest warranty here, but very competitive from one of the world's major solar manufacturers.
What solar warranty does Heatable offer?
There are two things to separate here: the equipment and the installation.
Solar panel manufacturer warranty
The panels supplied through Heatable come with their relevant manufacturer's product and performance warranties.
The exact warranty therefore depends on the specific panel model included in your quotation.
That's an important point because even panels belonging to the same manufacturer and product family can have different warranty periods.
5-year Heatable workmanship warranty
Heatable provides a five-year workmanship warranty covering installation defects from commissioning.
So if the equipment itself is perfectly healthy but there's a problem caused by how it was installed, that's a different layer of protection.
Our current solar terms specify 60 months of workmanship cover.
5-year insurance-backed warranty
Heatable's solar installations also come with a five-year insurance-backed warranty through IWA.
That provides additional protection for the installation warranty if the installer is no longer able to honour it.
In other words:
Faulty panel? Manufacturer warranty.
Installation defect? Heatable workmanship warranty.
Installer unable to honour that warranty? Insurance-backed protection.
Much easier to understand when nobody simply calls all three things “the warranty”.
What about batteries and inverters?
They have separate warranties.
A 25 or 30-year solar panel warranty does not mean your battery and inverter are covered for the same period.
Solar batteries commonly offer around 10 years of manufacturer cover, sometimes alongside limits or guarantees relating to charge cycles and remaining capacity.
Inverter warranties vary much more widely depending on the manufacturer and model.
When comparing solar quotes, we'd therefore ask for the warranty period of:
Solar panels
Inverter
Battery
Optimisers or microinverters, if fitted
Installation itself
You want to know what happens when any part of the system fails, not just the bit sitting furthest up the roof.
What isn't usually covered by a solar panel warranty?
Manufacturer warranties aren't insurance policies.
They generally won't cover absolutely everything that might happen to a panel.
Common exclusions can include:
Accidental damage
Incorrect installation
Unauthorised alterations or repairs
External physical damage
Misuse
Damage outside the manufacturer's operating requirements
Storm damage, falling trees and similar problems may instead fall under your home insurance.
It's worth telling your home insurer you've installed solar panels and checking exactly how they're treated under your policy.
What happens if your solar installer goes bust?
This depends on which warranty you're trying to use.
Your panel manufacturer warranty is normally provided by the manufacturer rather than the installer, so the original installer disappearing doesn't necessarily make it vanish.
Your workmanship warranty is different because that was provided by the installer.
That's one of the reasons insurance-backed warranty protection matters.
With Heatable, the installation itself receives five years of insurance-backed protection.
Does a solar warranty transfer when you sell your house?
Sometimes, but don't assume it does automatically.
Transfer rules vary between manufacturers.
Some warranties remain attached to the panels when ownership of the property changes, while others may require the new owner to register or notify the manufacturer.
If there's any chance you'll sell during the warranty period, check the transfer conditions and keep:
Your original invoice
Warranty documentation
MCS certificate
Panel model and serial numbers
Installation paperwork
The person buying your house in 2043 will probably appreciate you not having filed them under “miscellaneous”.
What should you check before buying solar panels?
Before accepting a quote, don't just ask:
“How long is the warranty?”
Ask:
“What's the product warranty, what's the performance warranty and who pays if something actually needs replacing?”
We'd check:
Product warranty length
Performance warranty length
Guaranteed output after 25 or 30 years
Whether labour is included
Whether registration is required
Whether the warranty transfers to a new homeowner
Battery and inverter warranty periods
Installer workmanship warranty
Whether that workmanship warranty is insurance-backed
And check who's standing behind the promise.
A 30-year warranty isn't especially exciting if the company providing it disappears after three.
Which solar panel warranty is best?
There isn't one magic number.
For a good domestic solar panel in 2026, we'd want roughly 20–25+ years of genuine product protection alongside a 25–30 year performance warranty.
LONGi's premium EcoLife panels stand out by offering 30 years for both, while REC's Alpha Pure-RX has one of the strongest long-term performance guarantees and particularly comprehensive cover through ProTrust.
But the panel warranty is only half the story.
Look at the manufacturer warranty, installer workmanship warranty and insurance-backed protection together.
Get all three right and, ideally, the most exciting thing your solar panels will do for the next few decades is sit there quietly making electricity.
Which is precisely the point.
Next Steps For Your Solar Journey:
When planning to install solar panels for your home, there are several important factors to consider. Make sure to refer to the following guides to help you make informed decisions:
To dive deeper into these topics, head over to our advice section, check out our YouTube channel for informative videos, or read a customer case study to see how others have benefited from their solar installation.
Get a Quote for Solar Today
Without boasting you should get your solar installed with us, here's why:
Thousands of Happy Customers: We boast an average score of 4.9 on Trustpilot, outperforming the market leader.
Which? Trusted Trader: Heatable is proudly recognised as a Which? Trusted Trader.
MCS Accredited: Our accreditation by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) ensures high-quality standards.
Exclusive Panels: We offer REA Fusion solar panels, available only through Heatable.
Consumer Protection: As members of the HIES consumer code, we provide 2-year deposit protection.
Flexible Payment Options: Choose from multiple payment methods, including finance options.
Fixed Price Guarantee: Enjoy transparency with no hidden costs.
Save Your Quote: You can save your quote and decide later.
Bespoke Design Tool: Draw your own conclusion (literally) on whether solar is worth it for you, here.
