Why is an Australian Warranty so Important with Solar?

In choosing solar it can be confusing with all the different offers and choices available in the market.

Pricing for a standard 6.6 kW solar system can vary greatly. The adage still holds true: you get what you pay for. If a price seems too good to be true, then corners must be cut with product and installation quality to meet the low price point. And if the products in the system are from manufacturers with no presence in Australia, this can have serious warranty ramifications.

The Danger of Cheap Solar

Certain solar installers offer the cheapest product possible with panels and inverters from different manufacturers who often have no Australian corporate presences. This means the cut price installers themselves are responsible for the product warranties as they have sold and installed the products.

When these systems with cheap components began to fail, warranty calls start to flood into the installer. What then happens is the installer closes the business down to avoid the huge cost of all warranty responsibilities on the products they have installed.

For the poor consumer this means they have no recourse to have the broken system fixed, if possible, or replaced under warranty by the original installer.

What if the Manufacturer Has No Corporate Presence in Australia?

With many of these manufacturers not having corporate representation in Australia the only course of warranty redress action for the customer is to contact these overseas manufacturers directly for help. This course of proves too hard.

Which customer is going to take the inverter off the wall, or panels off the roof, and ship them overseas, at their own cost, to the manufacturer for testing and repair or replacement?

Sadly, across Australia tens of thousands of families and businesses have been burnt with cheap solar and left as “solar orphans” with poor quality systems that cease working and are not covered under warranty as the installer has gone out of business. Many installers will start a new installation business, but this does not make them responsible for the warranty obligations of the old business(es) they have shut down. The consumer has nowhere to turn.

How to Avoid Becoming a “Solar Orphan”

This is still the situation at present. If the solar panels and inverter that are installed in your system have no manufacturers’ representation in Australia, then all the warranty obligations for the system are the responsibility of the installer. Over the last few years hundreds of solar installation companies have come and gone.

When selecting a solar provider, it is important to choose wisely. The Max Power Solar 6.6 kW solar system is one of a few on the Australian market where the panels and the inverter are supplied by the one Australian solar company. For the customer this means that the key components of the Max Power Solar system are fully covered by Australian warranties and are a wise choice to avoid being left as a solar orphan.