Let’s face it – warranties aren’t the easiest (or most gripping) documents to read. There are often a lot of details and fine print included that can be hard to digest, leaving many to wonder: what does the warranty actually cover? Am I vulnerable? Anything I might be missing?
To make it as easy as possible, we’ve read warranty documents for the top solar equipment manufacturers–and talked to them to confirm what is and isn’t included–and plan to point out the most important aspects of each in a series of articles. The third article in this series will feature LG Solar, a household name in consumer electronics, and their solar warranty.
Highlights of LG Solar’s warranty
- Includes a workmanship warranty of 25 years for all installers
- LG Pro Network offers rebates, product incentives, and full training and support for dedicated installers
- Covers replacements and/or repairs under limited warranty
- Is an all-encompassing warranty (i.e. includes every component of your system)
Visit the EnergySage Marketplace to compare solar options from local installers.
Quick overview: LG Solar’s history and warranty
Headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, LG Solar is an industry-leading consumer electronics manufacturer with a global presence. LG Solar began solar research and development in 1980, and entered the commercial solar market in 2008. Today, LG is a leading manufacturer and supplier of solar panels, ranking among EnergySage’s list of best solar panels currently available to homeowners in the United States.
LG Solar is also an industry leader when it comes to warranties: they offer a 25-year warranty for its residential product line, including the NeON 2 and NeON R variations. LG Solar stands out by providing a labor warranty to their customers, including costs up to $450 associated with solar panel repair or replacement. Because LG Solar designs their panels to last, they also offer a competitive performance warranty that exceeds industry standards.
LG Solar's warranty at a glance
| CATEGORY | LG's COVERAGE | INDUSTRY STANDARD |
|---|---|---|
| Product | 25 years | 10 years |
| Power | 90.08% for NeON 2 series at year 25 92% for NeON R series at year 25 | 80% at year 25 |
| Labor costs | Yes | No |
| Workmanship | Yes | No |
| Shipping of parts | Yes | No |
| Extended warranty offering | No | No |
LG Solar’s product warranty
Also known as a material warranty, a solar panel manufacturer’s product warranty covers the integrity of the equipment itself–if your solar panels have a defect, mechanical issue, or experience unreasonable wear and tear, that should be covered by your product warranty.
If there’s a defect with your solar panel, it’s typically apparent “out-of-the-box”. In other words, you or your installer should be able to tell that something is amiss and fix the problem immediately–often before the panel even makes it to your roof. Regardless, it’s good to consider products with longer warranties for the peace of mind it provides.
LG Solar includes a 25-year product warranty for all of their solar panels.
LG Solar’s power warranty
Like every other type of electronic, the performance of your solar panels will degrade over time: fortunately, solar panel manufacturers offer a power (or performance) warranty for their products. Power warranties help protect you against atypical degradation of your solar panels, ensuring that the output of your panels won’t fall below a certain level after a set period of time.
Different types of solar panel technologies degrade at different rates. Generally speaking, the highest quality solar panels offer long power warranties (25 years or more) that guarantee at least 80 percent of the original output by the end of the warranty term.
LG Solar provides a 25-year power warranty for their solar panels, which guarantees that they will still produce at least 90.08 or 92% of their original output by the end of the warranty term depending on the module series.
NeON 2 series
- 98% output at the end of year 1
- No more than 0.33% degradation from years 2-25
- Power output of 90.08% by year 25
NeON R series
- 98% output at the end of year 1
- No more than 0.25% degradation from years 2-25
- Power output of 92% by year 25
LG Solar’s warranties can vary slightly by product, so be sure to check the specific warranty numbers for the panel being proposed by your installer. You can review and compare LG Solar’s solar panels in the EnergySage Buyer’s Guide.
Does LG Solar offer extended warranties?
Need a little extra protection for peace of mind? Many solar panel manufacturers offer extended warranties for their products. Depending on the company and the product, extended warranties can come at an extra cost, or only be available for certain installers who have been certified and endorsed by the manufacturer.
LG Solar does not currently offer extended warranty for their solar products.
LG Solar’s workmanship warranty
More often than not, solar installers are the sole party responsible for providing workmanship warranties for a solar installation. However, some manufacturers offer additional protection by tacking on their own workmanship warranty for a limited number of certified installers in their network. LG Solar endorses installers to sell and install their solar panels through their LG PRO network. If you use an LG PRO installer, LG Solar provides a 25-year workmanship warranty covering up to $450 in labor costs if your panels need to be removed and brought to the diagnostic team.
You can learn more about manufacturer endorsements and how they impact installer warranty offerings in this article.
How to make a warranty claim with LG Solar: shipping & labor costs
Ideally, your solar panel system will continue operating smoothly for 25+ years, and you’ll never have to worry about LG Solar’s warranty. However, if you experience any defects or performance issues with your solar panel system, LG Solar will be there to help.
If you notice an issue with your system, your first phone call should be to your original installer: having designed and installed your system, they are the most equipped to diagnose (and fix!) any potential issue.
LG Solar makes the warranty claim process simple if you need to replace equipment. Customers and installers alike have the ability to file a claim directly with LG Solar with the ultimate goal of minimizing system down-time as much as possible. LG Solar’s service team is headquartered at their factory in Huntsville, Alabama, so you’ll always be working with a U.S.-based service representative in the event that you need to file a warranty claim.
LG Solar also makes it super simple to transfer your warranty in the event that you sell your home – you don’t need to do anything! The warranty will automatically transfer to the new owner of the system without any required action on your end. If the new system owner doesn’t have the original documentation, all LG Solar needs to validate a warranty claim is the system’s serial number, which is printed in multiple places on the panels themselves and is available in the LG EnerVu app used to monitor system performance.
Since LG Solar holds an inventory of backup equipment (including a limited reserve stock of older generation panels) to support the warranty claim process, installers are able to replace equipment that has been taken to the diagnostics team. If the warrantied piece of equipment is not available for replacement from the inventory, LG Solar will work to provide you with one of equal value and warranty plan from their distributors, and in the rare worst-case scenario pay future value production.
Because every workmanship warranty differs in coverage, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the warranty options presented by each program. LG Solar has field engineers on both U.S. coasts and covers transportation costs for replacement module installation. However, it’s important to note that if you send products to the diagnostics team with no defective qualities, the shipment costs and other associated costs won’t be covered under the warranty. LG Solar also tracks all warranty information in a dedicated balance sheet.
Limitations and exceptions to LG Solar’s warranty
Every warranty has its exceptions – LG Solar’s is no different. Warranty limitations aren’t meant to make it harder for you to take advantage of the offering; companies simply try to protect themselves from unjust or unreasonable claims.
Here are a few things regarding your module that aren’t covered in LG Solar’s warranty:
- Modules with a missing or damaged serial number
- Modules damaged in any process (installation, removal, etc.) not compliant with local electrical codes or product specifications
- Damage caused by natural forces or disaster including any force beyond LG Solar’s control
- Damage to a module caused by a non-LG Solar authorized device
- Cosmetic wear-and-tear damages including scratching, discoloration, rust, etc. that don’t affect the module’s output capabilities
Other warranty considerations, and how LG Solar stacks up
- Bankability: Bloomberg New Energy Finance consistently ranks LG Solar’s panels as tier 1, meaning they are very bankable; the company also has strong financials behind its name.
- Escrows/insurance policies: LG holds a general warranty reserve on their balance sheet (not in escrow), for which the counter-party is LG Electronics USA, Inc., as opposed to LG Solar. So, the same company that makes household products– such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.–is responsible for upholding the solar panel warranty.
- Customer reviews: Reading customer reviews can give important insight into the experiences of people with the actual equipment. If you’re interested in reading LG Solar’s reviews on EnergySage, you can do so here–but make sure to place extra weight on the customers that we’ve verified, denoted by the green checkmark!
Check out other solar panel warranties
Learn how LG Solar’s warranty stacks up against these companies based on our ranking system.
Finding the right solar panels for you
Finding the right solar panel system for your home means comparing multiple quotes from solar installers. Using the EnergySage Marketplace, you can find local solar installers near you, and make easy side-by-side comparisons of all your solar options, including equipment. By shopping around first, you can find the right option at the right price – warranties and all. If you have a preference for one type of equipment over another– LG Solar or otherwise–simply note it in your account when you sign up so installers can quote you accordingly.
