Solar Panel Warranty Guide
for NJ: What's Really Covered

Solar warranties in NJ come in three types: (1) Product warranty (10-25 years) — covers manufacturing defects where a panel fails due to a production fault. (2) Performance warranty (25 years) — guarantees minimum power output, typically 87-92% of rated output at year 25. If your panels degrade faster than warranted, the manufacturer replaces defective units. (3) Workmanship warranty (1-25 years, varies by installer) — covers installation defects like roof leaks, wiring errors, or mounting failures. NuWatt provides a 25-year workmanship warranty.

Solar warranties explicitly exclude: (1) Weather events — hail, lightning, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes are casualty losses covered by homeowners insurance, not panel warranties. (2) Physical damage — anything you or a third party damages. (3) Improper installation — if a non-certified installer did the work, product warranties may be voided. (4) Performance losses from shading, dirt/soiling, or system design errors. (5) Bird damage, pest damage, or vandalism. For NJ shore homeowners, salt air corrosion is technically covered by most product warranties but can be disputed if you did not specify marine-grade components.

Your panel manufacturer warranty (product and performance) survives installer bankruptcy — these are contractual obligations of the manufacturer, not the installer. You can file claims directly with Silfab, REC, Q.CELLS, or whoever made your panels. Your workmanship/installation warranty is tied to your installer and becomes worthless if they close. This is why choosing a financially stable, established installer matters enormously — and why NuWatt's 25-year workmanship warranty is backed by our company, not a third party. Ask any installer about their bonding, insurance, and financial backing before signing.

You should accept nothing less than 10 years, and ideally 25 years. The industry minimum is shifting toward 25-year workmanship warranties as competition increases. Installers who offer only 1-5 year labor warranties are transferring risk to you — a roof penetration can fail 7 years after installation, and a 5-year warranty leaves you paying out of pocket for the repair. NuWatt provides a 25-year workmanship warranty on all NJ installations as standard.

Most major panel manufacturers (Silfab, REC, Q.CELLS, LG) include saltwater corrosion coverage in their standard residential product warranties, provided the system was installed per manufacturer specifications. However, the practical protection depends on what components are used: if your installer used standard carbon steel fasteners in a salt air environment instead of stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized hardware, corrosion damage may be disputed as improper installation. For NJ shore properties within 1 mile of the ocean, specify marine-grade mounting hardware and get written warranty confirmation that covers salt air corrosion.

A performance warranty guarantees that your panels will produce at least a specified percentage of their original rated wattage at the end of the warranty period. For example, REC's 25-year performance warranty guarantees 92% output at year 25 — if you started with a 460W panel, it is guaranteed to produce at least 423W after 25 years. If your panels fall below the guaranteed level, the manufacturer replaces the defective units. To make a claim, you typically need monitoring data showing the output shortfall over time. Systems with inverter-level monitoring (Enphase IQ8) make this documentation easy.

No — storm damage is not covered by solar panel warranties. A nor'easter that physically damages panels (broken glass, bent frames, displaced mounting) is a casualty loss handled by your homeowner's insurance policy, not the manufacturer warranty. Standard HO-3 homeowners insurance policies typically cover solar equipment as part of the dwelling structure. Confirm your coverage before installation and notify your insurer when you add solar — some policies require an endorsement or rider for solar equipment. Solar panels rated to standard 25 mm hail (IEC 61215) rarely suffer visible damage from typical nor'easters.

Yes — most panel manufacturers require registration within 30-60 days of installation to activate the full product and performance warranty terms. Without registration, you may default to a shorter base warranty. Your installer should handle this registration as part of project closeout. At NuWatt, we register all equipment warranties on your behalf and provide you with registration confirmation documents. Always ask your installer for warranty registration receipts as part of your project documentation package.