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A performance warranty is a measurement claim

A performance warranty is a measurement claim. Check the cause, evidence to keep, recovery steps, and escalation.

Start here

Household generation below a salesperson’s forecast is not by itself proof that modules breached their performance curve. Annual energy depends on solar resource, orientation, shade, soiling, temperature, mismatch, inverter clipping, grid availability and downtime. The performance document may instead compare a module’s measured output with its warranted nameplate percentage under defined conditions.

What applies to this exact problem

Household generation below a salesperson’s forecast is not by itself proof that modules breached their performance curve. Annual energy depends on solar resource, orientation, shade, soiling, temperature, mismatch, inverter clipping, grid availability and downtime. The performance document may instead compare a module’s measured output with its warranted nameplate percentage under defined conditions.

Build a safe evidence ladder:

  1. Export daily/monthly generation and alarm history before an app reset or account transfer.
  2. Photograph serial labels and visible damage from a safe location; do not walk the roof.
  3. Compare inverter production with the utility/generation meter, accounting for different measurement points.
  4. Note changes: new shade, construction, long outages, cleaning, component replacement or loss of one string.
  5. Ask a qualified technician for a written fault isolation: module, connector/cable, inverter, meter, grid, design or maintenance.
  6. If claiming module performance, obtain the test method and result required by the manufacturer instead of inventing a home test.

Check these first

  • Record the symptom before repair or reset changes the evidence.
  • Ask for the diagnostic result and the exact warranty or policy clause used for the decision.
  • Compare the measured fault and service history with the written coverage, not a verbal “wear and tear” label.

Fix it in this order

  1. Record the symptom before repair or reset changes the evidence.
  2. Ask for the diagnostic result and the exact warranty or policy clause used for the decision.
  3. Separate hardware, installer, DISCOM/net-meter, portal, and subsidy status. They are different failure points.
  4. Record system size, module/inverter details, commissioning date, generation data, application IDs, and promised scope.
  5. Compare actual installation and generation with the signed quote, warranty, and portal/DISCOM records.
  6. Ask the responsible party for the exact pending action and owner of that action in writing.
  7. Do not close the job until safety checks, commissioning, monitoring, and applicable net-meter/subsidy records reconcile.

Build the proof pack

  • Signed quote and scope
  • Module/inverter serials and warranty
  • DISCOM/portal application IDs
  • Generation data, photos, and installer tickets

Avoid making the case harder

  • Paying the final amount before checking agreed milestones
  • Assuming low generation is automatically a bad panel
  • Treating installer completion as DISCOM/subsidy completion

How you know it is really fixed

  • The defect or claim has a written technical decision tied to the applicable terms.
  • Repair, replacement, payment, or denial is complete and documented.

If it is still not fixed

  1. Installer/vendor grievance
  2. DISCOM/portal grievance route
  3. Consumer forum or other official remedy where appropriate

Official sources from the full guide

Need the complete context?

This page solves one branch. The parent guide covers the full decision, edge cases, alternatives, and related checks.

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