Here’s the thing: solar panels are already incredibly reliable.

They just sit there, silently pumping out electrons for decades. If one did happen to fail in year 20, you’re not getting the same model replaced (it won’t exist anymore). Instead, you’ll likely get a token credit — not inflation-adjusted — which in 2045 money could be worth the equivalent of $25 today, or a small family meal at Maccas.

Cost price of a panel today; about $150 per unit.

Cost price of Maccas in 2045; probably $150 for a small family combo.

Should you really bank your solar investment on Happy Meal vouchers?

So are warranties useless?

Not quite. They’re fine for peace of mind, but the real focus should be on panel quality.

Warranties show us how confident the manufacturer feels about the longevity of their product. And this is especially important when from the same manufacturer, some models have 15 year warranties, and other models have 25 year warranties.

Long warranties generally mean a quality product. But it's only relevant if the solar company has good financials and is "bankable" (not to be confused with bankable).

Take Sunpower: despite the shake-up with the Maxeon breakup (which has made warranties a little murkier), they’re still one of the highest-quality panels you can buy. Why? Because they use trusted, proven technology — and that’s what really underpins long-term ROI.

Now contrast that with Aiko. Slick ads, shiny Tier 1 “credentials,” but they’re trialling brand-new tech while sitting on shaky financials. That’s a double gamble: unproven technology plus questionable longevity as a company.

More sophisticated technology generally means more points of failure, and an increased likelihood something will fail! We've seen the industry shy away from Solar Edge optimisers for this exact reason.

The real takeaway

• Warranties = marketing props and token credits.
• Panel quality = actual returns.
• Companies with proven tech + financial stability = your safest long-term bet.

So, when choosing panels, don’t let warranty hype be the shiny object that distracts you. The truth is, warranties won’t keep your lights on — quality will.