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| FIMER for home | FIMER for business | FIMER for installers | About FIMER Australia |
What is the difference between solar inverter warranties?
There are many inverter brands in the market (including some where it is the same product but with a different brand name and cover), and all offer some type of warranties on their products. The best of these warranties will offer you something that goes beyond what is mandatory under the Australian Consumer Law.
However, not all the warranties are the same, every manufacturer has their own warranty terms and conditions, and they may provide special warranties to certain retailers/installers but not all of them, so if you get a quote from one installer, the warranty conditions may not be the same for the other even if the inverter is identical. It is important you talk through this with your qualified solar installer about what you are actually looking at before making your choice.
What is and isn’t included in the warranty?
You need to understand what is covered under your product warranty. A manufacturer’s product warranty is generally offered for a fixed term and will cover you for failures due to faulty product design and workmanship issues.
Full replacement product warranty
A full replacement warranty will typically cover the expenses for an accredited installer to remove and replace the inverter, including freight cost of sending the faulty inverter back and the replacement one to your home. This is the most valuable type of warranty and offers true peace of mind.
FIMER offers a 10-year full replacement warranty on our single-phase inverters, so you are covered for the whole ten years with no out of pocket expenses^ for the inverter replacement. We will even send you the replacement inverter first after your claim is approved to minimise the time when you cannot use your solar PV system.
Parts & labour or a parts only product warranty
With a parts & labour or a parts only warranty, you need to look at the detail much more closely about what is included and when it’s included. You may see it advertised as a 10 year warranty or 5+5 (yes it equals 10), but what this means is that for the first five years, you will have a full replacement warranty but the remaining five years will be a parts & labour or parts only warranty. This means that after the first 5 years if there is something wrong the manufacturer will only repair/replace the part that is broken. You may be liable to pay for the installer to come and take the inverter off the wall and then put the fixed product back up, you may also be liable to pay for the freight costs for the return of the faulty inverter and the replacement parts.
You could find yourself out of pocket for hundreds of dollars if you do not have a full replacement warranty.
With FIMER’s single-phase inverters, you won’t need to worry about any of the logistics costs, as everything is included for the whole ten years.
^ Full warranty terms and conditions apply.
How long has the company been operating?
You’ve probably noticed there are many brands in the solar industry, from solar panels, inverters, batteries, racking even the actual solar installer. There are a lot of considerations, the biggest one is to look into how long the company been operating and will they be around to honour their warranty.
When deciding on a product, you might hear they have good performance but have their products and their service been tested for the long run? Do they have a local presence in Australia or will you be dealing with overseas support centres?
FIMER through its history has been in Australia for over 16 years, originally as PowerOne, then ABB before the business was acquired by FIMER in 2020. FIMER itself as a company was established in 1942 and is the fourth largest solar inverter supplier in the world. Specialising in solar inverters and e-mobility systems, it has over 1100 employees worldwide and offers a comprehensive solar solutions portfolio across the residential, commercial & industrial and utility spaces. With a presence in 26 countries, including Australia, FIMER remains close to its customers and the ever-evolving dynamics of the energy industry.
FIMER is a corporate member of the Clean Energy Council and plays an active role in shaping the renewable energy space at a state and federal level over many years.
FIMER Australia’s head office is located in Melbourne, with its customer support team, repair centre and warehouse in Sydney. FIMER has been supporting its customers, installers and partners in Australia and New Zealand over a long period and we look forward to continuing our goal of building a more sustainable world.
