Solar Warranty Claim Process for Installers: Panels and Inverters

In month 22, a customer sends you a photo of an inverter with a red light and one line: "solar band hai." What you say next sets the tone for the next six weeks. Promise a replacement by Friday and you have promised something only the manufacturer can deliver. Say "please contact the company" and you have skipped the one duty MNRE's sample agreement states plainly: give "all possible assistance" in claiming the warranty.

A good solar warranty claim process has five parts: a clean report, a quick test, a file the manufacturer will accept, a swap you can afford, and a record. This guide builds it from three manufacturers' own warranty documents (two module makers, one inverter maker's India warranty) and the MNRE guidelines for PM Surya Ghar, all opened on 31 October 2026. Terms change by brand, series and date, so treat the three as worked examples and read your own customer's card. The consumer-law notes are not legal advice.

For the warranty clause inside a quote, see the solar proposal warranty section guide. For the cards you give on commissioning day, see the solar handover checklist. This post starts when the phone rings after both.

Who owes what: the layers behind one dead inverter

Behind one fault sit up to four promises. The maker promises the part. You promise your workmanship. On a PM Surya Ghar job, MNRE's guidelines add two vendor duties: five years of free repair and maintenance, and a system warranty running five years from DISCOM commissioning. Only the maker's promise pays for parts.

Source: MNRE, Guidelines for PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, CFA to Residential Consumers, PDF on MNRE's document store (July 2025 in its path), read 31 Oct 2026.

Notice what the MNRE sentence does not say: it does not make the free replacement conditional on the maker accepting your claim. That is our reading, and your signed agreement may word it differently. But on a subsidy job, treating a rejected maker claim as the customer's problem may not meet your scheme duty. The sample agreement also says MNRE and the DISCOM are not a party to any vendor and consumer dispute (Annexure 2, item 16).

The Five-Leg Claim Relay

A claim fails when someone drops the baton: the customer's message sits in WhatsApp, the photos stay on a technician's phone, nobody tells the maker. The Five-Leg Claim Relay is our name for five legs in a fixed order. A leg ends only when its proof document exists. It is our method, not an industry standard.

1. 1

   Hear

   Owner: whoever takes the call. Proof: a dated intake card. CRM stage: Reported.

2. 2

   Test

   Owner: the service technician. Proof: a test sheet and photos with conditions noted. CRM stage: Tested.

3. 3

   File

   Owner: the service lead. Proof: the claim pack as sent, with the maker's case or RMA number. CRM stages: Claim filed, Maker decision.

4. 4

   Swap

   Owner: the technician. Proof: replacement serial number, fitting photos, faulty unit returned on the maker's instructions. CRM stages: Replacement, Fitted and verified.

5. 5

   Close

   Owner: the service lead. Proof: the customer's confirmation and an updated warranty record. CRM stage: Closed.

Leg 1, Hear: the ten-minute intake

Take every report in the same form and write down the date and time of the first report. The MNRE sample agreement makes the consumer "report any malfunctioning of the plant to the Vendor", and one maker's statement starts a 30-day notice window from the day a defect is found. The time of the first report is evidence.

Ask for what the inverter maker asks for. Solis lists the inverter model, serial number or plant ID, commissioning date, what has been tried, date of failure, how often it fails, error codes, and photos of the inverter, serial label, error display, installation area and AC and DC measurements.

CLAIM INTAKE CARD (our template)

Reported on: ___/___/____ at ____   By: customer / family / other
Customer: ____________  Phone: ________  Site: ______________________
System: ___ kW  Modules: brand/model ______  Inverter: brand/model ______
Switch-on date: ________   DISCOM commissioning date: ________
PM Surya Ghar 5-year free repair applies?  Yes / No

Seen: [ ] no generation  [ ] error code ____  [ ] red/flashing light
[ ] app offline  [ ] lower than usual  [ ] glass cracked  [ ] burn mark or smell
[ ] breaker trips   Started: ______   Constant / mornings only / in rain / random
Before it: [ ] grid cut  [ ] storm  [ ] cleaning  [ ] roof work  [ ] pests
Customer to send: [ ] display  [ ] serial label  [ ] roof photo  [ ] app screenshot
Safety told: switch off per shutdown card if smoke, smell or water. Do not open anything.
Taken by: __________   Claim file no.: ______

If there is smoke, a burning smell, sparks, water inside the inverter or broken glass with exposed wiring, the first message is the safety message: switch off using the shutdown card from your handover pack, stay away, wait for the technician. Tell every customer not to open the inverter or move a panel. Both appear in the makers' exclusions below.

Leg 2, Test: remote check first, then the site

Check remotely before you drive. The MNRE technical annex says a scheme inverter "should have the inbuilt facility to communicate system related data through SIM/dongle", so on most subsidy jobs there is data to read. Solis says its first step after a report is an assessment that may include remote diagnostics. The aim of this leg is to sort the fault into the right box before a claim is filed. The table is general practice, not a maker's procedure. Follow the inverter manual for fault codes.

For module faults the field tools are an I-V curve trace, a thermal camera and a plain eye. Write the irradiance and module temperature beside every reading. Where a claim rests on drone thermography, Waaree asks for the "operating module temperature, ambient temperature, irradiation intensity" along with the images. For a low-output complaint, start from the performance ratio you recorded at commissioning. The MNRE sample agreement asks for 75% then, and for the vendor to maintain it for five years.

After the test, put the fault in one of four boxes before you file anything.

1. A

   Maker's fault

   A defect in the part. This goes to File.

2. B

   Your fault

   Installation or workmanship. You fix it at your cost, and on a subsidy job it also falls under the five-year duty.

3. C

   Outside cause

   Surge, lightning, water, pests, accident or misuse. These sit in the makers' exclusions. Tell the customer plainly and ask about insurance.

4. D

   Not a fault

   Grid outage, shade, dust, a changed router. Fix it and close it.

Then comes the discipline most teams skip. Waaree's statement says that on finding an anomaly the buyer must first inform it "in written notice or email" and proceed only after "written confirmation". Solis excludes products "opened, modified, or disassembled without Ginlong's prior written consent". So do not open, repair or move anything until the maker has said yes in writing.

Leg 3, File: the evidence pack a maker asks for

Makers ask for the same core file: serial numbers, the invoice, proof of installation or commissioning, the fault described with test results, and photos. One module maker's list runs to 16 items and says it may halt or refuse a claim that lacks them. The table puts three documents side by side.

Sources: Waaree Energies, Limited and Linear Warranty of PV Modules (PLEXUS HJT); Vikram Solar, Limited and Linear Warranty for PV Modules, linked from its VIKICARE limited warranty page; Ginlong Solis Limited Product Warranty, India appendix. Opened 31 Oct 2026.

Vikram's file is the oldest and says it is valid "until a revised version is issued", so check the maker's page for a newer one. Waaree's document covers one series only. We use them to show the shape of the clauses, not to rank brands.

Turn the three into one pack, captured at the moments shown so it exists before the first fault.

A scratched or washed-out label can end a claim before anyone tests the part, so photograph labels on installation day. The equipment list in the handover pack puts serial numbers on the customer's copy as well as yours. Evidence photos and letters carry the customer's name and address, so share them only with the maker. Our DPDP Act guide for solar businesses covers the wider point.

Who files: installer, customer or distributor

The maker's document names the claimant, and that, with your contract, decides who files. Solis allows "a third party designated by the Warranty Holder" to claim. Waaree says the warranty "could be claimed only by the Buyer". Vikram says "the customer".

Then comes the question many teams never ask: on a turnkey job, who is the Buyer or Customer in the maker's paper? It may be the distributor who bought from the maker, you, or the homeowner. The three documents do not say for your chain. Ask your distributor in writing before the first fault.

AUTHORITY LETTER (our template; some makers also want their own form)

To: [maker name], Service Department
I, [customer name], of [site address], own the [__] kW rooftop solar plant at that
address, commissioned on [DISCOM date]. I authorise [your company], my installer,
to raise, follow up and receive replacement parts for warranty claims on the
[module / inverter] [brand, model], serial numbers as in the attached list, on my behalf.
Signed: ________   Date: ________   Phone: ________
Attached: invoice, serial number list

Watch the payment chain too. Waaree's statement applies "only to those Modules against which 100% payment is made by the Buyer to Waaree", and Solis lists non-payment of what is owed to it as an exclusion. Holding back a distributor payment may hold back your own customer's warranty. Our guide to cash flow for solar EPCs covers planning payments around subsidy delays.

Timelines: the clocks that start before the customer calls

A warranty can start before the system is on the roof, and the rules differ by brand. Waaree and Vikram count from the earlier of the purchase or invoice date and a set period after dispatch. Solis counts from the sale for an individual buyer and otherwise from the earlier of commissioning or six months after dispatch. MNRE's five years run from DISCOM commissioning. Put every date in the file on day one.

Short terms need a second look. MNRE's floor is five years of module defect cover from commissioning, and Vikram gives its Micro and Mini series five years from a start that can be the invoice date. A clock that starts before commissioning ends before commissioning plus five years, so on a scheme job check the maker's end date against that.

Once a fault exists, other windows run in days. We found no overall decision time for the maker in any of the three documents, so we quote none.

Waaree wants written notice within 30 days of discovery, and Vikram and Solis say "promptly". Solis wants the faulty inverter back within 30 days of receiving the replacement, or it charges the holder at current prices. Vikram promises a same-size, same-Pmax module "within 50 days from complaint date" if a size is discontinued. Solis lets you apply once for an extended inverter warranty within 12 months of the start, and the unit may have to be delivered to the maker first, so raise it early. On the scheme side, portal grievances are to be resolved within 30 days with a tracking ID. A consumer complaint has its own two-year limit, covered below.

For the legs you control, set internal targets you can keep, such as acknowledging the same working day, testing within five working days and filing within two working days of the test. Say nothing to the customer about the maker's side that the maker has not said.

Leg 4, Swap: the labour gap, the replacement and PM Surya Ghar

On a subsidy job the customer pays nothing for repair in the first five years, and the makers we read do not pay for your labour. The gap between those two sentences is your labour gap.

Put a labour-gap line in your costing, or sell a paid AMC on jobs outside the scheme. The wider service model is in our solar after-sales service guide.

The replacement part. Makers may not send the same model. Waaree "may necessarily not supply the identical Module(s)" and may deliver "another type (different in size, shape, colour and/or power)". Vikram says it will match "exact nominal power" to the string. Before wiring a different-power module into a string, check it against the inverter's input window, and record the replacement's serial number and invoice. For an inverter, Solis asks you to check the box for transport damage, photograph any damage and keep the packaging before installing.

DCR and ALMM. The guidelines say modules "must satisfy the Domestic Content Requirement" and that "Use of non-DCR modules in any form in the installation shall render the installation ineligible for CFA". They also require modules from the ALMM list. We found nothing on what happens when a module is replaced after the subsidy is paid. So ask the maker in writing to confirm the replacement is a DCR module on the current ALMM list, and keep the answer in the file. Our post on the ALMM list explains the list.

Do not scrap anything, and do not expect a new clock. Waaree says replaced modules become its property and come back only with written authorisation. Solis wants only the inverter unit and lets you keep connectors. A replacement does not restart the warranty: Waaree continues the remaining original term, and Solis gives the greater of the remaining period or three months.

The guidelines also rate vendors on "quality of service", visible to consumers on the National Portal, so a slow claim has a cost.

Talking to the customer: a script for each step

Tell the customer what you will do, what the maker decides and when you will next write. Do not promise a date or a free part before the maker or your own contract says so, because a WhatsApp chat stays on both phones. These are our templates. On a scheme job, add your five-year duty where it applies.

1. ACKNOWLEDGE (same day)
Namaste [Name]. We logged your solar fault as claim [no.] at [time] on [date]. Please
send a photo of the inverter display and serial label. [Technician] will check it
remotely and call you by [day].

2. SITE VISIT
[Name], [technician] visits on [date] between [time] and [time] to test the system and
photograph it for the manufacturer. Please keep roof access open. Please do not open
the inverter or move any panel.

3. CLAIM FILED
[Name], our test shows the [inverter / module] needs the manufacturer's review. We sent
the claim today with your documents. The manufacturer decides. We will message you
every [weekday] until it is settled.

4. REPLACEMENT APPROVED
[Name], the replacement [unit] is approved. We fit it on [date], check generation with
you and note the new serial number on your card.

5. CLOSED
[Name], your system is generating again. New serial number: [no.]. Your warranty record
is updated. If anything changes, reply here and quote claim [no.].

6. NOT ACCEPTED BY THE MANUFACTURER
[Name], the manufacturer has not accepted this claim. Their reason: [as written]. We also
checked [what]. Your options are [paid repair / scheme repair / further review]. I will
call you today to explain.

Leg 5, Close, and what to do when the maker says no

Close a claim only after the customer has seen the system generate and the file holds the replacement serial number, the return proof and the messages. Then update your warranty card.

When a maker refuses, ask for the reason in writing. The usual grounds in the documents are tampered serial numbers, repairs by an unapproved person, lightning and surges, improper cleaning, installation outside the manual, and claims outside the term. If the reason is box B, fix it at your cost. If it is box C, offer the customer an honest paid option. To dispute a test, Vikram names an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory it recognises, fees borne by the losing party, and Waaree allows a neutral lab with its prior written consent.

Consumer law, briefly, and not as advice. We tried the Act's own text on India Code again on 31 October 2026 and the site did not respond, so these points come from the National Consumer Helpline knowledge base of the Department of Consumer Affairs, opened 31 October 2026. Read the Act, or ask a lawyer, before relying on them.

Sources: National Consumer Helpline, Knowledge Base, Consumer Protection Act 2019, 31 Oct 2026; PIB, 2024 Year-End Review for Department of Consumer Affairs, for e-Daakhil.

One point is about you. The Helpline defines a product seller as someone who "installs, repairs, maintains" a product, and lists failing to pass on the manufacturer's warnings or instructions among the grounds of seller liability. Hand over the maker's manuals and warnings at commissioning, as in the handover checklist, and keep proof.

How QuickEstimate fits

Quickest Solar CRM is a sales CRM. It does not file claims with manufacturers or monitor inverters. Keep the evidence folder in the drive you already use, and use the CRM for who owns a claim, its stage and the next chase date.

• Pipeline Management: lead stages are customisable, so build the Relay stages above and add labels such as "Inverter", "Waiting on maker" or "MNRE 5-year". Filter by stage or label for the weekly chase list.
• Follow-up reminders and activity log: set the next chase date at each stage and log every call, message and case number on the lead, on several leads at once when one model fails for several customers.
• Saved message templates: keep the six messages above ready.
• Proposal Generator: proposal templates carry your terms and conditions, so your warranty wording can match what you tell the customer later.
• Team members with permissions: give the service person a login. The dashboard and team report give you the team view.
• Book a demo to set up claim stages around your own service flow.

Track every claim as its own lead

Give each fault its own lead record, named like "Patel, 5 kW, inverter claim", so the customer's sale history stays intact. Then mirror the Relay in your stages.

Add labels for what you filter on: Inverter, Module, MNRE 5-year, Out of maker warranty, Waiting on maker, Waiting on customer. Write the maker's case or RMA number and each call or message into the activity log. When one model fails for several customers, log one activity on several leads at once. Each Monday, filter by Claim filed and Maker decision for the chase list.

What to do this week

1. Day 1: open the warranty documents for your two most-sold module brands and one inverter brand on the makers' own sites. Note the start-date rule, notice window and who may claim.
2. Day 2: ask your distributor in writing who the Buyer is in each maker's warranty and whether a designated third party can claim.
3. Day 3: print the intake card and authority letter, and start photographing serial labels on every install.
4. Day 4: add the Relay stages and labels to your CRM and save the six messages.
5. Day 5: work out your labour-gap reserve from your own last five service visits.

For the quote and handover side of the same promise, see the proposal warranty guide and the commissioning process.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a solar inverter warranty claim in India?

Report it to your installer, who collects the model, serial number, commissioning date, error codes and photos, then sends the claim with the invoice and installation report. Solis says the owner reports to the installer and it may run remote diagnostics before issuing an RMA. Read your brand's own document.

Who files a solar panel warranty claim, the installer or the customer?

The maker's document decides. Solis allows a third party designated by the warranty holder. Waaree's statement says only the buyer. Vikram's says the customer. Get a signed authority letter from the customer and ask your distributor who the buyer is.

What documents does a solar manufacturer ask for in a warranty claim?

Serial numbers, the invoice showing them, an installation or commissioning report, the fault described with test results, and photos. Waaree's list adds the handover protocol, location, layout and shade evidence. Solis asks for a claim form, model, serial number and invoice.

Does PM Surya Ghar include free repair after installation?

Yes, on subsidy jobs. MNRE's guidelines say registered vendors provide repairs and maintenance free of cost for 5 years from commissioning, and faulty components are repaired or replaced free in that period. The text is silent on exclusions, so state yours in the agreement.

Who pays labour for replacing a faulty panel or inverter?

The makers we read cover the part, not the labour. Waaree excludes on-site labour and module removal and reinstallation. Solis excludes access, labour and transport costs. On a scheme job the customer pays nothing for five years, so the labour usually falls on you. Price a reserve.

How long does a solar warranty claim take?

None of the three documents gives an overall decision time. They set smaller windows, such as Waaree's 30-day notice and Solis's 30-day return of the faulty unit. Promise the customer an update day, not a maker date.

Can a customer file a consumer complaint over a solar warranty?

A person who buys for personal use may, within two years of the defect arising or being detected, says the National Consumer Helpline. Buying for a commercial purpose is not consumer use. Filing is in writing or online. This is not legal advice, so check the Act or ask a lawyer.