Making a manufacturer warranty claim
without your installer
Manufacturer warranties on your inverter, battery, and panels are entirely separate from the installer's workmanship warranty. When your installer ceases trading, those manufacturer warranties don't disappear with them — you can claim directly. Here's how.
Our Warranty Claim Support service provides a written diagnostic report identifying the fault and its nature — the key document manufacturers require before processing a claim. We also handle direct correspondence with manufacturer warranty teams on your behalf.
Warranty Claim Support → Book a diagnostic — from £75The three separate warranties on every solar installation
Understanding which warranty applies to your situation is the first step. They are issued by different parties and behave completely differently when an installer closes.
Covers component failure on the inverter (5–12 years), battery (5–10 years), and panels (10–25 years). Issued by the manufacturer — not the installer. Completely unaffected by installer closure. Claimed directly with the manufacturer using the serial number.
Covers installation errors — miswired CT clamps, incorrect export limit configuration, poor cable management, mounting issues. Typically 1–5 years. Issued by the installer. When the company closes, there is no one left to honour it. Cannot be transferred.
If the installer was registered with HIES or RECC, there may be consumer protection covering remedial work up to £2,500 — a partial replacement for the lost workmanship warranty. Check both registers at hiesscheme.org.uk and recc.org.uk.
Key point: Most homeowners assume all their warranties are gone when an installer closes. The manufacturer warranties — which cover the most expensive components — survive completely. The only warranty that disappears is the installer's workmanship warranty, which only covered how the system was fitted.
Manufacturer warranty periods — what's still covered
The manufacturer warranty period starts from the installation date — not the purchase date. Check the MCS certificate for the system installation date.
GivEnergy: 10 years · Sunsynk: 10 years · SolarEdge: 12 years · Growatt: 5 years standard (10-year extension available) · Solis: 5–10 years depending on model · Enphase microinverters: 25 years. Covers complete component failure and manufacturing defects. Does not cover installation errors such as DC cable undersizing or incorrect firmware configuration.
GivEnergy battery: 10 years · Sunsynk battery: 10 years · Growatt battery: 5–10 years depending on model · Pylontech (used by many installers): 10 years · SolarEdge Energy Bank: 10 years. Batteries also carry a performance guarantee — the battery will retain a minimum capacity percentage (typically 60–70%) at end of warranty period.
Panels carry two separate warranties: a product warranty (10–15 years, covers manufacturing defects and physical failures) and a performance warranty (typically 25 years, guarantees a minimum power output at end of term, usually 80%). Panel brands vary — check the label on the rear of a panel or the MCS certificate for the brand, and then the manufacturer's website for specific warranty terms.
Any fault that arose from how the system was installed — wiring errors, incorrect CT clamp orientation, undersized DC cables, improper earthing, export limit misconfiguration — is a workmanship issue. The installer warranty that covered these is now void. Correction of workmanship faults requires an independent engineer and may be covered by HIES or RECC consumer protection if the installer was registered.
Step-by-step: making a direct manufacturer warranty claim
Follow these steps in order. The diagnostic report (step 4) is the most important and the most commonly missing piece in homeowner claims.
Is the fault with the inverter, the battery, or the panels? Each has a separate manufacturer and a separate warranty claim process. The inverter and battery manufacturers are shown on the labels on those units. Panel manufacturer is on the rear label of any panel (accessible via loft if the roof space allows) or on the MCS certificate.
Every warranty claim requires the serial number of the specific component. Inverter serial number is on the label on the side or rear of the unit. Battery serial number is on the label on the battery unit itself. Panel serial numbers are on the back of each panel individually. Without the serial number, the manufacturer cannot locate the product record or confirm warranty validity.
Warranties run from the installation date. The MCS certificate (searchable at mcscertified.com using your postcode) gives the installation date. If the MCS was never registered, look for the commissioning report or any dated documentation from the installer. If you're within the warranty period, proceed. If you're close to the boundary, act immediately — most manufacturers will process a claim submitted within warranty even if repair takes slightly longer.
This is the most critical step — and the one most homeowners skip, then hit a wall. Manufacturers need third-party evidence that the fault is a genuine component failure rather than a configuration error, installation problem, or user-caused issue. A written report from an independent engineer identifying the fault code, its likely cause, and its nature (component vs workmanship) is what unlocks most stuck warranty claims.
Without a diagnostic report, most manufacturers will ask for one before processing the claim — adding weeks to the timeline. Get the report first.
Contact the manufacturer's UK warranty or technical support team by email (creates a paper trail). Include: serial number, fault description, diagnostic report, installation date, your address, and a statement that the original installer has ceased trading with the Companies House reference if available. Request written confirmation of claim receipt and a reference number. Follow up if you don't hear within 5 working days.
Warranty claim contacts for major UK brands
Contact details and notes for each manufacturer's warranty process. Always use email to create a record of your claim.
Warranty: 10 years inverter, 10 years battery. Contact: support@givenergy.co.uk or via givenergy.cloud support portal. GivEnergy UK support is generally responsive and has a documented process for installer-gone-bust warranty scenarios. Provide serial number, fault description, and diagnostic report.
Warranty: 10 years inverter, 10 years battery. Contact: support@sunsynk.co.uk. Sunsynk UK handles warranty claims centrally. Include serial number, fault description, and installation date in initial contact. They will typically ask for a diagnostic report as a second step if not provided upfront.
Warranty: 12 years inverter, 10 years battery. Contact: support.uk@solaredge.com. SolarEdge has a formal warranty process — the most structured of any major brand. They will request fault data from the monitoring portal as well as a diagnostic report. Include serial number and the system ID if available from the monitoring platform.
Warranty: 5 years standard, 10-year extension available at purchase. Contact: service@growatt.com (UK distributor). Growatt UK handles warranty via their service team. Provide the fault code from the display, serial number, installation date, and diagnostic report. Growatt often needs the device to be accessible remotely via ShineServer for preliminary fault assessment.
Warranty: 5–10 years depending on model. Contact: info@solisinverters.com. Solis UK support handles warranty claims via their service team. Typical process requires fault description, serial number, and engineer report. Solis also has a UK partner network that can conduct site assessments as part of the warranty process.
Warranty: 25 years on microinverters. Contact: support@enphaseenergy.com. Enphase microinverter warranties are among the strongest in the industry. Individual faulty microinverters are replaceable under warranty — they don't require all-or-nothing claims. Contact UK support with the Envoy serial number and details of which microinverters are showing faults on the Enlighten platform.
When the manufacturer insists on an installer claim
Some manufacturers (particularly for complex faults) will initially push back on homeowner warranty claims, stating that claims must be submitted by the installing engineer. When the installer has ceased trading, this is a fixable problem — not a dead end.
Front-line support agents often follow a script that routes warranty claims through installers. Senior warranty and technical teams have the authority to process direct homeowner claims. Ask explicitly to be escalated and reference the Companies House record showing installer closure.
A printed or downloaded Companies House record showing the installer's company as dissolved or in administration is the clearest evidence that normal warranty processing routes are unavailable. Search gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company for the installer's company name and download the record.
If the installer was HIES or RECC registered, you may be able to use the consumer protection complaint process as a route to getting the work covered without relying on the manufacturer warranty at all. This is worth pursuing in parallel, especially for workmanship-related faults where manufacturer warranty won't apply regardless.
A professional warranty claim support service provides a written diagnostic report and handles direct manufacturer correspondence on your behalf. Claims submitted through a service with an existing manufacturer relationship are processed faster and are less likely to stall at front-line support deflection.
Consumer protection when manufacturer routes fail
If the fault is a workmanship issue (not covered by manufacturer warranty) or manufacturer warranty claims are refused, these routes may still provide a remedy.
If the installer was HIES-registered at time of installation, you may have up to £2,500 cover for remedial work, deposit protection, and access to an alternative dispute resolution process. Search hiesscheme.org.uk for the installer's company name.
Renewable Energy Consumer Code. Similar protection to HIES — covers remedial work and dispute resolution if the installer was a RECC member at the time. Search recc.org.uk independently — some installers were registered with one scheme but not the other.
If you paid by credit card and the total contract value exceeded £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes the card issuer jointly liable. For debit cards, Chargeback may apply. Contact your bank — there are time limits, so act early.
Frequently asked questions
Installer workmanship warranties are void when the company ceases trading. However, manufacturer warranties on the inverter, battery, and panels are completely separate — they are issued by the manufacturer, not the installer, and remain valid regardless of what happens to the installing company. You can claim directly with the manufacturer for any component failure within the warranty period.
This is a common first-line response, not a definitive refusal. Escalate to the technical or warranty team, provide the Companies House dissolution record, and explain that normal routes are unavailable. Ask for the claim to be processed as an orphaned system case — most manufacturers have this process if you reach the right team. A professional warranty claim support service can also navigate this on your behalf.
For any significant warranty claim, yes. Manufacturers need evidence that the fault is a genuine component failure rather than a configuration error or installation issue. A written report from an independent engineer identifying the fault code, its cause, and its nature is what unlocks most stuck claims. Without it, the manufacturer will simply ask for one — adding weeks to the process.
GivEnergy inverters carry 10 years. Sunsynk inverters are 10 years. Growatt inverters are 5 years standard. SolarEdge inverters are 12 years. Battery warranties: GivEnergy 10 years, Sunsynk 10 years, Growatt 5–10 years depending on model. Solar panel performance warranties are typically 25 years, product warranties 10–15 years. Check the specific product documentation for your model and installation date.
Possibly. If the installer was registered with HIES or RECC, there may be consumer protection covering remedial work up to £2,500. Search both registers at hiesscheme.org.uk and recc.org.uk. If you paid by credit card and the contract exceeded £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may give you a claim against the card issuer. These routes are independent of the installer's closure.
Check the warranty start date against your installation date — the MCS certificate (searchable at mcscertified.com) provides the installation date. If you're within the warranty period, proceed immediately. If you're close to the end, act now — most manufacturers will process a claim submitted before the expiry date even if the repair or replacement takes slightly longer to complete.
Get the diagnostic report your warranty claim needs
A written engineer report identifying the fault, its cause, and its nature is the document that unlocks most stalled warranty claims. We provide the report and handle manufacturer correspondence on your behalf.