Trina Vertex S Solar Panel Warranty Boosted

Trina Solar announced this week it has increased product warranty on (some) Vertex S solar panels to match that of the premium Vertex S+.

After developing some huge modules under the Vertex banner in terms of physical size (up to 2172 x 1303 x 35 mm), weight (35 kilograms) and capacity (600 watts), back in November 2020 Trina Solar unveiled the Vertex S. It’s a much lighter and smaller line with plenty of power that can be used on residential rooftops.

That was followed by the Vertex S+. A significant difference the two product lines – aside from capacity at the time – was the S has P-type cells and the S+ N-type. SQ’s Ronald explains the difference between P-type and N-type panels here. Another difference is the S has a backsheet and the S+ is double-glass.

Up until this early this week, the Vertex S had a 15 year product warranty and the S+, 25 years. Indicating the company’s confidence in the Vertex S, Trina has boosted some to a 25-year product warranty in Australia and New Zealand for residential applications.

“Offering extended warranties is important, as it can help customers to make their purchasing decision by giving them ‘peace of mind’ and greater confidence,” said Todd Li, President of Trina Solar Asia Pacific.

It’s not clear if the new warranty has been backdated to include any previous purchases.

Update September 7: After a question from a reader and subsequent clarification I received from Trina today, it seems the 25 year product warranty on Vertex S applies to the TSM-***DE09R.08 line of modules (and TSM-***DE09R.B5), but not to TSM-***DE09.08 (note the missing “R”) at this point in time. This distinction wasn’t made clear in the original announcement.

Here’s the warranty document., which also notes it applies to products delivered by Trina Solar after 1st August, 2022.

25-Year Solar Panel Product Warranties Becoming Common

It wasn’t all that long ago 25-year product warranties only accompanied particularly pricey brands, but increasingly cheaper (but good quality) solar panels are getting this sort of coverage.

Not to be outdone, some of the premium brands have also boosted their warranties. For example, SunPower Maxeon’s product warranty is now 40 years in Australia. If I bought one of these panels today, chances are pretty good I’ll be long-dead before the warranty expires. That’s comforting and somewhat unsettling at the same time.

But in this rapidly changing and crazy world, what remains to be seen is how many companies will be around long enough to honour these long product warranties. And if a manufacturer has been too cocky regarding its products’ capabilities, honouring these warranties – depending on their nature – could be something that ends them. This is why it’s important to do your research on a manufacturer before making a purchase decision.

Vertex S Powers Up Again

But back to Trina – in other relatively recent related news, the company launched its 435W Vertex S at Energy Next in Sydney last month. Some basic specs for this solar panel:

• Size: 1762 ×1134×30 mm
• Weight: 21.8 kg
• Module efficiency 21.8%
• Temperature coefficient of Pmax: – 0.34%/°C

The full 435W Vertex S datasheet can be viewed here.

Trina is currently listed on the SolarQuotes recommended solar panel brands chart. The company took out first place in SQ’s Installers Choice Awards this year for the best solar panels in 2022 (budget category); a ranking it also achieved in 2021’s awards.

As well as being popular with installers, owners of the company’s kit seem pretty happy too. Trina solar panel reviews and ratings here on SQ from Australian customers have generally been quite favourable, achieving 4.7 stars average overall (1,425 ratings) and 4.9 stars over the last 6 and 12 months.