Warranty Policy

1. About this warranty

1.1  This Warranty Policy sets out the warranty that Thunder Energy Services Ltd ("Thunder", "we", "us" or "our") gives on products bought from us through www.thunderenergy.co.uk or directly from us. We are the warrantor. Our details are: Thunder Energy Services Ltd, Belle House, 1 Hudsons Place, London SW1V 1JT. Email: support@thunderenergy.co.uk.

1.2  This warranty is given in addition to your legal rights and does not affect them. If you are a consumer, you have legal rights in relation to products that are faulty or not as described. These are summarised in Section 10.

1.3  This warranty is free of charge. You do not need to register your product to benefit from it, but you will need your order number or other proof of purchase to make a claim.

1.4  This Warranty Policy forms part of our Terms and Conditions of Sale. Words defined in those Terms have the same meaning in this policy.

2. Warranty periods

2.1  Warranty periods run from the date the product is delivered to you. The warranty periods for our products are:

(a)     Bolt rigid solar panels: 15-year product warranty, plus the 30-year performance warranty in Section 3;

(b)     Storm flexible solar panels: 3 years;

(c)     microinverters: 12 years;

(d)     batteries, including Vault and the battery supplied with our Plus kits: the warranty period, and any minimum retained capacity or maximum energy throughput, stated on the product page or product datasheet at the time of purchase; and

(e)     accessories, including AC and DC cables, connectors, mounting brackets, frames and flat roof mounting systems: 2 years.

2.2  If we change our warranty periods, the change will apply only to products bought after the change. Products you have already bought keep the warranty that applied when you bought them.

2.3  If we repair or replace a product under this warranty, the repaired or replacement product is covered for the rest of the original warranty period. The warranty period does not restart.

3. Performance warranty for Bolt rigid solar panels

3.1  We warrant that the power output of each Bolt rigid solar panel, measured under standard test conditions, will be:

(a)     at least 99% of its rated power, as shown on the panel label, at the end of the first year after delivery; and

(b)     from the second year onwards, reduced by no more than 0.4 percentage points of its rated power each year, so that it is at least 87.4% of its rated power at the end of the 30th year after delivery.

3.2  Standard test conditions means an irradiance of 1000 W/m², a cell temperature of 25°C and an air mass of 1.5. Power output will be measured by us or by an accredited testing laboratory, taking into account the measurement tolerances stated in the product datasheet.

3.3  Generation shown in a monitoring app, or measured at your property, depends on weather, orientation, shading, soiling and installation. It is not on its own evidence that a panel does not meet this performance warranty, but it can help us assess a claim.

3.4  If a panel does not meet this performance warranty, we will repair or replace it in accordance with Section 6.

4. What this warranty covers

4.1  This warranty covers defects in materials and manufacturing workmanship that appear during the warranty period, provided the product has been installed, used and maintained in accordance with the instructions supplied with it and our Terms and Conditions of Sale. Examples include:

(a)     a solar panel that stops generating, or shows delamination, cell cracking or junction box failure, caused by a manufacturing defect;

(b)     a microinverter or battery that stops working, or does not operate as specified, because of a manufacturing defect; and

(c)     an accessory that fails because of defective materials or workmanship.

4.2  You do not need an electrician to install a plug-in solar device, such as a Bolt kit, for this warranty to apply, provided it is connected as described in clause 8.2 of our Terms and Conditions of Sale. Products that must be hard-wired, including Storm kits and any product that includes a battery, must be installed by a suitably qualified electrician as described in clause 8.3 of those Terms.

5. What this warranty does not cover

5.1  This warranty does not cover any defect, damage or performance issue to the extent that it is caused by:

(a)     installation or connection that does not follow the instructions supplied with the product or Section 8 of our Terms and Conditions of Sale, for example connecting a hard-wired product through a socket-outlet, connecting a plug-in solar device through an extension lead or adaptor, or not securing solar panels against the wind;

(b)     accidental or physical damage, such as impact, dropping, glass breakage, bending, crushing, puncturing or cutting, unless it results from a manufacturing defect. Damage that happens in transit to you is dealt with under our Shipping Policy and Refund & Returns Policy;

(c)     alteration, disassembly, repair or modification by anyone other than us or a person we have authorised in writing, or the use of parts or accessories that we have not supplied or approved;

(d)     connection to incompatible equipment, or use outside the product's rated specifications or intended purpose;

(e)     operating, charging or storing a battery outside the temperature range or other conditions set out in its instructions;

(f)      fire, flood, lightning, power surges on the electricity network, weather conditions beyond the product's rated specifications, animals, vandalism, theft or other external events;

(g)     failure to maintain the product as described in its instructions; or

(h)     faults in your electrical installation or in equipment we did not supply, such as your consumer unit, wiring or other generation or storage systems.

5.2  This warranty also does not cover:

(a)     normal wear and tear, or gradual loss of output within the limits of the performance warranty in Section 3;

(b)     cosmetic changes, such as discolouration, surface marks or minor scratches, that do not affect the performance or safety of the product; or

(c)     products whose serial number or rating label has been removed or defaced.

6. How we put things right

6.1  If your claim is valid, we will, at our option, repair the product or replace it with the same product or an equivalent product of at least the same specification and performance. A replacement may differ in appearance and may be new or refurbished to a standard equivalent to new.

6.2  If we cannot repair or replace the product, we will refund part of the price you paid for it, in proportion to the part of the warranty period that remains.

6.3  We will pay the cost of collecting a faulty product where we ask you to return it, and the cost of delivering a repaired or replacement product to you.

6.4  You can disconnect and reconnect a plug-in solar device yourself. For hard-wired products, the cost of an electrician to disconnect and reconnect the product is not covered by this warranty unless we agree otherwise in writing.

6.5  Our responsibility for loss or damage is set out in Section 11 of our Terms and Conditions of Sale. Nothing in this Section 6 affects your legal rights.

7. How to make a claim

7.1  Email support@thunderenergy.co.uk within the warranty period, with:

(a)     your order number or other proof of purchase;

(b)     a description of the fault and when it started;

(c)     photographs or video showing the fault, the product's rating label and serial number, and how the product is installed; and

(d)     for hard-wired products, the details of the electrician who installed it and, where available, the installation certificate.

7.2  Please do not send any product back to us until we have agreed the return with you in writing. We will arrange collection of heavy or specialist items, such as Bolt solar panels and batteries.

7.3  To assess your claim, we may ask for more information, monitoring data or remote diagnostics, or ask to inspect or test the product.

7.4  Before we collect a product for inspection, we will tell you what it will cost you to have it returned if the fault turns out not to be covered by this warranty. If that happens, we will explain why, and you may choose to have the product returned to you at that cost or ask us to dispose of it responsibly.

7.5  We aim to resolve valid claims within 30 business days of receiving all the information we need. It may take longer where parts or replacement products are not immediately available, and we will keep you updated.

8. If you move or sell your property

8.1  If you move home and take the product with you, the warranty continues to apply at your new address, subject to this policy.

8.2  If you sell or transfer your property with the product installed, the remaining warranty passes to the new owner of the property, provided the product stays installed at the same address and the new owner contacts us with the original proof of purchase. In all other cases, the warranty is personal to the original purchaser.

9. Business customers

9.1  If you are a Business Customer, this Warranty Policy sets out our entire warranty obligations to you, as described in clause 17.4 of our Terms and Conditions of Sale.

9.2  Where you supply or install our products for use by others, such as tenants or residents, warranty claims must be made by you, and you are responsible for passing on to users the instructions and safety information supplied with the product.

10. Your legal rights

10.1  This warranty does not affect your legal rights. If you are a consumer, we are under a legal duty to supply products that are of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Your rights include:

(a)     up to 30 days from delivery: if your product is faulty, you can get a full refund;

(b)     up to six months: if your product cannot be repaired or replaced, you are entitled to a full refund in most cases; and

(c)     up to six years (five years in Scotland): if your product does not last a reasonable length of time, you may be entitled to some money back.

This is a summary of your key legal rights. For detailed information, visit Citizens Advice at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

11. Governing law

11.1  This Warranty Policy is governed by the law of England and Wales. Section 16 of our Terms and Conditions of Sale explains where you can bring legal proceedings.

12. Contact us

12.1  To make a claim or ask about this Warranty Policy, contact us at support@thunderenergy.co.uk or write to Thunder Energy Services Ltd, Belle House, 1 Hudsons Place, London SW1V 1JT.