Sungrow inverters come with a 5-year manufacturer warranty by default — extendable to 10, 15, 20 or 25 years. Understanding what's covered, what's not, and how the RMA process works can save you significant time and money over the inverter's lifetime. This article covers the essentials of Sungrow warranty mechanics.
Standard warranty coverage
Every new Sungrow inverter ships with a 5-year standard manufacturer warranty covering manufacturing defects. The warranty covers:
- Inverter hardware failures (PCB, capacitors, IGBTs, fans, contactors)
- Software/firmware faults that cause loss of generation
- Premature wear of normal-service components
- Replacement units (under defined RMA criteria)
The warranty does not cover:
- Damage from installation errors (wrong polarity, undersized cables, improper grounding)
- Damage from operating outside spec (voltage, temperature, altitude)
- Damage from grid events (over-voltage, lightning) — handled by surge protection, not warranty
- Cosmetic damage (scratches, weathering)
- Lost generation or consequential damages
Extended warranty options
Sungrow offers extensions to 10, 15, 20 and 25 years on most inverter models. Extended warranty must be purchased at the time of order or within 6 months of commissioning. Pricing is typically:
| Extension | Approx. cost as % of inverter price |
|---|---|
| 5 → 10 years | 3–5% |
| 5 → 15 years | 6–9% |
| 5 → 20 years | 9–13% |
| 5 → 25 years | 13–18% |
For utility-scale plants, the extended warranty is typically a financing requirement — most project lenders require 20+ year warranty coverage for inverters.
The RMA process
When an inverter fails, the RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) process is:
- Diagnostic: Pull error logs from iSolarCloud monitoring platform. Sungrow tech support reviews and classifies the fault.
- RMA request: Econo Solar submits the RMA request on your behalf, including serial number, error logs, installation date and photos of the failed unit.
- Sungrow approval: Typically 2–5 business days for response.
- Replacement options: For minor faults — field-replaceable parts (fans, AC contactors) shipped to your site. For major faults — full unit swap with cross-shipment.
- Return shipping: The failed unit ships back to Sungrow at the buyer's expense (typically) or via authorized in-country recycler.
How Econo Solar handles warranty
As an authorized Sungrow distributor, we coordinate the entire RMA workflow on your behalf:
- Warranty registration at delivery (no action required on your part)
- First-line technical support before contacting Sungrow
- RMA submission and follow-up
- Coordination of replacement unit logistics
- Tracking of failure rates and proactive replacement of known-issue components