If a solar street light fails in year 1, who pays for the repair - the contractor or the manufacturer?

The manufacturer pays for the defective component (part replacement). The contractor is typically responsible for the labour to remove and reinstall - unless the contract specifically includes 'installed warranty' (manufacturer provides both parts and labour). For gram panchayat projects: always specify 'comprehensive warranty including installation and commissioning of replacement parts' in the tender - this makes the manufacturer responsible for everything including field labour.

Can I transfer the warranty if I sell the property?

For housing societies and gram panchayats: warranty should be in the institution's name, not the individual's - it automatically stays with the property. For individual purchases: most manufacturers transfer warranty on request with a simple written application. Xera Tech transfers warranty for property sales on request.

What is the difference between 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year warranty?

1-year warranty: minimum acceptable - covers only the most obvious manufacturing defects that appear quickly. 2-year warranty: industry standard for BIS-certified products - covers most failure modes including driver and LED chip issues that appear in years 1–2. 5-year warranty: premium offering from confident manufacturers - covers gradual failure modes and is financially significant (paying for any failure for 5 years is a real cost). For government tenders: specify minimum 2-year comprehensive warranty; 5-year for premium projects.

Solar Street Light Warranty - How to Claim and What is Covered

What a Good Warranty Should Cover

A comprehensive 2-year warranty on a solar street light should cover: LED luminaire - chips, driver, housing, cover glass, gaskets. Solar panel - power output degradation to no less than 90% of rated wattage. Battery - capacity to no less than 80% of rated Wh (though most manufacturers specifically exclude battery from comprehensive coverage - read carefully). Charge controller - all electronic components. Mounting hardware - arms, brackets, pole attachment components. The warranty should NOT require you to pay for: labour to remove and reinstall the defective unit. Shipping cost to return the defective unit to the manufacturer. Replacement parts for a manufacturing defect.

Common Warranty Exclusions

Standard exclusions (legitimate): physical damage from accident, vandalism, or natural disaster. Damage from incorrect installation (reversed polarity, wrong voltage). Damage from power surges beyond the specified surge protection rating. Normal lumen depreciation (lights getting gradually dimmer is not a defect). Battery failure from over-discharge beyond the controller's protection (user error). Theft of components. Watch out for illegitimate exclusions used by disreputable suppliers: 'warranty only applies to manufacturing facility, not field installations.' 'Battery explicitly excluded from warranty' - for a product whose primary failure mode is battery. 'Warranty void if any third party touches the product' - this is used to avoid all field repair claims.

How to Claim Effectively

Step 1: Document the problem - photograph and video the malfunction clearly. Note the pole number, installation date, and purchase invoice number. Step 2: Contact the manufacturer (not the trader or contractor) directly in writing (email creates a paper trail). Include photos, invoice copy, and clear description of the problem. Step 3: Follow up within 7 days if no response. Step 4: If the manufacturer does not respond within 14 days of a written claim: send a legal notice through an advocate (₹500–₹2,000). For government projects: report to the implementing authority (MEDA, ZP, municipality) who has contractual leverage over the supplier. Step 5: For Xera Tech warranty claims: contact connect@xeratech.in with invoice number and documentation. Response within 5 working days for Maharashtra projects.

Warranty Red Flags to Screen Before Purchase

Warranty from the trader/dealer, not the manufacturer: when the trader goes out of business (common in India's fragmented LED market), the warranty dies with them. Insist on warranty directly from the manufacturer. No physical factory address on warranty card: you cannot enforce a warranty against a company you cannot locate. '5-year warranty' on battery for a solar street light: LiFePO4 batteries genuinely last 7–10 years - a 5-year battery warranty is plausible. A 10-year battery warranty from an unknown brand is likely marketing. No service infrastructure in your state: a warranty from a manufacturer 2,000 km away with no local service team effectively means no warranty. Response time for Nashik-based Xera Tech to any Maharashtra location: 1–3 days.