Canadian Solar announces limited warranty statement for photovoltaic module products

Canadian Solar guarantees that the module will maintain the mechanical integrity and stability in accordance with approved operation methods described in our installation instructions; the glass of a module will maintain its integrity provided there are no indications of localized impacts or external forces?and that the cable and connector plug of a module will remain safe and operational provided modules are professionally installed. Any damages caused by abrasion, improper installation or animals are exempt from this warranty.

Claims under the warranty can only be accepted if the Buyer can provide proof that the malfunctioning or non-conformity of a module results exclusively from defects in materials and/or workmanship under normal application, installation, use and service conditions specified in Canadian Solar’s standard product documentation. Any color change on module or any other changes on module appearance do not represent defects, insofar as the change in appearance does not stem from defects in material and/or workmanship, and does not cause degradation of functionality of the module. If the product fails to conform to this warranty, Canadian Solar will, at its option, either repair or replace the product, or provide an appropriate residual market value of the product(s) as compensation.

25 Year Limited Performance Warranty

Canadian Solar guarantees that for a period of twenty-five years the module will maintain a performance as set forth below:

• During the first year, Canadian Solar guarantees the actual power output of the module will be no less than 97% of the labeled power output.

• From year 2 to year 24, the actual annual power decline will be no more than 0.7%; by the end of year 25, the actual power output will be no less than 80% of the labeled power output.

The actual power output of the module shall be determined for verification using Standard Testing Conditions only. The actual power output measurement is either carried out by a Canadian Solar facility or by a Canadian Solar recognized 3rd party testing institute. Testing equipment tolerances will be applied to all actual power output measurements.

In the event it is determined that there is a negative deviation of actual performance from the warranted values then Canadian Solar, at its option, will compensate for such loss in power by either providing to the Buyer additional modules to make up the total wattage loss, or by repairing or replacing the modules or providing to the Buyer financial compensation for the reduced performance of the module.

Warranty Effective Date

The warranty effective date shall be defined as the date of installation or 90(ninety) days after the delivery by Canadian Solar, whichever date is earlier.

Exceptions

The limited warranties set forth herein DO NOT apply to any module which has been subjected to negligence in transportation, handling, storage or use, or has been repaired, or in any way tampered with, or which has been subjected to extraordinary salt or chemical exposure, or which has been subjected to improper installation, application, alteration, unauthorized service , or which has been subjected to power failure surges, flood, fire, direct or indirect lightning strikes, or other acts of nature, or which has been subjected to accidental breakage, vandalism, explosions, acts of war, or other events outside Canadian Solar’s control. Unless otherwise required by any mandatory applicable law, the limited warranties do not cover any transportation costs for return modules, or for reshipment of any repaired or replaced module, or any other cost associated with installation, removal or reinstallation of modules.

In addition, the limited warranties do not apply to any cosmetic change in appearance stemming from the normal wear and tear over time of product materials. Warranty claims will not apply if the type or serial number of the applicable product has been altered, removed or made illegible.

Claim Verification and Remediation Process

If the Buyer believes that it has a justified claim covered by the limited warranties set forth above, then the Buyer shall comply with the following return material authorization (“RMA”) process. The Buyer must submit such claim in writing to Canadian Solar within the applicable warranty period specified above to the following address, or such future address as Canadian Solar may provide from time to time:

Japan:
Customer Service Department, Canadian Solar Inc.,
Round-Cross Shinjuku 5-Chome 8F
5-17 Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo, Japan 160-0022

Rest of Asia Pacific:
Customer Service Department, Canadian Solar Inc.,
199 Lushan Road, Suzhou New District Jiangsu
China, 215129.

Europe, Middle East & Africa:
Customer Service Department, Canadian Solar Gmbh.,
Landsberger Strasse 94
80339 Munich
Germany

North America & South America:
Customer Service Department, Canadian Solar Inc.,
545 Speedvale Ave. West
Guelph, Ontario
Canada, N1K 1E6

Such notice should enclose evidence of the date of delivery of the applicable product and the basis for the Buyer’s claim.

Upon receipt of such written claim, Canadian Solar may seek further verification of the Buyer’s claim of a breach of one of the foregoing limited warranties. Except as otherwise set forth above, the Buyer will return the allegedly-defective products to Canadian Solar in accordance with written RMA authorization and return packaging and shipping instructions from Canadian Solar. The return of any product will not be accepted by Canadian Solar unless prior written authorization has been given by Canadian Solar and the Buyer has complied with the packaging and shipping instructions provided by Canadian Solar.

If Canadian Solar verifies in its reasonable judgment that a module does not comply with the limited warranties set forth above, then Canadian Solar, at its option, will either repair the affected module and return it to the Buyer, provide a new or refurbished replacement module shipped to the Buyer at the Buyer’s expense, or provide an appropriate residual market value of the reduced performance of product(s) as compensation. Any repair or replacement of an affected module shall not increase the applicable warranty period. Canadian Solar reserves the right to deliver a similar module (of similar size, color, shape, and/or power output) in replacement of the returned module should the production of the returned model be discontinued or otherwise unavailable. Ownership of all modules which have been replaced is passed to Canadian Solar.

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE FOREGOING REMEDIES STATE CANADIAN SOLAR’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE OBLIGATION AND THE BUYER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR A BREACH OF THE FOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY.

Not Independent Warranties
The Buyer has the right to pursue claims under each of the warranties set forth above; provided that if claims arise under multiple limited warranties from a single incident, then if Canadian Solar remedies such incidents as set forth above, Canadian Solar shall be deemed to have resolved all applicable warranty claims arising from such an incident.

Disclaimers
THE LIMITED WARRANTIES SET FORTH HEREIN ARE IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDE ALL OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR APPLICATION, AND ALL OTHER OBLIGATIONS ON THE PART OF CANADIAN SOLAR UNLESS SUCH OTHER WARRANTIES AND OBLIGATIONS ARE AGREED TO IN WRITING BY CANADIAN SOLAR. SOME JURISDICTIONS LIMIT OR DO NOT PERMIT DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTY, SO THIS PROVISION MAY NOT APPLY TO THE BUYER.

Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CANADIAN SOLAR HEREBY DISCLAIMS, AND SHALL HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR, DAMAGE OR INJURY TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY OR FOR OTHER LOSS OR INJURY RESULTING FROM ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO ANY OF ITS PRODUCTS OR THEIR USE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL CANADIAN SOLAR BE LIABLE TO THE BUYER, OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY CLAIMING THROUGH OR UNDER THE BUYER, FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF USE, OR EQUIPMENT DOWNTIME, OR FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, HOWSOEVER ARISING, RELATED TO THE PRODUCTS, EVEN IF CANADIAN SOLAR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CANADIAN SOLAR’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY, IF ANY, IN DAMAGES OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID TO CANADIAN SOLAR BY THE BUYER FOR THE PRODUCT IN THE CASE OF A WARRANTY CLAIM. THE BUYER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH LIMITATIONS THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE PRODUCTS WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS LIMIT OR DO NOT PERMIT DISCLAIMERS OF LIABILITY, SO THIS PROVISION MAY NOT APPLY TO THE BUYER. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON THE EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO THE BUYER.

YOU MAY HAVE SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS OUTSIDE THIS WARRANTY, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS THAT VARY FROM STATE TO STATE OR COUNRTY TO COUNTRY. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT AFFECT ANY ADDITIONAL RIGHTS YOU HAVE UNDER LAWS IN YOUR JURISDICTION GOVERNING THE SALE OF CONSUMER GOODS. SOME STATES OR COUNTRIES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS IN THIS LIMITED WARRANTY STATEMENT MAY NOT APPLY

Note:
In the event of any inconsistency among different language versions of this Warranty Statement, the English version shall prevail.

For modules covered by Canadian Solar’s warranty, please refer to our products list published on our website at: http://www.canadiansolar.com/en/products/product-overview/warranted-standard-solar-modules.html as such list is updated from time to time.