At Palmetto, we believe you deserve peace of mind with your solar investment. That's why we stand behind your system's performance with our exclusive Palmetto Solar Performance Guarantee.
This guarantee ensures that your solar system produces the energy we promised, providing you with reliable savings and comfort. If it doesn't, we'll pay you the difference.
Note: This guarantee is exclusive to Palmetto Energy Plan customers and does not apply to customers who have purchased or own their solar system.
How the guarantee works
Our guarantee is designed to be simple and transparent. We proactively monitor your system's performance and have a clear process for any potential shortfalls.
1. Guaranteed energy production
At the end of each guarantee review period, we compare your system's actual energy production against your guaranteed threshold. The specific terms are defined in your individual agreement (review period, performance threshold, and energy price).
Review period by contract type
Performance threshold by contract type
Your system must meet the following minimum production levels to avoid a shortfall:
If There's a Shortfall: If your system produces below your applicable threshold, you'll see a deposit in your bank account based on the energy price per kWh in your agreement.
Example:
In this example, your bank account would receive a deposit of $50.00. The energy price per kWh used in the calculation is specific to your contract, so your actual deposit may differ. Payment will be applied to your bank account within 30 days of verification.
2. Proactive monitoring and support
We're motivated to ensure your system performs as promised. Our goal is to fix any issues before they affect your energy production.
Proprietary Solar Monitoring: We track your system's energy production in real time. This allows us to quickly identify and address potential problems, often before you even notice them.
Rapid Technician Dispatch: If our monitoring system detects an issue, we'll send a technician to your home to resolve it as quickly as possible, preventing any significant energy loss.
3. Surplus energy
If your system produces above the guaranteed threshold during a review period, the surplus kWh will roll forward and can be used to offset any potential deficits in future periods.
Surplus threshold by contract type
Over the full term of your agreement, any extra energy produced beyond the guarantee is yours to enjoy at no additional cost.
4. Excluded periods
Sometimes a portion of your guarantee period isn't counted in the calculation. This is called an excluded period. Your lease outlines the specific circumstances where the guarantee doesn't apply — common examples include a utility grid outage, a major weather event, or a period when your system was temporarily offline for repairs.
If your email references an excluded period, it will include the relevant dates and a case number. If you have questions about an exclusion, contact us and we'll look into it.
What your Performance Guarantee email means
Each year after your review period ends, you'll receive a Performance Guarantee update by email. Here's what each outcome means:
Your system performed as expected:
Your system did what it was supposed to — this email is just your annual update.
Your system overproduced:
Your system had a strong year, and the extra production rolls forward as a kWh credit toward next year's guarantee window.
Your system underproduced:
Your system came up a little short this year — but that's what the guarantee is for. You'll receive a deposit in your bank account within 30 days. You don't need to do anything.
Your system underproduced with an excluded period:
Your system came up short, and part of the review period was excluded from the calculation. That can affect the payout amount — your email has the details. If anything looks off, we're happy to take a look.
Frequently asked questions
When does my guarantee period start?
It depends on your contract type. For SunPower customers, the period begins on your Activation Date. For all other customers, it begins on your First Monthly Payment Date. Check your agreement for your specific start date.
What is my performance threshold?
It depends on your contract. Palmetto customers are guaranteed at least 90% of estimated production, SunPower Annual customers at 95%, SunPower Biennial customers at 90%, and Department of Energy (Puerto Rico) customers at 88%. Refer to your agreement for your specific terms.
What happens if my system produces less than the guaranteed threshold?
You'll receive a bank deposit for the shortfall, calculated using the energy price per kWh in your agreement.
What happens if my system produces more energy than guaranteed?
Any surplus energy will roll forward to cover future shortfalls. The threshold for what counts as surplus varies by contract type — see the Surplus Energy section above for details.
Do I need to submit a claim?
No. Underperformance payouts are processed automatically — you don't need to submit a claim. If you receive an underperformance email and haven't seen a deposit in your bank account within 30 days, contact us and we'll happily look into it.
If you have questions or need help with your Solar Performance Guarantee, our Customer Experience Team is ready to assist!