LG leaving the Solar Panel market this year.

[robby]

LG is winding down all PV production plants in 2022 but promises existing customers continued support during the warranty period.

 

[Rednecktek]

Yeah, sad news as mentioned earlier.

 

[oldestallest]

LG is winding down all PV production plants in 2022 but promises existing customers continued support during the warranty period.

I'm a total solar newb so I can't speak to their panels, but LG shut down their phone biz last year and it's been disappointing. There's already a significant delta between promised and actual "continued support and updates." They may *intend* to support these products now, but a year after that market is gone from their product portfolio and nobody's annual bonus is riding on how well they keep those promises, all bets are off about what continued support will look like.

 

[robby]

I'm a total solar newb so I can't speak to their panels, but LG shut down their phone biz last year and it's been disappointing. There's already a significant delta between promised and actual "continued support and updates." They may *intend* to support these products now, but a year after that market is gone from their product portfolio and nobody's annual bonus is riding on how well they keep those promises, all bets are off about what continued support will look like.

It will cause a class action lawsuit if they do not honor those warranties. When I bought my Panels I only looked at LG and Pansonic because they were the only two companies that I had any faith in that they would be around for the long term. I kind of figured they might not be in the Solar market but they would still be around and be liable.
They have sold millions of panels for lots of money. I am sure that people are not going to just take no for an answer if they have a warranty issue. This is not like a phone with a one year warranty, this is a 25 year warranty that people paid into.

 

[rmaddy]

At least solar panels don't need security or firmware updates, unlike phones.

 

[oldestallest]

It will cause a class action lawsuit if they do not honor those warranties. When I bought my Panels I only looked at LG and Pansonic because they were the only two companies that I had any faith in that they would be around for the long term. I kind of figured they might not be in the Solar market but they would still be around and be liable.
They have sold millions of panels for lots of money. I am sure that people are not going to just take no for an answer if they have a warranty issue. This is not like a phone with a one year warranty, this is a 25 year warranty that people paid into.

Oh, I agree it's totally different than a (basically throwaway) phone. And I hope that they'll do the right thing. But I personally have little faith in LG's promises these days. Let's hope I'm wrong!

At least solar panels don't need security or firmware updates, unlike phones.

Lol, according to the new, phoneless, LG, phones don't need them either.

 

[notarichman]

LG is winding down all PV production plants in 2022 but promises existing customers continued support during the warranty period.

i sent an email to them about whether we could buy remaining solar panels at a discount. haven't heard back yet.

 

[Brett V]

I have 29 LG Neon panels on the roof. Hopefully none of them fail going down the road. I'm not too worried about that, the Solar Edge optimizers have had a 10% failure rate in the first 5 years.

 

[robby]

I have 29 LG Neon panels on the roof. Hopefully none of them fail going down the road. I'm not too worried about that, the Solar Edge optimizers have had a 10% failure rate in the first 5 years.

Yeah I kind of doubt that any of mine are going to fail but it would be nice to know that the company still had a Solar Division.
I think it was the battery recall that caused them to just pull out of the market.

 

[pellicle]

myself I feel its a Nokia moment in this industry. Now we're left with mainly Chinese made stuff, and of course the problem there is the trust relationship with China if there becomes any sort of trade war.

 

[pellicle]

Yeah I kind of doubt that any of mine are going to fail but...

I would think that warranty would be limited to the replacement of the panel (correct me if I'm wrong) and with the price of new panels if one fails then the costs involved in pulling it down and replacing it will be the most significant part.

As I see it wholesale failure of a string of panels is rare if non-existent.

 

[robby]

I would think that warranty would be limited to the replacement of the panel (correct me if I'm wrong) and with the price of new panels if one fails then the costs involved in pulling it down and replacing it will be the most significant part.

As I see it wholesale failure of a string of panels is rare if non-existent.

I think LG warranty included the removal and the installation of the replacement panel. In any case I agree that the chance of a failure is really slim.

 

[robby]

myself I feel its a Nokia moment in this industry. Now we're left with mainly Chinese made stuff, and of course the problem there is the trust relationship with China if there becomes any sort of trade war.

I think a huge reversal is already happening and that is why so many products are in short supply. The moving of facilities takes a couple of years. My feeling is that a lot of manufacturing is coming back to America.

 

[wholybee]

I bought an LG SmartTV in 2012. By 2015 several apps had been disabled as they had ceased support of the TV. By 2018, although major apps like Netflix still worked, no updates were being done, and they were subject to stop working at any time.

I'll never buy an LG product after that. Solar is a completely different industry with different challenges and expectations, but I don't trust them.

 

[robby]

I bought an LG SmartTV in 2012. By 2015 several apps had been disabled as they had ceased support of the TV. By 2018, although major apps like Netflix still worked, no updates were being done, and they were subject to stop working at any time.

I'll never buy an LG product after that. Solar is a completely different industry with different challenges and expectations, but I don't trust them.

Sorry to tell you but this happens with all the Smart TV's. I have had Panasonic, Samsung and LG and they all start to lose support after 3 years and then the Apps stop working. That is why I always tell friends to forget the Smart TV aspect and look at the picture quality and sound quality only. For Apps buy an nVidia Shield TV or Ruko Box, they are 5 times faster in operation and have a lot more functionality.
My nVidia shield just got another update just last week. I bought it in 2015 and it is constantly updated and as new channels move to streaming the Apps are made available. BTW I don't like Apple TV Boxes, they are too restrictive.

 

[wholybee]

Sorry to tell you but this happens with all the Smart TV's. I have had Panasonic, Samsung and LG and they both start to lose support after 3 years and then the Apps stop working. That is why I always tell friends to forget the Smart TV aspect and look at the picture quality and sound quality only. For Apps buy an nVidia Shield TV or Ruko Box, they are 5 times faster in operation and have a lot more functionality.
My nVidia shield just got another update just last week. I bought it in 2015 and it is constantly updated and as new channels move to streaming the Apps are made available. BTW I don't like Apple TV Boxes, they are to restrictive.

I had roku before smart tvs were a thing. It was great, but I'm trending towards fewer boxes. I now have none, just the TV with only a power cord.

I don't expect the android app store will stop being updated anytime soon.

 

[robby]

I had roku before smart tvs were a thing. It was great, but I'm trending towards fewer boxes. I now have none, just the TV with only a power cord.

Same here, but I used some no name box back then, mainly for the speed and features.

I don't expect the android app store will stop being updated anytime soon.

That is about the only saving grace with Android is that it will be around for a long time.
I just wish the OS was clean and was not used as an Advertisement platform. Not much better with LG OS, they push ads all the time.

 

[Hedges]

I think LG warranty included the removal and the installation of the replacement panel. In any case I agree that the chance of a failure is really slim.

"Reverse Logistics" could be part of the solution, and a provider could do that for all the defunct brands.

When a customer has failed panels, replace with other second-hand ones if available. If not, replace entire array with a different currently-available brand (new or used), removing customer's remaining panels for inventory to support other warranty claims.

 

[robby]

"Reverse Logistics" could be part of the solution, and a provider could do that for all the defunct brands.

When a customer has failed panels, replace with other second-hand ones if available. If not, replace entire array with a different currently-available brand (new or used), removing customer's remaining panels for inventory to support other warranty claims.

That would actually be a great sideline business for current installers.
Having matching panels is worth extra $$ vs the odd look of dropping in something that looks different.
I was thinking that I might try to pickup two new spare panels, I figure someone still has to have some stock but the more I thought about it was the more I realized it would be a waste of money. I really do not want to have two panels lying in the garage for 10-20 years and if my panels die it will most likely be at the hands of a Hurricane and in that case it probably wont be limited to just two. Since a warranty won't help with that, it would be time to look at new panels. By then they will probably be dirt cheap.

 

[Hedges]

I think it was the battery recall that caused them to just pull out of the market.

I keep saying PV costs $0.025/kWh but batteries cost $0.50/kWh.
Maybe they heard me and realized that's where the money is.

Obviously EV batteries is too lucrative a market to miss (as PCs were in the 1980's).
Imagine selling someone the next 10~20 years of gasoline purchases up front.
It was good to see they're picking up the $2B cost of recall for the Chevy Blaze.