Sanyo solar panels delamination class action settlement

The court granted final approval in this settlement July 8, 2021.

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Sanyo and Panasonic agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims of solar panel delamination.

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased and installed Sanyo solar panels (model series HIP-xxxBA2, BA3 and BA5) for residential use or purchased a residential property with these solar panels installed on it.

Solar panels must show visible “delamination” in order to be eligible for payment under the settlement. This includes one or more adjacent sections of circular delamination where each section is 25 mm or greater and was not caused by external damage. Linear or dot delamination is not covered by the settlement.

Sanyo manufactured several models of solar panels for use in residential and business properties. Panasonic purchased Sanyo’s line of solar panels and now distributes these products, according to EcoDirect.

According to plaintiffs in the Sanyo class action lawsuit, the company’s solar panels are defective. Over time, the covered models can allegedly “delaminate,” meaning the laminated parts of the solar panels separate.

The Sanyo and Panasonic solar panel class action lawsuit contends delamination can cause poor performance in the solar panels — leading to a decrease in power generation. In addition to causing poor performance, solar panel delamination caused “serious and undisputed safety risks,” including the risk of house fires, the plaintiffs claim.

Despite being aware of the issue, Sanyo and Panasonic allegedly failed to correctly apply their limited 20-year power warranty to delaminated solar panels. In fact, according to the plaintiffs, the companies refused to inspect delaminated solar panels in an attempt to deny warranty claims.