Does my solar warranty survive if the installer goes bankrupt?
Short version: your equipment warranties usually survive, and your workmanship warranty often doesn't. The reason comes down to who issued each one. A solar system isn't covered by a single warranty, it's covered by three, and a bankruptcy treats them very differently. Knowing which is which tells you exactly what you still hold and what you may need to replace.
Equipment warranties live with the manufacturer
Your panels and your inverter are covered by warranties from the companies that made them, not the company that installed them. Enphase, for example, backs its IQ microinverters with a 25-year limited warranty, and most panels carry a manufacturer warranty around 25 years.[1] Because those promises sit with the manufacturer, they generally keep going even if your installer closes.
The real-world test case was SunPower. When it went bankrupt in 2024, the panel warranties tied to the equipment manufacturer continued to be honored, and homeowners claimed them by going to the manufacturer directly rather than to the company that had sold the system.[2] So if a panel or microinverter fails after a bankruptcy, your first call is the maker, not the defunct installer.
Workmanship warranties live with the installer, and can die with them
The workmanship warranty is the installer's own promise to stand behind the labor: the mounting, the roof penetrations, the wiring. It's separate from the equipment warranties and it's only as durable as the company that wrote it. When an installer goes under, a workmanship claim can have nowhere to land unless a successor company formally took over those obligations.[3]
This is the gap that actually hurts. A leaking roof mount two years after a bankrupt installer did the work is the classic example, because no manufacturer covers it. The practical fix is to get a vetted, licensed installer to inspect and adopt the system so you have a service relationship again.
Production guarantees follow the agreement, not the installer
If you lease or have a PPA, you may also have a production guarantee. That promise belongs to whoever owns the system, typically a financier rather than the local installer. In a bankruptcy those agreements are usually sold or transferred to another operator, so the guarantee tends to survive, just under a new name. Confirm in writing who holds your agreement now and where to send a claim.[3]
What to do right now
If it needs to go further
If yours is a leased or PPA system and the company that now holds the agreement won't honor a production guarantee or a clear equipment claim, that's a contract problem worth escalating. Keep written records of every request and response, and file with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection or the New York Attorney General if you're stonewalled.
A bankruptcy headline sounds like the end of your coverage, but most of it usually survives in the hands of companies that are still operating. If you're not sure what you still hold, send us your equipment list and your contract and we'll help you map each warranty to who's responsible, then connect you with a vetted installer if you need a new service relationship.
This is a starting guide, not legal advice. For contract disputes, confirm your specific terms and consider the consumer-protection resources in your state.
Sources
- Enphase, "Enphase Energy System warranties" (25-year limited warranty on IQ microinverters; panels typically carry their own manufacturer warranty). enphase.com
- EnergySage, "SunPower is Bankrupt. What Now?" (manufacturer-tied panel warranties continued to be honored after the 2024 bankruptcy). energysage.com
- EnergySage, "What Do I Do If My Solar Installer Goes Out of Business?" (equipment vs workmanship warranties, and how leased-system obligations transfer). energysage.com