My solar installer went out of business. Now what?
When the company that sold you solar disappears, it feels like the warranty and the whole investment went with it. Usually it didn't. The panels keep making power, and a lot of your coverage lives with companies that are still very much in business. What actually breaks is service: the friendly local number that used to answer is gone. Here's how to sort what you still have from what you lost.
Your panels don't shut off when the company does
A solar company closing its doors doesn't flip a switch on your roof. The hardware keeps converting sunlight to electricity exactly as before. This isn't hypothetical: when SunPower, once one of the largest names in U.S. residential solar, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024, hundreds of thousands of existing systems kept right on producing.[1] The disruption was in support and service, not generation.
So the first thing to do is breathe, then get organized. The clock that matters now is on your warranties and your service path, not on the panels themselves.
Equipment warranties usually survive. Workmanship often doesn't.
Here's the distinction that decides almost everything. Your equipment warranties, on the panels and the inverter, are issued by the manufacturers, not your installer. When the installer fails, those manufacturer warranties generally stay valid and you claim them directly with the maker. After the SunPower bankruptcy, for instance, panel warranties tied to the manufacturer continued to be honored, and a successor entity kept servicing many existing agreements.[1]
The coverage that's genuinely at risk is the workmanship warranty, the installer's own promise to fix a bad install, a roof leak at a mount, or wiring done wrong. That promise is only as alive as the company that made it. If your installer is gone, a workmanship claim may have nowhere to land, which is why lining up a new licensed servicer matters.[2]
What to gather, and who to call
Pull together the make, model, and serial numbers of your panels and inverter, plus your original contract and any monitoring login. With those in hand, contact the equipment manufacturers directly to register or confirm your warranty. Then find a licensed installer who services your equipment brand. In Connecticut that means a licensed Home Improvement Contractor; in New York, an appropriately licensed contractor. A reputable servicer can usually adopt an orphaned system even if they didn't install it.[2]
What to do right now
If it needs to go further
If yours is a leased or PPA system, the installer going under is a different problem. The system is owned by a financier, and that company, not the installer, is responsible for service. The agreement is usually sold or transferred to another operator, so confirm in writing who now holds it and where service requests go. If you're still being billed while nothing gets fixed, document everything and file with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection or the New York Attorney General.
An installer going out of business is stressful, but it's rarely the catastrophe it feels like on day one. Most of your coverage survives, and an orphaned system can almost always be adopted by a vetted installer. Tell us what you've got on the roof and we'll help you confirm what's still covered and connect you with someone licensed who can service it.
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
- EnergySage, "SunPower is Bankrupt. What Now?" (2024 Chapter 11 filing; systems keep producing; manufacturer warranties and a successor entity continuing to honor many agreements). energysage.com
- EnergySage, "What Do I Do If My Solar Installer Goes Out of Business?" (equipment vs workmanship warranties, and servicing an orphaned system). energysage.com