Solar reseller vs installer: who's actually on your roof?

A reseller or dealer markets and sells solar under its own brand, then subcontracts the physical installation to a separate company. A lead generator goes a step further from the work: it collects your information and sells it to installers, sometimes several at once. The licensed installer is the company that actually designs, permits, and mounts the system on your roof.

These distinctions get blurred on purpose, because a polished sales brand sounds more reassuring than 'we'll find a subcontractor.' The question that cuts through it is simple: who is the licensed company that will physically do the work, and whose name is on the contract?

Under the Connecticut Home Improvement Act, any business contracting with a homeowner to do work on residential property has to register with the Department of Consumer Protection as a Home Improvement Contractor.^[1] That registration isn't just a formality. Registered contractors must use the state's prescribed written contract, which gives you specific rights including three days to cancel, and they participate in the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund, which exists to reimburse homeowners financially harmed by a registered contractor.^[2]

So you want the licensed installer's name and registration on the agreement, not just a sales brand. If the entity selling to you isn't the registered contractor doing the work, you need to know who is, because that's who the law and the Guaranty Fund tie back to.

Accountability is the whole point. If a reseller subcontracts your install and a roof penetration leaks two years later, the workmanship warranty and the responsible party can get murky fast, especially if the reseller has moved on. The Department of Energy's guidance is to ask directly whether subcontractors will do the installation and to verify their credentials.^[3] Get the actual installing company named, licensed, and on the contract before you sign.