Installer out of business?
Your system still has a future.
Installers close, get bought out or stop servicing an area. The panels on your roof keep working, but you can be left without a service contact, monitoring access or a clear warranty path. Here’s how to sort out what you have and get your system supported again.
What happens to each part of your system
Panels
Panel product and performance warranties are typically issued by the panel manufacturer. If the manufacturer is still in business, those warranties may still apply. A claim usually needs proof of purchase and installation, and some manufacturers ask for maintenance records.
Inverters, microinverters and optimizers
These also carry manufacturer warranties. Claims often involve a qualified service provider to diagnose the failure and handle the replacement, which is where a new service partner helps.
Workmanship and roof penetrations
Workmanship coverage, including leaks at roof mounts, usually came from the installer. When the company closes, there may be no one left to honor it. Some installers bought third-party workmanship coverage, so check your contract. Otherwise, a leak at a mount becomes a repair that your roofer and solar provider should plan together.
Monitoring
Monitoring accounts are often tied to the installer’s account on the manufacturer’s platform. If your app stopped working or you never had a login, access may need to be moved to you or to your new service provider. A blank app doesn’t always mean the system stopped producing.
Financing, leases and PPAs
If you financed with a loan, the loan is with the lender, not the installer. If your system is leased or under a power purchase agreement, a financing company may own it and be responsible for service. Read your agreement before paying for repairs.
Permits and utility approval
Find out whether the original installation passed final inspection and received permission to operate from your utility. If you’re missing records, your local building department and utility may have them.
Storm damage
Hail and wind damage is usually a homeowners insurance matter, not an equipment warranty claim. Inspection photos and documentation help either way. How insurance treats solar damage.
Gather what
you already have.
You don’t need every item. Whatever you can find speeds up the diagnosis and the warranty check. Collect labels and photos only from a safe position; don’t climb onto the roof or open electrical equipment.
- Your original contract or proposal
- Panel and inverter brands and models, from labels or the monitoring app
- Your monitoring login, or a note that it’s lost
- Permit, inspection and permission-to-operate records
- Warranty documents from the installer and manufacturers
- Your loan, lease or PPA agreement
- Recent utility bills and any error messages or screenshots
Give your system
a service home again.
Adopting your system means Save Our Solar Club becomes your service contact. We review your equipment and records, diagnose what’s wrong and set up ongoing care if you want it.
- A review of your equipment, paperwork and monitoring access
- Diagnosis of current issues, on site when needed
- A written scope and price before any paid work
- Optional ongoing care through a membership plan
Adoption doesn’t transfer or reinstate your old installer’s warranties. Equipment eligibility, parts availability and any remaining coverage are checked for each system.
Adopt my solar systemWhat not to do
- Don’t climb onto the roof or open the inverter, disconnects or wiring.
- Don’t let a roofer remove panels without a plan for disconnection, storage and reinstallation.
- Don’t pay for repairs on a leased or PPA system before checking who owns it.
- Don’t assume a dead monitoring app means a dead system. Wi-Fi and account issues are common.
Who services solar panels when the installer goes out of business?
Any qualified solar service company can diagnose, repair and maintain an existing system. Save Our Solar Club supports existing residential systems, including systems installed by companies that are no longer operating.
Is my solar warranty still valid if my installer closed?
Manufacturer warranties on panels and inverters usually stay with the manufacturer, so they may still apply if the manufacturer is in business. The installer’s own workmanship warranty usually can’t be claimed once the company is gone. Check your documents; we can help you sort out what remains.
How do I get back into my monitoring app?
Start with the equipment manufacturer’s homeowner support, or ask your new service provider for help. Access may need to be moved from the old installer’s account before you can see your system again.
My system is leased. Who fixes it?
Check your lease or power purchase agreement first. If a financing company owns the system, it may be responsible for repairs, and work you arrange yourself could conflict with the agreement.
Do I still have to pay my solar loan?
Usually, yes. A solar loan is with the lender, not the installer, so it generally continues as agreed. Contact your lender with questions about your account.
Can you remove and reinstall a closed installer’s panels for a new roof?
Yes, we can review the system first. Compatibility of the equipment and mounting system, replacement parts and any remaining warranties are checked individually. See solar detach & reset.
What does it cost to adopt my system?
It depends on what your system needs. Diagnosis and repairs are quoted in writing before paid work begins, and ongoing care plans start at $29 per month plus a one-time $899 enrollment fee.
Guides for
system owners.
What’s actually covered
Product, performance and workmanship warranties, and how to tell them apart.
INVERTERSSigns of a failing inverter
Production drops, error codes and a blank monitoring app, and what to do next.
MONITORINGReading your monitoring app
The few numbers that tell you how your system is really performing.