What to do if your solar installer goes out of business
This article is for general educational purposes only and reflects conditions as of the publication date. Solar warranties, state licensing rules, utility policies, and incentive programs change regularly. Nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm current details with your utility, a qualified tax professional, and our team before making decisions.
TL;DR
Your solar panels will keep working even if the company that installed them closes. The bigger concerns are your warranty coverage, monitoring access, and who services your system going forward — and all three are manageable if you know the right steps.
Key Takeaways
Your equipment warranties (panels, inverters, batteries) are issued by manufacturers, not installers — they survive a company closure.
Your workmanship warranty is tied to the installer and is effectively void if they go out of business.
You can reclaim monitoring access directly through Enphase, SolarEdge, or SMA without the original installer.
Washington and Oregon both have state-level consumer protections and contractor bonding requirements that may give you legal options.
Your System Didn’t Go Out of Business With Them
This question comes up more than you’d think. A regional installer shutters. A national company restructures. A trusted local contractor retires with no succession plan. It’s happened across the Pacific Northwest, and it will keep happening as the industry matures.
Here’s the most important thing to understand: your solar panels have no idea who installed them. They’ll keep generating electricity the same way they did on day one. The company that installed the system doesn’t power it, and their closing doesn’t stop it. What changes is who supports it — and that’s worth understanding clearly.
Two Warranties, Two Very Different Outcomes
When a solar company closes, homeowners and businesses often assume they’ve lost all of their warranty protection. That’s only half true.
Equipment warranties survive. Your panels, inverter, and battery (if you have one) came with warranties issued directly by the manufacturers — companies like Enphase, SolarEdge, SMA, or your panel brand. These warranties belong to the equipment, not the installer. For most residential systems, panels carry a 25-year product and performance guarantee, and inverters range from 10 to 25 years depending on the brand and model. To make a claim, contact the manufacturer directly with your model and serial numbers and proof of ownership. Enphase, SolarEdge, and SMA all work with homeowners when the original installer is no longer available.
Workmanship warranties do not survive. The labor and installation quality warranty — covering roof penetrations, wiring, and the physical work — is issued by the installer. When they close, that coverage is gone. For most people, this matters most if a problem surfaces with the installation itself, like a leak around a roof mount or wiring that doesn’t meet code. If you suspect an installation defect, have a certified third-party installer inspect the system sooner rather than later.
For lease or PPA customers, the situation is often more straightforward: since the equipment belongs to the solar company, not you, your contract is treated as a financial asset in any bankruptcy proceeding and is typically transferred to an acquiring company along with all original terms.
Three things need your attention after an installer closes:
Secure your documents. Pull together your original contract, equipment specs, permits, inspection reports, and your utility’s Permission to Operate (PTO) letter or net metering agreement. Store digital copies somewhere independent of any portal the installer controlled.
Reclaim your monitoring. If your monitoring access was tied to the installer’s account, contact the manufacturer directly. Enphase has a formal ownership transfer process through the Enlighten platform, and SolarEdge has a site transfer form — both work directly with system owners when installer relationships end.
Verify your utility connection. Call your utility and confirm your system is properly on record and enrolled in net metering or your state’s excess generation program. In some cases, installers close before completing final utility paperwork — and that can mean you’re generating power without receiving any bill credits.
Washington and Oregon Have Your Back (To a Point)
Both states have licensing and bonding requirements for solar contractors. In Washington, the Solar Consumer Protection Act (effective June 2024) requires installers to be licensed, bonded, and insured, and mandates disclosures in all solar contracts. In Oregon, licensed solar contractors under the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) must carry a surety bond. If your installer failed to complete work or violated their contract, a bond claim is worth exploring.
If the installer filed for bankruptcy, you may also be able to submit a proof of claim in the bankruptcy proceedings. For misrepresentation — inflated production estimates, overpromised incentives, or misleading financing terms — both states have consumer protection statutes that may provide remedies. This is a situation where a short consultation with a consumer protection attorney can pay for itself.
A&R Solar is not a legal firm and cannot provide legal or tax advice. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance specific to your situation.
What to Do Right Now
Pull out your installation documents and locate your equipment model and serial numbers. Check whether you have direct login access to your monitoring platform — not just the installer’s app. And if your system is producing unexpectedly low output or showing alerts with no one to call, that’s a signal to book a third-party system inspection before a small issue becomes an expensive one.
If your original installer is gone and you’re in Washington or Oregon, we’re here. A&R Solar is factory-certified for Enphase, SolarEdge, and SMA systems, and we can help you assess your system’s health, transfer monitoring access, and connect you with the right manufacturer warranty contacts. Reach out to our team and we’ll start with a straightforward look at where things stand.
Last reviewed: April 2026 | Next review due: April 2027
