What to Do When Your Solar Installer Goes Out of Business: A 2026 Homeowner’s Guide

If your solar installer has filed for bankruptcy or shut down, you’re not alone — and your system isn’t lost. Over 100 residential solar companies have gone out of business in recent years, including some of the largest names in the industry. SunPower, Sunnova, Titan Solar, and Freedom Forever — all gone or restructuring. Together, these collapses have left more than 1.3 million homeowners without their original installer.

The good news: your panels still work. Your warranty may still be valid (just not through who you think). And there are clear steps you can take right now to protect your investment.

This guide walks you through exactly what to do, in the order you should do it, based on what we’ve seen helping orphaned solar customers across Southern California since 2000.

Quick Answer: What to Do First

If you just found out your installer is gone, here’s the short version:

1. Don’t panic. Your system keeps producing power even without the installer.
2. Document everything. Find your original contract, warranty paperwork, and any monitoring login credentials.
3. Check your monitoring app. Confirm your system is still online and producing.
4. Identify your equipment manufacturers. Panels, inverter, and battery are all warrantied separately by the manufacturer — not your installer.
5. Find a qualified third-party servicer who works on all brands.
6. Get a baseline inspection before any issues develop, so you know your system’s true condition.

Which Solar Companies Have Gone Out of Business?

This list keeps growing. Here are the major residential solar installers and financiers that have collapsed since 2024:

SunPower (Bankruptcy: August 2024)

SunPower Corporation — one of the oldest and largest residential solar companies in the United States, founded in 1985 — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 5, 2024, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The company had nearly 600,000 customers nationwide.

What happened to SunPower customers:

• On September 20, 2024, SunPower shut down customer service (1-800-SUNPOWER), the mySunPower app, and the customer web portal.
• Complete Solaria acquired SunPower’s assets for $45 million in late 2024 and rebranded as “SunPower” in April 2025 — creating significant customer confusion. The new entity is not the same company that sold you your system.
• SunStrong Management, in partnership with Launch Servicing, now services solar lease and Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) contracts.
• Approximately 1,800 employees were laid off and the original dealer network of 250+ installers was disrupted.

If you had a SunPower system installed before August 2024, your equipment warranties from the original panel and inverter manufacturers may still be valid, but you’ll need a different company to actually perform the work covered under those warranties.

Sunnova (Bankruptcy: June 2025)

Sunnova Energy International — the second-largest installer of third-party-owned residential solar systems in the U.S. — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 8, 2025, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The Houston-based company served over 500,000 customers and had accumulated approximately $8.9 billion in long-term debt against just $13.5 million in cash.

What happened to Sunnova customers:

• Approximately 718 employees (55% of the workforce) were laid off just days before the bankruptcy filing.
• Founder John Berger resigned as CEO in early 2025.
• Solaris Assets, LLC, backed by an ad hoc group of bondholders, acquired substantially all of Sunnova’s assets for approximately $118 million.
• Sunnova’s Chapter 11 plan was confirmed on November 12, 2025, and went effective November 14, 2025.
• Operations transitioned to SunStrong Management — the same servicer now handling SunPower lease and PPA contracts.

Titan Solar Power (Liquidation: June 2024)

Titan Solar Power, founded in Arizona in 2013, ceased operations on June 13, 2024, and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation (not Chapter 11 reorganization) on June 20, 2024. Chapter 7 means the company is being wound down — there is no future entity.

What happened to Titan Solar customers:

• Approximately 150,000 households across 16 states were left with potentially non-functioning warranties.
• Titan operated on a “dealer model,” meaning sales were outsourced to third-party sales companies — many homeowners had never spoken to anyone who actually installed their system.
• The Nevada State Contractors Board had placed Titan on probation in 2023 after multiple consumer complaints.
• The deadline to file a Proof of Claim with the bankruptcy court was March 11, 2025 — for most homeowners, that deadline has now passed.

Freedom Forever (Bankruptcy: April 2026)

Freedom Forever, the #1 or #2 largest residential solar installer in the U.S. depending on how it’s measured, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 15, 2026, in Delaware. It’s the most recent major collapse in the industry.

What happened to Freedom Forever customers:

• The company reported liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion against assets of $100-$500 million.
• Freedom Forever had installed solar on nearly 190,000 homes across 35 states.
• Just before filing, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into Freedom Forever and other installers for “fraudulent and deceptive” sales practices.
• The company had abandoned 10 state markets and laid off 20% of its workforce in the months before filing.
• Mosaic Funding is the largest creditor, owed approximately $114 million.

Solar Mosaic (Bankruptcy: May 2025)

Solar Mosaic — one of the largest solar loan providers in the country, having originated more than $13 billion in solar loans for 360,000+ homes — also filed for Chapter 11 in May 2025. Mosaic was acquired by Solar Servicing LLC in September 2025. If you financed solar through Mosaic, your loan obligations continue, but the company servicing your loan has changed.

Others That Have Closed

The list of solar companies that have closed, filed for bankruptcy, or exited the residential market in the last few years also includes Lumio, PosiGen, ADT Solar, Pink Energy (formerly Powerhome Solar), Vision Solar, Infinity Energy, Sunlight Financial, and many smaller regional installers. Solar Insure tracks the industry list, and the count exceeds 100 companies in recent years.

Why Are So Many Solar Companies Going Bankrupt?

Understanding the cause helps explain why this trend is likely to continue and what to watch for if you’re shopping for a new installer.

Three main factors drove this wave of failures:

1. High interest rates. Most residential solar systems are financed. When the cost of borrowing rose sharply in 2022-2024, demand for solar dropped significantly because the financed monthly payments stopped making sense to homeowners.
2. NEM 3.0 in California. California’s Net Energy Metering 3.0 rules, which took effect April 2023, reduced the value of exported solar energy by approximately 75% for new customers. This made solar economics tougher in the country’s biggest solar market.
3. The dealer model collapse. Many large installers (Titan, SunPower, Freedom Forever) used a “dealer model” — they didn’t sell solar directly. Instead, they paid commissions to third-party sales companies that aggressively marketed solar door-to-door. This model had high overhead, low quality control, and generated thousands of consumer complaints. When financing tightened, these companies couldn’t sustain the cost structure.

The pattern is clear: large, venture-backed national installers built for rapid growth have struggled the most. Local installers with stable ownership, lower overhead, and direct customer relationships have generally weathered the downturn.

Is My Solar Warranty Still Valid?

This is the single most common question we hear. The answer is more nuanced than yes or no.

Your solar system actually has multiple warranties:

• Panel warranty (typically 25 years) — from the panel manufacturer (e.g., JA Solar, Trina, REC, Q Cells, LG, Silfab). Usually still valid even if your installer is gone.
• Inverter warranty (typically 10-25 years) — from the inverter manufacturer (Enphase, SolarEdge, SMA, Tesla, Fronius). Usually still valid even if your installer is gone.
• Battery warranty (typically 10 years) — from the battery manufacturer (Tesla, Enphase IQ Battery, FranklinWH, Generac PWRcell, sonnen). Usually still valid even if your installer is gone.
• Workmanship warranty (typically 10-25 years) — from the installer. Most likely lost if your installer is bankrupt. This covers labor for installation defects like roof leaks, wiring problems, and racking issues.
• Production guarantee — sometimes offered by the installer, promising a minimum kWh output per year. Most likely lost.

The important detail: Equipment warranties cover the cost of the part, but they typically don’t cover labor. So even if your panel manufacturer agrees to replace a failed panel, you’ll usually need to pay a qualified installer to actually do the swap. That’s where a third-party servicer like ElectriCare comes in.

Step-by-Step: What to Do If Your Solar Installer Is Gone

Here’s the playbook we recommend to every orphaned solar customer who calls us.

Step 1: Locate Your Original Paperwork

Find the following documents. If you can’t find them, your county building department may have a copy of the permit and inspection records:

• Original installation contract
• Equipment specification sheet (lists panel model, inverter model, battery model)
• Warranty documents (separate ones for installer workmanship and each equipment manufacturer)
• Permit and final inspection records from your city or county
• Interconnection agreement with your utility (SCE, SDG&E, or PG&E in California)
• Monitoring login credentials

Step 2: Verify Your System Is Still Producing

Log into your monitoring app or web portal. Note that monitoring access may have changed — for example, SunPower’s mySunPower app and customer service phone line were shut down in September 2024.

• Enphase systems: Log in at enlighten.enphaseenergy.com or the Enphase Enlighten app.
• SolarEdge systems: Log in at monitoring.solaredge.com.
• Tesla systems: Use the Tesla app.
• SunPower systems: mySunPower is gone. Monitoring is being transitioned to SunStrong Management, but production data may be limited.

If you can’t log in, or if your system shows as offline, that’s a signal you need professional help reconnecting monitoring. This is one of the most common services we provide to orphaned customers.

Step 3: Identify Your Equipment Manufacturers

Pull up your equipment spec sheet and write down:

• Panel manufacturer and model number
• Inverter manufacturer and model number
• Battery manufacturer and model number (if applicable)
• Microinverter model (if you have microinverters)

You’ll need this information whenever you contact a manufacturer for warranty support or whenever you hire a third-party installer to service the system.

Step 4: Contact Each Manufacturer to Confirm Warranty Status

This is more important than most homeowners realize. Equipment manufacturer warranties are typically tied to the system, not the installer. Confirm:

• That the warranty is still valid (check serial numbers if requested)
• What documentation they need to process a future claim
• Who they recognize as an authorized service provider in your area

Don’t wait until something breaks. Make these calls now while your system is still working.

Step 5: Get a Baseline Inspection

Once your original installer is gone, you’ve lost your default expert. A baseline inspection — performed by an independent, licensed solar contractor who works on all brands — gives you:

• A documented snapshot of your system’s current condition
• Identification of any existing issues (failed microinverters, degraded panels, wiring problems) you may not know about
• A written report you can use as evidence if you need to file a manufacturer warranty claim
• A trusted relationship with a servicer before you need emergency repairs

This is exactly what our solar system inspection service provides. The report is yours — no obligations.

Step 6: Establish a Service Relationship Before You Need It

The worst time to find a new solar servicer is when something has already broken. Build the relationship now while you have time to vet your options. Look for:

• A locally owned company that has been in business at least 10 years
• An active California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) license — both C-46 (Solar) and C-10 (Electrical) preferred
• Technicians who are licensed electricians, not subcontractors or sales reps
• Experience working on the specific equipment in your system (Enphase, SolarEdge, SunPower hardware, etc.)
• Written reports and transparent communication

Common Questions From Orphaned Solar Customers

Can my new installer honor the original workmanship warranty?

No. Workmanship warranties are between you and the company that installed the system. When that company goes bankrupt, the workmanship warranty typically dies with it. A new installer can take over service and maintenance, but they won’t honor someone else’s warranty.

What happens to my solar lease or PPA if the company that owns the system goes bankrupt?

Solar leases and PPAs are usually structured as “bankruptcy-remote” assets — the actual solar systems and customer contracts are owned by separate entities (often called “tax equity partnerships”) that are legally insulated from the parent company’s bankruptcy. In practice, your lease or PPA will likely be transferred to a new servicer. For SunPower and Sunnova customers, that servicer is SunStrong Management.

Do I still have to pay my solar loan if the installer went bankrupt?

Yes. The loan is between you and the lender (Mosaic, GoodLeap, Sunlight Financial, Dividend, etc.), not the installer. Some homeowners may have legal protections under the FTC Holder Rule, which can allow you to assert claims against a lender if the installer materially failed to deliver. Talk to a consumer protection attorney if you believe this applies to your situation.

What if I’m in the middle of an installation when the installer goes out of business?

This is one of the toughest situations. Contact your local building department immediately to understand permit status. If equipment has been delivered but not installed, document everything. You may need to file a claim with the bankruptcy court for any deposits you paid. A new installer can typically complete the installation, but you’ll likely pay them separately — the original deposit money is usually unrecoverable in Chapter 7 cases.

Will my monitoring still work?

Usually yes, with caveats. Monitoring data is collected by the equipment (your inverter or microinverter system) and uploaded to the manufacturer’s cloud platform (Enphase Enlighten, SolarEdge monitoring, etc.). These platforms keep running even when the installer disappears. However, if your installer had configured monitoring under their account, you may lose access until it’s transferred to your name. SunPower customers lost mySunPower entirely in September 2024 and have to use alternative monitoring methods.

Do I need to file a claim against the bankrupt company?

In most cases, no — unless you paid a substantial deposit for an unfinished installation, or you have an active dispute. Unsecured creditor recovery rates in solar bankruptcies have been very low (often 0-8%), so the time and effort of filing a claim rarely produces a meaningful return for individual homeowners. Check the bankruptcy case docket for your specific situation, and consult an attorney if significant money is at stake.

How ElectriCare Helps Orphaned Solar Customers

ElectriCare has been licensed and operating in Southern California since 2000 (CSLB License #778366). We’ve installed over 7,000 solar systems and we service every major brand — including systems we didn’t install. Helping orphaned solar customers is one of our specialties precisely because so many local homeowners need it.

What we do for orphaned solar customers:

• Inspections. Written reports documenting your system’s condition, performed by licensed technicians.
• Monitoring reconnection. Restoring visibility into your system’s production when the original platform is gone.
• Warranty claim coordination. Working with panel, inverter, and battery manufacturers to process equipment warranty claims.
• Repairs and replacements. Replacing failed microinverters, inverters, panels, and other components — on any brand.
• System upgrades. Adding batteries to existing solar systems, especially valuable under NEM 3.0.
• Pre-sale and pre-purchase inspections. Documenting system condition for real estate transactions.

We’re not affiliated with any solar manufacturer or installer. Our job is to give you a straight answer about your system’s condition and fix what needs fixing.

The Bottom Line

Solar installer bankruptcies are not going away. The industry is consolidating, and the trend favors local, financially stable installers over large venture-backed national operations. If your installer is gone:

• Your panels still produce power.
• Your equipment warranties likely still apply (just not your workmanship warranty).
• A licensed third-party servicer can take over maintenance, repairs, and warranty coordination.
• The best time to find that servicer is before you need them.

ElectriCare has been helping Southwest Riverside County homeowners protect their solar investments since 2000. Whether your installer was SunPower, Sunnova, Titan, Freedom Forever, or another company that’s no longer around, we can help you figure out where you stand and what to do next.

Call 951.696.9669 or request service online. No pressure, no obligation — just a straight conversation about your situation.