What to do if your original solar installer went out of business

First, the good news: your system didn’t go out of business

Your panels, inverter, and battery don’t stop working because the installer did. The hardware keeps producing, and your equipment is usually still backed by its manufacturers. “Orphaned” is a paperwork and relationship problem — not a power problem. So before anything else: take a breath. Nothing is urgent unless your system has actually stopped.

Let’s confirm it’s still producing

Open your monitoring app — SolarEdge’s mySolarEdge, the Enphase Enlighten app, or the Tesla app. If it shows normal production, everything’s fine and this becomes a “get organized” task, not an emergency. If it’s showing zero or errors, run our troubleshooting checklist first — it’s often a connection issue, not a real fault.

Your equipment warranties are (usually) still good

This is the part most folks don’t realize: the important warranties come from the manufacturer, not the installer, so they survive the closure.

• Panels typically carry ~25-year performance warranties.
• Inverters carry their own coverage — often ~10–12 years for a string inverter, up to ~25 for micro-inverters.
• Batteries typically ~10 years.

The one gap: the installer’s workmanship warranty

The piece that does lapse is the installer’s workmanship warranty — their guarantee on the labor. That’s gone with them. A new service company can’t restore that original guarantee, but it can take over your system and stand behind any work it does going forward.

Track down your paperwork

Gather what you can for the company you’re working with to service the system — a new provider can fill some of the gaps:

• Your original install contract and the equipment list (panel, inverter, and battery brands + models)
• Monitoring app logins (if you have them) so you can share system access
• Your interconnection/net-metering agreement with the utility (less important, but helpful)
• Any warranty registrations
• Critical dates like install, PTO, and last service date

Can’t find the paperwork?

The equipment brands are usually printed right on the inverter and on a label under the panels, and your monitoring app names them too — so a service company can identify most of it even if you’re starting from scratch.

Get your system “adopted” by a local service company

A qualified local company can take over monitoring and service even though it didn’t install your system. “Adoption” usually means: getting monitoring visibility, a diagnostic once-over, help with any manufacturer warranty claims, and — most importantly — a company you can actually call.

Act now vs. later

Reach out promptly if your system isn’t producing, is showing error lights, has visible damage, or you’re about to sell the home (buyers and appraisers ask). If it’s producing normally, there’s no rush — just get a monitoring and service relationship in place so you’re not scrambling next time.

Where do you stand? A 30-second check

Tell us your inverter brand and how the system’s doing, and we’ll point you to the right next step — a quick fix, or an assessment to get you adopted.

How ETW helps orphaned owners

We service and repair residential solar regardless of who installed it. We’ll read your system’s data, confirm what you have and what’s still covered, and set up ongoing monitoring and service — so “orphaned” stops being your problem.