Start here: what do I do now?

The installer’s workmanship (labor) warranty usually ends with the company unless a buyer took it on. Equipment warranties from the panel, inverter and battery makers are separate and often still apply.

SolarEdge, for example, says that even if the installer has ceased operations, “certain components might still be covered.” Labor to swap a part is often not covered.

Not legal advice — read your own contract.

Sources: Enphase Support, “My installer went out of business. How do I find a new one?” · SolarEdge, “My installer went out of business”

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1. Find your paperwork: contract, permit, and the brands of your panels, inverter and battery (on the labels or in the monitoring app).
2. Look up the company: was it bought, or did it file bankruptcy? Our brand pages link the official notices.
3. Lease, PPA or loan? Call the company you pay each month first.
4. Check the maker’s warranty for failed equipment. The maker may cover the part even though the installer is gone.
5. Get control of your monitoring account. Some installers keep it; one listed contractor says it can transfer the Enphase Enlighten account to you.
6. If you hire a contractor, choose a licensed one and check the license at the CSLB.

Sources: Enphase Support, “My installer went out of business. How do I find a new one?” · SolarEdge, “My installer went out of business” · Robbins Energy, “Enphase service & maintenance” · CSLB — Check a License

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The solar provider owns the system in a lease or PPA. The CPUC: “With a lease, the solar provider owns the system and ‘rents’ it to you,” and in a PPA “the solar provider owns the system on your property and sells you the electricity it generates.” With a cash or loan purchase, or PACE financing, you own the system.

Owning it and owing money on it can both be true. The CPUC notes that a secured loan uses an asset as collateral, “often that asset is your solar system.”

Sources: CPUC, “California Solar Consumer Protection Guide” (overview & FAQ; version 4) · CSLB, Solar Energy System Supporting Information (version 2) · CSLB, “Solar Smart”

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California companies publish prices from about $80 to $350 per panel: Forme Solar $350, Grandmark Roofing $250–$350 standalone (less when bundled with a roof), Home Pro $200–$350 depending on the page, California First Roofing “commonly $80–$175.” EnergySage’s benchmark, cited by OC Solar, is $200–$300 per panel.

This is general market information, not a quote or price from any contractor. Your price depends on panel count, roof type, and whether racking or flashing must be replaced. Get a written quote.

Sources: Forme Solar, “Solar panel removal and reinstall” · Grandmark Roofing (Fresno), “Solar Panel Removal & Reset” · Home Pro Roofing and Solar (Sunnyvale), “Solar Panel Removal & Reinstallation” · Home Pro Roofing and Solar, “Roof Replacement With Solar Panels: Cost & Process” · California First Roofing, “Solar Panel Removal & Reinstallation” · OC Solar, “Solar panel removal and reinstallation” (citing EnergySage)

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Use the CSLB’s official “Check a License” page. It looks up a license by license number or by contractor business name, and shows license status and complaint disclosure. CSLB’s search tips: type only the first 10 to 15 letters of the business name, and if there’s no match try 1 or 2 fewer letters. Its database is unavailable Sundays at 8 p.m. through Monday at 6 a.m. for maintenance. Every listing on this site links its CSLB record.

Sources: CSLB — Check a License

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