The short answer
- Your loan, lease, or PPA doesn’t end. It stays with the lender or the system owner, or moves to whoever bought it.
- Keep paying, but confirm who you pay. Scammers target customers of failed installers with fake “new servicer” calls.
- Equipment warranties usually survive. The installer’s workmanship warranty, covering the roof, wiring, and labor, usually doesn’t.
- The lender may answer for what the installer did. If the installer arranged your loan, its failures can often be raised against the lender.
- If there’s a bankruptcy, file a claim by the deadline. Expect little money from it, but it puts your dispute on the record.
What continues, and what usually ends
An installer closing doesn’t cancel your contract. Here’s what usually happens to each piece.
| What you have | What usually happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Solar loan | Continues with the lender or its servicer, which was usually a separate company from the start | Keep paying the servicer on your statement, and confirm it in writing |
| Lease or PPA | Continues with the system owner, or moves to a buyer if the owner is the company that failed | Find out who owns the agreement now and who handles service |
| Equipment warranty | Usually still valid, because it comes from the panel, inverter, or battery maker | Claim it directly with the maker, using model and serial numbers |
| Workmanship warranty | Usually lost, unless another company took it over | Ask whether a buyer or a warranty company took over claims |
| Production guarantee | Depends on who promised it: the system owner’s guarantee usually survives, the installer’s usually doesn’t | Check which company signed it |
| Monitoring app | Often goes dark if it belonged to the installer | Ask the inverter maker to move the system to your own account |
| UCC-1 filing on your home | Stays on the record until whoever holds the contract releases it | Plan the release before you sell or refinance |
One more case: if the equipment maker failed too, the equipment warranty may be worth little. That’s happened with some panel makers, such as Meyer Burger’s U.S. units. Check the maker on our solar company status pages.
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See my optionsWhat kind of closure was it?
How the company ended changes who you deal with and what you can recover.
| Kind of closure | What it means for you | Real examples |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 11 bankruptcy | The company reorganizes or sells its business. Contracts and servicing often move to a buyer, which takes over billing and service. | Sunnova filed in June 2025, and servicing moved to SunStrong Management that September. |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy | A trustee sells what’s left and the company is gone. Warranties and promises from the company itself usually end. | Freedom Forever filed Chapter 11 in April 2026 and converted to Chapter 7 in August 2026. |
| Closed without bankruptcy | No court case and no claim process. A parent company may still be around and responsible. | ADT exited solar in 2024 and hired Spruce Pro to handle warranty claims for former customers. |
| Receivership | A court-appointed receiver takes control, usually after a lawsuit by regulators. | Solar Titan USA was put in receivership in 2023 after a suit by state attorneys general. |
The solar company bankruptcy tracker lists the court, case number, chapter, and who services accounts now for each case we follow.
Step-by-step guides for these companies’ customers: Sunnova, Freedom Forever, SunPower, PosiGen, Blue Raven Solar, and ADT Solar.
Step 1: Confirm who you pay now
Don’t stop paying, and don’t pay anyone new until you’ve checked.
- Look up your installer, lender, or servicer on our servicer lookup.
- Call the number on your most recent statement, not a number from a text, email, or caller. Ask who owns your loan or contract today, where payments go, and whether servicing has moved.
- Ask for the answer in writing. When servicing moves, you should get a notice from the old or the new company.
Be careful with anyone who contacts you claiming to be your new servicer, especially if they want a payment by gift card, wire, or a new account. If it doesn’t match your paperwork or the notice you received, don’t pay until you’ve confirmed it.
Step 2: Gather your documents before access disappears
- Your contract, the loan or lease documents, and every amendment
- The equipment list: panel, inverter, and battery brands with model and serial numbers. They’re often on the permit, the final invoice, or a label on the inverter.
- Your permit, inspection approval, and the utility’s permission to operate letter
- Warranty documents, including any third-party or extended warranty the installer bought for you
- Your monitoring login and production history. Export or screenshot it now, while you still can.
- Every message from the salesperson and the company, especially promises about savings, repairs, or timelines
Our document checklist prints all of this on one page.
Step 3: Getting repairs
Failed equipment. Contact the manufacturer directly with the model and serial numbers and proof of the install date. Equipment warranties often cover the part but not the labor to swap it, so ask what they pay for.
Labor, roof leaks, and wiring. You’ll likely need a new licensed installer, at your own cost unless another warranty applies. Many installers now service systems they didn’t install. Check the license with your state’s contractor board first, listed on your state’s solar law page. Don’t let anyone take the panels off without written approval from the lender or system owner. If you need a new roof, see removing solar panels for a new roof.
Leased and PPA systems. Maintenance is usually the system owner’s job, even when the installer is gone. Put repair requests to the owner in writing and keep the dates. A long, documented gap without service can support a claim later.
Monitoring. Most inverter makers offer their own homeowner app. Ask the maker to move your system to your own account so you can see whether it’s producing.
If the system was never finished or never turned on
This is one of the most serious situations, and one of the strongest. If installation was incomplete, the system failed inspection, or the utility never gave permission to operate, you may be paying for something that doesn’t work.
- Check the permit status with your city or county and ask the utility whether an interconnection application was ever filed.
- Get an independent inspection and keep the written report.
- Send the lender or system owner a written notice: what was promised, what was delivered, and what you want, whether that’s completion, a refund, or a release.
- File complaints with your state attorney general, the contractor board, and, for a loan, the CFPB.
If the installer arranged your loan, the FTC Holder Rule notice in your loan contract may let you raise the installer’s failure against the lender, generally up to what you’ve paid. More in the FTC Holder Rule and your solar loan.
Filing a claim in the bankruptcy
If the company filed bankruptcy and owes you a refund, a repair, or money for damage, you may be a creditor.
- The form. Creditors usually file a proof of claim, Official Form 410.
- The deadline. The court sets one, called the bar date. Late claims are often thrown out.
- Where. In large cases, a claims agent runs a website with the case number, deadlines, and an online claim form. Notices sent to you should list the court and case number. You can also search PACER, the federal court records system.
- What to attach. The contract, proof of what you paid, and documents showing what wasn’t delivered or what it cost you to fix.
- What to expect. Homeowners are usually unsecured creditors, paid last and often little. A deposit for work never delivered can get limited priority under the Bankruptcy Code.
Treat the claim as one step, not the whole plan. Your stronger options usually run against the lender or system owner, which is still standing.
The filing on your property record
Many homeowners find a UCC-1 fixture filing on their property record when they try to sell or refinance. When the company that recorded it no longer exists, the filing still has to be released by whoever holds the loan or contract now.
Start with your current servicer and ask in writing for a termination once the loan is paid or the contract ends. If no one will release it, a real estate or consumer attorney can help identify the right party. Our guide to removing a solar UCC filing walks through it.
Your options from here
An installer closure often comes with other problems: promises that were never kept, a system that underperforms, or a sale that was misrepresented from the start. Those facts can support complaints and claims against the companies still standing, including the lender or system owner.
- Misled at the sale: read misled by a solar salesperson.
- Want out of the loan: see how to get out of a solar loan.
- Leased system: see the solar lease exit guide.
- Every option side by side: how to get out of a solar contract.
Complaints to your state attorney general and the CFPB create a record and often get a faster answer. Our complaint guide shows where to file.
Mistakes to avoid
- Stopping payments. The loan or lease didn’t end with the installer. Missed payments lead to late fees, credit damage, and collections. See what happens if you stop paying.
- Paying a “new servicer” you haven’t confirmed. Check against your statement and any written transfer notice first.
- Missing the bar date. A late claim can be thrown out.
- Letting monitoring lapse. Without production records, it’s hard to prove the system stopped working or when.
- Having panels removed without approval. On a lease, PPA, or financed system, that can put you in breach.
Common questions
My installer went bankrupt. Can I stop paying my solar loan?
Generally no. The loan is owed to the lender, not the installer. Stopping payments leads to late fees and credit damage. Talk to an attorney first, especially if the system never worked.
Are my panels still under warranty?
Usually the manufacturer’s equipment warranty still applies, as long as the manufacturer is a different company from the installer. It often excludes labor and shipping.
Who maintains a leased system if the company that leased it failed?
Usually a new owner or servicer takes over the lease and its maintenance duties. Ask your servicer who is responsible and get it in writing.
How do I find the bankruptcy case?
Check our bankruptcy tracker first. Otherwise, search the company name with “bankruptcy claims agent,” or search PACER, the federal court records system. Notices sent to you should list the court and case number.
Will I get money back from the bankruptcy?
Sometimes, but homeowners are usually unsecured creditors who are paid last. File a claim by the deadline anyway, and pursue your other options at the same time.
Someone called saying they’re my new servicer. Is it real?
Maybe, but check before you pay. Call the number on your last statement or the written transfer notice, not the number the caller gave you.
Can I get out of the contract because the installer closed?
Not just because it closed. But a closure often comes with failures, like an unfinished system or a dead warranty, that can support a dispute with the lender or system owner.
Who removes the filing on my home if the company is gone?
Whoever holds the loan or contract now. Start with your current servicer, and get the release in writing before you sell or refinance.
Sources
- U.S. Courts: Bankruptcy forms, including Official Form 410 (Proof of Claim). The proof of claim form creditors file
- FDIC: FTC Rule on Preservation of Claims and Defenses (Holder Rule). Claims against the holder of a seller-arranged loan
- 11 U.S.C. §507: Priorities (Cornell Legal Information Institute). Limited priority for consumer deposits, §507(a)(7)
- PACER: Federal court records. Finding a bankruptcy case
- CFPB: Submit a complaint. Problems with a lender or servicer
General information, not legal advice.
This guide can’t tell you whether a right applies to your agreement. For that, talk with a licensed attorney in your state.