Plenty of homeowners across the valley bought solar from a company that has since closed, been bought out or simply stopped returning calls. If that's you, the panels on your roof still work, and they can still be cared for. You just need to take over a few things your installer used to handle.
What "orphaned" means
An orphaned system is one whose original installer is no longer around to support it. The equipment itself doesn't change. Your panels, inverter (the box that turns your panels' power into power your home can use) and any battery were made by equipment manufacturers, and manufacturer warranties are usually tied to the equipment, not to the company that installed it. So they may still apply.
What usually goes away is everything the installer did for you:
- Their own warranty on the installation work
- The one phone number that filed warranty claims and sent out technicians
- The monitoring account, which was often set up in the installer's name
Take control of your system, step by step
- Find your equipment. Pull out your contract, install documents and any permit paperwork. Write down the brand and model of your panels, inverter or microinverters, and battery, plus serial numbers if you can find them. If the paperwork is missing, the labels on the inverter and other equipment are a good start, and we can document everything on a visit.
- Get monitoring access back. If your monitoring app stopped working or the account belongs to the installer, contact the equipment manufacturer about an account in your own name. How that works depends on the manufacturer. We help with monitoring account recovery and transfer. If the system has stopped reporting altogether, the gateway (the internet box that sends your system's readings to us) may need reconnecting or the communication hardware may need replacing.
- Check your warranty paperwork. Look for the manufacturer warranty documents and any registration records. Keep copies in one place. Note what the installer's own warranty covered, since there may be no one left behind that part.
- Know whether you own or lease. If you own the system, the decisions are yours. If it's leased, the lease provider still owns the equipment, and your contract says who handles repairs. The lease may also have moved to a different company, so check your most recent statement. Some work needs the lease provider's approval, and we help you find out.
- Get an inspection. A technician checks the panels, wiring, inverter, mounts and roof penetrations, and you get a written report. That report gives you a baseline, and a record to back up any warranty claim. Every inspection includes a re-torque of the panels at no charge, which means tightening the bolts and clamps that hold your panels down.
- Set up ongoing care. Make sure someone is watching the system and that you know who to call when something goes wrong.
How we help
We service systems of any brand, including ones whose original installer closed or stopped offering support. That's a big part of why our family-owned Boulder City team does this work.
Our Adopt Your System membership picks up where your installer left off. Every Shield includes 24/7 monitoring, production and performance alerts, service coordination and troubleshooting, help with warranty claims, and site visits at no extra charge. Gold Shield members get same-day service, Silver next-day, and Bronze the next available appointment. Your plan, price and terms are set out in a written service agreement before anything starts, and the membership transfers to the new homeowner if you sell.
Not ready for a membership? You can still call us for a maintenance visit or a repair, quoted upfront before any work.
Wondering whether going solar was worth it at all? Here's what your system still does for your home and the valley.