Solar Installer Out of Business? North County Orphan Check

Quick answer

Your panels didn't go out of business with your installer. Most of what matters usually survives: the manufacturer warranties on your panels and inverter, your SDG&E net metering plan, and your loan or lease, which you still owe because it's with a lender or financier, not the installer. What usually goes: workmanship, roof-leak and production guarantees, and often the monitoring app.

The real risk is a system that stopped and nobody noticed. With the app dark, a dead 6 kW system can cost roughly $330-416 a month in power you're now buying from SDG&E. That's our estimate at SDG&E's Standard (DR) tier 1 and tier 2 prices (41.3¢ and 52.0¢/kWh, non-CCA, effective Aug 1, 2026), not a guarantee.

Start with a text, not a truck. The Orphan Solar Check is $150-250 flat, quoted before any work. SideGuy diagnoses, advises and routes; any wiring or repair goes to a licensed C-46 (solar) or C-10 (electrical) contractor.

Rates change - check sdge.com for today's numbers.

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Latest · auto-checked Oct 6

Solar today: SDG&E pays about 5.5¢/kWh for noon exports vs 19.2¢ at 6pm · North County power today

Pulled automatically from public feeds (news, NWS, SDG&E, NREL, Google Trends). Something we missed? Text PJ.

10,412

Residential solar systems in 92024, 92014, 92075 and 92007

~793

Of those, installed by a company that's since closed, gone bankrupt or been sold without its old customers

$330-416

Estimated monthly cost of a dead 6 kW system at SDG&E tier 1 / tier 2 prices

How common is this here?

More common than most people think. In four coastal North County ZIPs, the state's interconnection data lists 10,412 residential solar systems. About 793 of them were put in by companies that have since closed or gone bankrupt, or (for SunPower) were sold without the buyer taking on the old customers.

Installer on the SDG&E record	Systems	What we know
Sullivan Solar Power	429	Its own website says it ceased operation in 2021 and points former customers to a separate service company. Last new SDG&E application in the data: Oct 2021.
SunPower (the original company)	231	Its assets were sold in a 2024 bankruptcy. The company now using the SunPower name took no interest in systems installed before Sept 30, 2024, and only those are counted here. Newer SunPower systems are serviced and not counted.
Sungevity	52	Filed for bankruptcy in 2017; the name has changed hands since. Last new SDG&E application in the data: Aug 2018.
PetersenDean	30	Last new SDG&E application in the data: June 2020.
Horizon Solar Power	27	Last new SDG&E application in the data: Nov 2020.
Infinity Energy	14	Last new SDG&E application in the data: Nov 2024.
Titan Solar Power	10	Last new SDG&E application in the data: April 2024.
Total	~793	About 1 in 13 residential systems in these ZIPs

All residential solar, by ZIP

ZIP	Town	Residential systems
92024	Encinitas	6,354
92014	Del Mar	1,699
92075	Solana Beach	1,229
92007	Cardiff	1,130
Total		10,412

Source: the CaliforniaDGStats Interconnected Project Sites data set for SDG&E (May 2026 file), which lists every interconnected solar site with one row per site. Measured by SideGuy, September 2026: residential sites only, counted by the installer on record. A re-check on October 1, 2026 against the newer August 2026 file came within two systems per installer. "Last new application" is the newest application that installer filed with SDG&E in that file. Which installers belong on the list is SideGuy's own research. These are counts of installs, not proof that any one system is down, and we don't publish addresses or names.

What a stopped system may be costing you

When panels stop, nothing beeps. The house keeps running on grid power and the bill quietly climbs. Here's the math for a typical 6 kW system. It's an estimate, and every input is listed:

Step	Result
6 kW × 5.5 sun-hours × 365 days × 0.80 for real-world losses	~9,600 kWh a year (~800 kWh a month)
800 kWh bought back at tier 1 (41.3¢/kWh)	~$330 a month
800 kWh bought back at tier 2 (52.0¢/kWh)	~$416 a month
Over a full year	~$4,000-5,000

Which rate we used: SDG&E's Standard (DR) plan, non-CCA, effective Aug 1, 2026: 41.3¢/kWh in tier 1 (up to 130% of baseline) and 52.0¢ in tier 2 (above 130%). Solar replaces the most expensive power you'd otherwise buy, so if your usage runs into tier 2, the higher number is closer. This is an estimate, not a guarantee. System size, roof, shading, a time-of-use plan, a CCA (San Diego Community Power or Clean Energy Alliance) and how much of the system still works all change it. Prices exclude SDG&E's monthly Base Services Charge. Rates change - check sdge.com for today's numbers.

What survived the installer, and what didn't

Item	Usually	What it means for you
Panel and inverter warranties	Survive	They're issued by the manufacturer, not the installer. You'll need model and serial numbers, and a licensed contractor for any swap.
Workmanship warranty	Gone	That was the installer's own promise, so it usually ends with the company.
Roof-leak (penetration) warranty	Gone	A leak around the mounts needs a roofer and a licensed solar contractor working together.
Production guarantee	Usually gone	Unless a separate financier or lease company backs it. Your contract says who's on the hook.
Your loan	Survives	You still owe it: the loan is with a lender, not the installer. SunPower's successor, for example, tells pre-Sept 30, 2024 customers who paid with a loan to contact their lender. Keep paying, and call them.
Lease or PPA	Survives	The system's owner (the financier) is usually responsible for keeping it running. Call them before you pay anyone. SunPower's successor points lease and PPA customers to their financier or a named servicer.
Monitoring app	Often dark	The app or portal may have belonged to the installer. Many inverters can be reconnected to the maker's own platform; that's part of the check.
NEM 1 or NEM 2 billing	Survives	It's between you and SDG&E. Older NEM systems keep it until their 20-year legacy period ends, per SDG&E. Before any replacement or expansion, ask in writing whether the work changes your plan.

These are general patterns, not legal advice. Your contracts decide, so bring them to the check. If your system is from SunPower, start with SunPower's own notice for pre-Sept 30, 2024 customers. If it's from Sullivan Solar Power, Sullivan's website says where its customers now go for support.

Signs your system stopped

Your bill jumped and your habits didn't. Compare the same month last year in SDG&E's My Energy Center. In a sunny month, a working system should show exports or a much smaller net usage.
The app shows nothing. No data, "offline," or the app itself was shut down. No data doesn't always mean no power: monitoring can die while the panels keep working. That's why the check confirms production before anyone sends a truck.
The inverter's light looks wrong on a sunny afternoon. Most inverters have a status light or screen. Red, orange, blinking or blank usually means a fault or no output; your inverter's manual says what each signal means.
Your true-up looks different. A year with far less solar credit than past years, with no change in how you use power, is a flag.
Look, don't touch. Don't open the inverter, disconnects or panels. If something looks burnt, smells hot or keeps tripping a breaker, call a licensed C-10 or C-46 contractor.

These are common, general signs, not a diagnosis. Today's SDG&E prices and what solar earns are on North County power today.

The Orphan Solar Check

One check, five answers, $150-250 flat

Text PJ first; that part is free. You get a straight yes or no on whether the check makes sense for your system, and the flat price, before any work starts.

Is it producing? And what has it produced since the installer went away, from your SDG&E data, the inverter and any monitoring we can reach.
Which warranties survived. Manufacturer warranties usually do; workmanship, roof-leak and production guarantees usually don't. We match your paperwork to who issued what.
Your loan or lease status. The loan survives the installer's bankruptcy. Who to call, what you owe, and what a lease or PPA company owes you.
Monitoring reconnected, where the equipment allows it, so you can see your own system again.
A shortlist of local companies that will adopt and service the system. You get bids from them directly.

The hard line: SideGuy diagnoses, advises and routes. Any wiring or repair is done by a licensed C-46 (solar) or C-10 (electrical) contractor. Per the CSLB, C-46 contractors "install, modify, maintain, and repair thermal and photovoltaic solar energy systems," and C-10 contractors can do solar work that generates or uses electrical energy. Check any contractor's license with the CSLB before work starts.

What to send: who installed it and about when, your inverter brand if you know it (it's on the box), and your last SDG&E bill or a My Energy Center screenshot. Loan or lease paperwork helps.

Same text-first deal as the $150 SideGuy Hour: you hear the price before any work. Run by your local part-time SideGuy in Solana Beach.

Text PJ: Orphan solar check

If your installer was SolarCity (Tesla)

You're not orphaned. Tesla bought SolarCity in 2016, and the SolarCity installer record is still filing new SDG&E applications in 2026, so your path is Tesla's own support and the Tesla app, not a new installer. About 634 of the residential systems in these four ZIPs list SolarCity as the installer. If you can't tell what's covered, PJ can help you sort out the paperwork, but that's a different path from the Orphan Check.

If the fix turns into a new system

No federal 25D credit for a system you own. Per the IRS, the Residential Clean Energy Credit isn't allowed for expenditures after Dec 31, 2025, and an install completed after that date counts as after.
Property tax timing. California's exclusion for newly installed active solar systems is scheduled to sunset Jan 1, 2027, per the BOE. If you're weighing a replacement, ask a tax pro how that timing applies to you.
Battery or not. New systems land on the Solar Billing Plan, where a battery often decides the math: is a home battery worth it under NEM 3. For what exports actually earn, see selling solar back to SDG&E.
Keep what you have, if it's worth keeping. An older system on NEM 1 or NEM 2 billing may be worth repairing rather than replacing. Get the diagnosis before anyone quotes a replacement.

Questions

My solar installer went out of business. Is my system still covered?

Partly. Panel and inverter warranties usually come from the manufacturer, so they usually survive. Workmanship, roof-leak and production guarantees usually came from the installer and usually end with it. Your SDG&E net metering plan is between you and SDG&E, not the installer. Check your paperwork for who issued each warranty.

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

Usually yes. The loan is with a lender, not the installer, so it survives the installer's bankruptcy. SunPower's successor, for example, tells customers whose systems were installed before September 30, 2024 and who paid with a loan to contact their lender. If you lease or have a PPA, the system's owner is usually responsible for keeping it running, so call them first.

How do I know if my solar panels stopped working?

Common signs: your SDG&E bill jumped with no change in habits, your monitoring app shows no data or was shut down, or the inverter's status light looks wrong on a sunny afternoon. No app data doesn't always mean no power. Compare the same month last year in SDG&E's My Energy Center, and don't open the equipment.

Who can repair a solar system when the original installer is gone?

A licensed contractor. In California, a C-46 solar contractor installs, modifies, maintains and repairs solar energy systems, and a C-10 electrical contractor can do solar electrical work, per the CSLB. Check the license on CSLB's website before any work starts. SideGuy diagnoses and routes; it doesn't do wiring or repairs.

What does the Orphan Solar Check cost?

$150 to $250 flat, quoted before any work. Texting PJ first is free. The check covers whether the system is producing, which warranties survived, your loan or lease status, reconnecting monitoring, and a shortlist of local companies that will adopt and service the system.

Sources checked for this page

Checked 2026-10-01. Rules and rates change; the official source wins over anything written here.

Know someone who needs this?

Something changed here? Text PJ and we'll update this page.

More free local tools: the North County toolkit.