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Solar Company Out of Business or Not Responding? We Can Help Get Your System Running Again

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Installer gone or not answering? Option One Solar diagnoses and repairs solar and battery systems other companies installed. C-10 & C-46, Lic. #985340. Call (855) 502-6363.

Solar panels on a High Desert home during an Option One Solar service visit

Solar panels not producing? Battery not working? Monitoring app offline, and your installer won't call back?

You still have someone to call. Option One Solar diagnoses, services and repairs solar and battery systems, even if another company installed them.

Maybe your installer went out of business. Maybe they just stopped answering. Either way, our team can find the problem and tell you what it will take to get your system producing and reporting again.

Call Option One Solar at (855) 502-6363. Our first-time site assessment is $499, and any repairs are quoted separately.

Your Installer May Be Gone. Your Solar Investment Still Matters.

You went solar to lower your electric bills and take control of your energy costs. When something goes wrong, you need a company that knows the equipment, can find the real problem and will explain your options in plain terms.

An installer who won't respond doesn't mean your system needs to be replaced. The cause could be an inverter, a failed component, a communication issue or installation work that needs to be corrected. (Here are some of the most common solar panel problems and how they're fixed.)

An offline monitoring app doesn't always mean your panels stopped producing. Older systems on 3G cellular connections lost reporting when carriers shut those networks down (see how the 3G sunset affects solar). And a higher electric bill alone doesn't prove the system failed. Household usage, utility rates, weather and seasonal production all change.

The first step is a proper diagnosis.

Option One Solar is a full-service operations and maintenance (O&M) provider for residential and commercial solar and battery systems. We help with:

Our goal is simple: find the problem, explain the fix and help you get the value your system was built to deliver. See all of our solar maintenance and repair services.

Before You Hire Anyone, Verify Their Contractor's License

Getting your system back online matters. Choosing the right company to work on it matters even more.

For solar and electrical work in California, the contractor should hold an active C-10 (electrical) or C-46 (solar) license that fits the job. Option One Solar holds both, under CSLB License #985340.

Don't hire someone just because they answered a Facebook, Nextdoor or other social media post saying they can help.

A Certified Electrician Is Not Necessarily a Licensed Contractor

Being a certified electrician doesn't, on its own, allow someone to contract for work that requires a contractor's license.

Someone may have electrical experience or work for a licensed company. That doesn't let them use their employer's license for side jobs.

Check the business you're actually hiring with the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) using its free License Check tool. Make sure:

  • The business name matches your estimate and contract.

  • The license is active.

  • The classifications cover the work.

The same lookup shows bond and workers' compensation information. Ask for proof of current general liability insurance too. Verify licensing and insurance yourself. Don't rely on verbal promises. CSLB also keeps a solar consumer resource page worth reading.

A Cheap Repair Can Become an Expensive Problem

Solar and battery systems have to work safely with your home's electrical system and the utility connection.

Bad repairs can damage equipment, create shock or fire hazards and even damage utility equipment. Work that ignores manufacturer requirements can also void warranty coverage.

Don't assume your homeowner's insurance, or the person offering the cheap repair, will cover the fallout.

We feel strongly about this. Doing work without a required license is cheating the system. It undercuts companies that invest in qualified employees, training, licensing, insurance and honest business practices, and it puts customers at risk.

Look for a Company That Will Support You After the Repair

A license is the starting point. Experience and track record matter too.

Look for at least five years in business, ideally ten or more, and consistently strong Google and Yelp reviews. Read what customers say about repairs, communication and support after the install.

Ask whether the company regularly services your equipment, who will do the work, what the diagnosis costs and what warranty covers the repair. (Our solar buyer's guide has more questions to ask.)

You've already invested in solar. Protect that investment by hiring a company whose qualifications you can verify.

Why Choose Option One Solar?

We understand electrical systems, solar and battery storage, and how they have to work together.

Our founder, Jerry Thomas, served as an electrical supervisor on NASA's Apollo space program and as Chief Electrical Inspector for Pasadena, Los Angeles and Santa Monica. His experience set our family's high standards for workmanship, attention to detail and electrical safety.

Our roots go back to J&L Electric in 1970. We started installing solar in 2008, and by 2013 solar was 99% of our work, so we incorporated as Option One Solar to focus on it.

Today that experience includes more than 5,000 solar installations, three generations of family involvement and both C-10 electrical and C-46 solar contractor licenses. Learn more about us.

We do more than residential installs. We provide full-service solar and battery O&M, and we build commercial solar carports designed, fabricated and erected entirely in-house.

As a GSA-approved provider, we also serve government and Department of Defense customers with solar and battery resilience systems built for backup power, energy security and continuity of operations. See our commercial solar and commercial energy storage work.

If your roof needs attention, our sister company, Chaparosa Roofing, lets us coordinate the roofing work with solar removal and reinstallation.

That depth of experience matters when you need someone to investigate a problem, not just sell you another system.

What to Expect From Our $499 Solar System Assessment

Our first-time site assessment costs $499. It's a paid diagnostic service, not a free repair estimate.

Before we can recommend a repair or price it, we need to understand your equipment, evaluate the installation and find what's causing the problem.

The work starts before our technicians arrive. We schedule the visit, review whatever records are available, prepare the technical team and travel to your property. On site, we test, troubleshoot and document what we find.

Manufacturer support can add a lot of time. Our technicians may wait on hold, review fault histories, run more tests and submit documentation before a manufacturer approves replacement equipment.

Our staff are experienced, highly capable professionals, and we pay them hourly for this work. A part being covered under warranty doesn't mean the labor to diagnose the failure and coordinate the replacement is covered.

Running a qualified service team in California also means paying for fuel, vehicles, insurance, taxes, workers' comp, licensing, tools and training. We have to cover those costs and run a healthy business to keep good people and keep providing the service our customers count on.

We explain the assessment scope and any limits before we schedule. Repairs, equipment and work beyond that scope are quoted separately and need your approval first.

Why Another Company's Installation Can Take Longer to Diagnose

When we service our own installations, we know the methods, equipment and documentation our crews use. That consistency makes troubleshooting faster.

With an orphaned system, or a customer looking for better service, we first have to figure out how it was installed.

Many systems were installed by subcontractors. Install quality, wiring methods and paperwork vary, so we can't assume an unfamiliar system was installed or documented correctly.

Missing or wrong microinverter and optimizer mapping is a common example of why documentation matters. Accurate mapping ties a reported equipment fault to a specific panel on the roof.

Without it, technicians may have to inspect and trace several spots across the array instead of going straight to the problem panel.

That takes more time and labor. It doesn't automatically mean you need a new system.

Good installation practices affect performance, safety and the cost of service for years afterward.

What Should I Have Ready Before Calling?

Gather what you can:

  • Your installation contract and warranty documents

  • Your panel, inverter and battery brands

  • Monitoring screenshots, error messages and recent production reports

  • Recent utility bills

  • Loan, lease or PPA paperwork

  • Permits and the utility's permission-to-operate (PTO) letter, if you have them

Don't climb on the roof or open electrical equipment to find this information. If you can't find everything, start with what you have.

When you contact us, we review your situation, explain the assessment and set up the next step. After the diagnosis, we walk you through our findings, possible warranty coverage and the recommended work so you can decide how to proceed.

Will My Solar Warranty Cover the Repair?

Possibly. But equipment warranties and installation warranties are different.

Your panels, inverter and battery may each have manufacturer coverage that still applies after your installer closes, depending on the warranty terms and whether the manufacturer is still able to honor it.

The original installer's workmanship or roof-penetration warranty may be harder to enforce if that company is gone, unless another company took over the obligation or separate coverage applies.

Even when a manufacturer covers a replacement part, diagnosis, removal, shipping, labor and reinstallation may not be included.

Option One Solar can review your warranty information and help with manufacturer claims. We are an authorized Tesla Premier partner, and we are authorized to service Enphase, SolarEdge, SMA, Sol-Ark, Renon, Growatt, EG4 and many others. We'll confirm any manufacturer authorization requirements for your equipment.

We can't guarantee a claim will be approved. We can document the problem, explain what may be covered and help you through the process.

The warranty on our service work will be spelled out in your agreement and is specific to the work we perform. Hiring us does not transfer the original installer's warranty to Option One Solar. We warranty labor only on the work we perform. Because we did not install the system, we can't guarantee against leaks or other existing issues we may find. Sometimes one issue leads to several more that weren't detectable until each step was completed. That's the nature of this business.

Who Is Responsible if I Paid Cash, Have a Loan or Have a Lease?

Cash Purchase or Solar Loan

If you bought your system with cash or a standard solar purchase loan, you generally own the equipment.

In most cases, you'll need to hire a licensed contractor to diagnose problems, make repairs or work with the manufacturer on replacement parts. That professional service has a cost.

If you have a loan, contact your lender or servicer to confirm your account status and keep making payments on time. Your installer closing generally doesn't cancel the loan. Lenders can fail too, and loans can move to a new servicer, so watch your mail. Ask about service resources, but know that the lender usually handles financing, not repairs.

Solar Lease, PPA or Prepaid Agreement

With a lease or PPA, another company generally owns the equipment. Contact the system owner or authorized servicer listed in your agreement or most recent verified notice.

Confirm who handles repairs, monitoring and any production guarantee, and get any required approval before outside work begins. Keep a record of downtime if your agreement provides credits or other remedies.

For prepaid arrangements, check who currently owns the system and when ownership transfers to you. (More on how solar PPAs work.)

If you can't get help through your installation contract, lender or lease/PPA company, call Option One Solar. We'll help figure out what it takes to get your system producing and reporting again.

You're Not the Only Customer Facing This

Since 2024, major solar companies, including the original SunPower, Sunnova and Freedom Forever, have filed for bankruptcy. Solar lender Mosaic filed in 2025. Solar lender Sunlight Financial filed in October 2023 and emerged under new ownership in December 2023.

Industry trackers cited by the Denver Gazette report that more than 100 solar companies have closed or gone bankrupt since 2023.

Bankruptcy doesn't automatically end every contract or shut off every system. Ownership and service responsibilities can transfer to another company.

Whether your installer closed or just won't respond, you deserve qualified help and straight answers.

Other Questions About Servicing an Existing Solar System

Can You Add a Battery to My Existing Solar System?

Often, yes. We check equipment compatibility, electrical capacity, backup needs and utility requirements before recommending one. See adding to an existing solar system and our solar battery buying guide.

Will Repairs Affect My Net Metering Agreement?

Like-for-like repairs and system expansions raise different questions. If you're on NEM 1 or NEM 2, have any equipment changes, added capacity and battery settings reviewed before work begins. (NEM and incentives)

Can You Remove Solar Panels for a Roof Replacement?

Yes. Option One Solar can coordinate removal and reinstallation. If you also need roofing, Chaparosa Roofing can handle the roof while we handle the solar.

Should I File a Complaint or Bond Claim?

We prefer to understand the problem and work toward a practical fix first. Complaints and claims are generally a last resort for unresolved losses, defective work, abandoned jobs or another real problem.

Keep your records. When it's needed:

About restitution: CSLB's one-time Solar Energy System Restitution Program stopped accepting new claims on Dec. 31, 2022, so it's no longer an option (CSLB 2022 Accomplishments Report). A complaint or bond claim is the path now.

Don't miss a filing deadline while you're trying to resolve the problem. A complaint or claim doesn't guarantee reimbursement.

Solar Isn't the Problem. The Company and the Program Matter.

Many homeowners we talk to got a polished sales pitch without a full explanation of performance, financing, service or long-term costs.

You did nothing wrong by expecting those promises to be kept.

At Option One Solar, our sales team's job is to educate. We explain expected production, financing terms, warranty coverage, who handles service and the utility charges that may remain.

We want you to ask questions and have realistic expectations before you sign. (Here's how to read a solar quote.)

That same approach shapes how we think about traditional solar leases and PPAs.

Why We Favor Ownership Over Traditional Escalating Leases and PPAs

We believe solar should deliver the best long-term value for the customer, not the lowest teaser payment or the biggest sales commission.

Traditional leases and PPAs can include yearly payment increases, long-term obligations without ownership, tax benefits kept by the owner, buyout costs, transfer requirements when you sell your home and dependence on a third party for service.

A lower first-year payment doesn't show the full 25-year cost.

We don't sell traditional escalating solar leases or PPAs. We favor ownership and clear long-term numbers.

With cash or a standard purchase loan, you generally own the system from day one. Our prepaid PPA option is different from a traditional escalating agreement: it includes a contractual path to ownership at year six. Always review the full terms and service responsibilities. Compare the options in owning vs. leasing solar and see our financing options.

Bring us your lease or PPA proposal. We'll compare it side by side with an ownership option over the same time period, including financing, remaining utility charges, maintenance and other real costs.

If you already have an agreement, keep meeting your obligations while you review your options. A repair problem shouldn't pressure you into another long-term commitment.

Done Right, Solar Delivers Strong Long-Term Value

Solar that's designed well, installed with best practices and bought through the right program can deliver a strong return compared with buying all your power from the utility.

The numbers should prove the value. If a comparison shows utility power costing 10 to 15 times as much as power from an owned system, the assumptions and included costs need to be clear. Results vary by home, system and program. (See our 25-year solar vs. utility cost breakdown or try the solar savings calculator.)

We'd rather show you the math than ask you to trust a sales pitch.

Let's Get Your Solar System Working for You Again

Your installer may be gone. We're still here.

With electrical contracting roots going back to 1970, three generations of family experience, more than 5,000 solar installations, C-10 and C-46 licenses (#985340) and full-service solar and battery O&M, Option One Solar has the experience to help you move forward.

Call (855) 502-6363 to schedule your $499 first-time site assessment, even if another company installed your system. Or visit our customer support page.

We'll tell you what we find, what we recommend and what the work will cost.

By Scott Thomas, President/CEO of Option One Solar

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