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Thousands of New England homeowners have solar panels on their roofs and no installer to call. SunPower bankrupt. Vivint absorbed. Pink Energy gone. Sunrun not answering. Your system still has 15-25 years of life left — but without maintenance, small problems become expensive ones. NuWatt specializes in rescuing orphaned solar systems and restoring them to full performance.
A “solar orphan” is a homeowner whose solar installer went bankrupt, was acquired, or stopped servicing their area. Check the signs below — if two or more apply, your system needs professional attention before small problems become expensive emergencies.
Your solar installer closed, was acquired, or is unreachable
Phone disconnected, website down, emails bouncing
You have called your installer or lease company multiple times — no response
Weeks or months without a callback for service requests
Your solar monitoring app stopped working or shows no data
No visibility into whether your system is actually producing
Your electric bills have gone up despite having solar panels
System may be underperforming, partially offline, or completely shut down
Your inverter is showing error codes or flashing red/orange lights
System may be down with no one to diagnose the problem
A warranty claim was denied or ignored because the installer is gone
Manufacturer says "contact your installer" but your installer does not exist
You are paying a solar lease but nobody services the system
Lease company contractually obligated to maintain but failing to respond
Your company was bought out and the new owner provides worse service
Vivint to Sunrun, regional installer acquired and dissolved
If you checked two or more boxes, you are a solar orphan.
The longer an issue goes unaddressed, the more production and money you lose. A $200 monitoring fix today prevents a $3,000 inverter failure you never saw coming.
The solar orphan crisis is not random bad luck. It is the predictable result of an industry that grew too fast on cheap money and government incentives — then had both pulled away at the same time.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, eliminated the residential solar Investment Tax Credit (Section 25D) effective December 31, 2025. From 2020 to 2025, homeowners got 26-30% of their system cost back as a federal tax credit. That money was a huge driver of solar adoption — and a huge driver of installer revenue. When the credit died, so did the profit margins that kept many solar companies alive. Companies that depended on high-volume, low-margin residential sales suddenly could not make the numbers work.
Rising interest rates from 2022 to 2024 made solar loans more expensive and killed lease/PPA economics for many providers. Companies that had scaled rapidly during the 2020-2023 boom — hiring thousands of sales reps, opening offices in dozens of states — suddenly faced shrinking demand and rising costs. The solar industry is undergoing the same painful consolidation that hit the auto industry, airlines, and telecom in previous decades. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimates 20-30% of residential solar companies active in 2022 will not survive through 2027.
Over 5 million residential solar systems were installed between 2020 and 2025. Those systems are now 1-6 years old — starting to exit the “honeymoon period” where everything works perfectly. Microinverter failures, connector degradation, critter damage, and roof leak issues typically appear between years 3-8. The installers who scaled fastest during the boom often cut the most corners on installation quality — and many of those companies are now gone. The homeowners are left with aging systems, mounting repair needs, and nobody to call.
Many of the companies that failed — SunPower, Pink Energy, and dozens of regional installers — shared a common pattern: aggressive growth funded by cheap capital, high customer acquisition costs, thin margins on each install, and a business model that depended on continued ITC subsidies. When rates rose and the ITC expired, there was no margin left to absorb the shock. The customers who trusted these companies with 25-year commitments are now left holding the bag.
Select your former installer below for specific guidance on what happened, what you are likely dealing with, and exactly how NuWatt can help.
Maxeon Solar Technologies, SunPower's panel manufacturing arm, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2024. SunPower itself stopped taking new residential orders in mid-2024. The company had the highest-efficiency panels on the market, but its rapid expansion and the Maxeon spin-off created confusion over warranty responsibility. Thousands of customers now have premium equipment with no clear path to warranty support.
NuWatt services all SunPower panel types including Maxeon series and A-Series. We can replace failed Equinox proprietary microinverters with Enphase IQ8 units — a reliable, widely-supported upgrade. We file warranty claims directly with both SunPower and Maxeon on your behalf, restore monitoring through Enphase Enlighten, and carry replacement components for the most common SunPower failure modes.
Typical cost range: $200-$3,500 depending on scope (diagnostic + microinverter swap most common)
Sunrun is the largest residential solar company in the US and is still operating. However, their rapid growth — including the 2020 Vivint Solar acquisition — has left service capacity far behind customer volume. Lease and PPA customers report months-long wait times for service calls, unreturned communications, and systems underperforming with no one willing to investigate. The company services millions of systems but has not scaled its maintenance operations proportionally.
For Sunrun-owned systems (you paid cash or took a loan), NuWatt provides full independent diagnostic and repair service. For current lease/PPA holders, we can diagnose issues and document problems for your records — strengthening your case if you escalate to your state AG. We also consult on lease buyout options: we assess your system's current value, calculate whether buying out makes financial sense, and provide a maintenance plan post-buyout.
Typical cost range: $150-$300 for diagnostic; buyout consultation included free with service
Vivint Solar was acquired by Sunrun in October 2020. All customer accounts were transferred, but the integration has been rocky. Vivint used different equipment and installation practices than Sunrun standard configurations. Many former Vivint customers have fallen through the cracks — their accounts were incorrectly migrated, the Vivint-branded monitoring app was discontinued, and Sunrun technicians are often unfamiliar with older Vivint system configurations.
NuWatt technicians are experienced with all Vivint Solar equipment configurations, including their preferred LG panels and SolarEdge HD-Wave inverters. We can restore monitoring through the SolarEdge monitoring portal, replace failed optimizers or inverters, install critter guards, and provide the personalized local service that disappeared when Vivint was absorbed into a national company.
Typical cost range: $150-$2,500 depending on scope (monitoring restoration + optimizer swap most common)
Pink Energy (formerly Power Home Solar) abruptly ceased operations in October 2022 amid DOJ investigations and multiple state attorney general actions. Over 22,000 customers were stranded nationwide. Many had Generac PWRcell battery systems that need regular software updates to function properly. Installations frequently had quality issues — improper wiring, inadequate flashing, and systems that never produced the energy savings promised during aggressive door-to-door sales campaigns. Class action lawsuits are ongoing in multiple states.
If you are a former Pink Energy customer in our service area (NJ, CT, MA, or nearby states), NuWatt can diagnose your system from scratch — checking every connection, every panel, every inverter. We file manufacturer warranty claims for failed Generac inverters and Canadian Solar panels, update Generac firmware, repair workmanship defects, and document all issues for any ongoing legal proceedings or insurance claims.
Typical cost range: $300-$5,000 (many Pink Energy systems need multiple repairs)
The FTC filed a complaint against Momentum Solar in 2023 for deceptive sales practices. The company has faced mounting consumer complaints, state regulatory actions, and BBB warnings across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Many customers report being locked into unfavorable loan terms they did not fully understand at signing. Some installations had quality issues including wrong panel orientation, undersized systems, and panels installed in shaded areas that would never produce as promised.
NuWatt provides a reliable alternative for Momentum Solar customers. We start with a comprehensive system audit — checking panel orientation, system sizing relative to your usage, shading analysis, and all electrical connections. If the system was designed or installed incorrectly, we document everything and provide options: we can reposition panels, add capacity, upgrade inverters, fix wiring defects, and set up independent monitoring. We also help customers understand their loan terms and explore refinancing options.
Typical cost range: $150-$4,000 (design audit + targeted corrections)
Installer not listed? NuWatt services systems from every installer, regardless of brand, age, or equipment type. Call us at (877) 772-6357.
Every orphaned system gets a comprehensive assessment and a transparent restoration plan. We never push a full replacement when a targeted repair will do the job.
Full electrical and mechanical health check — panels, inverters, wiring, mounts, and monitoring. Detailed report with photos and warranty status.
$150-$300String inverter or microinverter swap. We service Enphase, SolarEdge, SMA, Fronius, Generac, and SunPower Equinox. Warranty claims handled.
$800-$2,500Individual panel swap for cracked, delaminated, or underperforming modules. We match existing panels or install compatible replacements.
$300-$600/panelReconnect to Enphase Enlighten, SolarEdge Portal, or set up independent monitoring. Know exactly what your system is producing.
$0-$200We file manufacturer warranty claims on your behalf — RMAs, replacement coordination, and installation of warranty parts.
Free with service contractFor systems with multiple issues: rewiring, inverter replacement, panel swaps, mount repair, critter guard, monitoring — the works.
$3,000-$8,000All prices are estimates. You receive a detailed quote with exact pricing after your diagnostic inspection. No work is performed without your written approval.
You have more protection than you think. Understanding the difference between manufacturer warranties and installer warranties is the key to getting your system back on track without paying out of pocket.
If you are making monthly lease or PPA payments for a solar system that nobody maintains, you are in one of the most frustrating positions in residential energy. Your contract was likely sold to a servicer when the original company failed or changed hands. Here is what you need to know.
Send every service request via email, not phone. Keep a dated log with screenshots. This creates an evidence trail for escalation.
If the lease company fails to maintain your system after documented requests, your state attorney general consumer protection division is your best leverage point.
NuWatt provides free system valuations to help you negotiate a fair buyout price. Post-buyout, you own the system and choose your own service provider. Many customers save money long-term by buying out and switching to NuWatt maintenance.
Important: Never stop making lease payments without legal advice. Defaulting on a solar lease damages your credit and can result in a lien on your property. Document the company's failure to maintain, then use that documentation as leverage for negotiation — not as justification to stop paying.
Many orphaned systems were sold with the 30% federal tax credit as a key selling point. That world is gone. Here is what that means for you in 2026.
The residential solar Investment Tax Credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025. Homeowners who bought systems from 2020-2025 got 26-30% back as a tax credit. That is gone. For solar orphans, this means all repair costs come entirely out of pocket. A $3,000 inverter replacement is $3,000 — not the ~$2,100 it would have been with the old credit. Warranty claims and preventive maintenance are now more important than ever.
If your orphaned system is beyond saving and you need a full replacement, there is a path. Section 48/48E commercial ITC is still available for projects that begin construction before July 4, 2026. This means a third-party system owner (a financing company, not you) can claim the credit and pass the savings through as lower lease/PPA payments. It is not the same as the old homeowner tax credit, but it can reduce the cost of a new system by 30% or more through the right financing structure.
Bottom line for orphans: Repair your existing system whenever possible — it is almost always cheaper than replacement. But if you do need a new system, act before July 4, 2026 to benefit from the remaining commercial ITC through a lease or PPA structure. Read our full post-ITC financing guide.
If your solar installer went bankrupt or is refusing to honor warranties, here is where to file complaints and get help in each state we serve.
Attorney General Healey's Office — Consumer Protection
Highest orphaned system density in New England. File complaints via mass.gov/ago.
PURA — Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
PURA handles solar contractor complaints. Energize CT-funded systems have additional protections.
PUC — Public Utilities Commission
File complaints through the NH PUC consumer affairs division.
Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit
RI REF-funded systems may have additional warranty transfer pathways through Commerce RI.
Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division
CMP and Versant territory. Efficiency Maine-funded systems have separate complaint pathways.
Division of Consumer Affairs
High-volume SREC market. Many Pink Energy and Momentum Solar customers. Board of Solar Contractors handles licensing complaints.
Answers to the most common questions from homeowners whose solar installers have gone out of business, been acquired, or stopped responding.
9 red flags to watch for in solar leases and loans. Protect yourself before signing anything.
Read GuideHow to vet your next solar company so you never become an orphan again.
Read GuideCurrent solar costs, incentives, and utility rates for MA, CT, RI, NH, ME, and NJ.
Browse GuidesYour solar panels are built to last 25-30 years. Just because your installer did not last does not mean your system has to stop working. Every month you wait is production — and money — lost.
Most diagnostics scheduled within 48 hours. Emergency service available.