Orphaned by Your Solar Company? We're Here to Help.
There’s been a lot of local news and discussion lately around solar owners that have been caught off guard by a closure of the company that installed their system. The solar industry is a business just like any other, and unfortunately, that means current solar owners can be impacted by these types of events. If you happen to be a “solar orphan” in this situation, don’t panic! There are solutions at your fingertips, and your investment will still be well worth it. You just need a little attention to get back on the right track.
In part 1 of this blog, C3 is here to help explain how orphaned solar systems can happen and provide an action plan for moving forward. In part 2, we’ll look at how to approach purchases of a new system so that, hopefully, new solar owners can best avoid this type of situation in the first place. We will also reinforce our support for solar power as a vital climate solution with lasting economic and environmental benefits.
What’s a Solar Orphan?
Solar is a long-lasting relationship with both the equipment itself and, hopefully, the contractor that installed it. Even though solar systems tend to require much less maintenance than systems with moving parts like your furnace or air conditioner, things do happen, and they will need a check-in from time to time.
Following are the basic care needs that a solar system owner will want to have in place to ensure a successful system for decades of energy and cost savings:
Power monitoring
Periodic inspections
On-call troubleshooting
Labor and component warranties (read further to understand the important differences)
Ideally, all of this will be offered by your installing contractor. Unfortunately, reality hits sometimes, and this is where solar orphans can happen. If you purchased a solar system and either a) did not know to confirm these services are in place or b) the company with which these services are held has closed, then you may have joined this group, perhaps even unknowingly.
Again, not to worry! There is good news here, and your situation is similar to someone needing to find a new HVAC or plumbing provider, something many of us have experienced. First, there are very capable local or even national companies that are able to help you. Second, there may not be an emergency at all, but you should go through some basic steps to confirm the health of your system and that there is a means in place for checkups moving forward.
The Action Plan
If your original installer is out of business or non-responsive, it’s time to take action. Let’s walk through the above care needs to formulate our four-step action plan to protect your solar investment and maximize long-term energy savings.
Step 1 - Is This Thing On?
The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your system is producing. You have two options.
First, you can check your power bill. Here’s an example from the lower left of a Dominion bill. If your bill is showing a zero for “Total kWh Rec,” that means you’re not sending any power back to the grid. This could be a red flag that your system is offline, though please note if your system is small, you may just be using all your solar before you export it.
The only way to be sure is to check the power monitor of the system itself. Very often, new solar owners will be given access to an online dashboard, so if you have this tool, take a quick look! It is typically an app associated with the name of the inverter, e.g., mySolarEdge or EnPhase Enlighten. Unfortunately, this important handover sometimes never occurs, leaving some solar owners in the dark about their system’s performance.
If you don’t have access to a dashboard, this is the most important thing a new provider should focus on setting up for you. Fortunately, this can usually be done over the phone, with just some basic info from the inverter module that is mounted on the side of your house.
Step 2 - Check it Out
The next thing to do is get your system physically inspected. This is a relatively low-cost house call, in which a solar contractor will come and physically assess the health of your system. They may also be able to access more detailed power data to root out specific problem components or identify areas where creeping tree coverage is reducing your expected output. It is invaluable to have an experienced contractor getting eyes on your system, and in many cases, they can identify potential problems before they evolve.
Following this house call, you should receive a health report of your system, identifying any necessary repairs. In most cases, they are not likely to find serious issues, which is why a proactive check is so important. Just like any home equipment, the longer it’s neglected, the more problems can build, so definitely make sure to follow through on this valuable step. A little investment now will protect your energy savings for years to come.
Step 3 - Warranties, Please!
Whether or not major issues were identified, warranties are absolutely critical for long-term confidence. You’ll want your new solar partner to identify warranties in place, advise on the remaining terms, and get any necessary paperwork under their control.
This is where it’s important to know the difference between labor and component warranties:
Component warranties are for the individual parts of the system, namely the panels and the inverters. These are typically held with the manufacturer, but solar contractors act as an important middleman so owners can avoid the hassle.
Labor warranties are for the installation itself and cover unexpected issues like roof leaks, cable failures, or even critter infestations. These are typically held with the original installer if they were offered at all (stay tuned for part 2!).
Getting your component warranties up to speed should be fairly straightforward. Your new solar partner can take over the paperwork and utilize existing warranties to replace any failed components that may have been discovered.
Labor warranties, unfortunately, often lack easy solutions. If your original installer is no longer in business, it is unlikely that you will find a new contractor willing to take over an existing labor warranty or to provide a new one. This is one of those situations best avoided by up-front research and decision-making before you go solar. But life happens! If you’re in this situation, the best thing to do is talk to your new solar partner about how to avoid problems moving forward.
Step 4 - Sign Me Up
Power monitoring in place, system health confirmed, warranties transferred… Great! We’re done, right? Almost…
As we’ve discussed, the true “set it and forget it” promise of solar still requires some periodic attention. The last piece you want in place is a long-term Operations & Maintenance (O&M) agreement with your new solar partner. This will secure an active, long-term partnership in which they will virtually monitor your system for unexpected issues and complete periodic inspections.
O&M agreements are usually low-cost annual contracts that are well worth it. While the cost may seem to work against the promise of energy bill savings, what they really do is help protect your investment and secure those savings over the long term.
Who ya gonna call?
If you’ve zoomed ahead to the end, you’re probably looking for a recommendation to address a quick problem. The Charlottesville/Albemarle area is fortunate to have two long-established, trusted local solar companies that offer maintenance and recovery services for your solar system:
If you’re outside of this area or looking for other options, you can also consider an established national provider like SunSystem Technology. You might also reach out to a third party like Solar United Neighbors that provides free guidance and education.
For an orphaned solar owner in any area looking to move forward, make sure to consider these key questions as you look for a long-term provider:
Do they have a long history of operating in your area?
Do they perform their own installations?
Do they offer long-term O&M services?
Are they willing to provide referrals to long-standing customers?
If the answer to all of these is yes, you’re on the right track! Make sure to follow up on at least one referral and hear at least another customer’s experience with this company. That extra step usually goes a long way.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we will discuss approaching a new solar purchase with a long-term plan for success and why solar remains a critical climate solution with extensive benefits for people and the planet.