Solar Repair: What to Do When Your Installer Goes Bust
If your original solar installer has gone out of business, your manufacturer warranties on the panels, inverter and battery continue unchanged — they’re honoured by the manufacturer, not the installer. If you had a QANW (or similar) Insurance-Backed Guarantee, your workmanship warranty is also covered by the IBG insurer. What you’ve lost is the installer’s ongoing service, fault diagnosis, and pre-paid maintenance. Find a new MCS-certified installer offering takeover servicing — Spectrum does this routinely for orphaned systems across the East Midlands.
The solar industry has seen a wave of installer failures since 2023 — mainly small contractors who scaled too fast on the post-2022 demand surge and couldn’t cope with cash-flow strain. If your installer has ceased trading, you’re not unprotected. The system on your roof is yours and continues to generate, the panel and inverter warranties continue, and routine servicing can be picked up by any MCS-certified installer.
What you still have
- The panels. Yours outright. 25–30 year manufacturer warranties continue. The panel manufacturer (JA Solar, Aiko, Longi, Trina, etc.) honours warranties via their UK distribution channel, not the installer.
- The inverter. Yours outright. 10–15 year manufacturer warranties continue (Solis, SolarEdge, Sungrow), handled via the manufacturer’s UK office or distribution partner. GivEnergy is the exception — it entered administration in April 2026 and stopped trading, so warranty support for existing systems is now uncertain and being worked through the administration process. If you have GivEnergy hardware, raise any claim promptly and keep your paperwork.
- The battery (if fitted). Yours outright. Fogstar / Pylontech / Tesla manufacturer warranties continue.
- QANW Insurance-Backed Guarantee (if you had one). The workmanship guarantee is honoured by the IBG insurer, independent of installer existence.
- MCS certification. Pass-through to you continues. Required for the Smart Export Guarantee and so on.
- The Smart Export Guarantee. Continues with your supplier independent of the installer.
What you’ve actually lost
- Ongoing servicing relationship. If you had a maintenance contract, you’ll need a new servicing partner.
- Fault-diagnosis labour. Without the original installer, troubleshooting needs a new MCS installer.
- System knowledge. The original installer knew the design choices, panel layout, cable runs. A new installer rebuilds this on the first visit.
- Pre-paid services. If you paid for future maintenance visits, that money is likely lost to insolvency — though you can claim through Section 75 if paid by credit card.
Step-by-step: what to do
- Confirm the installer has actually ceased trading. Companies House records show liquidation, administration or dissolution. Don’t act on rumour.
- Locate your install documents. MCS certificate, original quote/invoice, manufacturer warranty cards, QANW IBG documents, electrical certificates. These transfer with you, not with the installer.
- Check your monitoring. Is the system still generating? If yes, no immediate emergency. If no, that’s a service call.
- If you paid by credit card, consider Section 75 claims for any pre-paid maintenance.
- Find a new MCS-certified installer offering takeover servicing. Get them out for a baseline inspection.
- Set up future annual maintenance with the new installer. The system is still your asset.
What a takeover service includes
When Spectrum takes on an orphaned system, the first visit covers:
- Full system audit — panel layout, mounting, cable runs, isolators, inverter, battery
- Document creation — we rebuild the system schematic and as-built documentation
- Performance baseline — what the system should generate at this time of year, against what monitoring shows
- Defect log — any developing issues spotted on day one
- Recommendation report — corrective work, recommended ongoing servicing schedule, optional upgrades (e.g. battery retrofit)
- Confirmation of warranty positions — what’s covered by manufacturer, what’s covered by IBG, what isn’t covered
Typical first-visit cost for a domestic takeover: £250–£400 (varies by system size and access). Larger commercial takeovers are quoted individually.
Installer gone bust? We’ll take over the system
Spectrum picks up orphaned residential and commercial solar systems across the East Midlands. MCS NIC200223. Honest audit, transparent quote.
Speak to Our Team
Common faults we find on takeover systems
- Inverter firmware out of date. Manufacturers release updates; if no-one’s been servicing the system, these can be years behind.
- Loose AC connections. Develops over years; can cause intermittent faults.
- Monitoring not configured. The installer set it up but never showed the customer how to read it. We reconfigure for the customer’s phone/PC.
- Battery BMS firmware out of date. Same as the inverter — manufacturer updates not applied.
- Bird nests behind panels. Common after 3+ years. Block airflow, accelerate panel ageing, ironically also damage roofing under the panels.
- Cable management slipped. DC cables loose in the cable tray, occasional abrasion at penetration points.
- SEG not registered. Surprisingly common — customer was promised export income, paperwork never filed.
What we don’t do
- Claim manufacturer warranties on the original installer’s behalf. The manufacturer warranty is between the panel/inverter manufacturer and you, not us. We help you file the claim; the manufacturer pays.
- Re-issue MCS certification. The original MCS certificate continues to be valid for SEG purposes. If MCS has been lost (rare, only if MCS scheme operator has actively withdrawn it), we’d run through implications case-by-case.
- Cover the original installer’s unfinished work for free. If your original installer left work incomplete, that’s a claim against their liquidation estate (typically minimal recovery) or via Section 75 if paid by credit card. We’d quote to complete the work as new.
Why takeover servicing is a real Spectrum specialism
We’ve been picking up systems left by other installers for years. It’s a real gap in the UK solar market — smaller installers go bust regularly, and customers are left without a service path. Spectrum is RECC-member (00080159), NICEIC-approved (3182878), MCS-certified (NIC200223). All three are conditions any new takeover-servicing customer should look for in a replacement installer. See our about page for the full accreditation list.
FAQs
If my solar installer went bust, are my panels still mine?
Yes — outright. The panels, inverter, battery and mounting kit are your property from commissioning. The installer’s insolvency doesn’t affect ownership. Manufacturer warranties on the hardware continue independently.
Do solar panel warranties transfer to a new installer?
Manufacturer warranties (panels, inverter, battery) sit between the manufacturer and you — they don’t depend on an installer being involved. The installer’s workmanship warranty is separate, and is replaced by the new installer’s coverage on any new work they do.
What is an Insurance-Backed Guarantee on solar?
An IBG (typically from QANW or similar) is third-party insurance honouring your installer’s workmanship guarantee even if the installer ceases trading. If your original installer had QANW IBG, your workmanship cover continues with the insurer. Check your install documents for the IBG certificate.
Can any MCS installer service my solar system?
Yes — MCS certification covers competence to install and service solar PV. Any MCS-certified installer can take on your system for ongoing servicing. Spectrum routinely picks up systems originally installed by other companies and runs them for the rest of their operating life.
How much does it cost to find a new solar installer for servicing?
The first audit visit on a takeover is typically £250–£400 for domestic systems — covers full inspection, documentation rebuild and a written report. Annual servicing thereafter is standard rate (£180–£250 domestic). Commercial takeovers are quoted individually based on system size.
What if I pre-paid for years of maintenance?
Pre-paid maintenance is an unsecured creditor claim against the installer’s liquidation estate — typically returns pennies on the pound. If you paid by credit card, Section 75 Consumer Credit Act claims (against your card issuer) usually recover the pre-paid amount. Worth filing the claim immediately.
Will my system still qualify for Smart Export Guarantee?
Yes — SEG is between you and your electricity supplier, not your installer. Your MCS certificate is still valid for SEG even if the issuing installer has ceased trading. A new MCS-certified installer can re-issue any working documents if needed.
Related reading
- Solar panel maintenance schedule UK
- Solar panel warranty guide UK
- Solar panel cleaning guide UK
- Are solar panels worth it in 2026?
For the full Spectrum service overview see domestic servicing.
Speak to Spectrum Energy Systems
MCS NIC200223. Solar takeover servicing across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. We’ll inspect, document, repair and keep your system running.
Speak to Our Team