Updated
Orphaned solar system service in Washington, DC picks up where a closed installer left off: monitoring access, repairs, manufacturer warranty claims and the PJM-GATS record that SRECs depend on. Most of what an owner needs survives the installer, because equipment warranties sit with the manufacturers. The hard part is the missing paperwork, and that can be rebuilt.
What changes when your installer disappears
The panels keep working, but nobody watches the monitoring, nobody answers when an inverter faults, and the paperwork lives in a closed company's files. Workmanship coverage from the installer may be gone; equipment warranties from the panel, inverter and battery makers usually are not.
We start with a system check and whatever records you can find, then take over the pieces: monitoring, repairs, warranty claims and registration. You end up with a written file of your system that no single company holds hostage again.
What drives the cost of taking over a system
The state of the records decides most of the work.
Records available
A complete file saves hours of tracking down documents.
System condition
A system that has been failing quietly needs repairs first.
Monitoring transfer
Some makers transfer sites quickly; others need more proof.
Warranty coverage
Covered parts cost less; labor is usually separate.
Paperwork gaps
Missing Pepco or GATS records take time to recover.
Recovering monitoring access
Many systems were registered in a monitoring account owned by the installer, so when the company closed, the owner lost the view. Inverter and microinverter makers can usually transfer the site to a new owner account or installer account once ownership is shown. We gather the serial numbers from the equipment, contact the manufacturer and reconnect the gateway to your network. Once the data flows again, you can see whether the system has been producing all along or quietly failing.
Warranty claims without the original installer
Panel and inverter makers honor their product warranties whether or not the installer still exists, but the claim needs proof: serial numbers, install date, failure data and photos. We diagnose the fault, document it the way the manufacturer asks, file the claim and install the replacement. Labor is often not covered once the installer is gone, so we tell you upfront what the warranty pays for and what it does not. Every claim we file is copied into your system file for next time.
Rebuilding the system records
A closed installer often takes the permit set, the single-line diagram, the Pepco agreement and the SREC details with it. We rebuild what matters: an equipment list from the roof and the inverter, copies of permits from the city, the interconnection agreement from Pepco and the GATS registration status. That file is what you need to sell the house, add a battery or expand the array later without starting from nothing. You keep the originals; we keep a copy for service visits.
Older systems around DC need a new home
In 2021 about 8,400 Montgomery County homes already had rooftop solar, and some of the companies that installed early systems around the region are no longer in business. For DC owners the record that matters most is PJM-GATS: a system has to be registered there after Pepco grants permission to operate before it earns certificates, and that record outlasts any installer. Getting it into the right name is often the first thing we fix.
Sources: new.wtop.com, cityrenewables.com
How we take over an orphaned system
- 1
You call
Tell us who installed it and what is not working.
- 2
Records
You send what you have; we list what is missing.
- 3
System check
Roof, inverter, monitoring and production.
- 4
Repairs
Fix or file warranty claims for failed parts.
- 5
Paperwork
Monitoring transfer, Pepco and GATS records.
- 6
Your file
A complete written record of the system.
What you can gather before we arrive
Worth finding yourself
- The original contract and any warranty paperwork
- Pepco letters about interconnection or permission to operate
- Emails or invoices with equipment model numbers
- Any SREC checks or statements and who sent them
What we handle
- Reading serial numbers and equipment on the roof
- Manufacturer contacts and monitoring transfers
- Permit and interconnection copies from the agencies
- PJM-GATS status and record updates
Panel, inverter and battery brands we service on orphaned systems.
- Qcells
- REC
- Panasonic
- Silfab
- Canadian Solar
- Enphase
- SolarEdge
- SMA
- Tesla Powerwall
- FranklinWH
- IronRidge
- ChargePoint
- SPAN
Questions from owners of orphaned systems
Manufacturer product warranties usually still apply. Installer workmanship coverage often ends with the company.
Yes. We work with the major panel, inverter and battery brands.
Not necessarily. Often the gateway lost its connection or the account closed. We check both.
Whoever holds the GATS record. We check that it is in your name.
Yes, once we know the equipment and records. A battery retrofit is a common next step.
Leases and PPAs are often sold to another company. Your paperwork names who to contact.