How to Vet a Solar Company (2026)

ByTodd Lavergne

This vetting guide is for homeowners checking the legal entity that climbs the roof — see also Best Solar Energy Companies (2026), Best Solar Companies in Dallas Texas (2026), and How to Get the Best Deal on Solar in 2026.

Portable kits live in Best Solar Generators and Best Portable Solar Panels — the rest of this page is how to check the counterparty, not suitcase stations.

Roofer installing solar panels, official Good Faith Energy photo
Photo: Good Faith Energy (Addison). Official company gallery — the installing crew on a roof, not a panel factory. Company gallery.

The name on the yard sign is not automatically the licensed installer, the panel factory, or the company that will still answer the phone. Several 2023 brand names went through bankruptcy or a brand sale. This page is how to tell those stories apart. It is not a trophy list.

Last updated: September 1, 2026 (America/Chicago). Recheck the relevant state contractor board and nabcep.org before you treat anyone as licensed or certified.

Installer vs manufacturer vs marketplace

An installer quotes, permits, and puts panels on a roof. A manufacturer builds modules or inverters that installers buy (Qcells, Silfab, Canadian Solar, Enphase). First Solar in 2026 is utility-scale CdTe, not a house-roof installer. Tesla can be hardware plus a ZIP-specific crew or certified partner. A marketplace matches you to partner installers — the workmanship sits with the partner. The name on the quote should be the licensed installing entity.

Full tables live on the national 2026 post and the Dallas 2026 post. This page does not copy those eight-row lists.

State license of the installing entity

Ask for the legal name on the contract and the electrical-contractor number in your state. Verify it on the state board. We do not invent TECL, CSLB, or any other number here. Numbers already quoted on the Dallas 2026 post (company-stated) still need a live board check.

In Texas, TDLR also registers residential solar retailers and salespersons (SB 1036 as of September 1, 2026). That is a different registration from the electrical contractor. Search TDLR Residential Solar Retailers. Oncor TALOT is a utility incentive-provider lookup, not a license: Oncor Find a Service Provider. CoServ has its own named list. CoServ is not Oncor.

Sunrun and Tesla licenses were not harvested as a national table. Empty stays empty.

NABCEP is a person

NABCEP is an individual credential, not a company license and not a substitute for the state electrical contractor. Ask for the person’s name and cert number who designs or supervises, then look them up at nabcep.org. “NABCEP-certified company” without a person is marketing copy.

NABCEP is a person credential, not a price guarantee.

SunPower — three names

Do not collapse them. Same logo, three stories. Detail is on the national 2026 post; the short version:

  1. SunPower Corporation (1985) filed Chapter 11 on August 5, 2024. Operating platform sold to Complete Solaria, closed September 30, 2024. Pre-close completed jobs were not assumed (company FAQ). Docket: Epiq SunPower. FAQ: us.sunpower.com/acquisition-announcement.
  2. SunPower Inc. (ex-Complete Solaria, Nasdaq SPWR, Orem, Utah) is an installer/dealer using purchased brand rights. The 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2026 states substantial doubt about going concern. Still answers the phone. Not the 1985 manufacturer.
  3. Maxeon historically made the high-efficiency IBC cells. Singapore judicial management in 2026. A different company from both of the above.

Sunnova

Sunnova Energy International filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. Plan effective November 14, 2025. Assets to Solaris Assets, LLC; operations often under SunStrong Management. Not a 2026 company to hire. Existing customers: the servicer / contract owner, not a Sunnova sales line. Case admin: Kroll Sunnova.

Freedom Forever ≠ Freedom Power

Freedom Forever (national) filed Chapter 11 on April 15, 2026 and converted to Chapter 7 effective August 7, 2026. Trustee Alfred T. Giuliano. Claims: Kroll Freedom Forever. Do not hire them.

Freedom Power of Grapevine / Austin (formerly Freedom Solar Power) still operates in Texas and Florida. Same Grapevine office and phone. Company-stated TX TECL 28621 — verify TDLR. It is on the Dallas 2026 post. If a door knocker says “Freedom,” ask for the legal entity, state license number, and city of the office.

What happens if the installer dies

Manufacturer module or microinverter warranties do not automatically become a new roof crew. Get workmanship in writing, who holds it, and whether it transfers if the installer sells the book or files bankruptcy. Pre-sale SunPower Corporation jobs are the worked example: the buyer did not assume completed pre-close systems. Ask the same question of every 2026 quote.

Other exits

  • Pink Energy (Power Home Solar) — Chapter 7, October 2022.
  • Lumio — Chapter 11 2024, liquidation 2025.
  • ADT Solar (ex-Sunpro) — corporate exit January 2024, not a bankruptcy. Hardware warranties stay with OEMs.
  • Blue Raven — debtor affiliate in the SunPower Corporation case; not an independent 2026 pick.
  • Mosaic — solar lender Chapter 11 around 2025. Counterparty risk, not an installer.

FAQ

Is Qcells, Enphase, First Solar, or Canadian Solar my installer?

Usually no. They make hardware. First Solar is utility-scale CdTe, not a typical house-roof installer. The licensed installing entity is on the contract.

Is today’s SunPower Inc. the same legal entity as the 1985 manufacturer?

No. The 1985 manufacturer filed Chapter 11 in 2024; today’s SunPower Inc. is a different entity. Three legal stories — see above.

Is NABCEP a company license?

No. It is a person. Verify at nabcep.org.

Can I still get 30% 25D?

Not for owned systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Quote math is on the 2026 deal guide. This page is the counterparty.

Do I need a company for portable backup?

No. Portable guides are also on this site. This page is rooftop counterparties.

Also on this site (portable kits)

Best Solar Generators, Best Portable Solar Panels, How Much Solar Generator Do I Need?, Home Backup. This article is rooftop vetting.

Sources

Live 2026 posts on this site (national companies, Dallas companies). IRS 25D page. Epiq SunPower docket. Kroll Sunnova and Freedom Forever. Company FAQ at us.sunrun.com / us.sunpower.com / gofreedompower.com as already cited on those posts. NABCEP locator. TDLR. Oncor TALOT. We did not independently license anyone. Empty cells stay empty on purpose.

This vetting guide is for homeowners checking the legal entity that climbs the roof — see also Best Solar Energy Companies (2026), Best Solar Companies in Dallas Texas (2026), and How to Get the Best Deal on Solar in 2026.

Portable kits live in Best Solar Generators and Best Portable Solar Panels — the rest of this page is how to check the counterparty, not suitcase stations.

Roofer installing solar panels, official Good Faith Energy photo
Photo: Good Faith Energy (Addison). Official company gallery — the installing crew on a roof, not a panel factory. Company gallery.

The name on the yard sign is not automatically the licensed installer, the panel factory, or the company that will still answer the phone. Several 2023 brand names went through bankruptcy or a brand sale. This page is how to tell those stories apart. It is not a trophy list.

Last updated: September 1, 2026 (America/Chicago). Recheck the relevant state contractor board and nabcep.org before you treat anyone as licensed or certified.

Installer vs manufacturer vs marketplace

An installer quotes, permits, and puts panels on a roof. A manufacturer builds modules or inverters that installers buy (Qcells, Silfab, Canadian Solar, Enphase). First Solar in 2026 is utility-scale CdTe, not a house-roof installer. Tesla can be hardware plus a ZIP-specific crew or certified partner. A marketplace matches you to partner installers — the workmanship sits with the partner. The name on the quote should be the licensed installing entity.

Full tables live on the national 2026 post and the Dallas 2026 post. This page does not copy those eight-row lists.

State license of the installing entity

Ask for the legal name on the contract and the electrical-contractor number in your state. Verify it on the state board. We do not invent TECL, CSLB, or any other number here. Numbers already quoted on the Dallas 2026 post (company-stated) still need a live board check.

In Texas, TDLR also registers residential solar retailers and salespersons (SB 1036 as of September 1, 2026). That is a different registration from the electrical contractor. Search TDLR Residential Solar Retailers. Oncor TALOT is a utility incentive-provider lookup, not a license: Oncor Find a Service Provider. CoServ has its own named list. CoServ is not Oncor.

Sunrun and Tesla licenses were not harvested as a national table. Empty stays empty.

NABCEP is a person

NABCEP is an individual credential, not a company license and not a substitute for the state electrical contractor. Ask for the person’s name and cert number who designs or supervises, then look them up at nabcep.org. “NABCEP-certified company” without a person is marketing copy.

NABCEP is a person credential, not a price guarantee.

SunPower — three names

Do not collapse them. Same logo, three stories. Detail is on the national 2026 post; the short version:

  1. SunPower Corporation (1985) filed Chapter 11 on August 5, 2024. Operating platform sold to Complete Solaria, closed September 30, 2024. Pre-close completed jobs were not assumed (company FAQ). Docket: Epiq SunPower. FAQ: us.sunpower.com/acquisition-announcement.
  2. SunPower Inc. (ex-Complete Solaria, Nasdaq SPWR, Orem, Utah) is an installer/dealer using purchased brand rights. The 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2026 states substantial doubt about going concern. Still answers the phone. Not the 1985 manufacturer.
  3. Maxeon historically made the high-efficiency IBC cells. Singapore judicial management in 2026. A different company from both of the above.

Sunnova

Sunnova Energy International filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. Plan effective November 14, 2025. Assets to Solaris Assets, LLC; operations often under SunStrong Management. Not a 2026 company to hire. Existing customers: the servicer / contract owner, not a Sunnova sales line. Case admin: Kroll Sunnova.

Freedom Forever ≠ Freedom Power

Freedom Forever (national) filed Chapter 11 on April 15, 2026 and converted to Chapter 7 effective August 7, 2026. Trustee Alfred T. Giuliano. Claims: Kroll Freedom Forever. Do not hire them.

Freedom Power of Grapevine / Austin (formerly Freedom Solar Power) still operates in Texas and Florida. Same Grapevine office and phone. Company-stated TX TECL 28621 — verify TDLR. It is on the Dallas 2026 post. If a door knocker says “Freedom,” ask for the legal entity, state license number, and city of the office.

What happens if the installer dies

Manufacturer module or microinverter warranties do not automatically become a new roof crew. Get workmanship in writing, who holds it, and whether it transfers if the installer sells the book or files bankruptcy. Pre-sale SunPower Corporation jobs are the worked example: the buyer did not assume completed pre-close systems. Ask the same question of every 2026 quote.

Other exits

  • Pink Energy (Power Home Solar) — Chapter 7, October 2022.
  • Lumio — Chapter 11 2024, liquidation 2025.
  • ADT Solar (ex-Sunpro) — corporate exit January 2024, not a bankruptcy. Hardware warranties stay with OEMs.
  • Blue Raven — debtor affiliate in the SunPower Corporation case; not an independent 2026 pick.
  • Mosaic — solar lender Chapter 11 around 2025. Counterparty risk, not an installer.

FAQ

Is Qcells, Enphase, First Solar, or Canadian Solar my installer?

Usually no. They make hardware. First Solar is utility-scale CdTe, not a typical house-roof installer. The licensed installing entity is on the contract.

Is today’s SunPower Inc. the same legal entity as the 1985 manufacturer?

No. The 1985 manufacturer filed Chapter 11 in 2024; today’s SunPower Inc. is a different entity. Three legal stories — see above.

Is NABCEP a company license?

No. It is a person. Verify at nabcep.org.

Can I still get 30% 25D?

Not for owned systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Quote math is on the 2026 deal guide. This page is the counterparty.

Do I need a company for portable backup?

No. Portable guides are also on this site. This page is rooftop counterparties.

Also on this site (portable kits)

Best Solar Generators, Best Portable Solar Panels, How Much Solar Generator Do I Need?, Home Backup. This article is rooftop vetting.

Sources

Live 2026 posts on this site (national companies, Dallas companies). IRS 25D page. Epiq SunPower docket. Kroll Sunnova and Freedom Forever. Company FAQ at us.sunrun.com / us.sunpower.com / gofreedompower.com as already cited on those posts. NABCEP locator. TDLR. Oncor TALOT. We did not independently license anyone. Empty cells stay empty on purpose.

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