Study finds 91 solar companies exited home solar since 2022

A new SolarPanelExit.com study says at least 91 companies tied to U.S. home solar have gone bankrupt, shut down or left the market since January 2022 through Oct. 21, 2026. The findings point to a wave of failures, rising consumer complaints and a market where solar loans often survive the installer.

Why it matters: - At least 91 companies tied to U.S. home solar have gone bankrupt, closed or exited residential solar since Jan. 1, 2022. - The tally covers installers, lenders, lease providers, servicers and equipment makers. - The study says 77 of the 91 cases, or 84.6%, moved through bankruptcy court or a similar proceeding. - The failures affect homeowners because solar loans and leases often remain active after an installer disappears.

What happened: - SolarPanelExit.com published its Solar Company Bankruptcy Study 2026, covering the period from Jan. 1, 2022 to Oct. 21, 2026. - The study counts 91 companies tied to the U.S. home solar market that went bankrupt, went out of business or left residential solar. - Of those, 14 closed or exited without a court filing found. - The register behind the study pulls from court dockets, claims agent sites, securities filings, regulator records and news reports. - The study says 72 of the 91 entries include a court and case number. - The study says 80 entries are verified by a docket, claims agent, regulator or securities filing, or by two or more news outlets. - Every entry in the register links to its sources.

The details: - Failure counts rose from 8 in 2022 to 18 in 2023. - The total peaked at 29 in 2024. - The count eased to 24 in 2025. - There were 11 failures through Oct. 21, 2026, all of them court cases. - One closure in the register has no known date. - Of the 77 court cases, 51, or 66.2%, are in Chapter 7 liquidation. - Forty-one cases filed Chapter 7 directly. - Ten cases converted from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. - In the six converted cases with both dates on record, the average time from Chapter 11 filing to conversion was 118 days. - Freedom Forever's case converted to Chapter 7 effective Aug. 7, 2026 in Delaware bankruptcy court, case 26-10522. - North Bay Solar Electric filed Chapter 7 on Oct. 15, 2026 in the Northern District of California bankruptcy court, case 26-10790. - In 36 entries, the customer's loan or lease stayed with the original lender or moved to a named servicer. - SunStrong Management services legacy Sunnova contracts for Solaris Assets and legacy SunPower leases and power purchase agreements. - Solar Servicing LLC, a Forbright Bank subsidiary, has serviced former Solar Mosaic loans since Sept. 22, 2025. - In a SolarPanelExit.com analysis of 1,705 CFPB complaints against six residential solar lenders and servicers, complaints against Solar Mosaic rose from 164 in the four quarters before its June 2025 bankruptcy filing to 467 in the four quarters after. - Complaints against Sunnova rose from 23 to 50 over the same type of comparison. - The CFPB does not verify complaints. - Complaint volume also reflects each company's customer count. - Counting every state where a company was headquartered or worked, Texas had 19 entries. - California had 18 entries. - Florida had 13 entries. - Forty states had at least one entry.

Between the lines: - The data suggest residential solar failures have been widespread and have not been limited to one part of the supply chain. - The high Chapter 7 share suggests many distressed companies were wound down rather than reorganized. - The complaints data point to post-bankruptcy servicing and customer support pressure as a continuing issue for homeowners. - The study also notes limits: the count is a floor because small installers can close without a court case or news coverage. - Two entries, ADT Solar and LG Electronics' solar panel business, left home solar while solvent. - In 24 entries, bankruptcy is confirmed but the company's share of residential work is not; the study labels those entries. - Inclusion is based on public records and is not an allegation against any company. - SolarPanelExit.com says installers rarely hold the loans they sell, so a bankruptcy does not erase the debt.

What's next: - The study says the total will rise as new filings reach docket databases. - SolarPanelExit.com says the methodology, charts and a free CSV download are available on its Solar Company Bankruptcy Statistics page. - The editorial team says the register is meant to keep the case number, filing date and current servicer in one place for homeowners with solar contracts. - SolarPanelExit.com says the study is free to quote with credit and a link.