When Your Solar Installer Goes Bankrupt: What Happens to Your Warranty

Freedom Forever, the #2 residential solar installer in the US, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2026. SunPower collapsed in August 2024. Sunnova followed in June 2025. Which leaves every solar homeowner asking the same quiet question: if my installer disappears tomorrow, what actually happens to my 25-year warranty? This 9-minute breakdown walks through the full 6-layer warranty stack on a typical solar install, which warranties survive an installer bankruptcy (and why), which ones die, what to do right now if it happens to you, and a 6-point pre-purchase checklist to avoid the whole mess on your next install. What you will learn: → Why panel warranties (25 years product + performance) survive — the contract is with the manufacturer, not the installer → Why inverter warranties (10 to 25 years) also survive intact → Why home battery warranties (10 years typical) survive too → Why workmanship and labor warranties usually die with the installer → Why roof penetration warranties die for the same reason → When monitoring apps stay alive and when they go dark → The 7-step action plan if your installer just went under → A 6-point pre-purchase checklist for choosing your next installer → What third-party-backed workmanship insurance is (and why it matters) → The hidden labor cost gotcha on inverter swaps → Why a 10% maximum deposit is the industry standard → How to verify lien-free history before signing 0:00 Hook 0:35 The 2024-2026 Collapse Story 1:34 The Warranty Stack Setup 2:28 Panel Warranties Survive 3:36 Inverter Warranties Survive 4:28 Workmanship Dies 5:32 Roof + Monitoring 6:30 What To Do If It Happens 7:54 6-Point Pre-Purchase Checklist 9:37 Bonus: Third-Party-Backed Workmanship Insurance 10:25 Recap + CTA Resources: → Better Business Bureau contractor lookup: https://www.bbb.org/ → DSIRE state incentive database: https://www.dsireusa.org/ → SolarInsure information page: https://www.solarinsure.com/ → National Association of Attorneys General consumer protection: https://www.naag.org/ This video is general education. Bankruptcy outcomes vary case by case. Verify current details with a state-licensed attorney for your situation. Subscribe for plain-English clean energy explainers every weekday. #solar #solarinstaller #bankruptcy #warranty #freedomforever #sunpower #sunnova #solarinsurance #cleanenergy #homesolar #2026 #explained