For homeowners whose solar company went quiet, bankrupt or was sold

Make your solar company answer in writing

Phone calls get "we're working on it." A dated letter that quotes your own agreement and asks for an answer by a date gets a reply. I prepare it from your paperwork; you read it, approve it and send it yourself.

The system is down, or nobody answers, and the bill hasn't stopped

A letter to the company that bills you: what's wrong, since when, the page of your agreement it touches, and the date you want a written answer by.

$99, ready in 3 business days

Have me write it

The house sale or the buyout number is stuck

A dated demand that quotes the transfer or buyout clause and gives the company a response date your agent and title company can point to.

$249, ready in 3 business days

Get the packet What's in it

“I have been getting a cold shoulder and the silent treatment from Sunstrong for several months. Always telling me ‘We are working on it, don’t contact us again’ attitude. After the letter was sent, it was mere days that they got back to me with a much more positive email looking into all our issues causing the total system to be down.”
Tami B., SunStrong customer

Not sure the system is even working? Free check

Four numbers from your inverter or old app. It compares what your system has produced with what one like it should have produced at your address. No account, no sales call.

ZIP code Used only to look up typical sunlight for your area.

System size, kW On your contract, permit, or utility interconnection letter. Or count panels and multiply by 0.4.

Install date The month is close enough. Use the first of the month if you're not sure.

Lifetime production, kWh (usually thousands, not the system size) The "lifetime" or "total energy" number on your inverter's screen, or in the old monitoring app if it still opens. Where to find it, by brand.

Roof details, optional

Roof pitch, degrees

Direction panels face, degrees South is 180. West is 270. East is 90.

Email, to save your result We'll send the result and a reminder in a year to check again. Nothing else. No list is sold, ever.

Haven't bought yet? Check the quote first.

Your result

of expected

Your system has produced
A system like yours should have produced
Time in service
Weather station used

How this was calculated

Expected production comes from PVWatts, the federal solar model from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), using typical-year weather for your area, your system size, and a fixed roof mount at the pitch and direction given. It's summed month by month from your install date to today, with a small allowance for normal panel aging. Your actual number comes from you. The comparison is only as good as those inputs.

Thresholds: 85 percent or above reads as normal, because weather, shade, and dust easily account for that much. Between 65 and 85 percent is worth a look. Below 65 percent, something is usually wrong.

This is a production comparison, not an inspection. It cannot detect electrical faults, wiring damage, or safety problems, and a "normal" result does not mean the system is safe. If you smell burning, see scorch marks, or hear buzzing at the inverter, turn the system off at the disconnect and call a licensed electrician.

What happens after the check

If it's normal: you're fine for now. Save the result. We'll nudge you in a year to check again. Selling the house? The result is the first thing the buyer will ask for.
If it's worth a look: rule out the one-minute causes first (a tripped breaker, a dead monitoring gateway) with the guide for your brand, then put the shortfall in writing to whoever owes the fix.
If it's likely a problem: the next step is a dated letter to whoever owes the repair: the equipment maker if you own it, the company that bills you if you lease. I write it for $99, or there's a $29 do-it-yourself kit.