My Solar Installer Has Gone Bust: What to Do Next

Finding out your solar installer has gone bust can feel alarming. The good news: your system almost certainly keeps working, and several layers of protection exist for the situations where you do need help.

Step one: don't panic — your system still works

Your solar panels, inverter, and battery (if you have one) are physical assets. They belong to you and they continue to operate independently of the company that installed them. Electricity will keep flowing to your home and any export payments will keep arriving in your account.

The installer going bust affects your ability to call them for warranty or aftercare support — it does not affect the hardware itself.

What is an Insurance-Backed Guarantee?

An Insurance-Backed Guarantee, commonly abbreviated to IBG, is a protection policy that is mandatory for all MCS-certified installers. When a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) — the quality standard for small-scale renewable energy systems in the UK — certified installer folds, the IBG steps in to cover the workmanship warranty for the remainder of its term. The IBG has a minimum term of 2 years (matching the minimum workmanship warranty) and a maximum term of 10 years from the installation date.

The IBG does not cover product faults (that is what manufacturer warranties are for). It covers installation workmanship: things like a roof penetration that was not properly sealed, or incorrect wiring that causes a fault.

How to claim on your IBG

1. Locate your IBG certificate. It should be in the paperwork pack your installer provided at commissioning. The certificate names the IBG provider — common providers include RECC, Qanw, and Doris Insurance.
2. Contact the IBG provider directly. Do not attempt to contact the installer — they have ceased trading.
3. Describe the workmanship issue. The provider will advise on next steps, which typically involves an independent assessment.
4. The IBG provider arranges and pays for any remedial work covered under the policy.

Manufacturer warranties are separate — and still valid

Your solar panels, inverter, and battery all come with manufacturer warranties that have nothing to do with the installer:

• Solar panels: typically 10–12 years product warranty plus a 25–30 year performance guarantee (guaranteeing the panel still produces a minimum percentage of rated output)
• Inverters: typically 5–10 years, sometimes extendable to 12 years for a fee
• Batteries: typically 10 years or a specified number of cycles

These warranties are between you (or the previous homeowner) and the manufacturer. Contact the manufacturer directly using the model number and serial number on the unit. Most major manufacturers — SolarEdge, GivEnergy, Fronius, SMA, Victron, Enphase — have UK customer support lines or web portals for warranty claims.

Keep the original datasheet or commissioning certificate, as it will show when the warranty clock started.

Your MCS certificate remains valid

The MCS certificate for your installation is a record of the installation itself — it is not tied to the company that installed it. You can verify your certificate at the MCS public database (mcscertified.com). This certificate matters for:

• Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments — your energy supplier needs to see it
• Selling your home — it is evidence of a quality install
• Future warranty or insurance claims — it proves the installation date and specification

If you bought the home with solar already fitted and cannot locate the certificate, the MCS database search by postcode should surface it.

Finding a new installer to adopt your system

Many MCS-certified solar companies are willing to take on existing systems for ongoing maintenance, fault diagnosis, monitoring setup, and future expansions. When approaching a new installer:

• Be upfront that the original company has gone bust
• Share your MCS certificate, system datasheet, and commissioning report
• Ask whether they can connect to your existing monitoring platform (e.g., SolarEdge, GivEnergy portal, Fronius Solar.web)
• Get a written quote for any work before agreeing

The RECC (Renewable Energy Consumer Code) member directory and the MCS Installer Finder are good starting points. Local installers who are familiar with your inverter brand are preferable — they will have the software tools to interrogate the system.

What if you paid a deposit and the work was never completed?

If your installer went bust before completing the installation, the RECC offers a dispute resolution service for consumers who contracted with a RECC member. Check whether your installer was a RECC member (most MCS installers are).

If you paid by credit card, a Section 75 claim under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may allow you to recover deposits for undelivered goods or services where the purchase was over £100. This route is worth exploring with your card provider.

Keep your paperwork in one place

A solar system generates a surprising amount of documentation. Gathering it all into a single folder — physical or digital — saves significant stress if you ever need it:

• MCS certificate (your 'passport' for the installation)
• Insurance-Backed Guarantee certificate and provider contact details
• Panel manufacturer warranty documentation
• Inverter warranty documentation
• Battery warranty documentation (if applicable)
• Commissioning report (shows settings, string configurations, generation figures at handover)
• Grid connection notification (DNO confirmation, usually a G98 or G99 form)
• Any planning permission or permitted development confirmation

The bottom line

A bust installer is stressful but rarely catastrophic for your solar system. Your hardware keeps working, your manufacturer warranties remain intact, and your IBG (if you have one) covers workmanship issues for the remainder of its term. The practical steps — locating your IBG provider, contacting manufacturers directly, finding a new MCS installer — are all manageable. The most important thing now is to locate and secure your paperwork so you have it when you need it.

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