Most solar complaints aren’t about panels failing. They’re about installation quality, contract terms the homeowner didn’t fully understand, and companies that were gone before the warranty was ever tested.
The installer you choose matters more than the brand of panel on your roof. Here’s how to evaluate one in North Carolina.
Why this matters in NC right now
Two cases illustrate the stakes.
In 2022, Pink Energy (formerly Power Home Solar, headquartered in NC) generated 270 complaints to the NC Attorney General before filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Customers were left with systems that underperformed, contracts they couldn’t enforce, and workmanship warranties with no one behind them. The NC AG wrote to five solar lenders asking them to suspend loan payments and interest for affected customers.
In April 2026, Freedom Forever, the second-largest residential solar installer in the US by market share, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It had installed systems in North Carolina. Manufacturer warranties on panels and inverters are not affected. Workmanship warranties are at legal risk.
The company that sells you a system today may not be operating in five years. That’s not a reason to avoid solar, but it is a reason to choose carefully and to understand what happens if they don’t make it.
NC licensing: the legal minimum
Every solar PV installation in North Carolina, regardless of project cost, requires a licensed electrical contractor. No exceptions. There’s no dollar threshold below which unlicensed work is permitted.
The NCBEEC classifies electrical contractor licenses by project value:
| License class | Maximum project value |
|---|---|
| Limited (L) | Up to $60,000 |
| Intermediate (I) | Up to $150,000 |
| Unlimited (U) | No cap |
Most residential solar installations fall under Limited or Intermediate. Verify that the license class matches your project’s total cost.
A general contractor license is only required when non-electrical structural work exceeds $40,000. Below that, the electrical contractor can pull both permits. An electrical permit is always required. A building permit is required for most installations over $20,000, though thresholds vary by jurisdiction.
Ask every installer for their NCBEEC license number before you sign anything.
How to verify
These lookups are free and take less than a minute.
| What to check | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Electrical contractor license | arls-public.ncbeec.org |
| General contractor license | portal.nclbgc.org |
| Business registration (active and in good standing) | sosnc.gov |
| NABCEP individual credential | directories.nabcep.org |
An installer who won’t give you a license number, or whose license doesn’t check out, is a hard stop.
Industry certifications
NC law requires nothing beyond the electrical contractor license. Certifications go further than the legal minimum, and some are worth asking about.
NABCEP PV Installation Professional (PVIP) is the most meaningful credential in residential solar. It’s ISO/IEC 17024:2012 accredited, requires documented installation experience, and must be maintained with continuing education. A company with NABCEP-certified staff on the installation team has invested in formal technical training beyond the licensing requirement.
Other NABCEP credentials you may encounter:
| Credential | What it covers |
|---|---|
| PV Installation Professional (PVIP) | Full design, installation, commissioning, and operations |
| PV Installer Specialist (PVIS) | Hands-on installation: wiring, racking, safety |
| PV Technical Sales (PVTS) | Site analysis, financial modeling, incentives |
NABCEP also offers company-level accreditation, which requires a minimum share of certified staff and demonstrated quality control practices. Worth asking about if you’re comparing two otherwise similar installers.
NCSEA Solar Business Code of Conduct is a North Carolina-specific program. Signatories commit to honest advertising, transparent contracts, accurate performance projections, proper licensing, and consumer protection compliance. It’s voluntary, but it’s NC-specific and backed by the state’s solar trade association. The signatory list is at energync.org.
Manufacturer training programs (SolarEdge Preferred Partner, Enphase Installer Network) indicate product familiarity. They’re relevant when you’re choosing between inverter brands, but they don’t tell you much about the quality of the installation itself.
Insurance: ask before you sign
Request a certificate of insurance from every installer you’re seriously considering. Two coverages matter.
General liability covers property damage and injury during installation. There’s no statewide minimum for solar contractors in NC, but $1 million per occurrence is the widely used industry norm. If someone puts a foot through your ceiling, this is what covers it. Ask to be listed as an additional insured on the policy.
Workers’ compensation is required in NC for any business with three or more employees. The part most homeowners don’t know: if an installer subcontracts work to a company without workers’ comp coverage, the primary contractor may be held liable for injuries to those subcontractors’ workers. Ask specifically whether the installer’s workers’ comp policy covers subcontractors, or ask for a COI from the subcontractor separately.
An installer who can’t produce a certificate of insurance should not be on your shortlist.
Warranties: what to expect
Three separate warranties come with a solar installation. They cover different things and come from different parties.
Workmanship warranty covers the installation itself: roof penetration integrity, wiring connections, racking and mounting. Any problem caused by how the system was installed, rather than the equipment. The industry standard is 10 years. Some installers now offer 25 years as a differentiator. Anything under 5 years is a red flag.
Panel product warranty covers the physical panel against manufacturing defects. Standard minimum: 10 to 12 years. Premium manufacturers (Qcells, Silfab, REC) now offer 25-year product warranties.
Panel performance warranty guarantees output above a minimum percentage over time. 25 years is the standard. Premium panels guarantee 86 to 92% output retention after 25 years. Standard panels typically guarantee around 80%.
Inverter warranty covers the inverter hardware. SolarEdge offers a 12-year standard warranty. Fronius and SMA offer 10 years. Extended warranties up to 25 years are available for purchase from the manufacturers directly.
If your installer goes out of business
Manufacturer warranties survive installer closure. They run from the manufacturer to you. The manufacturer covers the replacement part. Labor to install the replacement falls on you.
Workmanship warranties don’t survive in practice. If the company is gone, there’s no one to call.
Do these three things immediately after your installation is complete, regardless of who installs your system:
- Register the panels with the panel manufacturer directly
- Register the inverter with the inverter manufacturer directly
- Save everything: contract, all warranty documents, permit records, inspection reports, and the installer’s contact information
Red flags
Same-day signing pressure. Any installer who tells you the price expires when they leave is using a tactic. Take a week. Get three quotes. The right installer will still be there.
Solar loan terms that aren’t explained before signing. The CFPB found in August 2024 that solar loans commonly carry hidden “dealer fees” that inflate the loan principal by 30% or more above the cash price, without that markup showing up in the stated APR. Many solar loans also reset at month 19, causing monthly payments to jump unless you’ve pre-paid a lump sum. Read the full loan agreement before signing the sales contract. If the salesperson can’t or won’t walk you through it, that’s the answer.
Any mention of the 30% federal tax credit applying to a 2026 installation. The federal residential solar tax credit expired December 31, 2025. If a salesperson references it as a reason to go solar now, they’re either misinformed or hoping you won’t check.
Door-to-door sales with same-day contracts. Under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule and North Carolina’s Home Solicitation Sales Act, you have three business days to cancel any door-to-door sale over $25, with no penalty. The seller must give you written notice of this right at the time of signing and cannot accept payment during the cancellation window. Take the three days.
No verifiable physical address or very recent business registration. Check the NC Secretary of State lookup. How long has the company been operating in NC? An installer registered in the state for less than two years has no local track record to assess.
The Duke Energy PowerPair requirement
If you’re adding battery storage and want the Duke Energy PowerPair incentive (up to $9,000 for solar plus battery), the installer must be a Duke Energy-approved Trade Ally. This is a program-specific requirement. It doesn’t apply to standard grid interconnection.
An installer who is not on the Trade Ally list cannot submit a PowerPair application on your behalf. Before signing any contract that includes the PowerPair rebate as part of the financial case, ask the installer to confirm their Trade Ally status in writing, or verify it at duke-energy.com/partner-with-us/trade-allies.
As of May 2026, PowerPair funding in Duke Energy Progress territory is waitlisted (Cohort B is fully allocated). Duke Energy Carolinas capacity remains available. If you’re in the Progress territory, ask your installer about waitlist status before building the rebate into your budget.
For standard interconnection without the PowerPair rebate, there’s no Duke Energy approved-installer requirement.
Questions to ask every installer
Before you sign:
- What is your NCBEEC electrical contractor license number, and what class is it?
- Can you provide a certificate of insurance showing general liability (at least $1M per occurrence) and workers’ comp covering subcontractors?
- How long has your company been operating in NC? Can I see your NC Secretary of State registration?
- Who will physically install the system? Are they your employees or subcontractors?
- What workmanship warranty do you offer? Is it backed by a bond or insurance product that would survive if you close?
- Are you a Duke Energy Trade Ally? (Ask this if battery storage and PowerPair are part of the quote.)
- Do you have NABCEP-certified staff on your installation team?
- What solar loan products do you offer, and will you show me the full loan agreement — including the dealer fee and re-amortization terms — before I sign the sales contract?
No installer who does good work will refuse these questions.