January 17, 2024 Update — Since the announcement in August, SunPower has been working through its Chapter 11 filing in bankruptcy courts to determine next steps for things like warranty claims for existing customers.
We are pleased to share that we’ve been informed that the underlying manufacturers of most of the SunPower products — Maxeon, for the solar panels, and Enphase, for the inverters — will provide warranty support. If you need to make a warranty claim, you may contact Freedom Solar directly and we will help facilitate.
Due to ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, SunPower’s solar monitoring service and the mySunPower app may stop functioning at some point in the future if no third-party purchases this service through the ongoing SunPower bankruptcy proceedings. Freedom Solar has sent a letter to SunPower demanding that they cover their warranty and provide ongoing monitoring for our customers; unfortunately, however, we do not anticipate any positive resolution on these issues.
If you are concerned about losing monitoring access in the short-term, Enphase offers a monitoring platform and mobile app that can seamlessly integrate with your SunPower system. Right now there is a cost of $899 plus tax to install this on your system, which comes with one free year of Enphase Care. Enphase Care provides free labor for any issues related to Enphase equipment on site.
We have looked into what other options are available in the marketplace for solar monitoring, and have found that the Enphase cost is the going rate for these types of products, and we are confident that Enphase is a high-quality product. Freedom Solar is not financially associated with EnPhase and does not benefit in any way from the sale of these products.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to take action right away, if your solar is functioning properly. It is up to you if and when you decide to add Enphase or other monitoring. You might also want to consider whether you will add any backup batteries to your solar system in the future, as the Tesla app allows for solar output monitoring. The only thing it does not incorporate is solar panel-level monitoring.
Note that the Enphase monitoring will not talk directly to your battery storage system, meaning if you have a Tesla Powerwall, you will need to continue using the Tesla app for any battery management needs and the Enphase app for your solar energy monitoring. If you have non-Enphase batteries, you can keep informed of their options at enphase.com/support/sunpower.
If you would like to learn more about connecting your system to Enphase monitoring, email [email protected], call 510-945-6752, or read their FAQs at https://enphase.com/support/sunpower/system-owners.
We know the SunPower news has created a lot of uncertainty, and we’re navigating these challenges alongside you. Please let us know if you have any concerns at this time.
Original Post on August 6, 2024 — We are deeply saddened to hear the news today of SunPower’s Chapter 11 filing. As a long-time supplier of ours, we have many peers and friends who are impacted by this news. We are grateful to SunPower and wish their team the best as they navigate this difficult time.
Many of our customers will want to know what this means for them – we at Freedom Solar Power are here for our current and future customers and are stable for continued service and growth. We expect that any existing active warranties in place will be covered by a pass-through to the manufacturer associated with your home’s solar solution, so there should be no warranty impact to our customers.
The future of solar energy remains incredibly strong, and our company is built to withstand these challenges. We are here for you and we remain committed to providing world-class service to our customers every step of the way. For any specific customer inquiries, please review our FAQs on this situation, or feel free to contact our Customer Care team at [email protected] or 1 (833) 500-0014. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for your business and your trust,
Bret Biggart
CEO, Freedom Solar Power
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the SunPower news impact Freedom Solar Power?
Freedom Solar Power is and has always been a separate entity from SunPower. We remain one of the strongest players in the solar sales, installation, and service industry, and are here to continue taking care of our customers and their solar energy needs, every step of the way.
Even though we don’t expect this news to impact our operations or our customers, we’re still saddened by it. SunPower has been a supplier to us for many years, and their Maxeon panels and Enphase inverter technology and equipment are considered among the best in the industry and have proven to be of the highest quality, standing up to our incredibly strict standards.
Is Freedom Solar going bankrupt / entering Chapter 11?
No. Freedom Solar is one of the strongest players in the solar sales, installation, and service industry. The company has no reason or intention to consider a bankruptcy filing. Freedom Solar is a privately held, founder-led, locally owned company since 2007.
With SunPower out of business, what happens to my warranty?
Freedom Solar’s workmanship warranty will remain in place for the 25-year lifetime of your solar panel system.
For a period of time post-bankruptcy filing, it was unclear whether customers would have any warranty protection for their equipment. However, the underlying manufacturers of most of our products have stepped up to the plate — Maxeon, for the solar panels, and Enphase, for the inverters — will provide warranty support. Should you need service or to submit a warranty claim on your solar system, contact [email protected] and we will facilitate.
Finally, rest assured that both Maxeon panels and Enphase inverter technology and equipment are considered among the best in the industry and have proven to be of the highest quality, standing up to the test of time and degradation.
I have Mission Solar Panels. Will I be impacted by the SunPower bankruptcy?
Not at all. Mission Solar is unrelated to SunPower. Your 25-year workmanship warranty from Freedom Solar and 25-year product warranty from Mission Solar will continue to be honored.
I have REC Solar Panels. Will I be impacted by the SunPower bankruptcy?
No, you will not be impacted. We have been assured by REC that they will honor the warranty as the original equipment manufacturer.
I have Waaree Solar Panels. Will I be impacted by the SunPower bankruptcy?
If you purchased SunPower U-Series, manufactured by Waaree, your panels fall under theSunPower product and power warranty and Freedom Solar’s 25-year workmanship warranty.
Your Freedom Solar workmanship warranty will continue to be honored, but, at this time, it appears that neither SunPower nor Waaree will honor the product and service warranties. We are continuing to look into this for our customers.
I have Enphase Inverters. Will these be impacted by the SunPower bankruptcy?
No, we don’t expect them to be impacted. Enphase has announced publicly that they will honor the terms of the product warranty for Enphase microinverters used in SunPower solar systems. You can read more about this here.
I have SolarBridge inverters (aka Generation 3). Do I have a warranty through SolarBridge? Is Enphase backing this warranty?
Unfortunately, to our knowledge, there is no manufacturer’s warranty coverage for SolarBridge (or Gen 3) inverters.
In 2018, Enphase acquired the assets of SolarBridge Technologies from SunPower. Based on how the sale was structured, Enphase acquired the assets of SolarBridge, but not its liabilities (including its customer warranty obligations).
Until its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, SunPower provided a warranty for this product. Following the bankruptcy filing, Enphase has told us that it will honor product warranties for products it manufactured, but not for products manufactured by SolarBridge. We have advocated for our customers by asking Enphase to honor this warranty, but have thus far been unsuccessful.
We recommend that you reach out directly to Enphase directly at [email protected].
I have SolarBridge microinverter(s) down, which is negatively impacting my production. What are my options?
SolarBridge microinverters are no longer available for purchase, unfortunately. We can offer you two options:
- Replace the non-working SolarBridge microinverters with Enphase microinverters.
- This will restore power to the affected panels.
- We’ll also install Enphase monitoring for the new microinverters, but any working SolarBridge inverters will stay on SunPower monitoring as long as it’s active.
- Replace all SolarBridge microinverters with Enphase microinverters.
- This eliminates future issues with failing SolarBridge units and avoids needing more replacements later.
- All panels would then run on Enphase monitoring.
Leaving the broken SolarBridge microinverters as-is will result in those panels not producing any power. For the best performance, we recommend replacing any failed units to ensure your system runs at full capacity.
I have SunPower Monitoring (or PVS Monitoring). What happens to my production monitoring? Who will handle my production monitoring?
Due to ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, SunPower’s solar monitoring service and the mySunPower app may stop functioning at some point in the future if no third-party purchases this service through the ongoing SunPower bankruptcy proceedings. Freedom Solar has sent a letter to SunPower demanding that they cover their warranty and provide ongoing monitoring for our customers; unfortunately, however, we do not anticipate any positive resolution on these issues.
If you are concerned about losing monitoring access in the short-term, Enphase offers a monitoring platform and mobile app that can seamlessly integrate with your SunPower system. Right now there is a cost of $899 plus tax to install this on your system, which comes with one free year of Enphase Care. Enphase Care provides free labor for any issues related to Enphase equipment on site.
We have looked into what other options are available in the marketplace for solar monitoring, and have found that the Enphase cost is the going rate for these types of products, and we are confident that Enphase is a high-quality product. Freedom Solar is not financially associated with EnPhase and does not benefit in any way from the sale of these products.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to take action right away, if your solar is functioning properly. It is up to you if and when you decide to add Enphase or other monitoring. You might also want to consider whether you will add any backup batteries to your solar system in the future, as the Tesla app allows for solar output monitoring. The only thing it does not incorporate is solar panel-level monitoring.
If you have a Tesla Powerwall, you will need to continue using the Tesla app for any battery management needs and the Enphase app for your solar energy monitoring. If you have non-Enphase batteries, you can keep informed of their options at enphase.com/support/sunpower.
If you would like to learn more about connecting your system to Enphase monitoring, email [email protected], call 510-945-6752, or read their FAQs at https://enphase.com/support/sunpower/system-owners.
Freedom Solar will keep you updated as it becomes aware of developments with the current SunPower monitoring service.
Why do I have to pay for SunPower monitoring being transitioned to Enphase?
We understand the inconveniences and financial burden that this may cause, and we are frustrated too with the challenges the SunPower bankruptcy filing has created.
We have taken proactive measures to get as much information as possible to share with you regarding changes that would impact our customers coming out of the SunPower bankruptcy. We have also looked into what options are available in the marketplace for solar monitoring, and have found that the Enphase option is a fair price for the hardware, software, and installation costs, and is a high-quality product that will last.
The Enphase cost is $899 plus tax because Enphase is passing this cost on to you since SunPower owns the system monitoring software, and it is unclear whether any company is able or willing to acquire this software and related obligations through the bankruptcy process. This price comes with one free year of Enphase Care, which provides free labor for any issues related to Enphase equipment on site. Although we wish we could ensure continuity of this service for our customers, Freedom Solar has no control over the bankruptcy process and cannot cover these costs at this time.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to take action right away. It is up to you if and when you decide to add Enphase monitoring. As of right now, the SunPower app is still working. You might also want to consider whether you will add any backup batteries to your solar system in the future, as the Tesla app allows for solar output monitoring. The only thing it does not incorporate is solar panel-level monitoring.
Why is the cost of the monitoring transition to Enphase so expensive?
Enphase is responsible for setting the price of $899 plus tax for installing the Enphase IQ Gateway, which is the hardware for the monitoring system. This also comes with one free year of Enphase Care, which provides free labor for any issues related to Enphase equipment on site. Although it may feel expensive, when factoring in the hardware and labor cost, it appears to be a reasonable market price for this type of system, and we are confident that Enphase is a high-quality product.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to take action right away. It is up to you if and when you decide to add Enphase monitoring. As of right now, the SunPower app is still working. You might also want to consider whether you will add any backup batteries to your solar system in the future, as the Tesla app allows for solar output monitoring. The only thing it does not incorporate is solar panel-level monitoring.
How long will it take to transition to the Enphase monitoring platform?
You would need to follow their process to schedule a site visit to install the equipment that will transition your monitoring over to Enphase. We can’t provide timelines, but we expect the sooner you reach out to Enphase, the faster your transition can occur.
Below are the details Enphase is currently sharing with customers who reach out:
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Residential properties only.
- You must own (or loan) your system. We are not able to assist anyone with a lease or PPA at this time (those requests need to be made directly with the bank, a number should be on your invoice).
- We cannot support non-Enphase battery storage systems at this time. If you have non-Enphase batteries, you can keep informed of our options at enphase.com/support/sunpower
If you meet the three qualifications above, you should be eligible to transition to Enphase monitoring using the Enphase app.
We will send an Enphase Field Service Technician to your home to install our gateway and reprogram your system to allow you to monitor your production and consumption via the app.
The cost is $899 per gateway, which includes all labor and everything you need except any applicable taxes in your area, as well as one free year of Enphase Care.
Once you are being monitored by Enphase that will give you access to our 24/7 technical support team, which in a lot of cases can help to resolve issues remotely.
To proceed, fill out the form linked below. You will receive 3 separate emails:
- A service agreement to schedule the technician (DocuSign)
- A payment link
- An introduction to the Enphase app
Once you have signed the service agreement and submitted payment, you will receive the necessary equipment shipped to you within two weeks, which is when you should expect a phone call to schedule your on-site visit with the Enphase Field Service Technician.
We look forward to assisting you further in this matter. Please note, there is a larger than normal volume at this time, and it may take a few hours to receive your emails. If you have further questions, please feel free to call us at (510)945-6752.
click here to complete the Enphase Monitoring Request form.
Why did you install SunPower monitoring when you expect that it may end? Why did you install SunPower monitoring when you knew Enphase would charge me $899 to transition to the Enphase monitoring platform?
This is a great question. In short, we wanted to ensure that you receive the full value of the products and services you originally purchased, without an increase in price, and maintain optionality during the SunPower bankruptcy process and beyond. A few specifics are worth mentioning:
- The cost of the SunPower monitoring system was built into the total price of your system. Therefore, shifting you to an Enphase monitoring system would have required a change order and an increase to the total price of your system.
- SunPower monitoring remains live for all of our customers, and the SunPower bankruptcy process has not concluded. While we anticipate that customers could lose monitoring in the future, we’re not certain about this. In fact, at this time, most of our customers who have reached out are electing to continue with SunPower monitoring for the foreseeable future.
By installing SunPower monitoring, we avoided increasing the price of your system and, if the monitoring platform ultimately goes out, you will be able to contract with Enphase for a new monitoring system.
Please rest assured that this is a monitoring-only issue and your Maxeon panels and Enphase inverter technology and equipment are among the best in the industry. These products have proven to be of the highest quality, standing up to the test of time and degradation. Maxeon and Enphase have elected to honor the underlying equipment warranties, and we continue assisting our customers with their warranty claims as they arise.
In light of SunPower’s bankruptcy, we elected to be proactive and share as much information as possible with our customers, as soon as possible – that is why we shared the Enphase monitoring offering with you. Our messaging may have caused alarm, and we genuinely apologize for that.
We understand the inconveniences this may cause. We are here for you as we, together, navigate the challenges arising from SunPower’s bankruptcy.