Short answer: Your panels keep working, and most of your protection doesn't disappear with the installer. Manufacturer warranties on panels, inverters and batteries are usually with the maker, not the installer. If you need your MCS certificate copied or amended, MCS says only its helpdesk can do that once the installer has stopped trading. Any competent installer can service the system.
First, the system itself
When an installer closes, nothing changes on your roof. The panels keep generating, the inverter keeps converting, and your Feed-in Tariff or export payments carry on, because they are paid by your energy supplier, not the installer. The practical questions are about paperwork, warranties and who you call when something goes wrong.
Gather your paperwork
Find as much of the handover pack as you can:
- the MCS certificate
- the grid registration with National Grid Electricity Distribution
- the electrical installation certificate
- warranty documents for the panels, inverter and any battery
- any insurance-backed guarantee
- manuals, and the login for any monitoring app
People on solar forums often find parts of this pack missing after an installer disappears. What is missing decides the next steps.
The MCS certificate
The MCS certificate matters for export payments and when you sell the house. MCS says that if your original installer is no longer certified, or no longer trading, only the MCS helpdesk has access to your certificate to amend it. It is also the route to a copy. MCS’s contact page lists the customer support helpdesk on 0333 103 8130.
Warranties
There are usually two kinds:
- Manufacturer warranties on the panels, inverter and battery. These are usually between you and the maker, so they carry on after the installer closes. You claim through the manufacturer or its UK distributor, with the serial numbers and proof of purchase.
- The installer’s workmanship warranty, covering how the job was done. This normally ends with the company, unless it was backed by insurance. If your paperwork includes an insurance-backed guarantee, contact the insurer named on it.
If your installer belonged to a consumer code when you signed the contract, check the contract paperwork for the code’s name and contact it. It may be able to tell you what help is available.
Who looks after the system now
Any competent installer can take over servicing and repairs. The system can be inspected, the wiring traced and the inverter read, even with no paperwork. A first service is a good way to find out where things stand. It checks the inverter, the wiring, the isolators, the roof fixings and the output against what the system should be making. Solar panel maintenance covers what is included.
If the system has already stopped generating, why are my solar panels not working? runs through the safe checks you can do first. Solar panel repair covers the fault-finding visit.
Choosing an installer next time
If you are adding a battery or replacing parts, ask the new installer what warranties they give, whether any are insurance-backed, and whether you will get a full handover pack. Is Switch Together Birmingham worth it? has a checklist for comparing quotes that works for any installer.
Bottom line
If your installer has closed, gather your paperwork, contact the MCS helpdesk about the certificate, check for an insurance-backed guarantee, and claim manufacturer warranties directly. Then find someone to service the system. We look after systems from any installer across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Call 0121 330 1151, 9am to 7pm, 7 days.