Solar Company Closures: An Overview of the Industry

How many solar companies went out of business?
Unfortunately since 2011, more than 750 solar companies have closed, gone into liquidation or other circumstances that indicate negative trading conditions. This leads to an epidemic of installed systems where the retailer is no longer around.

With more businesses joining the market and providing solar goods and services, the solar industry has been expanding quickly in recent years. But in such a cutthroat industry, many businesses have failed to survive, raising concerns about the number of failing solar companies. A survey from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) states that between 2010 and 2019, 242 solar enterprises went out of business. The number of solar jobs increased by 167% between 2010 and 2019, which may seem like a large amount, but it’s crucial to keep in mind that the solar sector has also seen tremendous expansion during this time.

It’s also important to take into account the possibility that many of these closures were brought on by events outside the companies’ direct control, such as shifts in governmental regulations or fluctuations in the economy. In reality, the SEIA report points out that many of the out-of-business companies were smaller businesses that had trouble competing with bigger, more established players in the market.

According to the SEIA research, the installation and manufacturing industries accounted for the majority of the out-of-business solar enterprises. This is not surprising given that these two sectors of the solar business are extremely competitive and call for large investments in both manpower and equipment.

Regarding the topics that follow, there are three primary categories of solar panels: thin-film, monocrystalline, and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are the most effective but also the most expensive because they are produced from a single silicon crystal. Multiple silicon crystals are used to create polycrystalline panels, which are less effective but more inexpensive. Thin-film panels, which are the least effective but also the most economical, are constructed from a thin layer of semiconductor material.

SunPower is a publicly traded firm that manufactures high-efficiency solar panels and offers installation and maintenance services, not a franchise. They rank among the biggest solar enterprises in the world and are well known for their excellence and innovation.

A C-46 Solar Contractor license from the California State License Board is required if you want to sell solar panels in California. To do this, you must pass a test and fulfill a set of experience and academic requirements. It’s also vital to remember that California has unique rules and criteria for solar installations, so before starting your firm, you should educate yourself with these.

Despite the fact that a sizable number of solar companies have closed in recent years, this should not always raise anxiety. With careful planning and a focus on innovation and quality, there are still lots of opportunities for new and established businesses to flourish in the solar industry, which is still a viable and expanding field.