What happened to Sullivan Solar Power?

Sullivan Solar Power, one of San Diego's best-known solar installers, ceased operations abruptly in October 2021. The company did not file for bankruptcy — its Miramar office simply closed, phones went unanswered, and projects in progress were left unfinished. Its CSLB contractor license subsequently became invalid, and the original company never resumed business.

For a company that had been installing solar in San Diego County since 2004, the shutdown left an unusually large orphaned fleet: an estimated seventeen years of residential and commercial installations with no installer to call. Customers with signed contracts and deposits in place at the time of closure were directed to the Contractors State License Board, which at the time advised that affected homeowners could pursue claims of up to $40,000 for qualifying projects completed after January 1, 2016.

McKay Roofing & Solar is not affiliated with Sullivan Solar Power and did not acquire its assets. We're a San Diego contractor that services the systems its closure left behind.

What the closure means for your warranty

If Sullivan installed your system, here is the honest picture:

The workmanship warranty is typically gone. Sullivan's 10-year workmanship guarantee was a promise from the company itself. With the company out of business and its license invalid, that promise typically has no one left to stand behind it. (This is general information, not legal advice — if you paid a deposit or have an unfinished project, the CSLB is the right place to ask about recovery options.)

Manufacturer warranties usually survive. The panels, inverters, and batteries on your roof carry factory warranties — often 10 to 25 years — that don't depend on the installer's existence. Sullivan-era systems in San Diego typically pair Enphase microinverters or SolarEdge string inverters with LG, SunPower, or (on older installs) Kyocera panels. Enphase and SolarEdge both continue to honor product warranties through certified installers, and we handle that claim legwork for you: diagnosing the failed component, filing the RMA, and doing the swap under our own license. In many cases we can replace failed equipment at no cost to you under the manufacturer's warranty — our inspection report tells us whether you qualify.

One wrinkle worth knowing: some of the panel brands Sullivan installed have had their own upheavals since 2021. LG exited the solar panel business in 2022 but committed to ongoing warranty support, and SunPower went through its own restructuring in 2024. We can tell you which path applies to your specific hardware after a site visit.

Your monitoring may have gone dark. Many Sullivan customers had monitoring configured under the company's fleet accounts. When the company disappeared, so did the person who managed those logins. If your Enphase Enlighten or SolarEdge app stopped updating — or you never had access in the first place — the account can usually be reclaimed and pointed at you as the homeowner.

How McKay Roofing & Solar helps Sullivan customers

We've been working on San Diego roofs since 1981, and we service orphaned solar systems as a core part of our business — not a sideline. For former Sullivan Solar Power customers we offer:

• A $399 system and roof inspection report — credited toward your job. We inspect the array, wiring, and the roof underneath it, and give you a written condition report.
• Diagnostics and repair under an active C-10 license. Failed microinverters, arc faults, ground faults, degraded connectors, rapid-shutdown issues — diagnosed and fixed by a licensed electrical contractor.
• Monitoring restoration. We re-establish your Enphase or SolarEdge monitoring under an account you own, so you can see your production again.
• Detach-and-reset for reroofs. Sullivan's earliest installs are now 15–20 years into their roof's life. If your roof is due, one crew removes the array, reroofs, and reinstalls it — one company responsible for both the roof and the solar, one warranty conversation.
• Battery retrofits. Many Sullivan-era systems predate home batteries. We add storage to existing arrays, sized for current NEM billing rules.

Because we hold B (General Building), C-10 (Electrical), and C-39 (Roofing) classifications under one license — CSLB #1130793 — you don't need to coordinate a roofer, an electrician, and a solar company separately. Call (858) 541-1097 to book your inspection.

Straight answers to common questions

Can McKay honor my Sullivan workmanship warranty? No — and be wary of anyone who says they can. We didn't buy Sullivan, we don't hold its customer records, and its workmanship warranty typically ended with the company. What we can do is service your system on our own terms, under our own license, and backed by our own workmanship warranty on the repairs we perform.

Is my system still worth servicing? Almost always, yes. Sullivan was known for using name-brand equipment, and a system with a failed component is usually one repair away from producing again — often at the manufacturer's expense if the part is under factory warranty.

What should I bring to the first visit? Whatever you have: the original contract, plans, or even phone photos of your panel and inverter labels. It speeds up warranty verification. If you have nothing, we can identify the equipment on site.