Home / Solar Owner Help In Texas

Solar Owner Help In Texas

In Texas, solar installation is regulated as electrical work, and as of September 2025 the state also regulates solar sales. Here is what a Texas owner with an orphaned or failing system should know.

Who Licenses Solar Work

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation release of September 3, 2025, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation already regulated solar installation by licensed electrical contractors, and under Senate Bill 1036 it now also regulates the sale or lease of residential solar systems. The release says licensed electrical contractors must hold a master electrician license or employ a master, and must carry insurance that protects consumers on completed jobs. Retailers must make sure licensed electrical contractors do the installation.

How To Check A License

The same release tells consumers to check for a TDLR electrical contractor license at tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch, and to check whether a licensed electrical contractor has received a penalty or sanction in the past two years at tdlr.texas.gov/cimsfo. It notes that a journeyman or master electrician can work alone, while an apprentice needs on-site supervision.

Where To File A Complaint

The TDLR release splits complaints by date and type:

Problem	Where To Go
Bad installation or repair by an electrical contractor, any date	TDLR
Sales or lease practices on a contract signed on or after September 1, 2025	TDLR
Sales practices on a contract signed before September 1, 2025	Texas Attorney General, Office of Consumer Protection

It also says, as of its September 2025 date, that residential solar retailers and salespeople would be required to register with TDLR beginning September 1, 2026 (check the TDLR site for the current registration status), that sales contracts must not mislead about performance or cost and must include a five business day right to cancel, and that retailers cannot claim to be affiliated with a utility or government agency. TDLR lists its customer service line as 1-800-803-9202, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Net Metering Status

Texas does not have one statewide rule we could source for crediting exported solar power. What you get depends on your electric utility or, in competitive areas, your retail electric provider. The enrolled text of Texas Senate Bill 1697 directs the state utility commission to publish a consumer guide that includes questions to ask your utility or retail provider, starting with whether it offers net metering or a buyback program for excess power. Ask those questions before you switch plans, since plans can differ.

A Texas Specific Tip

Because licensing runs through electricians, an orphaned owner can often get help from a licensed electrical contractor that services solar, not only from solar companies. Ask whether the contractor has worked on your inverter brand, and get the scope in writing.

Steps For Any Orphaned System

1. Gather your contract, permit, equipment list, warranty papers, and any loan or lease documents.
2. Call each equipment maker with your serial numbers. EnergySage guide to installer bankruptcy (updated January 7, 2026) says manufacturer warranties remain valid regardless of installer status, and that the manufacturer can often point you to installers certified on its equipment. It also quotes a service coordinator warning that if an installer is not certified on your equipment, those warranties could be determined to be void, so ask the manufacturer before you hire.
3. If you lease or have a power purchase agreement, contact the company that owns the system before hiring anyone. See Solar Lease Or PPA When The Company Is Gone.
4. Check any new company's license with the agency above before you sign, and get the scope and price in writing.

Agency rules, rates, and contact details change. Treat the dates on the sources here as a snapshot and confirm on the agency's own site.

If you want a local service company to look at your system, describe it in the system check form. We name the one company before anyone contacts you.

Related: Installer Went Out Of Business, Solar Warranty Help, Solar System Not Producing.