Solar Panel Repair for Any System — Even If Your Installer Disappeared
Solar panel repair means finding the one part that failed — the inverter, a wire or connector, a breaker, the monitoring, or a damaged panel — and fixing it. Collective Solar repairs any residential solar system in Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, whoever installed it, including systems whose installer went out of business. Many installers only touch their own work. We start with a diagnostic visit, then give you written findings and a flat quote. No pressure to replace anything that can be fixed.
Northridge-based · Serving LA since 2010 · 4.8★ from 50 Google reviews
Signs your solar system needs repair
Most solar failures are quiet. The panels sit there looking fine while your utility bill creeps back up. These are the five symptoms we see most.
Zero or low production
Monitoring shows 0 kWh on a sunny day, or your SCE or LADWP bill suddenly looks like it did before you went solar.
Inverter error codes
A red or flashing light on the inverter, or a fault code on its display. Snap a photo of the code — it speeds up diagnosis.
Breaker keeps tripping
The solar breaker in your main panel trips repeatedly. That can signal a ground fault or wiring problem — stop resetting it.
Physical damage
Cracked glass, burn marks, panels lifted by Santa Ana winds, or wiring chewed by squirrels and pigeons nesting under the array.
Monitoring offline
The app stopped reporting. Sometimes it's just a Wi-Fi dropout — but an offline system can also hide a real fault for months.
Why it's urgent
A dead system in LA loses roughly $100–$200 a month in expected savings. The longer it sits, the more it costs you.
How does a broken solar system show up on an LADWP or Edison bill?
A broken solar system shows up on the bill as more kilowatt-hours bought from the grid. How fast you see it depends on who bills you. LADWP settles net metering one billing period at a time, so a dead system shows on the next LADWP bill. Southern California Edison settles solar credits once a year, at the true-up, so a failure can hide for months.
On LADWP's tiered rate, the power your panels cancel comes off your most expensive tier first. When the system stops, those kilowatt-hours come back at that top tier. That makes the jump look bigger than the lost production alone. The LADWP net metering guide explains how each period is settled.
On Edison, you still get a bill every month, but the export credits are settled at the yearly true-up. A system that quit in spring stops building those credits, and the shortfall often lands on the true-up bill. The SCE net billing guide walks through the true-up.
Either way, compare kilowatt-hours, not dollars, with the same month last year, because rates change. At a diagnostic visit we read the bill and the monitoring data together, so the repair quote shows how much production went missing.
How our diagnostic process works
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Step 1
Tell us the symptoms
Inverter brand, what the monitoring shows, and when it stopped working. Photos of the inverter display and your electrical panel help us arrive prepared.
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Step 2
On-site diagnostic
We test production, inspect wiring, connectors, breakers, and the inverter, and isolate the fault down to the failed component — not just "it's broken."
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Step 3
Written findings and a flat quote
What failed, why, what it costs to fix, and whether a manufacturer warranty covers any of it. No surprise line items on the invoice.
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Step 4
Repair and verify
We make the fix, recommission the system, and confirm production is back where it should be before we leave.
Installer out of business? We repair orphaned systems
Several large solar installers have gone bankrupt in the last few years, leaving thousands of "orphaned" systems with nobody to service them. Many solar companies won't touch a system they didn't install. We will.
Here's the part most homeowners don't hear: when your installer folds, the workmanship warranty usually dies with the company — but your panel and inverter manufacturer warranties typically survive. A qualified contractor can diagnose the system, file equipment warranty claims where they apply, and get it producing again.
If this is your situation, start with our step-by-step guide on what to do when your solar company goes out of business, then give us a call.
What solar panel repair costs
Honest answer: nobody can quote a repair over the phone without knowing what failed. Every repair starts with a diagnostic visit, then a written quote. The ranges below are typical Southern California market rates — a reference point, not a quote.
| Repair | Typical market range |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic / service visit | $150–$300 |
| Wiring, connector, or breaker repair | $150–$500 |
| Monitoring / communication fix | $100–$300 |
| Microinverter or optimizer swap (per unit) | $300–$700 installed |
| String inverter replacement | $1,500–$3,000+ installed |
| Individual panel replacement | $300–$700 per panel installed |
If the failed part is still under its manufacturer warranty, you may only pay for labor and shipping — we check before quoting. For ongoing upkeep numbers, see our guide to solar panel maintenance costs.
When repair makes sense — and when it doesn't
We repair for a living, but we'll tell you straight when a repair is throwing good money after bad.
Repair usually wins when
- One component failed and the rest of the system tests healthy
- The system is under roughly 15 years old
- Panels still produce near their rated output
- Your roof is in good shape
Think bigger when
- Multiple components keep failing one after another
- Early-2010s low-wattage panels no longer cover your usage
- Your roof needs replacing — pair it with panel removal and reinstall and decide then
- You've added an EV or electrified appliances the system can't keep up with
Inverter died out of warranty? See our solar inverter replacement service. System working but underperforming? Start with solar panel maintenance. Or browse all solar services.
Solar panel repair FAQs
Do you repair solar systems installed by another company?
Yes. We service any residential solar system across Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire, regardless of who installed it — including systems from installers that have gone out of business.
My solar company went out of business. Can my system still be fixed?
Yes. Your workmanship warranty may be gone, but panel and inverter manufacturer warranties usually remain valid, and a qualified solar contractor can repair the system. We service these orphaned systems routinely.
How much does solar panel repair cost?
It depends on what failed. In the LA market, a diagnostic visit typically runs $150 to $300, small wiring or monitoring fixes a few hundred dollars, and inverter replacements range from a few hundred for a single microinverter to $3,000 or more for a string inverter. You get a written quote before any repair work starts.
How do I know if my solar panels are actually broken?
Check your monitoring app first — zero production on a sunny day means a fault. If you have no monitoring, compare your current utility bill to the same month last year. A big jump usually means the system stopped producing.
Is it safe to keep resetting my solar breaker if it trips?
Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call a professional. A repeatedly tripping breaker can point to a ground fault or wiring problem that should not stay energized.
Can solar panels be repaired, or do they have to be replaced?
Most solar problems are repairable, because the fault is usually one part: the inverter, a wire or connector, a breaker, or the monitoring. A panel with cracked glass or burn marks is replaced on its own, not the whole array. We test the system, name the failed part, and quote the fix in writing before any work starts.
What areas do you serve for solar panel repair?
We are based in Northridge and repair systems across Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire — from the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, and Santa Clarita to Long Beach, Downey, Whittier, Riverside, Ontario, and Fontana.
Get your system producing again
Tell us the symptoms and your inverter brand. We'll diagnose the fault and give you a flat, written quote to fix it — no pressure, no upsell.