Solar Doesn’t Need More Salespeople Tearing It Down — It Needs People Willing to Fix It

By Erek Clementson | Assure Energy

There is a troubling new trend developing in the solar industry.

As solar companies have closed their doors, changed direction, or disappeared altogether, thousands of sales representatives have found themselves looking for their next opportunity. Unfortunately, some of them have chosen to build that next opportunity by tearing down the very industry they once sold.

These are often the same people who sat at kitchen tables telling homeowners about energy independence, lower electric bills, long-term savings, and the future of renewable energy.

Now, some are returning to those same homeowners with a completely different message:

Your solar was a mistake.

Your contract was bad.

You need to get out of it.

Pay us, and we'll fix the problem.

Sometimes that message may come from people who genuinely believe they're helping. Other times, it may simply be the newest sales pitch.

Either way, destroying confidence in solar isn't the answer. Fixing the problems is.

Homeowners Were Sold a Dream

Millions of homeowners went solar because the fundamental idea made sense: produce energy at their own home, reduce dependence on rising utility rates, and take greater control over how they power their property.

And that fundamental idea hasn't changed.

Solar panels didn't suddenly stop working because a solar company went out of business.

The sun didn't stop shining because a salesperson changed careers.

Battery storage didn't stop providing value because an installer closed its doors.

But something important did happen.

Some homeowners lost the company they expected to be there for service, monitoring, warranty assistance and support.

The U.S. Department of Energy specifically advises homeowners whose original installer is no longer in business to identify their equipment manufacturer and find qualified installers who can inspect and service their systems. DOE also emphasizes the importance of monitoring system production and addressing meaningful declines in performance.

That's a service problem.

It isn't proof that solar doesn't work.

The Industry Has Made Mistakes

We shouldn't pretend everything in solar has been perfect.

It hasn't.

There have been poorly designed systems, aggressive sales tactics, misleading promises, financing that wasn't adequately explained, systems that weren't properly monitored, and homeowners who couldn't get someone on the phone when something went wrong.

Federal regulators have specifically warned consumers about unfair and deceptive practices in portions of the residential solar market. At the same time, they have emphasized that these bad actors represent a minority of an industry capable of delivering substantial benefits to homeowners.

Major company closures have made the situation worse. A 2025 industry survey found that 81% of responding installers had experienced the closure of at least one large competitor in their service territory. Installers reported increased service calls and declining homeowner trust as a result.

Those homeowners don't need another salesperson telling them how badly they were taken advantage of.

They need someone willing to help.

That's Exactly Why We Created Assure Protect

At Assure Energy, we saw what was happening and made a decision.

We weren't going to build our future by destroying confidence in our industry's past.

We were going to help repair it.

That's why we created Assure Protect.

Assure Protect was built for homeowners who already have solar — especially those who feel abandoned, aren't sure whether their system is performing properly, can't reach their original installer, or simply don't know where to turn when something goes wrong.

Instead of starting the conversation with:

"Who sold you this mess?"

We would rather start with:

"Let's figure out what you have, what's working, what isn't, and what we can do to help."

That's a completely different philosophy.

Solar Isn't the Problem. Abandoning the Homeowner Is.

A solar system is designed to be a long-term energy asset. DOE notes that today's solar panels can have operational lifespans measured in decades, while inverters, monitoring equipment and other components may require service during that life.

That makes long-term service incredibly important.

If a homeowner has one failed panel, a communication issue, an inverter problem, lost monitoring access or an equipment warranty claim, the answer shouldn't automatically be to condemn their entire solar investment.

The first question should be:

Can we fix it?

Can we restore production?

Can we reconnect monitoring?

Can we identify underperforming equipment?

Can we help with warranty replacement?

Can we explain what the homeowner actually owns, finances or leases?

Can we help that system accomplish what it was originally designed to accomplish?

That's where our industry needs to go.

We Believe Solar and Storage Are the Future

There is zero doubt in our minds that solar and battery storage will continue to play an important role in the future of residential energy.

But the next chapter of solar can't just be about installing more panels.

It has to be about taking care of the millions of systems already sitting on American rooftops.

It has to be about stronger relationships between homeowners, installers, manufacturers, financiers, service companies and sales organizations.

It has to be about accountability.

And most importantly, it has to be about staying with homeowners after the sale.

At Assure Energy, we're dedicated to building bigger and stronger relationships throughout this industry — not tearing those relationships apart.

We're dedicated to helping rebuild homeowner confidence.

We're dedicated to helping homeowners who feel like they've been left behind.

And we're dedicated to helping every homeowner possible realize the dream they were originally promised: reliable energy, greater independence, lower long-term energy costs, and a solar and storage system they can actually depend on.

Solar doesn't need another group of people telling homeowners why it failed.

It needs people willing to make it work.

That's why we built Assure Protect.

That's the direction we're taking Assure Energy.

And that's the kind of solar industry we want to help build.

Erek Clementson
Assure Energy | Assure Protect

Learn more about Assure Energy and Assure Protect at www.assureenergy.net.