You search for help after your installer shuts down and find a news story saying California's Contractors State License Board will reimburse up to $40,000 in solar losses. It sounds like exactly what you need.
It was real, and it's now closed. CSLB's own Solar Smart page says: "CSLB is no longer accepting new claims for the Solar Energy System Restitution Program (SESRP)." Plenty of older coverage still tells homeowners to apply, so here's what the program was, what replaced it, and what still works.
What the program was
AB 137, signed in 2021, created the Solar Energy System Restitution Program with a one-time $5 million General Fund appropriation. CSLB's eligibility criteria were:
- A contract for a solar system on or after January 1, 2016.
- A single-family residence where the system was installed.
- Evidence of a loss from poor workmanship, incomplete work, fraud, misrepresentation, work not completed for the agreed price, or other violations of contractors' license law.
- No full reimbursement from any other source.
When Sullivan Solar Power shut down in late 2021, CSLB pointed San Diego customers to the program.
CBS 8 reported that it could reimburse up to $40,000 in losses, with restrictions. By 2022, CSLB said it had already awarded more than $700,000.
What changed
By statute (Business and Professions Code
§7086.6), payments from the program are only available as long as appropriated money remains. CSLB's
Solar Smart page says it stopped taking new claims to preserve the funds for claims already received. The page doesn't say whether the program will reopen, so check it before you assume the answer.
What CSLB still does
CSLB still takes solar complaints, and its
online solar complaint form is open. Its latest published report, for fiscal year 2022/23, gives a sense of how those complaints go:
- Complaints received: 2,263.
- Investigated by the cutoff date: 1,625.
- Most common issue: workmanship or abandonment, 1,232 complaints.
- Misrepresentation or fraud: 323 complaints.
- Closed for insufficient evidence: 724.
- Settled: 630.
- Citations issued: 20.
- Criminal referrals: 34.
- Licenses already revoked: 170.
That's data from a few years ago, but one number stands out. The most common outcome was "insufficient evidence," more than the settled cases. That's the strongest argument for documenting everything before you file.
What to put in a CSLB solar complaint
CSLB's own advice is blunt: get every sales claim in writing, because verbal claims are hard to prove. AB 137 also requires representations about a solar product's performance to be included in the home improvement contract. Gather:
- Your contract and the original proposal, with the contractor's license number.
- What was promised versus what was delivered, like savings estimates, production numbers, and a completion date.
- Photos of the installation, including anything incomplete or damaged.
- All correspondence, and a record of every payment.
- Permit and interconnection status. If the system never got the utility's go-ahead, see our
Permission to Operate guide.
Our
documentation checklist covers how to keep it organized.
Other places recovery can come from
With the restitution fund closed, the realistic sources are:
- The lender, if the system was financed. The
FTC Holder Rule can let you raise against the lender what you could have raised against the installer.
- Manufacturer warranties. Panel and inverter makers back their own equipment even when the installer is gone. What you usually lose is the workmanship coverage.
- The contractor's license bond. Ask CSLB whether a bond claim is available in your situation.
- A successor servicer, if one took over. See our guides on
Titan Solar Power,
Harness Power, and
paying cash when an installer fails.
Check whether your installer is on the closure lists
Solar Insure's tracker, updated September 29, lists reported California closures including Harness Power, Kuubix Energy, Infinity Energy, and American Solar Advantage. Those are reports, and filing dates and details vary from company to company. If your installer is on the list, start gathering documents now. Our
complaint agencies guide covers where each complaint goes.
Questions about the CSLB solar program
Can I still apply to the CSLB solar restitution program?
CSLB's Solar Smart page says it is no longer accepting new claims. Check that page directly, because it's the one place that would announce a reopening.
Does the closure mean CSLB won't help me?
No. CSLB still investigates solar complaints, and in fiscal year 2022/23 it settled 630 of the 1,625 it investigated. The restitution fund was one source of recovery. The complaint process wasn't affected.
Which homes did the program cover?
Single-family residences where the solar contract was signed on or after January 1, 2016.
Installer failed, or something about your contract doesn't add up? Send us your contract and your payment records and we'll tell you which recovery paths are still open, usually in one 15-minute call.
Call (213) 579-5156 or visit californiasolarexit.com.
Daniel Merritt is a Senior Solar Contract Analyst at California Solar Exit. This article is general information, not legal advice.
