Solar tech dates to the 1960s; SunPower was founded in 1985; manufacturing scaled through the 2000s as net metering and the federal tax credit made rooftop solar mainstream. SolarCity, Vivint, and Sunrun built the modern sales model. Then the turbulence: California ended NEM 1.0, then NEM 2.0 in 2023 — a 75% cut to export credits. Interest rates spiked. Financiers delayed payments to installers. SunPower, Titan Solar, Lumio, and many others went bankrupt.
I lived this personally — the company I loved working with, KOTA, did things right and still collapsed in 2024 because the market storm took good companies along with bad. The lesson isn't "avoid solar." It's structure your deal so a company's death can't hurt you — manufacturer warranties, insured agreements, and financially stable backers. That thinking runs through every recommendation on this site.