The Rise and Fall of Solar: When the Sun Sets on Big EPC Dreams
In the early days of America’s solar gold rush, the rooftops of suburban homes became battlegrounds for a new energy future. Entrepreneurs promised clean power, lower utility bills, and a greener planet — all packaged in sleek black panels and financed with zero down. At the forefront of this revolution were EPCs — Engineering, Procurement, and Construction firms — tasked with turning sales into functioning systems.
But as the sun rose on the solar boom, a troubling pattern emerged. The faster many of these EPCs scaled, the shakier their foundations became. Today, with several high-profile collapses and a wave of lawsuits left in their wake, the solar industry is facing a reckoning — and it’s not the salespeople or homeowners who caused it, but too often, they’re the ones paying the price.
The Mirage of Scale
At the height of solar adoption, major EPCs expanded at breakneck speed, fueled by investor capital and aggressive customer acquisition. Sales teams — often operating under independent dealer models — were incentivized to grow fast and sell big. And they did. In markets like California, Texas, and Florida, solar became as common as stucco and SUVs.
But behind the scenes, the operational machinery wasn’t keeping up.
Permits sat idle. Installations were delayed for weeks — sometimes months. Panels went up without proper inspections. Systems were turned on before they were fully compliant. And in worst-case scenarios, entire installations were botched: mismatched components, faulty wiring, even panels installed on the wrong roof planes.
As many EPCs chased scale, they failed to scale their core infrastructure — project management, quality assurance, customer service — with equal urgency. And in the process, they broke what made the solar promise so powerful in the first place: trust.
The Scapegoating of Sales
When things go wrong in solar, blame has a familiar target: the rep. To the homeowner, the rep is the face of the project. They’re the one who knocked on the door, drew up the savings estimate, and promised a timeline that now lies in shambles.
But behind that face is a fragile backend.
“It’s not that the sales teams are innocent — there are bad actors in every industry,” says Joshua Wasielczyk, a veteran in solar sales and operations. “But most of the time, the rep isn’t the problem. It’s the EPC that overpromised their capabilities and underdelivered on execution.”
The disconnect between sales and fulfillment is often structural. Many EPCs outsource their sales operations entirely, creating a siloed environment where accountability is blurry. Reps close deals, submit paperwork, and then — just like the customer — wait and hope the backend performs.
The Human Cost
The collapse of a solar EPC doesn’t just dent a balance sheet — it disrupts lives.
In the last two years, multiple large EPCs have gone bankrupt or shuttered operations, leaving thousands of homeowners in limbo. Systems remain unfinished. Warranties are voided. Utility approvals are stalled. And the reps? Many go unpaid for months of commissions — often their sole source of income.
“I had 18 installs in progress when the EPC folded,” says one former rep from Nevada. “I lost over $60,000 in commissions. My customers still call me asking for updates I can’t give.”
In an industry that prides itself on sustainability, the human cost of these collapses is anything but sustainable.
A Path Forward?
If solar is to regain its credibility, the industry must confront a hard truth: you can’t scale trust.
New models are emerging that seek to fix the broken link between sales and fulfillment. Smaller, leaner EPCs are partnering with vetted sales organizations and leveraging AI tools to streamline operations. Others, like Nomad Sales, are flipping the script — building sales teams with operational oversight baked into the process.
“Homeowners don’t care about your backend. They care that their system works, that it was installed correctly, and that someone picks up the phone,” says Wasielczyk. “If we can’t do that consistently, we don’t deserve their business.”
The Sunset and the Sunrise
The fall of big-name EPCs isn’t the end of solar — far from it. The demand for clean energy continues to rise, driven by climate urgency and economic incentives. But the industry must evolve. Reputation matters more than market share. Execution matters more than expansion.
And if the solar revolution is to shine again, it won’t be powered by unchecked growth. It will be led by those who understand that every install is not just a transaction — it’s a promise.
One that must be kept.
Contact the author at jwconsultationllc@gmail.com