Solar Pain: Real-World Problems Owners Are Facing Right Now

Over the past several weeks, I’ve talked with several companies and public agencies facing significant solar challenges.

• A property recently acquired with a large rooftop system where 20% of the installed PV capacity is being curtailed by the utility
• Another project where the organization is owed a $277,000 performance guarantee payment from their solar provider
• A public agency that has lost over $507,000 in savings due to delays in bringing a fully built system online, driven by interconnection issues
• Another project where the owner has been working for more than a year to gain permission to operate a sizeable solar plus storage system

Different organizations, different projects, different developers.

The pattern is the same.

These are not failures of solar technology. The systems are built, in most cases fully capable of performing. What’s breaking down is everything around the system, the alignment between utility requirements, contractual obligations, and long-term ownership.

The Gap Between “Installed” and “Operational”

There is a persistent assumption that once a system is constructed, the hard part is over. In practice, there is a meaningful gap between a system being built and a system being fully operational and delivering financial results. That gap is where many projects quietly start to drift off course.

Utilities like PG&E are not evaluating whether a project looks complete, they are evaluating whether it aligns precisely with what was studied and approved during the interconnection process. If something is even slightly out of alignment, capacity can be limited, timelines can stretch, and approvals can stall.
That is how you end up with a system that is technically finished, but financially underperforming.

Where Things Actually Go Sideways

Across these situations, a few consistent patterns tend to show up.

Interconnection Isn’t Fully Closed Out
Projects move forward physically while lagging behind administratively. Applications may not match the final installed configuration, or required studies and approvals are left incomplete. The result is a system that exists, but is not fully allowed to operate as intended.

Performance Guarantees Are Left Unmanaged
On paper, performance guarantees feel straightforward. In reality, underperformance often goes unaccounted for, and significant payments go unclaimed. Ideally, performance is being monitored and managed well above guaranteed levels. At a minimum, performance should be periodically measured against these guarantees, and any payments owed should be actively pursued.

Ownership Changes Expose Hidden Issues
When assets change hands, gaps in documentation and understanding tend to surface quickly. Interconnection status may be unclear, constraints like curtailment may not have been fully disclosed, and the new owner inherits both the system and the unresolved history behind it.

Utility Engagement Becomes a Long Game
Resolving issues with utilities is rarely quick. Timelines can stretch into months or longer, requirements may evolve, and progress depends on consistent, informed follow up. Without someone actively managing that process, issues can persist far longer than expected.

The Real Cost, It Adds Up Quickly

Individually, each of these issues is frustrating. Together, they become expensive.

• Hundreds of thousands in delayed or lost savings
• Reduced system capacity year after year
• Internal time spent chasing resolution
• External costs for engineering, legal, and advisory support

A system that is “almost working” is often more problematic than one that is clearly down, because the losses are less visible, but just as real.

A Different Kind of Expertise Is Required

What these situations highlight is a gap, not in engineering or construction, but in managing the ongoing intersection of technical performance, utility requirements, and contractual frameworks. That is where many projects fall short.

At Transform Energy Asset Management, we are increasingly brought into situations like these, not just to diagnose what went wrong, but to help owners navigate a path to resolution and recover the value their systems were meant to deliver.

Because getting a solar project built is one thing.

Getting it to operate, and perform, the way it was intended is something else entirely.

Need Help Addressing Solar Problems?

We’re here to help. Reach out to david.burdick@transformenergy.com to explore how our team can help you get peak financial performance from your energy infrastructure.