Stranded by SolarZero? Your Options Now

If you're a SolarZero customer feeling stranded after the company's November 2024 receivership, here's the honest answer up front: you are not stuck, and you are not alone. Around 15,000 New Zealand households are in the same boat, and you have four clear paths available: keep paying your existing agreement as the receivers wind it down, dispute incorrect billing under the Fair Trading Act, negotiate a buy-out of the kit on your roof, or replace the system entirely with new gear. Which path is right depends on your contract age, the hardware on your roof, your equity position, and what the receivers (KordaMentha) and any new operator end up offering. This pillar page walks you through every option calmly, points to deeper guides for each path, and helps you make a decision you can live with for the next 10 years. Take your time. Nobody is about to switch your solar off tomorrow.

The collapse of SolarZero was, in our view, the single biggest consumer shock the NZ solar industry has ever seen. A "pay nothing upfront" model marketed for over a decade left thousands of households tied to long-term service agreements (often 20-25 years), and when the parent restructure went sideways in late 2024, the headlines were terrifying. We've spent months working through the actual paperwork, the receivers' notices, and the rights you have under NZ consumer law. This page is the trustworthy shopkeeper version of all of that: warm, clear, on your side.

What "Stranded by SolarZero" Actually Means in the NZ Context

SolarZero (the trading brand operated by Solar Zero Energy Limited and related entities) offered a long-term Solar Energy Service Agreement, not a sale. Customers didn't buy the panels and battery; they paid a monthly subscription for the energy and service. When the business entered receivership in November 2024, ownership of those physical assets, the contracts, and the warranty obligations all became contested questions.

That's the bit causing the panic. People look up at their roof, see a panel and battery that's clearly working, and ask: is this mine, who do I pay, and who fixes it if it breaks?. Reasonable questions, all of them.

The short version, as of the most recent receivers' updates from KordaMentha, is this:

• The hardware is still owned by the SolarZero entity (now under receivers' control), not by you.
• Your monthly payments are still contractually owed unless varied or the contract is novated to a new operator.
• The system on your roof keeps producing power regardless of the legal proceedings; receivers don't physically switch off solar arrays.
• Warranty and servicing obligations are being assessed and, in many cases, transitioned to replacement service providers.

For the official paper trail, we recommend reading the SolarZero Recovery Resource pillar alongside this one. It tracks the receivers' notices in chronological order.

Why this happened (briefly)

SolarZero's model depended on a constant flow of new customer subscriptions to service capital costs and pay for ongoing operations. When the parent company's funding structure restructured in late 2024, the cash flow assumptions stopped working. The Commerce Commission and consumer media have covered the timeline extensively; if you want the full story, our companion article "What Happened to SolarZero?" within the Recovery Resource pillar walks through it.

The "why" matters less than the "what now". Let's get to that.

The Numbers That Actually Matter

Before you can choose a path, you need to understand a few key numbers. We've kept this section deliberately concrete.

How many households are affected

Public statements from KordaMentha and contemporaneous reporting from Consumer NZ and RNZ put the affected customer base at roughly 15,000 households across New Zealand. That's a sizeable chunk of the residential solar market and it means you have collective bargaining power that an individual customer doesn't always feel.

Typical contract value remaining

Most SolarZero agreements ran 20-25 years. Depending on when you signed, the remaining contract value sits somewhere between $15,000 and $35,000 of future monthly payments. That's a big number, and it's the reason buy-out negotiations have become so important. Receivers would generally rather take a lump sum today than chase 18 years of monthly direct debits across 15,000 households.

Hardware value on your roof

The physical kit (panels, inverter, battery) installed by SolarZero typically had an installed retail value of $15,000-$28,000 depending on the system size and whether a battery was included. After 5-10 years of use, the depreciated fair value sits well below that. This gap between "contract value owed" and "hardware market value" is where buy-out negotiations live.

Power bill impact today

Your solar is still producing. Your buy-back rate from your retailer (Genesis, Mercury, Contact, Meridian, Octopus NZ, Ecotricity, Frank, and the rest) is still flowing into your account. If you've forgotten what that rate is or want to see whether you're on the best tariff for a solar household, the Dynamic Tariff & Buy-Back Engine is the fastest way to check.

Your Four Paths: A Map

Every SolarZero customer ends up on one of four paths. There's no shame in any of them; the right answer depends on your specific circumstances.

Path 1: Keep paying and wait for novation

If your monthly SolarZero payment is reasonable, the hardware is working, and you have no urgent need to make a change, the simplest path is to keep paying and wait for the receivers to novate (transfer) the contract to a new operator. Several solar service providers have publicly indicated interest in taking on parts of the SolarZero book.

This path suits you if:

• Your monthly payment is under what equivalent new finance would cost.
• The system is performing well and you have no major faults.
• You're in the last 5-8 years of your agreement (the buy-out maths gets less attractive late in the term).
• You don't want to put energy into negotiation right now.

Path 2: Dispute incorrect billing

A meaningful share of SolarZero customers have reported billing irregularities, system performance below contracted levels, or service failures that weren't remedied. Under the Fair Trading Act 1986 and the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, you have rights that don't disappear just because the company is in receivership.

Common dispute grounds include unmonitored system underperformance, charges continuing during outages, and warranty claims that went unaddressed. Our dedicated guide on SolarZero Billing Disputes walks through the exact process: how to gather evidence, how to lodge a formal complaint with the receivers, and when to escalate to the Disputes Tribunal or Utilities Disputes.

Path 3: Buy out the system

If you have the cash or finance available, buying out the kit on your roof gives you full ownership and ends the monthly subscription. Receivers have been negotiating settlement figures on a case-by-case basis, and many customers have reported settling for significantly less than the remaining contract value.

Our deep-dive guide How to Buy Out Your SolarZero System walks through valuation methodology, finance options (including green loans from Westpac, ANZ, BNZ and Kiwibank), and negotiation tactics. If you want a quick sanity check on whether the maths works, run your numbers through the Solar System Cost & ROI Calculator first.

Path 4: Replace the system entirely

In some cases, the original SolarZero hardware is now old enough, small enough, or under-spec'd enough that replacing it with new modern kit (especially if you've since added an EV or heat pump) makes more sense than buying out the existing system. This path involves agreeing a removal arrangement with the receivers, then commissioning a new installer.

This is usually the right call if your existing system is under 4 kW, your battery is failing or absent, or you've had ongoing fault issues. The free quotes service is the cleanest way to see what a modern replacement would actually cost on your roof.

Topic Map: The Articles in This Silo

This pillar is the front door. Each path above has its own detailed walkthrough, written so you can read just the one that matters to you.

The Recovery Resource (parent context)

Our SolarZero Recovery Resource tracks the receivership timeline, the key dates, the receivers' formal notices, and the broader market response. Start here if you want the full background story before making decisions.

How to Buy Out Your SolarZero System

Our dedicated buy-out guide covers system valuation, what to offer, how to structure the conversation with receivers, finance options (including green loans), and the legal documentation you should expect. This is the most-read cluster article in the silo for good reason: buy-out is the path most customers ultimately land on.

SolarZero Billing Disputes: Your Rights Under the Fair Trading Act

If you believe you've been incorrectly billed, undersupplied, or had warranty claims ignored, our billing disputes guide walks through every step. It explains what Fair Trading Act and Consumer Guarantees Act protections survive a receivership, what evidence you need, and how to escalate to Utilities Disputes or the Disputes Tribunal.

SolarZero Warranty and Servicing: Who Is Responsible Now?

Panels, inverters, and batteries don't stop needing service just because the original company has restructured. Our warranty and servicing guide explains which manufacturer warranties (Trina, LG, Enphase, BYD, etc.) are still valid directly against the manufacturer, and how to organise repairs through a third-party installer.

Supporting tools

• Solar System Cost & ROI Calculator, for stress-testing any buy-out or replacement decision.
• Dynamic Tariff & Buy-Back Engine, to make sure your retailer is paying you fairly for exports.
• Green Finance Qualifier, to check whether you qualify for a 0-1% green loan to fund a buy-out or replacement.

What This Means for the Three Buyer Types

SolarZero customers aren't a monoculture. Different households need different framings. Here's how we'd think about it for each.

The ROI Pragmatist

You're focused on dollars and years. Pull up your original SolarZero agreement and find your monthly payment and remaining term. Multiply them out. That's your "do nothing" cost.

Then run a replacement scenario through the ROI Calculator: a typical 6.6 kW system with battery in NZ runs $18,000-$26,000 installed, with paybacks in the 7-11 year range. If a buy-out figure from the receivers undercuts your remaining contract value by more than 20-30%, that's usually the financially rational move. The Pragmatist almost always lands on Path 2 (dispute) followed by Path 3 (buy out).

The Tech-Savvy Optimiser

You've probably added an EV, a heat pump, or both since you signed your SolarZero contract. The original system was sized for a different household. Your real question isn't "buy out vs keep paying", it's "is this kit even the right shape for my life now?"

For Optimisers, Path 4 (replace) often wins. A modern hybrid inverter, a 10-15 kWh LiFePO4 battery, and a dynamic tariff (Octopus NZ's plans are the obvious starting point) unlock arbitrage savings the SolarZero kit was never designed for. The Tariff Engine shows you the upside.

The Eco-Conscious Family

You signed up to do the right thing for the planet and lock in living costs for your family. The receivership feels like a betrayal of trust, and the temptation is to either panic or freeze.

For Eco families, the path forward is usually pragmatic continuation: keep using the system, claim any warranty service that's due, and decide on buy-out or replacement when there's a clear novation outcome from the receivers. Your panels are still saving emissions every day. The system on the roof is doing its job regardless of the paperwork underneath it.

The Common Traps NZ Homeowners Are Falling Into

This is the part of the article that exists because we've watched it happen too many times in the last six months. These are the traps. Read them carefully.

Trap 1: Stopping payments without a legal basis

It feels emotionally satisfying to cancel the direct debit. Do not do this without legal advice. Until your contract is formally varied, novated, or terminated, unilateral non-payment can damage your credit file and undermine your negotiating position. If you have a genuine dispute, follow the formal process in our billing disputes guide instead.

Trap 2: Accepting the first buy-out figure offered

Several customers have reported receivers' opening offers that were materially higher than the realistic depreciated value of the kit. Receivers are doing their job (recovering value for creditors); your job is to make the counter-offer. Our buy-out guide explains the valuation framework.

Trap 3: Letting a door-knocker "rescue" you

In the months since the receivership, we've seen reports of opportunistic installers door-knocking SolarZero customers with offers to "remove the old system and install ours for $X per month". Some of these offers are fine. Many are dressed-up finance arrangements that just swap one long-term subscription for another, often at worse rates. Never sign anything in your hallway. Always get three independent quotes.

Trap 4: Ignoring the manufacturer warranties

The 25-year panel warranty from Trina, JinkoSolar, LG, or whoever made your panels is a contract between the manufacturer and the asset owner. In many cases, that warranty survives the receivership and can be claimed directly. The warranty guide walks through how.

Trap 5: Treating this as urgent

It isn't. The system on your roof keeps producing power. The receivers' process will take many months to resolve. You have time to read, think, get quotes, and make a calm decision. Anyone telling you to "sign today" or "lock in today's deal" is, by definition, not on your side.

How to Use This Resource

Here's the workflow we'd suggest if you're starting from scratch:

1. Read the parent context. Spend 15 minutes with the Recovery Resource pillar to understand the receivership timeline.
2. Gather your paperwork. Find your original SolarZero contract, your last 12 months of statements, any service correspondence, and any communication from the receivers.
3. Check your tariff. Run your retailer through the Tariff & Buy-Back Engine to make sure you're not also being undersold on your exports.
4. Decide your direction. Based on your situation, identify which of the four paths fits best. Most households land on Path 1 (wait), Path 3 (buy out), or a combination of Path 2 (dispute) then Path 3.
5. Read the relevant cluster article. Whichever path you've chosen, the deep-dive guide is where the actionable detail lives.
6. Get quotes if you need them. If Path 3 or Path 4 is on the table, knowing what a replacement system actually costs is essential. The free quotes service exists for this.
7. Take the action. Lodge the dispute, send the buy-out offer, or commission the replacement. Document everything.

If you only have ten minutes, do steps 1, 2, and 4. Everything else can wait until the weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can SolarZero (or the receivers) switch off my solar panels remotely?

In practical terms, no. Residential solar inverters are not remotely "switched off" by service providers, and disconnecting a working grid-tied system would require physical work at the property, which receivers do not undertake against paying customers in the ordinary course. Your panels keep producing.

Do I still need to pay my monthly SolarZero bill?

Yes, unless you have formally varied or terminated the contract, or unless you have a legitimate dispute lodged under consumer law. Unilaterally stopping payments without process can hurt your credit and weaken your bargaining position. If you believe you have grounds to dispute, follow the steps in our billing disputes guide.

Who owns the solar system on my roof?

Under the original SolarZero agreement, the hardware is owned by the SolarZero entity, not by you. That ownership now sits with the receivers (KordaMentha) on behalf of creditors, and may be transferred to a new operator through a novation process.

Can I just buy the hardware for a fair price?

Yes, and many customers have done so. Receivers have generally been willing to negotiate buy-out figures, especially where the alternative is administering a long-tail of monthly payments. Our buy-out guide covers the negotiation in detail.

What happens to the warranty on my panels and battery?

Manufacturer warranties (typically 25 years on panels, 10-15 years on batteries) generally sit between the manufacturer and the system owner. These often survive the receivership and can be claimed directly. Workmanship warranties from the original installer may not be enforceable if that entity has been wound up. See the warranty guide for specifics.

If something breaks tomorrow, who do I call?

First, contact the receivers' designated service line (KordaMentha publishes current contact details on their notices). For straightforward repairs, many SolarZero customers have engaged independent local solar installers directly and paid for the work, sometimes recovering costs from the receivers, sometimes not. The warranty and servicing article covers this in detail.

Will a new company take over my contract?

Possibly. Several NZ solar service providers have expressed interest in acquiring portions of the SolarZero customer book. If novation happens, your contract will continue under the new operator on terms that should be substantially similar to your original agreement, with formal notification to you.

Can I just remove the system and replace it?

Yes, but the hardware isn't yours to dispose of without an agreement with the receivers. The standard approach is to negotiate either a buy-out and resale, a buy-out and replacement, or an agreed removal where the receivers take back their kit and you commission a new system. The free quotes service can help you cost the replacement side.

Am I worse off financially because of all this?

For most customers, no. The system is still producing power, your power bill is still lower than it would be without solar, and your monthly payment hasn't changed. The uncertainty is real, but it's largely about future ownership, not current cash flow.

Can I get a green loan to buy out the system?

Often, yes. Westpac, ANZ, BNZ and Kiwibank all offer green or sustainability loans at low or zero interest rates for solar-related spending, and several have indicated willingness to fund SolarZero buy-outs. Eligibility varies, so check the Green Finance Qualifier to see what you're likely to qualify for.

What if I can't afford to buy out and don't want to keep paying?

This is where the disputes path matters. If your system has underperformed, been incorrectly metered, or had service failures, you may have grounds to negotiate a reduced settlement or contract variation under the Fair Trading Act and Consumer Guarantees Act. Utilities Disputes and the Disputes Tribunal are free or low-cost avenues. Don't suffer in silence.

Should I get a lawyer involved?

For most customers, no. The receivers' process, the disputes pathway, and the buy-out negotiation can all be navigated without legal representation. If your situation is unusually complex (commercial property, multiple systems, large remaining contract value), a one-hour paid consultation with a consumer or property lawyer is worth it. Community Law Centres also offer free advice for those who qualify.

How long until this is all resolved?

Receiverships of this scale typically run 12-24 months from start to final resolution. Individual customer outcomes (buy-outs, novations, settlements) are happening on rolling timeframes within that. Be patient, document everything, and use the resources here to stay informed.

Where to Go From Here

If you've read this far, you're already ahead of where most stranded SolarZero customers are right now. Pick the next article based on where your head is at:

• If you want the full backstory and receivership timeline, head to the SolarZero Recovery Resource.
• If you're seriously considering buying out the kit, read How to Buy Out Your SolarZero System.
• If you suspect you've been incorrectly billed or undersupplied, our SolarZero Billing Disputes guide walks through your Fair Trading Act rights.
• If something on your roof has stopped working, head to SolarZero Warranty and Servicing.
• If you're thinking about replacing the system, get three free quotes from vetted NZ installers.
• If you want to stress-test the financial maths, the Solar ROI Calculator and Green Finance Qualifier are both free.

You haven't done anything wrong. SolarZero customers bought into a model in good faith, and the rug got pulled by financial and corporate factors well outside any homeowner's control. The system on your roof still works. The sun still rises over the Hauraki Gulf, the Kapiti Coast, the Canterbury Plains, Otago Harbour, all the same as it did the day you signed. The maths still works in your favour. You just need a clear-eyed plan, and that's what this entire silo is here to help you build.

Take it one step at a time. Have a cup of tea. Read the cluster article that matters most to your situation. Make the next small decision. We'll be here when you want the next one.