Renova Energy, the Coachella Valley-based solar panel company, has filed for bankruptcy in federal court, though it wasn’t immediately clear how the move will impact its customers or its plans to pivot into a “microgrid” solar company.
The filing comes a couple months after Renova’s CEO, Vincent Battaglia, said the company had ceased operations and planned to reconfigure itself as a new company called Mycrogrid with a different business strategy.
Renova, which is based in Palm Desert, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court on Friday, March 20. It listed between 200 and 299 creditors, with total assets at roughly $316,000 and total liabilities of about $16.4 million, according to court documents.
Battaglia did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday, March 23.
In January, when The Desert Sun reported on Renova Energy ceasing operations, Battaglia said anyone who bought or leased a solar system through Renova Energy and has an active warranty will have it honored under their warranty terms.
A call to the main number for Renova Energy on Monday, March 23, drew an automated response touting the company’s transition and saying all service work “will be temporarily paused until our official grand opening under Mycrogrid.”
For those with existing leases under SunPower, the message referred them to a phone number for SunStrong Management. The message says those who purchased their systems outright “may either wait until our grand opening in April, or contact another solar provider willing to service your system during this time.”
The filing marks the latest development for Renova Energy in recent years, after its primary investor, SunPower, filed for bankruptcy in 2024. That resulted in Renova Energy placing roughly 350 employees on furlough for several weeks before Battaglia said the company ultimately restabilized.
Earlier this year, Battaglia said that potential investors told him they were less interested in Renova’s current business model than in an emerging technology called a “microgrid,” which allows consumers to use solar power technology without needing to be tied into the larger power grid and a utility company.
Battaglia said he founded the Mycrogrid company more than a decade ago but previously used it only as a holding company for solar-related patents he holds. Mycrogrid is listed as a creditor with non-priority unsecured claims in Renova’s bankruptcy filing.
Ultimately, Mycrogrid will have its own board and will close Renova Energy. (As of Monday, Renova Energy’s website redirected to mycrogrid.com, with the home pages stating: “The future of true energy independence is almost here.”)
Battaglia said in January he temporarily laid off about 25 Renova employees, but plans to rehire them as Mycrogrid employees once the newly constituted company begins operations. At the time, Battaglia also said the next couple months would be focused on tying up Renova Energy’s loose ends and moving contractors’ licenses, bank accounts, leases and other business assets into Mycrogrid’s name and control, with plans to start operating the new company in April.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the bankruptcy filing will cause that timeline to change.
Like Renova before it, Mycrogrid has plans to sell, install and service solar systems, with the company’s service side transitioning to being focused on the maintenance of microgrid systems specifically, though Battaglia said it won’t manufacture the systems it sells.
Court documents show a meeting of creditors involved in the bankruptcy case has been scheduled for April 30.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Renova Energy declares bankruptcy; founder plans new solar company
Reporting by Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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