A Two-Founder Solar Company Uses Claude to Repair "Orphaned" Systems From Defunct Manufacturers
SoFlo Solar's technicians use Claude in the field to search manuals from 80 manufacturers, find parts for systems whose makers are gone and make old and new equipment work together. A co-founder who doesn't code built their first platform in 11 days.
Who this is about: Solar installation and repair company (SoFlo Solar, Miami)
What it takes
- Cost
- Free planClaude: Free plan. Pro is $20 a month billed monthly ($17 a month billed yearly), and Max starts at $100 a month. Team seats are $25 a month billed monthly.Price checked Oct 24, 2026 on claude.com. Prices change; check before you buy.
- Setup time
- Under an hourOur estimate from the source, for one business.
- Skill needed
- No codeApps and settings only.
Explain it simply
Many solar panel systems in South Florida were left without support when the companies that installed them went out of business. Fixing them is hard because the equipment is old and the makers' help lines are gone. SoFlo's technicians ask Claude, an AI assistant, to search the old manuals and suggest how to make the parts work together, so they can finish the repair on the spot. The company also uses it to draw wiring diagrams, translate instructions for crews and write simple job summaries for homeowners.
What was done
SoFlo focuses on "solar orphans": homeowners whose installer went out of business, leaving equipment with void warranties. Luis estimates about 12,000 orphaned systems in South Florida. Most systems they take on are five to ten years old, with parts from manufacturers that no longer exist.
Field diagnostics: technicians use Claude to read across manuals, find substitute parts and solve problems such as a battery and an inverter not talking to each other. "I can't digest 1,500 manuals from 80 manufacturers, but Claude can," Luis says.
Crew instructions: Luis works with Claude to produce the wiring diagrams the crew follows and to translate instructions for technicians who speak Spanish or Portuguese.
Job records: each job is logged through a voice intake that Claude turns into a plain-language record for the homeowner.
Software: Laura taught herself to "vibe-code" (build software by describing it to an AI) and built the first working version of the operating platform in 11 days. Luis then wrote a full product requirements document and hired an outside developer to build it out.
Strategy: Luis first used Claude to study the market, which led the business to focus on orphan rescue.
How it went
Repairs that used to be dead ends now get finished on site, according to the company. One Fort Lauderdale couple had a fully installed system that was never switched on; after SoFlo took it apart, redid the permits and rebuilt it, their first electric bill was $31. The founders are now building a separate software product that pulls five different manufacturer apps into one view.
- This is Anthropic's own customer story, with no measured time savings or repair counts. Electrical work still needs a licensed technician to check anything an AI suggests.
Prompt
"I'm on site with a [year] [brand] inverter and a [brand] battery that
aren't communicating. Attached are the manuals for both. 1) List the
communication protocols and settings each supports. 2) Tell me which
settings must match and where to change them, with page references.
3) If they can't work together, suggest compatible substitute parts that
are still sold. Flag anything that needs a licensed electrician's check."
After the job: "Turn this voice note into a plain-language summary for
the homeowner: what was wrong, what we did, and what to watch for."Our prompts, not SoFlo's.
Business fit
Who this helps, and how:
Solar and HVAC repair contractors: search old and discontinued equipment manuals in the field instead of waiting on support lines.
Local & serviceTrades businesses with multilingual crews: generate translated instructions and diagrams for each job.
Local & serviceFounders who don't code: prototype your own internal tool, then hand a clear requirements document to a developer.
Solo founders
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