Fortified Solar, LLC
Unclaimed55/100 · Mixed evidence
Public-record listing · Greenville, SC (HQ); states served not stated · https://fortifiedsolar.com
Unclaimed listing. This firm has not registered or claimed this page. Everything here comes from public records and the firm’s own public website, as of 2026-10-15.
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What they do
SC manufacturer of building-integrated PV (steel solar roofing) that sells direct ownership of solar assets to individuals for ITC + bonus depreciation. Public records show a real manufacturing operation (state-announced $22.75M expansion). No SEC/FINRA registration, Form D, court cases, or state orders found. Key marketing claims (third-party legal opinions, Brown & Brown tax-credit insurance, 'Top 20 CPA' documentation) are not verifiable from public records.
Public-record summary. Category: Solar ITC (S08) - direct ownership. Fees: Not published.
Strategies offered
- Solar Investment Credits Public record source
- Accelerated Depreciation Public record source
Evidence score
55/100 · Mixed evidence55 of 100 applicable points = 55. Rubric v1.1 (2026-10-17). Retrieved 2026-10-15.
39 points are pending because the item could not be checked from public records. If every pending item were verified, the score could reach up to 59 (limited by caps or by items that don't apply). How this is calculated.
| Category | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory record (weight 25) | 18 / 25 | |
| Tax-controversy record (weight 20) | 20 / 20 | |
| Litigation & complaints (weight 15) | 13 / 15 | |
| Transparency (weight 15) | 0 / 15 | |
| Substance & verifiability (weight 15) | 3 / 15 | |
| Structure quality (weight 10) | 1 / 10 |
Red flags
A flag stays Open, and its cap applies, until it is addressed with new public evidence or with materials the firm submits and a reviewer accepts. Addressed flags no longer limit the score.
Evidence by item
Each line shows the points awarded, how it was checked and a source link where one exists.
Regulatory record · 18 / 25
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 Registration status verified for firm and soliciting individuals where required (BD/IA/state; insurance producer if relevant) | 0 / 5 | UNVERIFIED | No FINRA BrokerCheck or SEC IAPD record for 'Fortified Solar' (firm search, 0 hits). Whether 'fully managed' direct-ownership sales are securities is a legal question for securities counsel; registration status cannot be scored until that is decided. source |
| R2 No SEC/FINRA disciplinary events for the firm (10-yr lookback) | 8 / 8 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No FINRA/SEC disciplinary records (BrokerCheck & IAPD 0 hits); no SEC actions found in federal docket search (CourtListener RECAP, 0 hits for 'Fortified Solar'). source |
| R3 No disciplinary events for principals/control persons (10-yr lookback) | 6 / 6 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No disciplinary events found for principals in the sources searched (SEC/FINRA/state orders). Principals are not listed on this page. source |
| R4 No state securities-regulator or state AG actions against firm/principals | 4 / 4 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No SC Attorney General Securities Division order naming Fortified Solar or a principal in 2020-2026 notices/orders indexes; no state AG action found by web search. Not exhaustive across all states. source |
| R5 Named licensed professionals (CPA/attorney/EA) in good standing | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Licensed-professional good standing needs state CPA board / bar lookups for named individuals; not performed in this initial review. |
Tax-controversy record · 20 / 20
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Strategy is not a listed transaction / transaction of interest and not a current Dirty Dozen theme | 8 / 8 | VERIFIED | Solar ITC (Sec. 48E) is not a listed transaction/TOI and not a 2026 Dirty Dozen theme (IR-2026-30 checked). source |
| T2 No DOJ Tax Division injunctions / IRC ยงยง6700, 6701 promoter cases against firm or principals | 6 / 6 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No DOJ civil injunction (IRC 7407/7408) or promoter case found in federal dockets for firm or principal (CourtListener RECAP). DOJ press-release site not separately searched. source |
| T3 No adverse Tax Court / appellate opinions involving the sponsor's prior deals | 4 / 4 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No Tax Court/appellate opinions naming Fortified Solar (CourtListener opinions, 0 hits). Client cases under other names would not be caught. source |
| T4 Provides clear reportable-transaction disclosure guidance (Form 8886/8918) where applicable | 2 / 2 | VERIFIED | Strategy is not a listed transaction/TOI, so Form 8886/8918 guidance is N/A-justified (rubric: 2 = clear or N/A-justified). source |
Litigation & complaints · 13 / 15
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 No material civil fraud/misrepresentation litigation (firm, principals, affiliates) | 6 / 6 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No federal civil cases naming Fortified Solar found (CourtListener RECAP, 0 hits). State courts were not searched. source |
| L2 Complaint pattern reasonable (BBB, state AG, CFPB where relevant) | 4 / 4 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No BBB profile or complaints found (BBB search API, 0 matches); no complaint pattern found in web search. source |
| L3 No bankruptcy/insolvency pattern among principals or affiliates | 3 / 3 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No bankruptcy filings for the entity found in the sources searched. |
| L4 Entities in good standing with Secretary of State; legal entity names match marketing | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Secretary of State good-standing not checked: state portals checked use CAPTCHA (e.g., SC businessfilings.sc.gov); not bypassed. Needs a manual lookup or paid registry pull. |
Transparency · 0 / 15
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| X1 Fees and total costs published or provided in writing before commitment | 0 / 4 | UNVERIFIED | Fees/total costs are not published on fortifiedsolar.com (pages reviewed: home, partner, about, manufacturing, resources). May be provided in writing to buyers; not verifiable publicly. source |
| X2 Offering documents available before commitment; Form D on EDGAR where applicable | 0 / 4 | UNVERIFIED | No Form D on EDGAR (full-text search 0 hits). Offering/purchase documents are behind a login ('Log in to access'). Whether a Form D is required depends on the securities-law question in R1. source |
| X3 Names tax counsel / opinion issuer and allows direct verification | 0 / 4 | UNVERIFIED | Site claims 'Third-party legal opinions' but does not name the issuer. Names Cherry Bekaert only as author of a material-participation technical memo (CPA firm, not tax counsel). source |
| X4 Discloses audit/examination and claim history of prior deals | 0 / 3 | UNVERIFIED | Audit/examination and claim history of prior deals is not in public records; would need firm disclosure. |
Substance & verifiability · 3 / 15
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| V1 Underlying assets independently verifiable (e.g., interconnection agreements, utility records, deeds, dated site evidence) | 3 / 6 | PARTIAL | Manufacturing operation independently confirmed by SC Governor and SC Commerce releases (Jul. 2026: $22.75M expansion, 10 A.D. Asbury Rd). Investor-owned project assets (interconnection, utility records) NOT verified. source |
| V2 Placed-in-service / completion evidence for prior projects | 0 / 4 | UNVERIFIED | No public placed-in-service evidence (PTO letters, commissioning) for prior investor projects. |
| V3 Appraisals by independent credentialed appraisers (not promoter-selected) | 0 / 3 | UNVERIFIED | FMV/basis appraisals for ITC purposes not public; appraiser independence unknown. |
| V4 Pre-tax economic substance: investment case exists apart from tax benefits | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Site asserts 'income-producing potential' and 'transparent performance expectations', but no pro forma, PPA or lease is public. source |
Structure quality · 1 / 10
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 Independent legal opinion (not solely promoter-paid boilerplate) | 0 / 4 | UNVERIFIED | Legal opinions claimed but not seen; independence of issuer unknown. source |
| Q2 Tax insurance verified directly with named carrier/broker (policy exists, scope understood) | 1 / 2 | PARTIAL | Claims 'Tax credit insurance available (Brown & Brown)'. Brown & Brown is an insurance broker, not a carrier; no carrier/policy confirmed (rubric: 1 = claimed, unverified). source |
| Q3 Fees reasonable relative to comparable offerings | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Needs a written fee comparison set of >=3 comparable offerings; not built in this initial review. |
| Q4 No guaranteed outcomes, benefit multiples or 'audit-proof' claims | 0 / 2 | VERIFIED | Partner page: 'a single strategy that moves the needle without exposing them (or your firm) to audit risk' and 'maintaining audit defensibility'; home page: 'Immediate, material tax offset'. Treated as a no-audit-risk claim (rubric Q4 / RF2). source |
Questions to ask this firm
- Who issues the 'third-party legal opinions', and may buyers rely on them?
- Which carrier underwrites the tax-credit insurance placed via Brown & Brown, and what does it exclude (e.g., Sec. 469/material participation)?
- Is a 'fully managed' direct-ownership purchase a security? If so, which exemption and who solicits?
- Are 'Partner' advisors compensated per sale?
- Placed-in-service evidence for a sample of prior projects.
About these scores. Scores reflect only publicly available evidence found as of the retrieval date shown, scored with the same rubric for every firm. They are not an endorsement, rating of quality, accusation or statement about any person. Items we could not check from public records earn no points and are marked Unverified; a firm can supply proof to update them. How we score · Request a correction
Complaints
0 complaints under review · 0 substantiated · 0 with a response from the firm.
Complaints are an allegation until a reviewer decides. We show only the category and status, never the complainant’s identity, the description or any documents. Private complaints are counted but not itemized. The firm can respond by claiming this listing.
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Verification and listing notice
"Verified" means our staff checked the identity, business-registration, and credential details listed against the sources named, on the date shown. It is not an endorsement, rating, or recommendation. Firm- and advisor-reported information is their own statement. Listings are alphabetical; payment never affects order, scores, or warnings.