Texas woman says small-time solar company vanished after panels failed, but the bills keep coming

Rooftop solar can be a powerful tool for lowering utility bills and cutting pollution. But for one Fort Worth, Texas, homeowner, a malfunctioning system reportedly became a financial nightmare, with broken panels, unanswered calls, and a $67,000 loan that did not go away.

What happened?

After Christina Jimenez saw one of her solar panels fail in February and then had 10 more stop working in April, she tried to get help from TriSmart, the company that installed her system, according to CBS News Texas. However, she said she heard nothing from TriSmart despite calling the company dozens of times and sending it 14 emails. 

Eventually, she learned on Reddit that the business had closed. "A lot of employees got axed a week before Christmas and they were closing the business," she told CBS News Texas.  

Nonetheless, she said the company that financed her solar loan, Goodleap, keeps sending her bills for a system that is not working properly. The fallout has also affected her family: her mother, Ana Gonzales, reportedly bought panels from Lumio before that company filed for bankruptcy in 2024. Now, Gonzales pays $300 a year for an additional service plan.  

These experiences reflect a wider problem in a market that now reaches at least 6 million U.S. homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. 

Over the past several years, about 100 solar companies around the country have reportedly gone out of business, including firms that served Texans such as Freedom Forever, Sunnova, and Solar Mosaic, CBS News reported. Experts have said the recent bankruptcies are tied to the loss of a federal tax credit and an uptick in defaults on solar loans.

Why does it matter?

While solar panels can be a worthwhile home upgrade, homeowners can be left with damaged equipment and years of debt when installers make aggressive promises, rely on unstable financing, or go out of business before honoring warranties.

The loan agreements customers sign can remain in force even after a solar company collapses,  leaving some families still owing tens of thousands of dollars for systems that are partly or completely offline. The Center for Responsible Lending has compared some residential solar financing practices to predatory subprime mortgage tactics, per CBS News Texas.

Attorney Neal Prevost, who represents clients challenging expensive solar agreements, said consumers may be able to take lenders to arbitration and have contracts canceled. He told CBS News Texas that roughly 75% of customers get some restitution when they push back.

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