The rise in Texans reports that they are taking advantage of the feeling of being used after purchasing residential solar panel systems. Available on CBS News Texas I-Team It’s not covered It is a pattern of complaints within the industry, and the issue is currently attracting the attention of Texas legislators.
“They promise a month and deliver flashlights,” said Texas Rep. Gary Vander, New Boston, author of the solar panel-related bill that the session was submitted.
Solar panel customers aren’t the only ones tired of predatory behavior. Even some solar businesses and industry experts want more regulations.
“People’s lives were torn apart.”
When Taylor Alexander began working as a solar panel installer five years ago, he quickly fell in love. He was drawn to the idea that the technology could help customers save money and establish independence from the Texas Power Grid. He and his wife eventually founded Solar Company, a Texas solar company.
However, it didn’t take long for Alexander to realize that he called an unsettling tendency.
In many cases, there are three separate companies in the residential solar panel trade. Distributor, installer, and finance company. As an installer, Texas Solar Panimal is often contracted by other companies to install panels sold by other companies. Alexander says that it should never be made in the first place, and there have often been repeated instances of transactions involving elderly clients.
“We were increasingly coming across a horror story of people who didn’t know exactly what they were getting,” Alexander said.
These stories were fascinated by the false promise that customers would sell expensive solar systems and not have to pay another electricity bill or receive a government rebate that doesn’t exist.
“People’s lives were torn apart from that,” Alexander said.
More than “buyer’s regrets”
It’s available on i-team Reported in the solar sales industryoften relying on young men who visit door to door, focusing solely on selling, cutting, and handing out work to third parties. Dozens of customers felt used to reach out to tell their stories.
“She was very exploited.” One woman said about her stepmother, Some years before her death, who took away a $87,000 loan.
“I wanted to cry.” Another woman said About receiving a loan invoice to fund solar panels that she intentionally did not take away.
“We’ve been through a year and a half of pure hell,” another said. Other Texan families pursuing legal action They condemn predatory practices against solar companies.
Vandeaver said he first noticed the problem for his constituents.
“Most of the time, these elderly homeowners’ children come to us and say, “My parents, my aunt, my uncle, everyone is used and we need to stop this,” he said.
He initially thought it was probably a small number of dissatisfied customers. However, when he and his staff began to look into the complaints and they received more calls, he said he realized this was a widespread issue.
Data obtained by I-Team shows that solar panel-related complaints filed with the Texas Attorney General’s office have skyrocketed in recent years, rising from 154 in 2020 to 696 in 2024.
Data from the Better Business Bureau shows a similar trend, with 1,069 complaints filed against solar companies in 2024 and 166 in 2019 compared to 166.
The Texas Senator from Laredo, another state legislator who introduced solar panel-related laws during the session, said he has become interested in the issue after hearing from regulatory experts and consumer protection advocates.
“These cases revealed that they were not occasional cases of buyers’ regret. They revealed an unsettling trend in misleading predatory tactics that disproportionately harmed the elderly and non-English speaking Texans.”
bill
Vandeaver wants to believe that many of the issues the industry has seen are not due to extensive efforts to intentionally mislead people, but rather to lack of awareness and offensive salespeople.
His bill focuses on consumer education. If you sign the law, HB 1640 requires the Utilities Commission to develop a consumer guide for home solar systems. The guide includes suggested questions for customers to ask, as well as contact numbers to allow them to call with questions.
Zaffiini introduced the same bill in the Senate. It has already been passed in SB1697.
“We’ll see if this fixes it,” Vandeaver said. “My hope is, but otherwise I’m certainly ready to come back for something more punitive.”
What other bills Zaffirini proposed takes a punitive approach.
If approved, SB 1036 requires solar panel salespeople to register with the Texas licensing regulatory agency and prohibits solar salespeople or retailer from intentionally making misleading claims. Penalties for offenders can include a fine of up to $50,000 or a fine of up to $100,000 if the customer is 65 years of age or older.
“SB 1036 targets the most serious issues in the residential solar market: deceptive sales tactics and lack of regulatory oversight.”
She also writes that her goal is to “protect consumers while supporting the growth of Texas’ clean energy.”
At a recent Senate committee hearing, several industry representatives appeared to advocate for cracking down on bad actors they believe have put the industry at risk. They reflected what Alexander said to the I-Team about his support for increasing regulations.
“We won’t flinch it, we welcome it,” Alexander said. “We don’t have to look over both shoulders, so we look forward to it. We wonder if people will bring us bad jobs.”
SB 1036 passed away in the Senate, but has not been featured in the House so far.
