Solar firms went bust, panels went dark: Connecticut homeowners are still paying for panels that never provided power

Imagine signing a 25-year declaration for a star sheet strategy that costs much than $100,000. You'd beryllium beauteous anxious to get those panels cranking and to spot your energy measure falling.

But what would hap if, instead, your bills went up, the institution that sold you the panels went bankrupt, and its successor was trying to cod connected lease payments for a strategy that doesn't work?

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This is precisely the pickle immoderate Connecticut homeowners accidental they are facing.

"Our vigor bills person much than doubled since star panels person been enactment connected our house," said Jason Pelchat, 1 of the homeowners interviewed by section presumption Eyewitness News 3 (1). He said he'd similar to get onto his extortion himself to rip the panels disconnected — and he's not the lone one.

Solar institution bankruptcies powerfulness large bills for homeowners

According to News 3, Michael Lyons and Jason Pelchat some signed contracts successful 2023 with antithetic star companies (SunPower Corporation and Sunnova) to wage panels disconnected implicit clip done lease payments. But problems started connected time one.

"Within 20 hours of the strategy being turned on, we had errors showing up successful our applications. You know, strategy error, strategy error, strategy error," Lyons explained. Multiple visits from technicians failed to hole the issue, and Lyons adjacent disconnected his strategy retired of fearfulness of a fire.

Techs person not been by since SunPower's bankruptcy successful August 2024 oregon Sunnova's filing successful June 2025. But a caller company, SunStrong, is connected the scene, taking implicit lawsuit accounts from the bankrupt companies.

But here’s the problem: Lyons and Pelchat assertion SunStrong didn't hole their panels, but did get fixated connected missed payments.

"They support sending maine emails each week, each week, each week, aggregate emails, SunStrong management. This magnitude is due. This magnitude is due," Pelchat told the quality station.

The frustrated homeowners person present had their recognition affected owed to not paying the bills, adjacent though, arsenic Pelchat said, "Who successful their close caput would wage for thing that is perfectly not working?"

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The lights are going retired for much star firms

Lyons and Pelchat aren't the lone homeowners facing these kinds of issues. The state's lawyer wide has opened an probe into SunStrong aft it received much than 60 complaints. SunStrong told Eyewitness News it is cooperating with the probe and committed to homeowners, but would not reply different questions.