New Jersey family left in the dark after $55,000 solar system breaks down and the company files for bankruptcy

2 months ago 12

Sarah Li-Cain, AFC

Wed, Apr 16, 2025, 4:45 AM 4 min read

Kira Traore says she was paying precisely zero dollars successful energy bills for her location successful New Jersey — until precocious past twelvemonth erstwhile the self-sustaining solar powerfulness strategy broke down.

The timing couldn't person been worse — the institution that the household purchased the strategy from had conscionable filed for bankruptcy, according to CBS New York.

Despite inactive paying for the financing connected the strategy — which outgo $54,907.69 to instal — the household got obscurity trying to get idiosyncratic to hole it. Meanwhile, they had to wage the section inferior institution for electricity.

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“Who is looking retired for the user here?” Kira, frustrated by the situation, exclaimed to the section broadcaster successful a communicative published April 1.

Her husband, Sidi Traore, who was besides astatine a loss, added: “I’m powerless.”

In the end, the communicative came to a satisfactory conclusion. Here’s what happened, on with tips connected what you tin bash successful akin situations.

The household signed a declaration with a institution called SunPower 3 years agone to acceptable up a star system. Everything was hunky-dory, Kira says, until this past December erstwhile the system’s batteries malfunctioned, followed by the metering system.

“So, the panels are inactive producing electricity, but it’s not letting our electrical institution cognize that,” Kira explained.

Kira says she couldn’t get a effect from SunPower astir fixing her system. The institution had filed for bankruptcy lone months earlier.

CBS New York says it tracked down a contractor who installed systems for SunPower. He explained fixing the batteries would necessitate tech enactment from the institution — indicating customers mightiness beryllium retired of luck if they acquisition problems going forward.

But the broadcaster didn’t halt there. CBS New York reports it contacted Complete Solar, the institution that purchased overmuch of SunPower’s assets, and they sent a technician to assistance Kira. Within 2 hours, she says, the star strategy was backmost up and running.

Complete Solar explained to CBS New York there’s a bug successful SunPower’s bundle that causes the batteries to fastener up and the strategy indispensable beryllium rebooted periodically. Complete Solar is considering a work to assistance customers with this issue.


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