Solar panels are seen on the roof of the West Dallas Branch Library in an aerial view on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Dallas, TX. 256 solar panels were installed on the city building in 2022.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
The science of rooftop solar panels made sense. It began a few years back. Put solar panels on your home’s roof, watch your electric bill decrease and help protect the environment.
Then humans had to come in and ruin it.
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How? Here are victims of solar schemes in their own words, courtesy of pro-consumer group, Texas Appleseed, which collects victim statements:
Legally blind
D.P. of Fayette County: “The salesman came to my mother’s house and convinced her she would save money on her electric bills, and the government would pay for solar panels if she qualified.
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“No mention of a cost to her throughout the entire process. She is 90 years old and is very confused about the whole ordeal. She had no computer, no email account and is legally blind. Yet somehow she ended up with a debt of $56,930.43. The salesman created an email account on her phone without her knowledge and was using it to DocuSign documents.”
A double amputee
From Houston. G.C. is 77 years old. “A door-to-door salesperson said that the solar panels were free through a government and would also save her money on her electric bill. None of those benefits panned out. After the panels were installed, she learned that she owed $50,000 on a 25-year loan. She felt tricked. She’s a double amputee and is struggling with the cost.”
Terminally ill
From Joshua. “He was terminally ill and in hospice care. His adult daughter tried to stop workers installing solar panels and was told they had a contract. After his death, his daughter discovered a 25-year loan contract for $60,000. The company says they do not allow dealers to sell to a consumer who is unable to fully understand terms of the contract (language barriers, health or other evident conditions). But his family wondered how he could sign the contract in his state of illness.
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“After he passed away, the family stopped paying the loan. So the company filed a lien on the property. As a result, the family was struggling to sell the property.”
Signed blank page
From Garland. “She was considering solar panels and met with a salesperson. During the pitch, she was asked to sign a blank tablet screen authorizing a credit check. She eventually decided against getting solar panels.
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“Around two years later, she discovered that a solar lending company had put a lien on her home and claimed she owed $97,000. The installation company said they canceled the contract, but the lender kept attempting to collect.”
Illiterate victim
From Dallas. “Took advantage of our elderly grandmother, who is low income who can’t even read or write. They conned her into buying solar panels on a house that is so old it’s falling apart.
“The salesman didn’t tell her his real name. He got all her personal information and even tried to get all her checking account information. She was tricked into a 25-year-loan for $43,000, That’s not including the interest, and she’s 79 years old. Now she has a lien against her house and her health has worsened since this scam.”
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“No cost”
From Hunt County. “The salesperson said there was ‘no cost’ and she will have money ‘in her pocket.’ She is elderly and gets confused. She does not remember signing anything, but her name is on a 20-year bank loan. The solar panels are not producing as they were advertised, and as a result, she now has two bills – one for electricity and one for the loan.”
Forged signature
From Hidalgo County. “They told us we did not qualify due to our roof not passing inspection. Then we got letters from the court. I went to the court, and they told us that we had to pay thousands of dollars for panels we don’t even have. They had forged my signature. I don’t speak English or write.”
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“No luck”
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From Kerr County. “The sales rep told me ‘you will no longer have an electric bill.’ After installation, I was still getting an electric bill. My signature had been forged and a false email I have never seen was listed as my account email. I have had no luck speaking to anyone about the $45,000 loan.”
As these stories show, the problem was never the panels. Sunlight is free. It was the salespeople who messed it up.
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In my next Watchdog column, I’ll show whether Texas turned its back on solar swindles – or worked to protect us.