An icon in the solar industry left customers scrambling after they filed for bankruptcy.

After CBS News New York investigator Mahsa Saeidi helped get a New Jersey family's solar panels fixed, her inbox was flooded with similar complaints.

She spoke to the company's new CEO to help find solutions for the thousands of families impacted.

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"Two and a half years of no help from these people"

Maria and Louis Pinneri's golden years have been shaded by a broken solar panel system.

In 2011, the Staten Island couple leased it through SunPower, a giant in the industry. In March 2023, they say it broke – specifically, the inverter, which converts electricity generated by the sun into electricity appropriate for the grid.

"And they told us as soon as we get the new meter, we're going to replace it," Louis Pinneri said. "And I never heard it from them again."  

"No phone calls, no emails," Maria Pinneri said. "Two and a half years of no help from these people."

The Pinneris say they watched their electric bill spike. On a fixed income, they say they had no choice but to stop making payments on the panels.

Then, in August 2024, with their system still not working, SunPower collapsed.

Louis Pinneri says it's been "a nightmare."

"I'm 77 years old already," he said. "If something happens to me, I don't want to leave a mess to my family."

When Maria Pinneri tried to call for an update on the status of their meter, an operator first told her they weren't able to speak with her regarding the account because it was under Louis Pinneri's name.

After Saeidi got on the phone and asked when a team could come to the Pinneris' home, the SunStrong Management rep said, "There's a backlog due to the bankruptcy and SunPower customers coming in."

Soon after, Saeidi spoke with the general counsel of SunStrong Management. SunStrong was hired by the third-party companies that lease the solar panels to families, including the Pinneris. They say they're working on clearing the backlog.

Eventually, a crew with SunStrong Management came through, ensuring the Pinneris' panels are once again powered up.

"Between all the emails and phone calls I made and got no results, I called you and here we are," Maria Pinneri told Saeidi. "And it's now fixed."

The Pinneris aren't the only ones struggling. One woman told CBS News New York her electric bill is now over $5,000, and another customer who stopped making payments on the panels said, "My credit is ruined."

"We have a solution, a temporary solution"

Complete Solar Corporation CEO T.J. Rodgers bought part of SunPower's assets in the bankruptcy, including the "SunPower" brand and related intellectual property.

"My little dwarf company bought the mighty SunPower for 45 million bucks," he said. "I expect that company to be worth a billion dollars shortly."

The assets he purchased exclude any interest in leases, systems, batteries or equipment installed before Sept. 30, 2024.

While Rodgers says the new SunPower isn't liable or responsible, he's working to help customers.

"They had over 100,000 batteries in the field, and the batteries decided not to work," he said. "We have a solution, a temporary solution that will keep those batteries running safely."

Rodgers says to troubleshoot battery issues, "You have to talk to it."

The problem, he says, is that SunPower had created a proprietary connection.

"So one of the keys to the realm is we're going to have to put in a standard communication link that is well-known and works interchangeably in multiple systems," Rodgers said. "That is part of a permanent solution. That is going to cost $900 ... and there's no way around that."

Rodgers says broken panels and inverters both have a long warranty.

"Panels have the longest warranty of any solar product," he said. "So the two most expensive components of the system can be covered by a passthrough warranty."

Rodgers says in recent months, dozens of small to mid-size solar installers, contractors and companies have failed.

"It is an industry that has pretty much collapsed," he said. "And the other problem, I'll just tell you, is the government ... 'Oh, we can't do it because we can't get this vote through. Oh, we're going to pay for a part of your system, we're not going to pay for part of your system.' And those jerk-arounds take a toll."

Meanwhile, even if your system is broken, you are likely still obligated to make payments on the panels. That information will be in your lease agreement.

SunStrong Management says they're letting customers defer payments until their systems are back up and running.

For the tens of thousands of customers with broken batteries, Rodgers says there's a number you can call to find out more about a temporary solution. There's also a permanent solution, though that one will cost you.

To learn more, call 1-877-299-4943.

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