Rilwan Balogun, Reporter
Jon Hill, Investigative Photojournalist
Adrian Montes, Investigative Photojournalist
Published: October 14, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Updated: October 14, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Rilwan Balogun, Reporter
Jon Hill, Investigative Photojournalist
Adrian Montes, Investigative Photojournalist
HOUSTON – For one Texas homeowner, solar panel were supposed to mean lower energy costs.
Instead, she says the company she paid disappeared, the panels aren’t working and the monthly bill never went away.
She’s still paying $79 a month.
“I look back at it and I just, I can’t believe I fell for this,” the homeowner told us.
She did not want to be identified or appear on camera, but she agreed to speak with us alongside her attorney. She is now suing the company, looking for answers.
Sarah Walsh, the attorney representing her, says homeowners can find themselves in difficult situations after signing solar agreements they may not fully understand.
“It’s unfortunate what these homeowners think that they’re agreeing to and in the positions that they end up in,” Walsh said.
And this homeowner’s experience is not isolated.
Earlier this year, Shandreika Surtain contacted KPRC 2 News after she said she could no longer get a response from the company she was paying.
RELATED: Katy homeowner says solar company vanished, leaving her unable to pay bills
“I’ve never tried to pay somebody as bad as I have tried to pay these people,” Surtain said.
She said she was left wondering what happened to the company.
“They have literally fell off the face of the Earth. I don’t know if they went out of business. I don’t know if they went bankrupt. I don’t know anything,” Surtain said.
The company at the center of both homeowners’ complaints is Elios Solar.
We found that Elios Solar had a 2.3-star rating on the Better Business Bureau website, based on three reviews. One review gave the company five stars, while two others were negative.
That is a small sample size, but the complaints raised another question: Were these isolated homeowner experiences, or part of a larger problem?
Texas investigated solar companies after more than 100 complaints
In April, the Texas Attorney General’s Office announced an initiative to investigate solar companies after receiving more than 100 complaints.
The Attorney General’s Office said the investigation involved alleged misrepresentations concerning savings, solar system performance, equipment and contract terms. Elios Solar was not one of the companies named.
RELATED: State investigates solar companies over claims of deceptive savings, contracts
We contacted the Attorney General’s Office at the time and again for this story, asking about complaints, lawsuits and enforcement.
The office did not agree to an interview, nor did they respond to our emails and calls.
Meanwhile, Texas has changed the rules governing certain residential solar sales and leases.
Texas created new solar protections for homeowners
In 2025, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1036, creating the Residential Solar Retailers program at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, or TDLR.
According to information provided to us by TDLR in June, the program began September 1, 2025.
Under Occupations Code Chapter 1806, TDLR regulates contracts involving the sale or lease of residential solar energy systems, including solar panels and solar shingles, with some limited exceptions.
TDLR said SB 1036 includes homeowner protections involving third-party lenders, cancellation rights, contract rescission and consumer refunds.
Among the rules already highlighted to consumers:
The law also created registration and licensing requirements for people selling residential solar systems.
Stephanie Mace with AARP Texas participated in the stakeholder workgroup that helped develop the rules.
“The state will make sure that they don’t have any history of fraud and they have some sort of training,” Mace said of the requirements for solar salespeople.
What happens if a solar company breaks the rules?
Mace said TDLR can investigate complaints and potentially impose sanctions or penalties when violations are substantiated.
“And then the agency is then able to investigate and provide any sanctions or penalties or possibly remove the business or salesperson if they find that the complaint is warranted,” Mace said.
But there is no guaranteed timeline for an investigation.
Patrice “Pete” Parsons, executive director of the Texas Solar Energy Society, said enforcement can include escalating fines.
“And the fines get bigger and larger,” Parsons said.
Parsons said regulation could help address problems in the industry and give consumers more confidence.
RELATED: How to file a state complaint after solar panel sales concerns
“I think the majority of the problem has been solved,” Parsons said.
Gage Mueller, a solar energy consultant, also said he believes the new regulations could improve the industry.
“I’ve been pushing and hoping for regulation for a long time in this state,” Mueller said.
We tried to reach Elios Solar
We also investigated the company at the center of the two homeowner cases.
We searched the Texas Comptroller’s public taxable-entity database but could not find an entity listed under the name “Elios Solar.”
Based on our records and previous reporting, we found the company also operates as Syngulf Energy LLC, with Steve Kioni listed as the registered agent.
That led us to a phone number associated with the registered agent.
We called.
The call went to a recording saying the person could not receive voicemail because the voicemail box had not been set up.
We also sent a text message to the number and waited for a response.
We did not receive one.
We repeatedly asked TDLR for an interview about how the new program will work and how the state will enforce the rules. TDLR did not agree to an interview.
Instead, the department provided us with written information about the program and its implementation. But didn’t answer our questions on enforcement.
Homeowners are still looking for answers
The new rules may provide additional protections for future solar customers, but they do not automatically erase problems for homeowners who already signed contracts.
Sarah Walsh, the attorney representing the homeowner in the lawsuit against Elios Solar, said she has seen other homeowners facing similar situations.
“I do think that many, many homeowners that purchase these solar panels are in similar situations where they don’t have parties to contact,” Walsh said.
She also said some companies appear to be declaring bankruptcy or going underground.
For the homeowner we first spoke with, the experience has been difficult enough that she says she now feels differently about her own judgment.
“I honestly would like to consider myself that has a healthy sense of skepticism, right? But I will tell you, after all of this, I feel like I have sucker written right across my forehead,” she said.
She is continuing with her lawsuit.
“Even though this is somewhat of a nightmare for me, I’m fortunate to be in a position to be able to take legal action,” she said. “There are a ton of consumers out here that are left in shambles,” she said.
And she wants other homeowners to pay attention.
“It is fantastic if somebody’s solar panels are working out for them. But for the folks that it’s not working out and they’re just not certain what to do, I want to shed light on this,” she said.
What Texas homeowners should know
For consumers considering residential solar, Texas’ new regulatory system provides several protections, but the details of the contract still matter.
If you’re considering a solar system, carefully review the contract, payment obligations, cancellation provisions and disclosures before signing.
And if you believe a residential solar retailer or salesperson has violated requirements that apply to your contract, TDLR says consumers can file a complaint with the agency.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
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