Customers confused on solar panel maintenance amid SunPower bankruptcy

News Channel Three has received numerous complaints from local solar power customers.

I spoke with John Mitchell, a Palm Springs resident who is a SunPower customer, earlier today. His solar panels were installed by Renova Energy – which paused operations last month – and he leases them from SunPower – which filed for bankruptcy.

During this chaotic time for those solar companies, he found that his solar panels had stopped working when he received a bill upwards of $1,200 from Southern California Edison.

“I can't afford a $400 a month solar bill and a $1,278 a month electric bill. And I just feel like I'm at a loss right now. I need help trying to figure this out," Mitchell said.

Mitchell says he called Renova Energy eight times and SunPower ten times since he realized the problem in July. He became frustrated that he would be told that he'll hear back from someone who can fix his solar panels, never to hear back.

Renova says that Mitchell called just three times; when they tried to call him back, they say his voicemail was full.

SunPower often puts Mitchell on hold for extended periods; when I tried to call them, I found the same problem. And when Mitchell can get through to them, they're unable to give him a timeline for when someone can look at his system.

I was there when he tried Renova again, though, and this time, two technicians came to try to fix the problem. Unfortunately, they were unable to fix the problem today, since the issue is with SunPower's photovoltaic disconnect relay.

All SunPower customers should know that if they lease their solar panels from SunPower, their insurance warranty for the panels are not Renova's responsibility, even if Renova installed the panels. Instead, SunPower is supposed to call someone to repair them, which used to be Renova; however, Renova says SunPower failed to pay them in over a year, which is why they severed the partnership.

There's some good news on the horizon, though – Renova says a new company should be picking up those SunPower contracts some time during September.

Meanwhile, Mitchell will have to bear with extremely high energy bills while his solar panels remain offline. Southern California Edison provides several potential relief options if you are dealing with a similar issue. You can visit their website here to see if you're eligible.

As for Renova Energy, CEO Vincent Battaglia says his company will onboard its first wave of returning employees on Wednesday. He will also announce new partners that will replace SunPower.

Stay with News Channel Three as more updates develop.