Mississippi Man Loses $100K in Solar Panel Installation Disaster

CARRIERE, Miss. (WVUE) – A Mississippi man invested nearly $100,000 in solar panels for his property in hopes of reducing his electric bill, but he claims the company responsible for the installation has vanished. Jim Dutton, who operates a vintage car restoration shop, decided to install solar panels last August to make his property more efficient for his family.

“My son expressed interest in keeping the property in the future, so I said, ‘I need to make it as efficient as possible,’” Dutton recalled. His decision was influenced by a call from Tren Solar, a company based in Covington that he believed was reputable after researching it online.

Dutton signed a contract with Tren Solar and took out a loan with Mosaic to cover the $99,000 cost. The company informed him that 47 solar panels would be installed on his shop, powering both the shop and his main house. The panels were installed within three days, but after that, Dutton experienced a troubling silence.

“I called repeatedly and wondered where the electrician was,” he said. Three months later, an electrician arrived, but Dutton learned there was a significant issue: the utility company had never approved Tren Solar’s installation plan.

David Blackledge, a manager with Cooperative Energy, conducted a site visit and reported that the installation posed multiple safety hazards. “To be clear, these two jobs should not have been installed by Tren Solar because they didn’t make it past the initial utility review stage,” Blackledge wrote in an email.

Dutton noted that without a cutoff switch on his shop for the panels, a fire could create a dangerous situation for firefighters. He discovered additional wiring issues with the installation as well.

Attempts by Dutton and Blackledge to contact Tren Solar went unanswered. Dutton later discovered that the company had closed months prior, leaving him unable to activate the solar panels.

Michael Drummond, president of the Better Business Bureau of Greater New Orleans, said they have received numerous complaints about Tren Solar primarily concerning customer service. The company’s website has since been taken down, although it remains listed as active with the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Dutton’s struggles were compounded by ongoing bills from Mosaic, the lending company that financed the installation. Repeated attempts to reach them have also gone unanswered. “I’m still out $100,000,” he lamented. “You’re not talking $10,000, you’re talking $100,000.”

In his effort to seek resolution, Dutton has hired an attorney. He also discovered that one of Tren Solar’s registered officers is now associated with another solar panel firm, Pelican Power Solar, created earlier this year.

As he navigates this troubling situation, Dutton reflected, “I think it’s up to me to fight it.”