Part of our series: Shining a Light on Trustworthy Solar
When the San Antonio Express-News published its In Broad Daylight investigation, it exposed just how deep the solar crisis in Texas has become. Homeowners were sold promises, but often received poor workmanship, deceptive contracts, or systems that never worked at all.
The Texas Attorney General’s office received more than 2,400 solar-related complaints from 2018 to 2024 — an 818% increase. Many of these cases involved people who were abandoned mid-project, misled by unlicensed dealers, or left with systems that failed within months.
We’ve seen those stories up close. In just the last year, Atma Energy has completed over 850 service jobs, many of them for customers who came to us not because we sold them a system, but because no one else would help when things went wrong.
Why Solar Fails and How We Fix It
One of the most common failure points we encounter is improper electrical design and unsafe wiring. Systems may appear to function at first, but behind the scenes, issues like uncapped conductors, misconfigured relays, or incomplete weatherproofing can cause repeated outages, shorts, or even safety hazards over time.
That was the case for one homeowner we recently helped.
Case Study: What Happens When the Wrong Installer Cuts Corners
Katie T. had a solar energy system with battery backup, built around Enphase IQ7 microinverters and a 3T battery. The equipment was strong. The workmanship was not.
She reached out to Atma Energy after noticing that most of her solar panels weren’t producing power. Our inspection quickly revealed a critical oversight: the system included a PV shedding configuration, but it had never been properly set up.
PV shedding is a safety mechanism designed to isolate part of a solar system in an outage, so that battery power can be preserved. In Katie’s case, this feature had been physically installed, but the software setup was incomplete. The Enphase app had not been programmed to close the relays needed for the system to operate properly.
We corrected the logic and control parameters in the software, enabling the relays and bringing the full solar array online.
But that was just the start.
Digging Deeper and Finding a Hidden Hazard
As we continued diagnosing the system, we uncovered signs of electrical instability affecting different strings of panels. Breakers were tripping under load, especially after wet weather. We began lifting panels to inspect the wiring underneath.
What we found was deeply concerning:
One circuit had been left without a termination cap, leaving live wires exposed under the panels.
Moisture had been infiltrating the connections, causing shorts between line 1 and line 2, and repeatedly tripping breakers.
After inspecting additional strings, we discovered this wasn’t an isolated issue. None of the system’s strings had proper termination caps installed.
These exposed ends weren’t just a performance issue; they were a fire and shock hazard. The original installer had skipped basic electrical safety protocols, burying unsafe wiring under the panels with no sealing or moisture protection.
The Fix: Full System Remediation
Our team rebuilt the system’s terminations from the ground up:
We replaced each exposed connection with field-wireable sealed connectors.
Installed termination caps on all open ends.
Verified and tested the entire system under load, both dry and wet.
Documented the site with before-and-after photos and completed a final walkthrough to ensure long-term performance and safety.
The Outcome: A System That Works, and a Customer Who Doesn’t Have to Worry
Since our remediation, Katie’s system has performed flawlessly through storms, wind, and full production days.
She no longer wonders whether her system will fail when it rains. She knows it’s safe, compliant, and functioning exactly the way it should have from the beginning.
Why This Matters
Katie’s situation isn’t rare. According to the AG report, nearly 40% of solar complaints in Texas cite “unsatisfactory workmanship or service” as the root cause. These aren't just minor nuisances, they’re red flags in a market where too many companies cut corners to win fast sales.
Atma Energy takes a fundamentally different approach.
Every one of our systems begins with a dedicated site evaluation and engineering analysis. We don’t rely on stock templates or remote estimates — we visit the property, fly a drone, and model your system using accurate tilt, azimuth, and shading data. We only move forward with a design once it meets structural and performance criteria.
From there, we apply the same standards to construction:
All wiring is terminated, tested, and weather-sealed following manufacturer specs and code requirements.
Our crews follow multi-point installation checklists and submit QA documentation for review before the system is energized.
We handle all permitting, inspection scheduling, and utility interconnection, ensuring your system meets every requirement before it ever goes live.
That’s how we avoid problems like Katie’s in the first place.
The unfortunate truth is, customers often don’t know what kind of installation they’ve received until something fails. That’s why doing it right the first time matters so much. It saves you from unexpected outages, unsafe conditions, and costly rework.
And it’s why so many people call us — even when we weren’t the original installer.
If You’ve Been Left in the Dark, You’re Not Alone
Whether your installer stopped answering calls or your system never worked the way it should have, we can help. You shouldn’t have to start over, and you definitely shouldn’t be left on your own.
We’re here to step in, diagnose, and make it right.
Coming Soon
Next in the series: “Built for Trust: Our Public Solar Design Tool Explained” — a closer look at how Atma Energy makes the cost and value of solar visible before you ever sign a contract.