Switching to solar power? What you need to know first

Out behind their home in rural DeSoto County, Livy Rhodes and her family manage a small farm. They’re on well water and septic. With all their animals, they can’t afford to lose power. “The concern is, we’ve got timers on chicken coops,” Rhodes explained. “We’ve got 135 gallons every day that we’ve got to provide for our animals to drink from if the pond is dry.” So in the summer of 2022, they hired Custom Solar and Electric out of Fort Myers to install solar panels on their roof to power their home. But when Ian hit just months later, Rhodes got a surprise. They were without electricity yet again. “I was under the impression that, having solar panels, we’re set. Everything’s fine,” she recalled. “Didn’t realize it needs a power source.” Rhodes contacted Custom Solar again days after the storm and paid $30,000 for backup batteries. Though there was no specific timeline in the contract, she was under the impression it would take about three weeks to have them installed. Still today – it hasn’t happened. It’s now been nearly three years. “It’s devastating,” she said, sighing. “It’s frustrating.” Gulf Coast News discovers company is out of businessGulf Coast News discovered that the company, which had been located off Metro Parkway, has since gone out of business. And Rhodes isn’t the only customer who’s had problems. Gulf Coast News discovered multiple lawsuits against Custom Solar and Electric, including by one couple claiming the wrong panels were delivered to their home.Rhodes, who’s had some contact with the owner over the years, had no idea they’d gone out of business until Gulf Coast News got involved. “Your heart drops,” she said. “Then it’s like — what am I going to do?” Company owner blames downfall on former employeeGulf Coast News contacted company owner David Keljik, who’d been interviewed by our station for an unrelated story back in 2023. He blamed their downfall on a former employee who, he claims, used company accounts for personal gain, totaling nearly $200,000 in fraudulent transactions. Keljik filed a report in late 2023 with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, but no criminal charges have been filed against the employee. Rhodes had no idea about the alleged fraud prior to Gulf Coast News getting involved. She’d paid Keljik for batteries more than a year before he reported it. “This was your responsibility. This is something that you promised us as a customer, and we thought we could trust you,” she said of the company. Keljik initially agreed to an interview with Gulf Coast News but later backed out, instead texting the following statement: “As you are aware, we filed a complaint with the detective at Lee County Sheriff’s office some time ago. Against an ex-employee that we caught embezzling, hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company. We are hopeful to receive full restitution and fulfill any open customer orders that were not completed while we were open for business. We feel horrible that this happened. We are optimistic about a good outcome once he is caught. We can not comment further on this active case.” Florida attorney general warns of the “dark side” of solar Solar power is popular in Florida. In the first three months of 2025, the state installed more solar than all but one state. Only Texas ranked higher. But Custom Solar and Electric isn’t the only company in the state to have problems. Last year, Florida’s attorney general spotlighted the industry in a consumer alert, warning about the “Dark Side of Solar” and three companies accused of deceptive practices. “What we’ve seen is those few bad apples are spoiling the bunch, so to speak,” Tom Miller told Gulf Coast News. Miller owns Stilwell Solar in Estero, a longtime business that started in solar pool heating but has since expanded to solar electric as well. “Almost daily, we get calls from people that have had a system on the roof for years and now they need service, and their company is out of business or no longer available to provide that service for them,” Miller explained. What to do before you pay for solar powerBefore you install solar, Miller offered the following advice: Research the company before you hire them. Make sure they have good reviews – and a lot of them. Avoid faraway companies. It could be hard to get help if something goes wrong. Understand what you’re signing – especially the financing. Don’t pay in full until the work is done. Miller also suggests people hire a certified solar contractor. It’s not required to do the work, but he strongly recommends it. “If a company is not engaged enough to carry a solar contractor license, why would you be interested in buying solar from them? You’re not going to go to a plumber and buy an HVAC system, right?” he said. “Make sure it’s a contractor that is in that line of business. That’s critical.” Meanwhile, Rhodes still worries about her animals every time they lose power. After all these years, she’s skeptical she’ll ever get what she paid for. “I can’t believe it now. I just can’t,” she said. “I believe in action. I don’t believe in words. You know. Do something.” DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.