Protect Yourself
Here are some important things to look out for when shopping for solar.
#1 - FLY BY NIGHT COMPANIES
The company is not a member of the community, but hop from location to location. If they don’t have a local office or a local representative, that is a red flag.
#2 - NOT CONDUCTING A COMPLETE ANALYSIS
If a representative tells you how big of a system you need without collecting your electricity bills or taking into account weather conditions or location of panels, then they are shooting from the hip. At Value Solar Power, we conduct a thorough analysis of your home and look at 20 years of weather data when designing your system. There are government regulated resources that solar companies are able to use when designing a system. If your provider doesn’t use PVWATTS or NREL.gov then they are likely not conducting an adequate analysis.
#3 - DELIBERATELY UNDERSIZING YOUR SYSTEM
The average system size is a 5 kW system which is approximately 20 solar panels. If the system is smaller, then there should be a good reason. If a provider says you only need 1 or 2 solar panels, RUN! The are jacking up the price and minimizing their costs, and leaving you with a HUGE leftover electricity bill!
#4 - OUR PANELS ARE SPECIAL!
If solar company tells you they have a special solar panel that does something that other panels don’t, that is a lie. There is an objective rating system when it comes to solar panels. 25 year warrantees are the industry standard for tier 1 panels and all tier 1 panels are very similar. If a solar company tells you that their panels are somehow special, then they are being deliberately misleading.
#5 - SILVER, GOLD, AND PLATINUM PACKAGES
You shouldn’t be choosing between the Cadillac vs the Rolls Royce of solar panels. This way of breaking down differences between solar panels is very misleading. This is just an excuse to charge you more for something that isn’t adding more value.
#6 - WHO DOES THE ACTUAL INSTALLATION?
Some companies are merely sales organizations that don’t control their own installs. If the company plans to dish off your installation to a subcontractor or different company, then you should be worried. Some companies abandon the installation altogether, leaving you with the bill and no solar power system. Ask detailed questions about the installation process. If they are unable to give you details that is a cause for concern.
#7 - DO THEY HAVE ONLINE REVIEWS?
If a company isn’t listed with the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, or Google, then they might be a fly by night company. Sometimes a company might just be new, but then they would at least be listed with the comptroller’s office. Search online to see if there are any pending lawsuits against the company. It is pretty easy to get a company listed on Google. If they are not making themselves available for reviews, there is probably a reason for that
Interested in Learning More?
We at Value Solar value your business, and we want to make sure that you know every scam that's out there, that way you're well prepared if you run into these problems.