ComplaintsforSolarwinds Energy

• Initial Complaint

  03/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a contract with SolarWinds Energy (*****************************, license # ******* to install a solar system of 22 panels for $28,560. Ipaid $1,000in April ***************************** June. My roof project got delayed until late August 2023. I paid another $18,564.00 in late August 2023. The solar project started in early September 2023. In mid of September 2023, I requested to add the battery to the system. We finalized the change order end of September and I paid another $9,093.26. About three weeks later, they came to try to install the battery inside the garage. My assumption is that the battery will be installed outside, so I asked for a quote to have it installed outside. The quote was outside of my budget so I did not make the change. They installed the battery in October 2023. **** came with his crew early November ************************************************ that the systemis working. I was not familiar with the software so I took his words for it. There's a remaining amount of $8,996.00 due at the completion of the project. Even though the project was not complete because there's no city inspection yet, Curtstated that I pulled the project twice andasked for an advance payment of $6,500 as a favor. I did the favor by paying the advance payment. I started using the software and learned in November/December 2023 that the system was not working properly. I tried to contact him many times to complete the system and submit the plan revisions to the city. He sent his people to come and do some fixes but the system is still not complete. The heat detector is not yet installed in the garage. And I can't tell if the system is fully functional because I don't have the permissionto operate without the city inspection. On March 16, 2024, I gave him a oneweek deadline to submit the revisions to the city, otherwise I would file a complaint with BBB. He hasn't responded to me since. I checked for the city permit online today and I don't see the revisions yet.

  

  Business response

  04/22/2024

  **************** agreed to a change order to her solar only installation contract to a solar with energy storage solar contract . This change order requires a plan set revision and resubmission to the San **** ******************* for review and modification of her permit or an issuance of an additional permit. Her current permit number is ***********-SI. The revisions were submitted to the San **** *************************** and I am awaiting response. I have reached out to follow up with the building department via email and phone calls this morning.  The inspection by a City of ********************* Official is the last step to complete the project.

  SolarWinds Energy has programed and energized this system to provide energy to ****************** home and backup power in the event of a utility power outage while not allowing the exporting of excess solar power to the utility electrical grid in accordance with the PG&E Generation policies. SolarWinds Energy has called this as a test mode while testing the inverters programming and the systems communication to the equipments monitoring portal. **************** has been given access and registered with the systems monitoring portal so she can monitor her homes electric power consumption, solar electric generation, electricity imported from the grid and the battery status, thus the overall performance of her solar system with energy storage.

  I have chosen to leave the system in this test mode so Ms. ******************* at least receive some benefit from her solar system over turning off the system until the Building Inspection and Utility Interconnection is approved.

  Customer response

  04/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21509328
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I did agree to the change order to add the battery to my system on 9/25/23 and I immediately paid for the change order in full in the amount of $9,093.26 the next day 9/26/23. The $9,093.26 payment included a San **** Permit Revision Fee of $250. Its been seven months since I paid for the change order but revisions for the permit has not been submitted. I even went above and beyond and paid an additional $6,500 advance payment on 11/8/23 as a favor even though the city inspection had not been scheduled.
  
  The response from ****************** dated 4/22/24 stated that the revisions were submitted to the San **** *************************** However, I was informed that the revisions have not been submitted. I contacted the San **** ***************************on 4/24/24 via email and they replied to me on 4/25/24 stating that they received a call from ****************** on 4/22/24 asking if he can revise the permit to add the battery. They informed him that he needs to pull a separate permit for just the battery, or he can come into the office, and they can adjust his current permit to add the battery to it. San **** ************************** has no record of revisions as of 4/25/24.
  
  The original permit was submitted in June 2023 and it will expire in June 2024. I request the followings ASAP:

       A document showing the revisions have been submitted. 
       Proof of a scheduled inspection date. 
       A sign-off permit from the city. 
       Permission to operate from PG&E.
  
  I paid a total of $35,157.26 so far and the remaining amount due is $2,496.00. The project should have been completed in November of last year, which was five months ago. 
  
  Im very dissatisfied and I feel like Im being taking advantage of by this gentleman.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩