ComplaintsforSolar Optimum

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We entered into a contract with Solar Optimum in June, 2021 for the installation of solar panels on the roof of our residence which required an upgrade to the electrical panel for a total cost of: $29,014. In May 2023, we noticed a soft spot in the plaster wall next to our primary shower. *************** then noticed sunlight coming into the attic. Upon further investigation, the electrician located an open hole where the old electrical pipe used to be. At the time of the installation of the Solar Optimum (SO) solar panels, SO and their electrical subcontractor failed to properly cap the pipe after the electrical panel was upgraded. The gross negligence in failing to properly cap the electrical pipe resulted in a water leak that caused, unbeknownst to us, ongoing damage to our primary bathroom over the course of two years. As soon as we became aware of this issue we immediately notified SO (including photographs and video to support our claims) and they said they would forward our concerns to their construction team and should have a response within 5-7 days with a plan. An SO employee who saw the correspondence took it upon themselves to come out to cap the open pipe, but failed to notice a 2nd electrical pipe was also left uncapped in 2021. We followed up with SO but our emails went UNANSWERED and we were never contacted with any plan.Because of the 2-years of water damage in our primary bathroom, caused by the negligence and faulty workmanship, we enlisted a mold remediation specialist to assess the damage. Testing found toxic mold, forcing my pregnant wife, myself, and our two 4-year-old sons to immediately evacuate our home while the specialists demo'd our bathroom to learn the extent of the toxic mold and water damage. We then notified SO of findings and our insurance company's report. We continue to be disappointed with the lack of responsiveness and attempts to revoke responsibility, by making us deal directly with the subcontractor.

  Business response

  07/20/2023

  Our insurance broker has assisted with initiating a claim on behalf of ****************************;and **********************;against the installers liability insurance, this was done well over a month ago. We are in touch with the insurance agency and they are processing this claim and will hold the responsible party accountable for the damages pending the results of the investigation. There has been no attempt to revoke responsibility and we have a history of correspondence with the homeowners since the leak has been reported. Solar Optimum has no control of insurance claims process and related timeline.

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  7/31/22: Signed Residential Solar Home Improvement Agreement with Solar Optimum 8/1/22: Paid $500 deposit 8/16/22: Site Visit conducted by Solar Optimum Representative. Shared LADWP provided Meter Spot with Solar Optimum representative. 9/9/22: Sent follow-up to Solar Optimum asking for project update as the fifteen business day window they provided had passed. 9/12/22: Received update from Solar Optimum, including the following: "The existing meter is an older model, and would require LADWP to get involved to upgrade that. Unfortunately, it's not something we would be able to do and has to be initiated by the homeowner." (I have since independently confirmed with LADWP that the Solar Installer is capable of initiating this process with LADWP on behalf of the customer.) 9/12/22: I requested further information on the issues stated above and was told they would be forthcoming. 11/9/22: I e-mailed Solar Optimum to follow up after receiving no communication regarding the 9/12 follow-up. 11/17/22: Follow up e-mail received from Solar Optimum that made it clear they had not looked at the meter spot I had provided their representative. They were discussing trenching for underground service, the meter spot was for an overhead installation. 11/17/22: I sent an immediate follow-up pointing this out and asking for clarification. 2/2/23: I sent another follow up e-mail after receiving no response and requesting cancellation of the project and termination of our agreement. 2/6/23: Received a message that a request for cancellation had been "passed on" and I would be receiving a follow up phone call. I was not called, and I have not heard anything further from Solar Optimum, despite sending follow-up emails on 2/6/23, 2/21/23, and 5/21/23, requesting termination of the agreement and a full refund of the $500 deposit due to not receiving any of the proposed work contemplated in the agreement, of which they are in breach.

  Business response

  07/03/2023

  We are in communication with Mr. ********. Upon review of the project’s sequence of events and the discovery of additional costs imposed by Mr. ********’s electric utility company for utility side upgrade’s, which we do not perform, we have established via referencing our contract agreement that we are not in any breach of our agreement. Due to Mr. ********’s implication that our legal council should establish our position with him considering that he himself is a licensed attorney, we are in the process of having our legal team communicate directly with Mr. ********.

  Customer response

  07/06/2023

   
  Complaint: 20119409
  
  I am rejecting this response because Solar Optimum has admitted, at a minimum, that they have not fulfilled the condition of the agreement that requires a $250 refund to customers when they are unable to proceed with the project. This is a clear breach of the agreement. 
  

  Further, they are insisting that I sign legal documents that are not referenced anywhere in our contract, and demand guarantees as to behavior of third parties that I have no control over, in exchange for a refund of any amount.

  I did not imply I needed to speak directly to their legal counsel in any way, I merely alerted them to the fact that I am a licensed attorney after one of their employees presented me with excerpts from the agreement and made misstatements of law. They subsequently requested I explain these misstatements in detail, and I declined, as that should be the role of their counsel.
  

  I am purely interested in receiving a refund and will engage with whomever the company wants to put forward. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  David Coughlan

  Business response

  07/13/2023

  *** ********,
  
  
  We've exchanged numerous emails on this topic and you continue to maintain your position. It appears you are now seeking payment of additional funds from us without justification or agreement to withdraw your BBB complaint. 
  
  
  Despite your one-sided claims, Solar Optimum has not objectively breached its Agreement. The legal document we are asking you to sign is, in fact, referenced in the Agreement under the Payment Schedule. As such, we seek to enforce the Agreement's terms which you also consented to.
  
  
  Absent your signature on the Refund and Release agreement, we cannot refund any funds to you. Specifically, you are entitled to no more than $250 conditioned on your return of a signed copy of the Refund and Release Agreement.

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As you can see from the attached PDF, this is a carbon copy of an e-mail that was sent to me 9 days ago, on July 10th, by Solar Optimum's General Counsel. As you can also see from the attached file, I responded a few hours later on the same day.

  I have not received a response to my email, likely because the idea that a refund for non-performance should be predicated on signing an agreement that was never provided to me, nor incorporated into our contract, is ludicrous. However, stalling and deception seem to be Solar Optimum's signatures, so I can't say I expect anything less at this point. 

  I am drafting a complaint and appreciate continued bad faith attempts to ignore the law and the terms of their agreement as they only strengthen my position. 

  Should they suddenly discover a sense of responsibility (or realize that their legal exposure is multiplying exponentially with each passing day), I am prepared to settle this matter for nothing more than what I am owed under law, as I have offered many times.  

  Sincerely,

  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed a contract with Solar Optimum with $500 deposit in end of 2022. The deal didn't come through finally due to reroof and structure enhancement cost too much. According to contract that I should get refund of 50% deposit back. Tried to send email to the sales signed my contract and assistant and company supports who kept ignoring my request of the $250 refund

  Business response

  04/10/2023

  This has been resolved with the customer. See his email below to our **************** Manager:

   

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ***************;<******************>
  Date: Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 2:20?PM
  Subject: Re: [External] BBB Complaint: Refund Check
  To: *********************** <**************************************>
  
  
  Hi Amin,
  
  "Solar Optimum followed up with me and took care of the issues I was having, I would like to close my BBB complaint and make sure it is removed from the website."
  
  Thanks!

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contracted some optimum to install solar panels and deliver a fit operational and working system. This process should have taken no more than 3 months. So far it has been over a year and the job is still not finished. The system has not been able to be turned on and does not work. Despite dozens of phone calls and emails, the company does not send out technician to finish the job. The company insisted final payment (in full) was made prior to turning in the system and despite my reluctance and better judgement, I issued final payment (they are now paid in full), but I still cannot make any progress is getting the system fully operational.

  Business response

  04/03/2023

  We have working feverishly to resolve this issue with the customer. We spoke to him last week and this morning and have resolved his complaints. He said he will email BBB today to inform you things have been handled and to request removal of the complaint. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid a $500 deposit for solar. I was told that I could get a $250 return of deposit if I cancelled. I notified the company that I wanted to cancel several months ago. Paperwork was also sent in 1.5 months ago asking for cancellation. I still have not heard from the company and my emails are being ignored.

  Business response

  07/27/2023

  ********, Per our conversation - this was a total misunderstanding - you have received your requested refund (we provided a full refund instead of 50%) due to the inconvenience of your delay. Let's formally close this misunderstanding - we appreciate you. 

  Customer response

  07/27/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  It has been a big ordeal from the day one I engaged with Solar Optimum to install my solar panels and back up battery system. Impossible to get a call back, scheduling conflicts, failed city inspections one after another. But finally after 5+ months system was finally installed and enabled. I thought that would be the last time I needed to contact Solar Optimum. Unfortunately I was wrong. One of he panel arrays started underperforming after just 3 months in operations. So I called the customer support. As usual, they promised to call back he same day. And as usual, they didn't. I sent an email, and another asking for their support. No response. I emailed saying that if I don't get a response- I would file a complaint. And about two weeks after, not getting any response, I'm doing just that. This company has the worst customer service I have ever encountered in my life. My neighbors asking for recommendations for solar. I'm telling them- anyone but Solar Optimum. I have multiple emails that got no response during the unfortunate time I needed to contact them, emails available upon request.

  Business response

  01/27/2023

  Consumer Response /* (2000, 9, 2023/01/27) */ Please close my case (see below)with BBB. Solar Optimum got back to me and addressed all issues. Thank you for your help in the matter.

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have a solar system that I bought (fully paid) from Solar Optimum and installed on 8/28/2018. The solar system is under warranty (25 years for solar panels, micro inverters, optimizers, and labor; central inverters for 10 years; and solar edge inverters for 12 years). Unbeknownst to me, the solar system had stopped producing since mid-June and I only found out on August 12. At 4:30pm on August 12, I reported the issue to Solar Optimum. I was told that I should call the following day because the technicians and operations people had gone home. The following day, I called but was told that operations people do not work on weekends. That following Monday, I called again and was told that they will review my case within 5 days. There was no calls from Solar Optimum, so I called after 12 days from August 12. The personnel I spoke with (8:30 am) said he would call me back within 15 minutes, but no calls came. I called at 2:45pm and the person I spoke with said my system is under warranty and an RMA was issued and that it will take 5 days to review the RMA and if approved, it could take a "few weeks" to 2 months before they can call me back to schedule a replacement of the inverter. My warranty contract states, "If your claim is covered by this Limited Warranty, we will make the repair or replacement within a reasonable period of time, at no cost to you." I believe the period of "a few weeks to 2 months" do not fall under the reasonable period of time. My energy bill has gone from under $20 to over $420 last month and my projected coming bill from SCE is over $600. We are a retired couple and living on fixed income. We cannot afford to wait months for our solar system to be fixed, unless Solar Optimum pays our electric bill. I just want my solar system fixed as soon as possible.

  Business response

  09/29/2022

  Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2022/09/28) */ ***Document Attached*** As I mentioned on my comments from 9/17, this case can now be closed. SO came to install the last remaining part for monitoring the system's performance. My system is now fully operational.

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Solar battery not working upon final activation of system. Phone support unable to resolve issue. Business unable to schedule on site technician to address the issue.

  Business response

  09/21/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/09/12) */ Both the Solar and Battery systems are fully functional and operating. Confirmed via monitoring 9/12/22. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/09/20) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Situation resolved. Case can be closed.

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 12/31/2021 I paid a **** deposit to Solar Optimum for a 16-panel rooftop solar system for my home. The design, produced by Solar Optimum's salesman, was in four arrays of panels, with panels on SE and SW facing roof sections. After the initial contact was signed, Solar Optimum's engineering reworked the design to make it easier to install, moving panels to NE facing roof sections with poorer insolation. They also said they were raising the agreed upon price of the system by **** because panels were in three arrays, even though there were four arrays of panels in the preliminary proposal. The original contract said that half of the deposit would be refunded if the project did not proceed. On *********** the project was cancelled. Since SO raised the agreed upon price, I believe the entire **** deposit should be refunded, but certainly I should get at least ***** Since February, none of my phone calls or emails have been returned. I was told, most recently, on ******** that I would most definitely be contacted on ********** but I was not. I have uploaded documents: Guerra_XXXXX********** showing the preliminary design produced by SO salesman, **************** DepositReceipt.pdf ***************** The contract under which the deposit was made ***************************************** new proposal with half of panel northeast facing ************************* Email from ****** ******* raising the agreed-upon price by ***** citing multiple arrays, although this new proposal has fewer arrays than did the preliminary design.

  Business response

  08/02/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2022/07/28) */ ***Document Attached*** This complaint has been resolved between the customer and Solar Optimum. We are giving him a full refund and he said he will contact BBB to resolve the case and request to not have it posted under Complaints. Attached is a screenshot of our CRM entry stating what ************** status is. Consumer Response /* (2000, 15, 2022/07/29) */ Solar Optimum has refunded my deposit and this matter is resolved to my satisfaction. Thank you BBB.

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We had 2 incidents of no show for work scheduling from Solar Optimum, both resulting in lost in productivity and timing from our end which resulted in frustration and wanting accountability. The original date for a service main panel upgrade was scheduled for May 4th, and our utility company (pge) was a no show that day to shut off power for the crew to perform the work safely. PG&E had a work request order of a date 04/29 which they did came out that morning and I had to dismiss them since the install date was on 05/04 (not on 04/29). I immediately contacted the scheduler to confirm that PGE will return on the 4th and she reassured me. I had to request time off of work to accommodate this scheduled work that did not happened. The operations manager then called and pointed the finger my way that I cancelled the work order request with PG&E and I was beyond frustrated at that point with that accusation. I let it be and the new installation date was given for 05/16. The installation went smoothly on 05/16. The 2nd incident is on 05/16 the same scheduler informed me that they will schedule the battery installation for 05/30 (memorial day weekend). We had to postpone our family plan to accommodate this work. The day came and went and the crew was a no show. I tried contacting the scheduler and she was unreachable. I decided to call the ops mgr the following day and he said that he communicated that the battery install is rescheduled on 06/02 and that the scheduler had left a voicemail with me (that is not the case as I have no voicemail nor call from her other than on 5/16 as confirmed via my phone log history call log). Luckily the ops mgr communicated the new date to me but that means another date that I have to request time off of work due to the uninformed scheduled changes. Overall, I've been stood up twice with no apologies, accountability, nor compensation/billing adjustments for my efforts involved, especially with my schedule.

  Business response

  06/28/2022

  Consumer Response /* (2000, 9, 2022/06/23) */ This issue was resolved with Solar Optimum and the work is now being completed and I was compensated for the scheduling snafu.

*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. ↩