Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Photon Brothers Inc's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Photon Brothers Inc

  7705 W 108th Ave Ste 100 Broomfield, CO 80021-2808

  
• 

  Photon Brothers

  1492 Railroad St Oceano, CA 93445-9644

• 

  Photon Brothers

  1492 Railroad Street Oceano, CA 93445

• 

  Photon Brothers Inc.

  7705 W 108th Ave Ste 200 Broomfield, CO 80021

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/24/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  When we had to replace our roof, our original solar panel installers weren't available to remove our panels for months, so we hired Photon Brothers to do it, and to install a Tesla Powerwall battery. They installed the battery incorrectly, and when I inquired why our solar production was so low, I was advised to wait, and that it was heading into winter so it wouldn't be producing much. This was in October. Now in March, I asked again, and they finally said there is most likely a problem. They fixed the battery installation, and now we are close to 100% self-powered AND exporting power to the grid (which Xcel will compensate us for) most days, vs the $150 electric bills we've been having/solar panels barely working/battery not working at all. I have asked to speak with someone multiple times about Photon Brothers compensating us for the bills, as they incorrectly installed the battery and made our panels and battery useless for 6 months, and they won't respond to me. There is no way to talk to someone on the phone, and they ignore emails. The initial installation project was delayed by months due to the fact they just didn't respond to me most of the time, weren't submitting required documentation to Xcel and the city, and multiple project managers were fired or quit over the course of the project. I've included a screen shot of our electricity usage this year vs last (when we had solar panels but no battery), so presumably it would've been even less with the battery offsetting our peak-usage times, and our electric bills since October. I don't know if they should be covering all of our electric bill, but since they won't even speak to me about this, I've but the total of electricity costs over the time period everything was not functioning.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/11/2025

  We apologize for any frustrations this customer experienced. Our ****************** has worked closely with the customer and resolved all issues at this time. We appreciate their business. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2025

  Hi, Photon Brothers did work with me and provided a refund based on an estimate of what the solar panels should've been producing. I am satisfied with the resolution. 
  
  Best,
  
  ***** Schifffman
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We began discussion with Photon solar *** on August 3, 2024. August 5, 2024, sales representative contacted us with an invitation to meet. On August 30, 2024, project manager #1 provided scheduled a site visit Paid 50% down payment, $16,047.50. Having heard nothing from manager 1 called on October 9, 2024. Told that manager left the company. Manager 2 said the permit was not submitted.Again, no communication, called manager 2 on October 28, 2024 told that she was gone. Manager three gave more excuses. On November 26, 2024, crickets. I secured the permit The original timeline clearly stated that this was a Photon responsibility.December 18, 2024. manager 3 called said his crew called in sick, installation cancelled. Set a date for December 30, 2024. On the 30th, another project manager, cancelled the installation. On January 14, 2025 after not having heard anything, frustrated and disgusted, I sent an email to manager 3 requesting reimbursement. He responded via an email saying that there would be a cancellation fee. I advised that there is no mention of a cancellation fee in the contract. He then said he would pass all the information along to their finance department. January 15, 2025 I called the finance department spoke to a representative who could not provide any details about our reimbursement. I requested a call back from the head of their finance department. I have yet to receive a call back from Photon regarding my reimbursement.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/27/2025

  Hello,
  
  A representative contacted me after receiving the complaint. We exchanged a few emails last Week wherein they stated that they would reimburse me for the full amount. Today, a check arrived with a full amount.
  
  Thank you for your intervention and assistance.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/14/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was told our solar system that we paid 25k for initially, would be approximately 11k to move to a new property. We decided to make the move, and afterwards (6 months later now) Photon Brothers continues sending us invoices back dated to last year. So far we have paid 15k and they are now wanting another 10k. Where are these invoices coming from 6 months after the work, why are you just now sending them with a due date from last year, and how was your estimate so far off from the 11k I was told? It makes zero sense that you charged me 25k for all the panels and install initially, and now you want more than that to move it?

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2024

  The company contacted me and we worked out a resolution.  I'm good to close this case.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  June 2020 we contacted Photon Brothers regarding qualifying for & installation of a Tesla Powerwall since we live in a fire zone. In the process we decided to also install solar panels for our home. Although it took much more time than promised, everything was completed Spring 2021. However, following many phone calls and tech appointments starting Fall 2022 there is an ongoing issue with several solar panels reporting "microinverters may not report data to gateway due to technical issues or weather". Although slow, Photon Brothers has sent out techs to take care of this issue in the past.However, the most recent and most frustrating lack of communication since Fall 2023 has led to this complaint. I contacted Photon Brothers via their online service request form 10/4/23 regarding the microinverter issue; a tech "fixed " the problem mid November , but the problem reoccurred mid December 2023. I sent an email(12/31/23) regarding the issue reoccurring followed by another online service request 1/8/24. This was responded to by email, 1/16/24, from Photon Brothers stating that their last visit revealed a breaker had been tripped and asking me to check the breaker box. If so, they would "need to send a tech onsite to investigate as it may appear that the site may have a wiring issue." I responded by email, 1/17/24, that YES a breaker had been tripped. Since then, NOTHING! I've tried following up by email,(2/5); phone messages(2/26,2/28/3/1); and submitted another online service request(3/1/24). No response, at all! I really regret spending $40,000+ for our solar. The frustration and high PG&E bills just doesn't seem worth it.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2024

  We have been in recent communication with this customer and have scheduled them for service to resolve this issue. We apologize for any frustrations this may have caused. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was contacted by Photon Brothers upon purchasing my home that I was eligible for a rebate from the state of CA if I installed a Tesla Powerwall and solar panels due to it being in a fire zone. I elected to move forward with the plan. However, it took them 2 and a half years to install the equipment due to poor management, coordination and lack of oversight of the project. They let several applications with the electric company lapse due to missed timelines, leading to the need to reapply and further elongate the project. Most recently, after finally installing the equipment after 2 and a half years of problems and waiting, they failed to file the proper paperwork with the electric company (SCE), and I received a $1200 bill even though my electrical uses were almost completely self powered. I contacted SCE to inquire how I was being billed for that amount, and they said that I did not have approval from them for the solar equipment. Something to do with the interconnection not being approved. So while I was not using power they were still charging me for delivery and generation. Furthermore, and equally, if not more, concerning, I still have not received the rebate for the project. I was told that I would receive it ***** days after installation, and it is coming on 6 months since installation. I contacted Photon Brothers about this, and after months of inquiry I was informed that they filed something incorrectly, or something of that nature. As of today they still have no idea when the rebate will be issued. That rebate is for 50k, and I have been counting on that money for months. So at this point I have not only not received the rebate, but they have costed me additional money as well, which Im not even including the utilities I continued to pay while they dragged on the project for two and a half years. In two months it will have been 3 years since starting this project and I am still dealing with time and money issues with them

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/23/2024

  We apologize for the frustrations ********************** has experienced and understand this has been a lengthy process. In addition to product delays, we were also significantly delayed due to the utility. Every time they requested something new, our team would immediately provide it yet the utility continually dragged this out. The attachment shows the time stamps where we would comply with everything the utility asked for and there was still no forward progress. As of last week, the utility has finally updated the customer's billing and credited him for their delays. Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/11/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  A contract was signed on or about July - August, 2022 to provide whole house battery backup to our home at **************. On August 12th, deposit of $14,205 was paid. Work commenced in late October of that year. Additional payments were made, $12,055 on February 17, 2023 and $27,945 on February 21. Total paid: $54,205. Four Tesla Batteries were installed with all necessary switching gear (to my knowledge). Here in lays the problem: In order to certify the system meets code and to provide documentation to get a Federal Tax Credit, an inspection by the City of ***********'s Inspector and PG&E must be performed. This has not happen, though I have heard every conceivable excuse in the book as to why: Bad weather, the employee handling it has Covid, the City stamped the wrong set of plans, the City is very difficult to work with, etc. etc. Long story short, Photon Brothers has not performed ALL of the requirements laid out in their contract, and I can't be sure I have a safe, reliable system and submit for a tax credit until they do.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2024

  We empathize with and apologize for ****************** frustrations. While there were some delays due to internal issues, we have had relentless pushback from the City of *********** regarding inspections and requirements. Multiple members of our team have gone to the City of Pismo offices to try to resolve issues that were out of our hands with zero help or guidance from city inspectors. Fortunately today (Jan. 12, ****) an inspection has been scheduled and we are hopeful ****************** project will be approved and this issue shall be resolved. Furthermore, the tax code states that the system must be operational in order to receive the tax credit (which it is), so ************** will have no issues when filing his 2023 taxes. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/13/2024

  Photon FINALLY came out with a City Inspector Friday, January 12 at 3:00.  I feel like this year long saga may be coming to an end.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In May of this year Photon Brothers completed installation of 20 solar panels on our roof. On July 22, less than 90 days later, I discovered that one of the panels was not producing any electricity. I emailed the Pre-Construction Manager and asked who I should contact. On July 24th, I filed a service request online as requested by the phone message received when attempting to contact the company by phone. I received a message that I would be contacted within 72 hours. On July 25th I received a response from the Pre-Construction Manager with an email for the service department. Late afternoon on July 27th, I sent an email to the service department. On August 1st, I filed a second online request for service and again received a message that I would be contacted within 72 hours. On August 8th I called the service number and after 2 minutes of ringing was able to leave a message. On August 10th I received an email requesting to schedule a service appointment for August 15th at 10 am, which I confirmed. On the morning of August 15th, I received a message that the appointment was cancelled due to someone calling in sick and that I would be called back by the end of the day to reschedule. On August 22nd I emailed the service department and found out that a service appointment had been scheduled for August 21st; but no one had shown up. It was then rescheduled for August 25th. Again no one showed up. On August 31 I called and waited through the ringing and left a message. It has now been over 6 weeks and 5% of the system for which I paid has not been working. I am surprised that a company with this level of service has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2023

  We apologize for any frustrations this customer has experienced. Our ****************** had an unprecedented demand in services after repeated hail storms this year, as well as many inquires fro. "orphaned"customers whose solar installer closed down. We pivoted as quickly as possible to cross-train team members on Service calls, however this high demand resulted in a much longer wait time than usual. This customer has been contacted and a site visit has been scheduled at his convenience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/19/2023

  Re: BBB Case # ********

   

  Photon Brothers did contact me and scheduled a service call for the solar panel that was not producing.  A service technician did arrive on Thursday, September 7^th and indicated that it has been repaired.  However, I have no way to confirm it.  No work order was left and the SolarEdge monitoring app that I was provided still shows that panel at zero Wh.  

   

  Please let me know if you require any additional information or have any questions.

   

  Thanks,

  *********;******

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

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2023

  Hi *****:
  ****'s system is up and running at 100%.  It was fixed on the 7th of September. The serial number was added on 9/19.  So, the customer can verify that each panel is working. 
  Let me know if you need anything else from us for verification. 
  Warm regards,
  
  ************************** | Co-Owner| Director of Sales
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/27/2023

   
  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

  Date:07/25/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Photon Brothers delayed installing our system for months. The permit was applied for months after the promised start of the project. It was then issues within 20 days by the county. It then took Photon brothers close to 2 months to do the project. They have lied about deadlines and submissions to both the county and to PGE. PGE has emailed them twice stating that the final building permit must be uploaded into the online portal. We have called them several times asking them to do so. They made changes to our electric panel that required me hiring an electrician to correct even though the initial inspection said it was fine. When they left the system was running. When they came back out to replace a bad panel and meet the county inspector the system was running. PGE now tells me it should be off as it is dangerous to operate without the proper PGE settings.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/14/2023

  We apologize for any frustrations this customer experienced. Due to the *** 3 cutoff deadline, our schedule was severely impacted and this unfortunately affected the installation schedules for our existing customers. Our team worked as fast as we could to work through out backlog, however we recognize this frustrated many customers. We had the inspection with the *** in a timely manner but do admit a team member accidentally did not submit the final passed inspection card right away (this was an oversight on their part and has been addressed). We have since remedied this and submitted it with PG&E. The customer was notified to change their meter to TOU and their project is now awaiting PTO from PG&E.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid the first half for my solar in early Nov 202, 2the second half when instillation was finished on May 5 2023. I have called Photon Brothers to have the final inspection filed with the city 3 times since then and xcel energy says then still have not done this so I can not turn my solar system on. It is now June 27th. The city has been out and has approved the system as per Photon Brothers. I would like them to finish the job so I can turn it on.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2023

  We are very sorry for this customer's frustrations and we are equally upset and frustrated this has happened at the fault of ************ The homeowner's solar system passed ************** with an official inspector on May 18, 2023. On June 14, 2023 we were notified by Xcel that they rejected this inspection, which is highly unusual. We have been actively working with Xcel to fix whatever issues they are dissatisfied with and have prioritized this project within our team to bring this project to a complete close.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/30/2023

   
  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

  Date:05/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had solar panels installed on my roof on March 29th. I paid in full for the panels on March 27th. Since receiving my money, they have basically gone silent. The panels remain unconnected now for over 6 weeks. They will not communicate any sort of date for this to be resolved. At this point it doesn't appear that they intend to finish the job. We now have panels on our roof that can't be connected. The whole experience with this company has been dreadful and upsetting. Their customer service is nonexistent, and they are not honest with how the project is going.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/26/2023

  This project was completed in full and we are waiting on the customer to call us back we can energize the solar system. We expedited everything as best as we could to ensure this job was finished.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/12/2023

  Hello,

   

  My case number is ********. I apologize for missing the window to respond. I have been out of the country the past month. I completely reject their response to my complaint. This company refuses to take responsibility for their actions.  I ended up working directly with the **************** to get my project finished. My project manager showed time and time again that he was incompetent and or unwilling to assist in any meaningful way. Thank goodness the **************** was so helpful in finishing up the project. Photon Brothers has only ever reached out to me to try and get me to remove my negative reviews. I had to take over the project and then turn on the system myself after researching how online. If I hadn't taken control of the project, I'm certain this would still not be completed. This company is horrendous in how they treat paying customers. I have never been treated like this and will continue to warn others about Photon Brothers nefarious practices. They honestly should be shut done and never allowed to operate as a solar company again. I truly feel for the lost souls who end up being conned by this greedy soulless company. Shame on them for pretending to care about the environment under the guise of s******* people over and wasting people's precious time and money.

   

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