Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/12/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Was planning to get solar panels installed, ending up having a large expense come up before I could get them installed and was no longer in a financial position to do so. They are trying to charge me a cancelation fee of almost $1000 for something I never had installed. I find it both unethical and shady business to operate in this manner especially when this was never explained during the process.

  Business response

  02/13/2025

   

  At Solar Liberty, we are committed to providing transparent and fair service to all our customers. We were surprised to receive this complaint, as we had already resolved the matter and canceled Mr. *****’s invoice as a courtesy.Mr. ***** signed an agreement for a residential solar system, and as part of the project process, we completed a structural review and obtained the required building permit—both of which involved third-party costs. In July 2024, he requested to place his project on hold due to financial concerns and asked us to follow up at the end of the year. We did so multiple times but did not receive a response.Per the terms of his contract, we had the contractual right to charge a cancellation fee to cover incurred costs. However, to accommodate Mr. *****’s situation, we reduced this amount to only cover direct third-party expenses. After he expressed concern, we took an additional step and canceled the invoice entirely, ensuring he owed nothing.We regret any misunderstanding and remain committed to fairness and transparency. We welcome the opportunity to discuss any further concerns with Mr. ***** directly.Solar Liberty Customer Support

  Customer response

  02/20/2025

  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. My name is ***** ***** and I filed a complaint a few days ago against Solar Liberty.They since contacted me and let me know they waived the cancellation fee and sent me that in writing.I would like to let you know that this has been satisfactorily resolvedand that you may close the complaint.I am very happy with the outcome.Thanks for your time, Regards, ***** *****  

• Initial Complaint

  10/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had Solar Liberty (S.L.) install a Solar Array for my home last year and it was designed for use with Batteries that were not available at the time du to supply chain issues. So we agreed they would install this year, 2022, when the ***** Batteries were back in stock. - When the project was financed using NYSERDA grants, loans and credits SL had an additional $14,840 on hold and still do. That means that to no financial benefit to me while I was paying finance charges on the loan SL has had this almost $15,000 for over a year now. - When the batteries came in in spite of the quoted price, SL wanted to increase the cost by almost $5,000. I tried to negotiate with them and they would not move on price. - I researched other options and found another (reputable) NY State Solar company to install batteries for me. - I then went back to SL and asked for a refund that I could apply to the new company project with "****** ***** *****" (***) and SL wants to withhold $4,500 from the $14,840 for supposed work already done, which I never authorized in advance. - SL also is saying they will return the remaining $9,040 to the loan company, which I have told them not to do as I need it for the *** Project. I believe SL is doing this to scuttle the newer project. I am fine if SL remits a check for the reimbursement/refund to ***. - With *** we also discovered that the SL system is not always efficient and I am losing money and productivity and when I questioned this months ago as I had my own suspicions SL told me I had nothing to worry about and this was normal operations. I find these practices to be highly Predatory and the use of very poor Business ethics. I have looked for lawyers, yet the amount tis too small for attorneys to care about or to want to help the little citizens out with. I also find it a bit ironic that the increased project cost that SL wanted to charge me is almost the same amount as they wish to withhold! Please help, respectfully, *** ******* ***

  Business response

  10/28/2022

  To Whom It May Concern:Mr. ******* made his situation a little more complicated by using third-party financing for part of the transaction.  This was his choice.  We did not recommend the financing.  He borrowed at the time of installation, and admittedly knew the charging stations would not be installed until a year later.  So, the finance cost is a bit higher for him.  But this was his choice.  The finance company has a rule for us to follow:  If there is money to be refunded, we must return it to the finance company to lower the debt amount.At the time we installed the solar system, we were under contract to install the charging stations.  We performed most of the work for installation of the charging stations.  We hard wired his home from his electrical box to his garage so that all the remaining work was to hang the charging stations on the wall and plug them into the socket that Solar Liberty had hard wired—an amount of $3,000.00.  We are happy to complete the installation as it simply requires hanging the charging stations on the wall and plugging in the system.  But, Mr. ******* has hired someone new to complete this remaining detail.  Presently, Mr. ******* owes us a $1,300.00 balance on the photovoltaic system.  We will retain this amount from the $14,840.00.  We will retain the $3,000 for the charging stations as the hard wiring was already completed.  The balance of the money we are under a legal obligation to the finance company to return the unused funds to the finance company.  If permitted, we will complete the remaining details of the installation.We have no discretion to return the money to Mr. ******* so he can use it on another project with a third party.  If we don’t return the money to the finance company, we can be sued if Mr. ****** doesn’t pay the balance.  We have no interest in sabotaging Mr. ******* or anything that he agrees to with a third party.As for the system not working to optimum.  We have never heard this prior to this complaint.  Mr. ******* has never contacted our service department with a complaint.  We suspect that the new company has promised to get more out of his system.  Whoever is advising Mr. ******* may not be acting in good faith here.  Their changing our system will not only do little if nothing to improve the system.  But, it will certainly invalidate our warranty with Mr. *******.  We strongly recommend Mr. ******* to contact our service department before any alterations to our system are made by a third party.  As for the complaint’s of Mr. *******, we believe that they are unfounded.

  Customer response

  11/14/2022

  I wanted to update and I hope you get this.  I could not figure out how to send on the secure portal.As one week has passed.  I have made contact with **** * NYSERDA and sent him a report and documents as with you / BBB.**** has told me he will look into this and is interested to get SL's perspective on this.Please keep my complaint open a while longer, I know we discussed 2 weeks.  Please do not post results just yet.Many thanks for your assistance, ***

• Initial Complaint

  05/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I asked for the company to install a 25kw solar system. They installed enough solar panels to produce 25kw however they installed 2 inverters that only allow the system to produce 18to 19kw. They also installed one solar array casting a shadow on the 2nd solar array. Before I made final payment to them they agreed to move the solar array. Now they do not want to do it. The owners word means nothing. I have gone back and forth with them to make the system right and they refuse. They only come up with excuses. They need to replace the 2 inverters with 2 larger size inverters or they need to add a third. They are supposed to be the so called "experts". I had a lot of problems with them on a previous install at another location and decided to give them another chance. What a big mistake.

  Business response

  05/25/2022

  Solar Liberty was provided a list of equipment that the customer wanted us to price and install.  The customer had specified certain equipment that they wanted installed because they had done extensive research.  The inverters that the customer selected were not inverters that the company normally installs, but were specifically chosen by customer to compliment the battery equipment that customer separately purchased on their own. 

  In regards to the system placement, the area that was selected was chosen so that the solar system did not shade their pool.  The customer signed off on this location and was onsite during the entire installation process.The system will produce at or above what we agreed upon in the contract. 
  

  We continue to work with the customer to ensure they are fully satisfied with the solar system.
  

*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. ↩