ComplaintsforCastle Energy LLC

• Initial Complaint

  07/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased solar panels and related equipment from Castle a few years ago. The inductor ( the device that measures the solar power/electricity generated) broke about a year ago. After months of complaining, Castle sent a technician out approximately beginning of May,2023. He advised the inductor was broken, was under warranty, and would be replaced for no charge within 2 weeks. Since then I have made at least 6 phone calls, always to be met by voice mail. Once someone called me back, but never followed up. Without the inductor, I am losing about $200 per month, because I can't sell my excess solar powered electricity (known as SREC's). I even tried using the sales phone number, but still no one answers. My next step is a lawsuit. My local Castle Energy is in Pleasantville NJ.

  Business response

  07/30/2023

  This situation is actually a monitoring component that is warranted by ******************* finance company ********, and is best handled with a call to ******** to setup a warranty claim. ******** will contact us and create a service call ticket to RMA any of their components not operating properly. We did go to *************** home and found the monitoring device was not working properly, while onsite *************** called ******** and followed their procedure for returning defective materials and receiving a replacement device. Unfortunately with COVID, the delivery times for RMA'd materials has not been a quick experience. There may have been some misunderstanding of the replacement timeframe, on average it's has been taking 6-8wks, but many times longer for RMA deliveries. The good news is ******** will pay Castle to swap-out the monitoring device, in addition, the inverters store their production history so *************** will be able to upload any disruption in SREC reporting once the new device is installed. We will follow-up on this request this week and reach out to *************** with an update.

  Business response

  08/12/2023

  *************** has a solar system a with a 3rd party financing company ********, we were hired by ******** to install the equipment. ***************** contract is with ******** not Castle Energy, neither are we contracted with him for maintenance on his solar system. As such, we have no obligation to address his complaint regarding a ******** component that's not working properly. He's supposed to call ******** if he has a maintenance need, if they decide, but not exclusively, they may contract with Castle to address the issue(s). We actually installed a replacement monitoring box for *************** last week, we haven't heard a thank you from him either. I guess we're trying to understand why this complaint would remain on our website as an unsatisfied customer, and not redirected to ********'s website. 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We signed a contract and paid for solar panels with Castle energy which would produce an estimated 9,922 kwh of electricity per year. On the day of installation, the design was modified to exclude some solar panels which left us with panels that would only produce approximately 7,829 of electricity. We were not informed of this change. My husband happened to look at the roof and noticed that some panels were missing. I am concerned that this might be a "bait and switch" practice that the company is using with their customers as well as the fact that we are paying for more electricity than we were told we would receive. The regional manager (*******) acknowledged that this happened yet we cannot get Mr. Castle to rectify the problem. He did not show up for a meeting we were scheduled to have at the house to resolve the issue. I've attached an email from ******* where she was trying to help us out to no avail because Mr. Castle was unresponsive. I have also attached the financing agreement with ****** where you can see that we are paying for 9,922 est kwh.

  Business response

  08/19/2023

  This situation has more to do with the communication regarding the intended aesthetics of the solar panel roof layout. Our field representative recorded in her notes the ********** preferred all solar panels on the back-roofs, to maintain the look of the house from the street. There was a layout for 20 panels total, with 2 panels on the front-roof, although our construction crew did the panel installation with all 20 panels on the back-roofs. We went down to meet with the ********** in late July, to have a discussion regarding the circumstances and address their concerns with the final solar panel installation. The primary goal is to achieve an annual production yield of 9,924kWh. Its our contention they will have a good production experience with all panels on the back-roofs, but we will do what's needed to get them to the desired output. We agreed to wait until the end of 2023 to see how the current solar system performs before making any design changes or adding panels. As of 8/18, the year to date 2023 daily average is 27.25kWh, an annualized yield of 9,948kWh. Well see how the solar panels do during the winter months and reconnect in December to agree on the next steps.

• Initial Complaint

  01/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had solar installed on my home in April, 2022. I cannot determine if my home is producing solar. Unfortunately, I am not getting help from the company, Castle Energy LLC on how much solar its producing. I reached out to the owner, JR C**********, several times via Text. The last time I spoke to JR was in November he assured me that he would come out to help get the issue resolved. I’m still waiting to hear back from him. Every time I speak to the JR,  he say he will get the issue resolved.  I have paid over $30,000 for this system.  I am getting the runaround from the owner.  When I go online to see how much solar I am using, I received an error that the system has been off-line since June .I need to get this issue, resolved to ensure that I am producing the solar. 

  Business response

  01/08/2023

  This site has a solar system monitoring communication issue due to weak wifi and cellular signal strength, in this area of southern Delaware. We’ve made 4 service calls to the site to try and improve the signal strength; on the 3rd visit we installed a wifi-booster at no cost to the homeowner. Regretfully, we've been unable to get any significant signal improvement. Unfortunately the manufacture of the monitoring system has been reluctant to RMA their monitoring components due to low signal strength. We did some onsite tests last weekend, the manufacture has agreed to send a new monitoring box. We are hopeful this will make a difference and ************** will have the full benefit of solar system monitoring.

  Customer response

  01/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Hello, my name is ******************* below is my response to the Better Business Bureau case number ********.  **** energy did not visit my home four times as Mr. C******** stated.
  
  On Thursday, July 28, 2022, Mr. C******* came out to my home to attempt to fix my solar issues. Unfortunately, he was unable to fix my solar.  At that time, I was told that a port needed to be ordered and they would send someone back. A person name, *******, came out to repair, at that time I was told the problem was resolved. However, my system still is not working properly.   I immediately contact Mr.  C**********, he came out on Tuesday, September 13, 2022,  at 1:48 pm, to work on the system, he said  the gateway needed to be replaced.  The gateway was never replaced. I contacted Mr. C************* again on December 5, 2022 at 8:49 AM. His response to me, I will get back with you in a week because we are behind due to bad weather and that we are booked.
  
  In Mr. C************, response to my complaint, that in Southern Delaware. There’s an issue with no cellular service. That is incorrect, my neighbor, had solar installed a few months ago with a different company, he is not having this issue. My neighbor access his system online, he showed me that his system was producing solar daily.  Mr. C************** keeps insisting that my system is producing solar. However, I am paying $30,000 for the system that I cannot see the value. My solar system was installed on  April, 2022. I have experience bad customer service, this is unacceptable, I am unable to see that my system is working properly.  I am requesting to have the system replaced or removed.
  
  Sincerely, 
  *******************
  

  Customer response

  03/03/2023

  See Attachment. 

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  On 1/2/23 we made another service call to ***************** home to trouble shoot the communication issue with his ******* monitoring box. At the end of the service call the manufacture agreed to replace the monitoring panel. We received and installed the new monitoring box during the last week in January. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Having a problem with my monitoring device since June 2022 No one is calling me me back, now December 2022.Supplier shipped part November 2022.I Need problem resolved Now!!! Left at least 20 messages. Paying for a lease, I have no clue what I am using for power. I keep getting bills from power company. I shouldn't have anything. Please help !!!!

  Business response

  12/24/2022

  Unfortunately this has been an ongoing supply chain issue with the manufacture of the homeowner's solar monitoring devise, we have been waiting on the part to be delivered for the last 9mos. We spoke with the manufacture last week, they indicated we will receive a shipment of monitoring boxes by the end of the year. We have contacted the customer, explained the situation to them, and we will install the hardware as soon as it is delivered to our warehouse. Regretfully, we have regularly had to work around these sorts of equipment challenges over the last 2YRs. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  After purchasing our house in October 2019, we met with a rep from the solar company Castel Energy in January 2020. The company rep met with us one time before leaving the company. After that all the information that was obtained came directly from me calling and finding things out myself. We were lied to from the rep about the way the income tax credit worked, as well as underestimated due to negligence. We were told that after having trees removed from the property that we would be running at 103%. Our system was set up to run roughly 1000 kwts/month. We were underestimated by almost half of what the house uses. Our monthly average is about 1700kwts/month. Nobody ever came out to properly load our consumption into a load calculator and went based off of previous owners and square footage. This is resulting in our bills being roughly $200-$300/month. During the summer we’re only running at 60%, and in the winter it is only 40%. We were also lied to about the tax credit, in which our bill has gone from $180 to now $250. The owner has come to the property previously in February of 2021 after calls to the finance company and also calling numerous time to Castle energy. The owner ** paid the electric bill for January of 2021 and came back with a proposal to add onto our system for additional $100/month, which of course would also increase from the tax credit after 18months. If on a budget with ** ******** our bill would be $225/month without solar. This is less than double that I am paying now between solar and electric, and $135 less than if I added to my solar panels. I have a coworker that can attest to also being lied to about the tax credit from the same rep from the same company and would be willing to also speak in my behalf. Unlike us, she is still saving money even though her solar bill has gone up because her system was calculated correctly so she has not spoken out. I should not be paying or have to pay more to fix this due to their negligence! 

  Customer response

  07/05/2022

  Hello. My name is *****************. Complaint #********. I am requesting to close my compliant as resolved. Thank you. 

*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. ↩