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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
05/12/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
We contacted Appollo Renewables Inc. Dr. Solar / Scotia Way early in the spring and started the process to have them quote a solar panel system for our home. After discussions and a site inspection by ***** ******** (Dr. Solar), they issued a deposit invoice for $16890.50 on June 3, 2022. We paid that within the week as they were rushing us to have the roof replaced with another contractor before they could install later that month. From that point things got slower on their part. They kept pushing possible installation dates for a variety of reasons, none of which we could confirm as legitimate. Then ***** called and said they were coming to deliver the hardware and then the installation would be done in a matter of days. That was less than a week before Fiona hit our shores. Then we tried to be understanding for a week or two but after October and basically all of November went by we messaged that we would like to cancel the contract and get out deposit back. ***** was quick to respond saying that he understood and would get our deposit back in short order. However, we have again given them time and tried to be understanding as he messaged saying that they were then waiting on some accounts receivables to come in and we would have it by the end of last week. Still nothing and they have not responded to any messages or phone calls since Nov 25. Any help you can offer to fix this situation is greatly appreciated.Business response
10/12/2022
There are two unique circumstances about this contract.
1. Over $10,000 of equipment was stored on the site of the customer.
2. Apollo renewables was paid a commission out of the funds received. (We have agreed to adjust from future projects.)
3. This is only the second deposit return in the history of the company and the other was due to a sale of the family home.
Our contract stipulates that the deposit will be returned 30 days (because we procure specific prtoject equipment as per item #1) upon notification and it may have been delayed but there was no communication in writing to our office.
We trust that the customer had made notification verbally to our VP of business development that in turn sent the request to finance but finance pointed to items 1 and 2.
The resolution proposed by us was to return $10,000 on December 6th and ther rest (approx $7k) once the equipment is collected.
The company is still responding to certain delays such as rescheduled electrical inspections and project schedules impacted by hurricane Fiona in both NS and PEI.
It seems as if this proposal was satisfactory and should be able to perform the last part of the agreement next week.
Initial Complaint
19/07/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
We purchased a home solar system from this company and it went into service on July 28, 2020. We were told at the time that they would be monitoring the system and they could see any problems. On February 8, 2022, there was a weather event. I was not contacted about the service interruption, I called them. They then said that according to their system there was a malfunction with the inverter. They ordered one under warranty from California and stated that they were surprised that it only took two weeks to arrive. It was installed in March. We lost one month of power production. On May 29th, the new inverter failed as well. We have been without power for almost two months in the peak season. By reviewing production in the same time periods in 2021, I estimate that these system failures have cost in excess of $1000 in power that could have been sold back to the grid. Mr. ***** ****** is the General Manager and only sends technical emails telling me that they are following up on the case with the manufacturer Solar Edge. They do not return phone calls and never have, he only sends emails. My complaint is related to how we have been treated when seeking information and a time line when we can expect this to be corrected by. No real information has been forthcoming. I am seeking an immediate replacement of my inverter so as not to lose out on any more production. Additionally, I want to be compensated for the lost production. It is my opinion that the in Etter should have been replaced from Doctor Solar’s inventory so that I would not have experienced these financial losses.Business response
26/07/2022
We have since reached out to our client via email in an effort to provide them with additional clarification within the context of complaint as well as another status update.In summary, our client has requested a resolution that is outside the contractual obligations,the Manufacturer's limited warranty terms and conditions, and our business controls; hence, we are unable to provide the resolution he has requested.Our client's Installation warranty with Doctor Solar expired over 11 months ago, however, as an act of good faith, we extended gratuitous service in May 2022 to replace system components. It is somewhat disappointing to see our act of good faith was met with client correspondence suggesting DS has provided less than adequate service and mistreatment.Additionally we have reviewed the client comments in the BBB complaint file as well as previous correspondence received from Mr ***** relating to this matter.We strongly disagree with the client's comments suggesting DS has in any way provided them with less than appropriate treatment.Moving forward it is our intent to continue to reach out to Mr.***** in an effort to remedy the equipment failure he has experienced, however, it shall be within the terms of the manufacturer's warranty.For the most recent correspondence to our client, in our efforts to continue to keep him up to date. and informed throughout the replacement process,Business response
30/07/2022
Hello *******, as a followup to our conversation, in response to complaint Case#17589361; we have since reached out to our client via email in an effort to provide them with additional clarification within the context of complaint as well as another status update.
In summary, our client has requested a resolution that is outside the contractual obligations,the Manufacturer's limited warranty terms and conditions, and our business controls; hence, we are unable to provide the resolution he has requested.
Our client's Installation warranty with Doctor Solar expired over 11 months ago, however, as an act of good faith, we extended gratuitous service in May 2022 to replace system components. It is somewhat disappointing to see our act of good faith was met with client correspondence suggesting DS has provided less than adequate service and mistreatment.
Additionally we have reviewed the client comments in the BBB complaint file as well as previous correspondence received from Mr ***** relating to this matter.We strongly disagree with the client's comments suggesting DS has in any way provided them with less than appropriate treatment.
Moving forward it is our intent to continue to reach out to Mr.***** in an effort to remedy the equipment failure he has experienced, however, it shall be within the terms of the manufacturer's warranty.
For the most recent correspondence to our client, in our efforts to continue to keep him up to date. and informed throughout the replacement process,
Please see our response below ....To date, we have not received return comments from our client.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Case#17589361-DS Response.
Re: Another week
***** ****** *************************m> Thu, Jul 21, 1:32 PM (5 days ago)
to ****** ****** **** ****** **** ***** **** ************
Hello Mr. *****
We can appreciate waiting for replacement system components under warranty from the manufacturer can be frustrating; however, as per our frequent follow-ups with you, we can assure you DS is undertaking all steps reasonably practicable under the circumstances, to facilitate the process.
It would appear from your most recent correspondence you may have some confusion about the manufacturer's limited warranty coverages, the claim process, and our services.
We hope you find the following clarifications helpful.
Doctor Solar Does not provide 24/7 monitoring “services” in relation to the PV systems. With the purchase of the SE inverter, the manufacturer includes access to remote online access viewing portal and respective mobile device compatible application that supports client access to system operational/performance data for their use. We facilitate the initial client access on behalf of SE.
From a monitoring perspective, under normal circumstances, you should have access to your monitoring 24/7 should you choose to view it.
Upon occasion you may experience an interruption in access and or reporting updates. It is not unusual for SE to undertake maintenance on the site upon occasion without prior notification of the potential interruption in data.
We do check in on systems from time to time, however, DS does not monitor your specific system 24/7.
As with any electrical/mechanical system in your household, we recommend you undertake an adequate visual inspection of the system on a frequency in alignment with the manufacturer's recommendations and best practices, and reach out should you suspect an issue.
We were pleased you reached out to us in the spring with a suspected issue.
We did troubleshoot the potential problem, in consultation with the manufacturer Tech support. RMA, approval was confirmed or alternatively, a replacement was approved, under the manufacturer's warranty in March.
This was installed at your residence on or near March 10th. Despite your installation warranty expired last year, we did not charge you for the replacement labor, as an act of good faith.
We were also pleased to see the turnaround was very quick, as it is not uncommon to see it take many weeks longer, as occasionally noted by the manufacturer.
We understand your present inverter also later developed a production issue May 29th following a utility power outage event.
You were notified a SolarEdge Support Case file was opened within 24hrs of receiving your notification and you have been kept informed of the status of the Inverter warranty claim on a frequent basis.
It is indeed unfortunate the replacement inverter shipping, from the manufacturer, is taking somewhat longer than the previous instance; however, Doctor Solar does not provide financial relief for claims of "lost energy" or "potential revenue" under any circumstances, when precipitated from manufacturers equipment failure.
As previously clarified, our business controls dictate, matters of schedule, commercial impact, technical and or warranty be communicated in writing via an appropriate channel.
Email is acceptable; Texting and or verbal is not.
We are pleased to hear you acknowledge you have not been receiving phone calls from us to discuss manufacturer warranty claim matters.
Our Email correspondence is of mutual benefit to our clients and Doctor Solar, and I can assure you we will maintain this compliance during our efforts to assist you. Your comments that we are " passing the buck" and other such inflammatory correspondence we have received, is not.
In cases where SE determines the required actions include Inverter replacement /repair under warranty; please be advised, given the season and present market conditions; we have been experiencing a period of extended turnaround of the SolarEdge RMA process.
As of today SE status on your claim remains " RMA Shipping Process"
The SolarEdge warranty covers a replacement Inverter as deemed appropriate by SE via the RMA process. Replacement inverters need to come from SE. We are not permitted to replace your inverter from Inventory.
The DS installation warranty for your system expired 7/28/2021, hence labour/materials for equipment/repairs ,moving forward, comes with costs to you, at our applicable service rates.
Your "Case" is in the queue with the manufacturer, we appreciate your patience with the process, and will advise you of status updates when they become available to us.
Regards.
***** ******
General Manager
********* **** ************Initial Complaint
07/02/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
We had a solar PV system installed on the roof of our Halifax home in the fall of 2019 by Doctor Solar for a contracted cost of $24,600. The solar panels, power optimizers and power inverters carry a 25 year warranties. The system is set up so that the performance of each solar module of the solar array can be monitored by Doctor Solar, Solar Edge (inverter and optimizer manufacturer) and ourselves via Solar Edge software and internet connection. In the course of 2021, I noticed that several of the solar panels were producing substantially less power than adjoining panels where there were no issues in regards to differential in shading or the amount of sun striking the panels. In the summer and fall of 2021, I spoke with ****** ****** of Doctor Solar who had overseen the installation of our system and appeared to oversee Doctor Solar field operations. When I spoke with ******, she confirmed the issue in our panels and felt if would be best to review the solar output data over the full twelve months 2021, in order to ascertain what issue there was and the best way to resolve. She committed to be in touch with me in early January 2022. When I did not hear from her in January 2022, I reached out to Doctor Solar and was told that Ms. ****** as no longer an employee. I then requested to be contacted by a Doctor Solar employee who was in a position to analyze my issues and work to resolve. I was promised this would occur. I was not contacted. I reached out to Doctor Solar again. I was not contacted again in any way.Business response
10/02/2022
Dear valued client, it has been brought to our attention that you have experienced some challenges related to receiving a timely response to your queries regarding the specific performance of a few panels within the Solar array and that you believe them to be underperforming.
Firstly, we regret that the communication has not been to your satisfaction. We at Doctor Solar strive to provide a very high level of customer service. This includes responses relating to any requisite after sale/operational follow-up.
We have reviewed the documentation, and carefully examined the performance data.
It is our understanding, your system has been operating and producing as designed from Sept 28th, 2019, and remains so today; however, it is your belief some panels are underperforming.
We can provide the following summary of my technical review and performance evaluation.
System Design:
Estimated First Year Annual Kwh output as per Design: 9,738 Kw-hours. (Jan 1st, 2019-Dec 31st, 2020)
Actual First Year Annual Kwh output as per Design: 10,563 Kw-hours.
______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ Estimated Subsequent Average Annual Kwh Output as per design 8,642 Kw-hours. (Jan 1st, 2020-Dec 31st, 2021)
Actual First Year Annual Kwh output as per Design: 10,732 Kw-hours.
______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ _ We are very pleased your system has been consistently providing you with greater than estimated performance levels and most recently exceeded 20% above the estimated production levels, this past year.
We do understand clients will reach out to our field Techs directly, upon occasion, for the purposes of developing a better understanding of the system operation.
Our Tech’s also understand, to gain meaningful production analysis, for the purposes of establishing a “normal” baseline of PV performance for evaluation evaluation, it is more accurately done over time. i.e., Annually
We are pleased the Tech you contacted conveyed this to you.
Alternatively, to provide our customers with the best response times, we recommend client communications regarding service or production concerns, be directed to our main office.
Monitoring Data
The SolarEdge systems do provide panel level monitoring, and the data can be useful in diagnosing some potential problems with the equipment; however, upon occasion, from our experience this data can be mis-interpreted, if not viewed in the context of all system data available, and the seasonal/ climatological data that affects the irradiance and length of exposure.
With the understanding panel level production data varies from day to day as well as seasonal variances, System design and quotations are based on annual production.
As per the annual production rates, your system is consistently performing very well.
Array/PV Panel Performance.
The system came online on or near Sept 28th, 2019. This represents approximately +-857 days of operation.
Conditions that create panel performance variances include, but are not limited to, hard soiling, soft soiling, multifaceted rooftop planes and shade. All of which occur at your location
These conditions commonly exist in sufficient quantities and or to a degree that can impact the overall irradiance that reaches a panel. Not all conditions that impact irradiance are visible to the naked eye at near proximity, and even less evident from a ground level inspection.
We have also reviewed the performance variance over the seasonal changes, with due consideration of the PV panel positions within the array, and we see no evidence to suggest the variance is outside of anything but normal. On average, the variance range is less than .35 kw/h/day.
Given your overall system at present is consistently outperforming the estimated annual design output; we see no cause for concern, from an operational or performance perspective, or a need for further action at this time.
Moving forward, we will continue to monitor your system operation and performance. We encourage you to continue to do the same, periodically, at your convenience.
Should anything arise that you feel suggests further action is required, please reach out directly to Doctor Solar Customer Service using our main number or our website portal www. doctorSolar.ca
Thank you.
______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ _______________ Customer response
10/02/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 16740025, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.Following the receipt of the response, I reached out directly to Doctor Solar General Manager ***** ****** and had a productive informative conversation regarding the perceived issues.
I thank the BBB for its facilitation.
******* *********
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