Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2025

  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 went with this company in 2018. At first, it was a 5-star experience, but its been steadily declining, much like their workmanship. They claim a 10-year warranty but go out of their way to avoid honoring it, blaming the customer with wild accusations like you mustve stepped on it or you altered the system. These panels are heavy and require two trained techs to move. Research shows panels usually shatter due to impact or improper torque on mountsnot the customers fault. There was no hail, no debris, just history ************* panel shattered within a year of installation, and it took 7 months to get it replaced between ********. Then, in October 2023, another panel shattered right next to the previous one. Its now May 2025 and theyre again dodging responsibility with the same tactics. They claim a second adjacent system voids the warrantyas if having a second fridge next to the first invalidates its warranty. Thats nonsense.I sourced a replacement ********* HIT N330 panel myself when they claimed it no longer existed. Only Mr. ***** and Mr. ******* have been helpful. The rest of the customer service is unreachable, with full voicemails and no ability to create service tickets.Update: As of April 24, 2025, the string with the broken panel is dead. Im producing half the power, and still no timeline or fix as of May 1st. Theyd rather spend $700 on travel than replace a $320 panel or outsource locally like they did before. Avoid Peterhis friendly service isnt just bad for customers, but also known internally. If ********************** had worked with me instead of blaming me, I wouldve gladly left them a 5-star review.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/12/2025

  Solar Gain denies the Customers complaint and warranty claim for the following reasons.  Solar Gain installed a rooftop solar energy system at the complaining Customers home in 2018.  In its contract, Solar Gain provided a two-year warranty for equipment, and a ten-year warranty covering workmanship and solar energy production.  In 2020, Solar Gain replaced a cracked solar panel for the Customer at no charge under its equipment warranty. 
  
  Based on observations made during a service visit to the customers home on April 7, 2025, it is clear that sometime after 2020 the customer made extensive changes to the rooftop solar system Solar Gain installed.  The customer has added eight additional rooftop panels, and it is not known to Solar Gain if or how the rooftop panels it installed were moved, modified, or affected during installation of the new panels.  However, end clamp hardware for panels Solar Gain installed have clearly been altered. In addition, the customer added a second inverter panel, which has been interconnected with and wired into the inverter Solar Gain installed.  Wires Solar Gain installed in 2018 have been spliced within the inverter (which is not permitted by code), and the customer added a multifunction relay (likely for a secure power supply) to the original inverter.  Finally, a combiner panel has been added to incorporate the new inverter into the existing system.      
  
  Solar Gains visual inspection of the Customers current system suggest that the Customers subsequent installation and electrical work was done without permits and was not inspected by building officials.  In addition to the splicing of wires referenced above, new rooftop panels were added within a fire setback area for a functioning rooftop gas vent, and do not account for thermal expansion and contraction of the existing panels.  The new inverter lacks placards and labelling, which are typically required to pass inspection, and wiring raceways contain an excessive number of conductors.  Solar Gains visual inspection also suggests that as a result of the changes that have been made, the customers new system is mis-wired, which may be the cause of the dead string referenced in the Customers complaint. 
  
  *********************** equipment warranty expired in 2020.  Furthermore, Solar Gains workmanship and production warranties expressly exclude claims and issues resulting from alteration of the system by anyone not authorized by Solar Gain.  The Customer did not inform ********************** prior to changing the system.  Solar Gain did not perform the work, nor did it approve the changes, installation, or contractor that performed the work. 
  
  Solar Gain denies the Customers warranty claims and complaint for the reasons described above.  Solar Gain has received correspondence from the Customers attorney, and will issue a formal response through its legal counsel. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/14/2025

  furthermore ********* approved the warranty claim. Per solar gains *** warranty it states 10 year workmanship warranty which means their warranty coverage will lapse in 2028 not 2020 and ********* agreed that the clamp torque settings where the cause for failure and for the installer to verify correct torque settings when installing this second replacement.  See below from Panasonic. 

   

  Hello ****,

   

   

   

  Our QA team has reviewed and approved this claim.  We will be shipping out 1 x unit of VBHN330SA17 module from our warehouse.   Also, since the shatter started at the clamp point, please make sure the installer reconfirms the torque values during installation. 

   

  Could you kindly provide the following information:

   

  Address information for shipping Contact(Name) and (Number 000-000-000) in case the carrier needs to contact someone. The carrier will not delivery without someone there to receive the shipment.Preferred delivery timings:Please dispose of the old module as per local regulations and provide the certificate of panel destruction see attached.   This is the last step for the claim to close it out.  If we dont receive this form back, it may affect processing of future claims. I will follow up on this roughly 30 days after the replacement panel is received. 

   

   

   

  Please let me know if you have any questions.

   

  Best regards,

   

   

   

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

   

  Photo ************************ (PVCS)

   

  Cell: ************

   

  Panasonic *********** ************* (*****)

   

  Division of ***************************************************

   

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