Me and the solar company

@dawnald (85137)
Shingle Springs, California
June 17, 2023 11:35am CST
Was considering adding solar panels before California reduces the amount I get back for contributing to the grid. Projects approved before a date in April are grandfathered in to the old plan. The new plan reduces your reimbursement by something like 75%. State is 1) pandering to the energy companies (grrr) and 2) trying to encourage people to install backup batteries. Anyway... I had concerns with shade from my trees, but I had some major trimming done year before last, so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Sales person says no worries, they will send a drone up over the house and make a determination. Comes back with a plan to add panels that will cover my energy bill. We sign a contract, construction is done, all is well. Or so I thought. In February, I get an email from the solar company asking me when I'm going to trim me trees. Huh? There was no talk of me trimming trees. So I reply back very confused, and get a response that if I don't trim my trees they are going to lower my energy guarantee. Not sure how they can change terms on a contract that's already been signed, but I decide I'll be cooperative, and I have the trees trimmed. I send pictures and ask what next? No reply, but I get an email from PG&E that I've been connected, so I figure we're done. Almost a month later, I get another contract to docusign, and it has a lower energy guarantee. I decline to sign and report the solar company to their licensing agency. I get an email from the solar company saying they've been trying to call me. Thought this was resolved in February when I emailed the person who asked about my trees with my correct numbers, but she apparently never updated their system. Note: they had the correct number in December when they left me a message. Some time after that it got messed up, maybe with the sales person's number, not sure. Anyway, I email her my correct number and ask her to call me. She does and we have a nice conversation and she says she'll look into it. We back and forth for a bit, and she finally comes back and tells me someone there recalls that the original energy guarantee was contingent on me removing one of my trees. Aha! I was never told by the sales person I was working with that I had to remove a tree. In fact, after the original discussion about them sending a drone up, trees were never mentioned at all. She just showed up with a diagram showing the panels, said they could cover my bill, ran my credit and got things moving. I told the conflict resolution person that if I had known they wanted me to remove a tree (which is a protected heritage oak that would require county approval to remove), I would not have approved the project. She says she will go back to her engineering team and see if they can come up with a solution, because I do not want to sign a revised contract guaranteeing me less energy. She lets me know they are considering things including possibly adding a panel or trimming the trees at their expense. Then she comes back with a diagram of my backyard, and wanting me to trim my trees (like 5 or 6 of them) at least 3 - 5 feet. So at this point, I reply back that these are heritage oaks and that the county will likely not approve such drastic cutting without a permit and that I'm not sure the trees would be OK, but that she is welcome to consult the county and an arborist. And I ask her why the proposal to add panels was shot down? Seems to me that the dang trees would have to be trimmed every year, whereas adding panels would be a permanent solutions. Do not intend to be bullied into either butchering my trees or signing another contract. I'm pretty sure this one will hold up under arbitration or in court. I was never told either verbally or in writing about the alleged tree removal, nor was that mentioned in their February email asking about tree trimming. Something is rotten in Denmark, and I'm not sure if the rottenness is with the solar company or the sales person. Annoying.
3 people like this
3 responses
@Starmaiden (9310)
• Canada
17 Jun 23
I can understand how trees can lower the quality or amount of solar energy received but something does seem shady about that company.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 23
My suspicion is that we were both scr*wed by the sales person, but I am not sure. It could have been the solar company. At any rate, we signed a contract in good faith, and I do not see any reason why they should be able to change terms on me after the fact.
1 person likes this
• Canada
17 Jun 23
@dawnald I'm curious to know if solar power would be affected by the massive solar flares/plasma hitting the earth right now. How connected solar power is to the electromagnetic field. Might there be some interruptions in the flow of electricity to your home whenever a solar storm occurs?
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 23
@Starmaiden Interesting question. Not that I'm aware of. Far as I know, it's only impacted when there's shade/clouds or at night.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (147628)
• United States
17 Jun 23
I'd look at the contract you signed and then ONLY do what you agreed to do... Let the power company rant and rage if they want but you're only bound by the actual contract, not what someone said... if it didn't make it into the contract. (That's in Missouri. California law may say you have to turn cartwheels to keep getting the higher payments.) I'd consult an attorney if the power company keeps being weird about it.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 23
The solar company and the power company are two separate things. The power company generates the bill based on my usage with a credit for excess energy that I generate. The solar company, who the dispute is with, installed the panels and guaranteed a minimum amount of kilowatt hours.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 23
@DaddyEvil exactly
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (147628)
• United States
17 Jun 23
@dawnald Then the solar company must make up the shortfall in your energy generation to meet the guaranteed amount. They're trying to force you to break the contract. That happened here about 20 years ago and the solar company started being sued... They finally went out of business.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (97970)
• United States
17 Jun 23
That’s a great way to tank your business.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 23
Lousy reviews too. Can't believe I didn't check them before I signed.
1 person likes this