My attempt to switch to solar took 11 months longer than the salesman promised

I put a deposit down on a rooftop solar system in March 2022 and was told installation would happen within 6 weeks. Between the utility company dragging their feet on approval, the installer losing my paperwork twice, and a backordered inverter, it took 13 months before I actually flipped the switch on. Has anyone else dealt with these kinds of delays, or did I just pick the wrong company?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinnm777d ago

Start by asking if that utility approval process ever gave them any kind of timeline or estimate upfront, because it seems like that's the part nobody warns you about when you're signing up. My buddy in Arizona had his utility say "4-6 weeks" and it turned into 7 months of them losing his application twice. Did the company at least give you any kind of timeline for the backordered inverter, or was it just radio silence until it showed up?

alice9287d ago

Honestly, I used to think people were just being dramatic about solar installation delays. I figured it couldn't be that bad if you picked a halfway decent company. But after watching my neighbor go through almost the exact same nightmare you described, I completely changed my mind. The utility approval alone took 8 months for them, and the installer kept saying "just a few more weeks" every time they called. Then the inverter was on backorder for another 3 months with no explanation. It made me realize the whole industry is a mess right now, and the salesman's promise is basically worthless.

wendy_lee487d ago

My neighbor's install only took 5 months total so maybe it depends on the area. @alice928 I think some of these horror stories get blown out of proportion online. People are more likely to post when they're mad than when everything goes smoothly.