How to Weed Out Dishonest Solar Panel Installers

We live near Windsor Ontario.  We entered the nefarious business of Solar Panel Systems with much fear and trembling.

Here is a Review of some local Windsor area people with a bad track record:

1.0         Consumer Alert Against Certified Solar Windsor (Click to see): 

These have got to be the absolute worst thieves and liars around.  Ripped off over 300 people, took their money and never installed any thing.  This was one of the first installers to contact us.  They have ripped off over 300 people who trusted them and believed their lies.  They wanted us to give them up front, $35,000 .  That should set off warning bells.  You should only give people money when the product arrives to protect your self.

Others they put up expense systems that do not perform.

GREED RATING 5 STARS

2.0 Unconquered Sun

Online customers reviews all say the same thing.  Lying to their customers.  Did the same thing to me.

GREED RATING 5 STARS

Review of 

3.0 SUNDIAL SOLAR TRAX INC. (Reid Aldridge and Keith Luckhardt) London, Ontario.

Another group we recently had to deal with tried to play the games listed below.  They drive a big white diesel truck with a large trailer.  It is just fine for someone to write off the cost of their vehicle.  It is not right for you to pay for their toys.  In this case, the large truck is used to pull their boat.  You should not have to pay for that.  I call the smart one GREED (Reid Aldridge and Keith Luckhardt) his laborer.  They hail from somewhere near London, Ontario.  Two more people who will lie to your face and steal from you.  Who would hand over $40,000 for them to install your solar system.  Email me if you have bad dealing with them.

Many people who lie to you and make up stories have been doing that for a long time.  You shouldn't really have to pay electrician  rates for non-electricians.
They can do a respectable job when working for others.  They try to over charge on material markups (2000%), and hours worked. They simply can't be trusted when working on their own.  Score

GREED RATING 5 STARS

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Listing of Contractors Who Work For You:

1.0  Flexible Solar of Windsor, Ontario

We only found one company in our area that gave the best and most honest recommendation

for our Solar Panel System

Recommendation:  5 STARS

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NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, GIVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY UP FRONT TO ANYONE.


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There is a process that MUST be followed to protect yourself.  

You should firstly educate yourself about solar energy.  Then get an application to OPA for a contract.  You must get your approval before spending any money.  Many rural locations are NOT approved because the wind turbine people have taken all of the capacity away. 

Secondly, you must have a roof with the proper orientation and area to hold or support solar panels.  Next get your quotations from at least 4-5 people.

Read the reviews on line.  If they are lying to you they most likely lied to some one else before you.

If it sounds to good to be true it usually is.  A 10kW system will only produce a maximum of about $5000 per year.  Never use micro inverters.  Only a SolarEdge type of system is recommended.  All components should be stainless steel or aluminium. 

We can learn from the strangest people in life.  The Mafia's most famous statement is "you give me no respect".  You don't lie to or steal from people that you respect.  If an installer lies to or steals from their customers, then they should be put out of business.  You should never knowingly risk $40,000+ with people like that.

Finally you want a system that is flexible, reliable and will give you the best return on your investment.  The only one that I found that meets that criteria is a SolarEdge based system.  You can read my other posts on this one.

Working with Contractors:

Beware of this one:  We need two hours pay to come to your place and then you pay us say $150 per hour once we arrive.

This is translated as:  We want to charge you double or triple of what we should if you are stupid enough to hire us.  If you fall for that one watch out.

If the people do not do any work or work extremely slowly, then only pay them for the work that they actually did.  This is called stealing.  People who charge high  rates of pay have to be watched closely.

Over charging for materials.    On large items, 15%.  Do not pay extreme markups.  If an item costs $1.50 and you are charged say $30 again that is stealing.

Get the estimate in writing.  

If they don't do  what you asked for, then you can back charge them the cost for having someone else come and fix the work that they did.

One of the first things that a tradesman learns is to organize their work.  You get all of the parts you need for the job and put them in you tray.  You do all the work that you can on the ground first.