Customers tell horror stories of solar company that gets $422M in tax dollars
“As a customer, you have no say,” Leeds said. “With a solar lease, you are putting the stuff on your roof. You have a signed contract with the devil and you are stuck with the stuff.”
by Tori Richards, Watchdog.org
We all get them — telemarketing callers pushing home solar-energy systems that will save us from rising electric bills.
Most of us generally hang up. But in 2012, Jeff Leeds, who lives in the Northern California town of Half Moon Bay, listened. His 3,100-square-foot home features 91 incandescent bucket lights, a 180-gallon fish tank, three large refrigerator-freezers and a huge entertainment system. His electric bill was averaging $350 per month.
The sales pitch Leeds was hearing on the phone sounded ideal: Lease a system from SolarCity, the nation’s second-largest solar electrical contractor, for a low monthly fee and reap the rewards of cheap electricity.
“For a $600 fee up front, I would pay $182 a month for the next 20 years,” Leeds said. “They have a performance guarantee. If I don’t make enough electricity, they said, ‘No problem, don’t worry, we will write you a check.’ I thought, ‘I’m covered.’”
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solar scam
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Build more nuclear plants. It is the true “green” energy.
Back in the 50’s my mother used a solar clothes dryer. Worked pretty well. No government funding.
It should be like illegal and stuff for corporations to steal the sun and like make huge profits on it from normal people and stuff. Solar energy should be free cause the sun doesn’t belong to teabaggers!
Government should like ya know, make sure every one has equal and free amounts of energy caused by sunshine!
Free Power To The People!
Criminal.
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I really wanted to install a solar system (I have three large roofs to carry panels) and fanaticized about doing it on my own dime (taking advantage of tax subsidies), setting up a large battery bank, and a heavy automatic inverter to feed back onto the local grid. Two things realized killed the dream for me: 1) the battery bank would need to be replaced about every 7 years at about $10k per, and 2) the installation alone, based on current material costs, current rates and expected feedback, would take at least 25 years to reach the break-even point, not including upkeep and maintenance.
I know! Let’s shut down all the fossil-fired generating stations! THAT will fix it!
@menderman: Like, wow, that is like, soooo true, man. Right on. Look, I made a sign.
‘No problem, don’t worry, we will write you a check.’ I thought, ‘I’m covered.’
Gee, what could go wrong?
This fing person has a huge house stuffed with expensive things and they worried about $350 per month in electric bills? I PAY THAT YEAR ROUND every month in upstate NY in a tiny house, with ONE fridge/freezer. Where I go around in the dark during daytime hours to try and save on energy costs. (But I refuse to give up my incandescents.) Add more to that in winter for gas heat. This is why every one flees to Florida.
@flip “setting up a large battery bank, and a heavy automatic inverter to feed back onto the local grid. Two things realized killed the dream for me: 1) the battery bank would need to be replaced about every 7 years at about $10k per, and 2) the installation alone, based on current material costs, current rates and expected feedback, would take at least 25 years to reach the break-even”
THIS!
First, consider what goes into all those batteries. Consider the manufacture of the inverters too. Not green at all. That’s what gets me about these green people, and I’d bet not a one of them has ever set foot in a factory. I watched a local solar business owner detail all of this out in an interview, and she came right out and told the breathless greenie who was interviewing her that a person wouldn’t see savings until right about when all of the equipment needs to be replaced – approximately 20 years. So, all the poisonous battery and inverter junk, as well as the panels, go into the landfill. Then the poisonous processes to make new ones takes over.
Serves him right, when you make a deal with the Devil it is hard to get out of it.
@grandeme: Agreed. But…
THIS!
My angle isn’t green. my angle is having electricity when the grid goes down. period.
@Flip – LOL, I didn’t take you for a greenie. Many people like the idea of solar for that reason, some because it’s a tech thing, some for green reasons.
I was thinking of setting up a very small deal out at my camp for “just in case”. I am so horrible at putting things together it is a comedy every time I try – and my husband is even worse. I figure they may develop something for folks like me soon, some sort of all-in-one thing where you just set in out in the open, take the wrapper off and run a cord into the cabin – presto! I’d have to get a cabin first though. 🙂
The only thing solar is good for is a Green woodie. Over time, it is totally inefficient, as are those stupid windmills. The only way to make these alternates save money, is to abandon them when they break down. It’s already happening with windmills.