The Solar Industry Is Drenched in Fraud—And It’s Time We Talk About It
- Dale Rolph
- May 11
- 3 min read
Let’s stop pretending. The solar industry isn’t just failing—it’s corrupt to its core. And for many consumers, it’s done more harm than good.
While the dream of clean energy should represent hope, savings, and independence, the reality for thousands of homeowners and businesses is the exact opposite: lies, abandoned projects, broken systems, and a total lack of accountability.
The Fraud Runs Deep—And It’s Everywhere
Behind the polished websites and "Go Green" slogans lies a deeply unethical industry culture. We're talking fraud at every level:
Falsified permits submitted to jurisdictions to bypass proper engineering.
Fake inspection documents used to close jobs or release financing.
Manipulated net metering applications with incorrect panel counts or inverter sizes just to qualify for incentives.
Contracts forged or signed without true homeowner consent.
All for the sake of one thing: closing the deal.
These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re standard operating procedures in many solar shops. And worse, regulators have either turned a blind eye or don’t have the bandwidth to keep up.
They Don’t Care If It Works—They Just Want You to Sign
Ask any homeowner with a malfunctioning system how easy it is to get support. Spoiler alert: it’s not.
Inverters go down and no one shows up.
Monitoring apps stop working and suddenly, no one answers the phone.
Panels are installed in the shade—literally useless—and the company blames the utility.
Wires melt, breakers trip, storage doesn’t back anything up, and the “clean energy solution” turns into a nightmare.
And good luck finding someone to service it.
The solar industry is notorious for vanishing after install. Because most companies don’t even install the systems they sell. They outsource to a revolving door of subcontractors who have no connection to the homeowner and no incentive to return.
No Warranties. No Support. No Shame.
When something breaks—and it will—you’ll hear one of the following:
“That’s a manufacturer issue.”
“That’s not covered.”
“We’re out of business.”
Silence.
Even top-tier manufacturers offer little to no homeowner support. Most of them rely on the installer to handle service calls. But if the installer is gone or dodging calls? You’re on your own.
Warranties mean nothing without someone to honor them. That’s the fraud consumers are waking up to. Not just at the sales level—but at the manufacturing and financing level too.
The Damage Goes Beyond Your Roof
It’s not just a consumer problem. It’s a grid problem.
Poorly designed systems—often oversized, mismatched, or installed with zero engineering—are destabilizing local infrastructure. Utilities are being flooded with bad systems pushing reverse power when they shouldn’t, tripping transformers, and violating code every single day.
These systems were sold with no intention of integrating responsibly into the broader energy network. They were sold fast and cheap—just enough to get the loan funded and move on.
Ironically, in many areas, utilities are more reliable than solar companies.
Yes, your utility may charge you more. But they show up. They answer the phone. And they keep your lights on. The solar industry? Often they leave you in the dark—literally and metaphorically.
We Were Sold a Lie: “No Maintenance, All Savings”
That myth has hurt more families than anyone wants to admit. Because solar is not “set it and forget it.” It’s an energy system. It requires:
Monitoring.
Firmware updates.
Inverter replacements.
Cleaning.
Electrical testing.
And when something goes wrong? Real service from someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
The industry has sold false hope: energy freedom, zero maintenance, guaranteed savings. And now? Homeowners are stuck with expensive equipment they can’t fix, don’t understand, and can’t rely on.
A Message to Homeowners and Business Owners
If you’ve been burned by solar, you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy. The system was rigged against you. And many of us in the industry have been yelling about this for years—only to be silenced by sales quotas and corporate greed.
So what can you do?
Don’t trust a glossy pitch deck.
Don’t sign anything without reading the fine print—and Googling the installer.
Don’t believe anyone who says solar has “no maintenance.”
And if you already have solar and it’s not working: document everything. Escalate. File complaints. Speak up.
Because the only way this industry gets better is if we expose the rot—and start over.
Final Thought
If someone’s going to screw you over, it might as well be the utility company—they at least care about the grid staying online.
The solar industry, as it stands today, doesn’t care about your energy security, your family’s safety, or your financial future. They care about the deal. They care about the check.
Until that changes, the best thing that could happen is exactly what’s happening now: a collapse.
And from the ashes? Maybe we’ll get something real.
Comments