3 Solar Companies You May Want To Avoid (According To Consumer Complaints)

Installing solar panels on your home is a big decision. Considering how long it takes to break even with solar panels, signing on the dotted line involves quite the commitment. Yet, California's solar experiment and the prevalence of things like the massive solar farm in Arizona suggest that solar is here to stay.

In case you're one of those homeowners who gets a knock on your door from a solar salesperson, or before buying a house with solar, it may help to know which companies you might want to avoid. Not every solar company operates the same way, and there may be some fine print to sift through with any one of them. Yet there are some that are considered more reliable than others, based on consumer reviews.

As a homeowner who's been on the receiving end of some door knocks that ended in frustration, I wasn't surprised to find out that other consumers have similar complaints after dealing with a few specific solar companies. Here are three that may be best avoided, if the consumer complaints, BBB ratings, and lawsuits are anything to go off of.

Plenty of companies have propagated solar power scams, and it seems that many consumers suspect Sunrun of doing so. Despite it popping up in many places (including my neighborhood) and its A+ BBB rating, Sunrun may be best avoided due to many poor customer reviews and lawsuits. Though Sunrun has a stellar BBB rating and is accredited, over 1,000 consumer complaints gave it an average of less than three stars out of five.

While there are undoubtedly pros and cons of solar panel leases, one common complaint in consumer BBB reports about Sunrun is the lack of service after installation. TrustPilot reviews of SunRun are also not great, with 1-star ratings making up the bulk of the feedback. Billing and communication were some commonly reported complaints on TrustPilot, and the bad news doesn't end there for prospective solar consumers.

SunRun and its subsidiary Vivint are involved in multiple lawsuits, often with SunRun filing against consumers who opt to back out of their contracts. Dozens of consumers also filed their own lawsuits against SunRun after claiming they were scammed. With that kind of track record, you might want to avoid SunRun and its subsidiaries if you're considering solar.

SunPower is not a consumer favorite, according to complaints, and the company even lost its BBB accreditation. SunPower has a D+ rating via BBB because of its failure to respond to over 140 complaints. Though the BBB doesn't give a specific reason for the lack of accreditation, it does note that companies must meet specific requirements for accreditation, make a "good faith effort" to address consumer complaints, and pay a fee to the BBB.

Beyond BBB complaints, of which there are over 1,200 over a period of three years, SunPower has a "poor" rating on TrustPilot as well. The one-star reviews outnumber every other star level by far, with many reviewers complaining of a lack of service after having solar systems installed. Like other solar companies, SunPower is also involved in court cases centering on various subjects, ranging from consumer issues to worker lawsuits.

Although a chat with a door-to-door solar salesperson might start with how many panels you need to power your home and how much energy you can expect to produce, it's crucial to read the contract before agreeing to anything. Various complaints against SunPower involved issues surrounding the contract terms, with some consumers reporting they felt scammed.

Another solar company you might want to avoid, if past consumer complaints are any indication, is Semper Solaris. Semper Solaris has overall poor reviews, and it's also facing legal action in court. Semper Solaris does have an A+ BBB rating, and it's accredited. However, a few hundred complaints indicate that working with Semper Solaris as a consumer getting solar installed isn't always a walk in the park.

On TrustPilot, Semper Solaris has an overwhelmingly high number of 1-star reviews versus more positive ratings. Complaints include issues like difficulty obtaining service after installation and leaky roof problems that reportedly went unaddressed by Semper Solaris. Unlike other solar companies, Semper Solaris does not appear to be involved in as many lawsuits, but one class-action lawsuit stands out; A group of consumers sued Semper Solaris for recording their phone calls without permission or warning.

With so many myths about solar panels and various guidelines, like the 33% rule for solar panel installation, it's important that you choose a trustworthy company to handle your solar project. According to various consumer reviews and complaints, Semper Solaris might not be one of those.

Our methodology involved a review of big-name solar companies offering service throughout the United States. We checked those major solar companies for Better Business Bureau accreditation, ratings, and complaints, and we reviewed TrustPilot data for each. Companies worth avoiding are those with many complaints (hundreds or more) on BBB, more negative than positive reviews on TrustPilot, and the existence of easily discoverable lawsuits involving consumers.