"Solar sales bros" behind industry's rapid expansion leave some customers feeling misled, frustrated
FARMERSVILLE – Some door-to-door sales are leaving dissatisfied solar panel customers on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars. In many cases the technology itself isn't the issue, but the sales force behind the industry's rapid expansion.
The CBS News Texas I-Team found rooftop solar sales representatives who go door-knocking aren't always employees of companies that produce, install or finance solar panels. Big solar companies often outsource on-the-ground sales efforts to third-party companies. In many cases, these sales reps tend to be young, and like many young people, they share a lot online, showing what they do.
Videos posted to social media by various solar salespeople show the sometimes unpleasant reactions they encounter, with some homeowners even calling the police.
"This is like the fifth person in the last month who's come here," a homeowner said in one TikTok post. "We don't want any solar panels."
There's a reason door-to-door solar panel sales pitches have become so persistent: Many young men see it as a chance to strike it rich.
The third-party companies hired by large national solar brands often offer enticing rewards, like cars or vacations, incentivizing salespeople and creating a culture dubbed "solar sales bros" by Time Magazine.
"It's very 'bro,'" said Christina Johnson, a former corporate solar executive. "It's kind of cultish."
Johnson has written extensively about her experiences in the industry. She told the I-Team it's not uncommon for these sales organizations to partner with multiple solar brands, allowing them to sign a homeowner to whichever company is offering the highest commission.
"It's going to be 20, 30, 50, 60, sometimes up to even 70% of that contract price is just commission," Johnson said. "That's going right in that guy's pocket who got that signature from grandma. And off he goes."
This business structure often leaves consumers out to dry.
"The solution is always just more panels"
For the past year, the CBS News Texas I-Team has investigated questionable business practices within the solar panel sales industry.
Wanda Hudson of Farmersville is one of the many who reached out after seeing these reports. She bought solar panels from a door-to-door salesperson a year ago. She still has the text messages saved that she says made her believe she was making the right decision.
"I want you to do what's best for you. Just know going solar is it for you," reads one text.
"This is the best decision you'll ever make," reads another.
Hudson said she heard the same promises others have, like how the monthly payment on her solar system would replace her monthly electric bill.
But a year later, she's still getting an energy bill in addition to the $181 monthly bill for the panels.
Another promise Hudson said she heard was that the government would help pay for the panels through a federal income tax credit. But the 71-year-old who lives off Social Security said no one told her she had to have taxable income to qualify.
"They're going after people who don't need it or shouldn't have it," Christina Johnson said of solar salespeople. "Some are outright lying, and some really just don't know because they weren't trained."
According to Hudson, she bought the panels from Greg Osborne, Vice President of Sales at Radix Solar, according to his social media pages. According to its website, the company's "goal is to help you build real wealth"—a message aimed not at its customers, but at its sales reps.
The I-Team reached out to Radix Solar for comment but did not hear back. In an emailed statement addressing Hudson's concerns, Osborne wrote:
"We want all of our customers to have a great experience going solar. It is our #1 priority. We build a custom proposal for everyone who chooses solar, which is based off their previous 12-months of electricity use. We do this so that we can provide them with the right solution for their specific home and energy usage. We have been working with Wanda to see what we can do to help her with their additional energy needs."
Although Hudson purchased panels through Radix Solar, they were installed by a second company, LGCY Power, and financed by a third, GoodLeap.
Hudson said for months after her panels were installed, she saw no sign they were working at all. Osborne told her to call the City of Farmersville, which sent an inspector, who asked if he could shut them down.
In an email to Hudson, a supervisor with the city's electric department explained the system was not connected to the grid or her home. This meant the energy being harnessed by her panels was going nowhere, except to the meter which was missing a cover.
"This created a dangerous and unsafe condition in which anyone who would've or could've come in contact with the exposed energized conductors and components of this open meter base would have been electrocuted without proper PPE to handle these exposed voltages," the email went on to say.
When asked about the installation issues, LGCY Power wrote:
"The solar installation process becomes a co-operative effort between the solar company, the city and the utility that provides for checkpoints prior to the system becoming operational. It also requires an approved inspection from the city in order to move forward, and that was the case in this instance. LGCY is committed to making sure Ms. Hudson is a happy customer and further conducted an additional on-site review after the city approval and found the system properly operational."
Hudson's solar panels and meter are working today. But they are still not producing anywhere near enough energy to completely offset her electric bill.
Earlier this year, she got a visit from another sales company claiming to have the solution: more solar panels.
"That's always the solution," Johnson said. "The solution is always just more panels."
Hudson said she did not sign a contract for more panels, but public Collin County records show that in addition to the lien GoodLeap placed on her property, she ended up with another lien on her property from another solar financer, Solar Mosaic.
When the I-Team reached out to Solar Mosaic for comment, the company's communications team said the issue had already been resolved. The next day, the company terminated the lien on Hudson's property.