Last fall, Ventura County, California resident Greti Croft mortgaged her home to install solar panels on the apartment building she owns in order to help low-income senior residents stretch their meager budgets.
For Croft, the solar installation at the Peppertree Court Apartments was meant to save residents about $40 a month on electricity costs – or just enough to make needed medications affordable on Social Security Part A.
The cost, according to the solar contractor Croft chose, was $276,000. The work was supposed to be completed while Croft went on vacation in October. The promise – that costs would be recouped entirely through rebates – never materialized, and neither did the solar installation because the contractor was not licensed to perform the work, according to Simi Valley building department officials.
Eventually Croft – with the help of those same officials, plus a local solar installer and regional utility Southern California Edison (SCE) – made good on her promise, and today the 38-unit apartment building’s roof has a full complement of solar panels.
A subsequent check on the contractor, by city planner Shannon Nash, revealed something not quite kosher. Further research revealed a poorly written contract and some allegations of fraud in former installations. When Croft herself questioned the contractor, the blame was laid on the city, which had reportedly delayed/diverted/discarded the solar application. The story from the city is quite different; it says the contractor never even visited city hall, let alone filled out a solar application.
Simi Valley Deputy District Attorney Jim Eicher says his department is now investigating the contractor, who reportedly couldn’t be reached for comment. In the meantime, Croft – carrying a second mortgage on her house and shy $176,000 (the contractor did refund $100,000) – is glad to see 500 solar panels cutting the building’s energy use, some days by as much as 100 percent.
The quick response, by local heating contractor RR Electric Heating and Air Conditioning, in getting purchased panels installed, and SCE’s assurance that rebates would almost make up for what Croft has lost, is a fortunate turn of events; the loss itself a timely reminder that the solar energy boom has created its own pool of hucksters ready and willing to take advantage of people like Croft.
If you, or a friend or neighbor, are considering having solar panels installed on your roof, or on your property, double-check with your city or county building department to verify the contractor has worked in the city before, is licensed to install a solar photovoltaic system, and has performed according to accepted industry standards.