NC solar power company faces investigation, lawsuits and hundreds of customer complaints

NORWOOD, N.C. (WBTV) - A solar power company powerhouse with roots in North Carolina is facing hundreds of complaints and lawsuits and is even facing an investigation from Missouri’s Attorney General. Consumers owe millions of dollars in loan payments for solar power systems they say don’t work.

WBTV filed a records request and found more than 80 complaints filed in North Carolina against Pink Energy, formerly known as Power Home Solar.

Alexander Peets is one of Pink’s customers who filed a complaint with NCDOJ.

Peets told WBTV he’s spent a lot of time dealing with the costly and dangerous mess left at his home.

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“The first time they said that it wasn’t wired right,” Peets said.

“I actually had a tech come out here and telling me that he couldn’t believe my house didn’t burn to the ground.”

Power Home Solar started in Mooresville but recently rebranded as Pink Energy and appears to operate out of Michigan now, although North Carolina state business records still show the company as located in Mooresville.

“I figured, go local. How can you lose?” Peets told WBTV.

But according to his complaint, Peets is losing big time.

Installation that was supposed to take less than a week has dragged on for eight months.

When the project was “finished” the solar panels were supposed to drop his bill to $50 per month, according to his sales rep.

“I still have $300.00 per month power bills. That’s what I was trying to avoid,” Peets said.

He says the panels are “completely inoperable” and instead of saving money, he’s paying thousands for nothing.

“I’m literally stuck with a $70,000 system and a loan over my head that I’m not getting any benefit from,” Peets said.

Peets is far from alone. More than 80 complaints have been filed with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office with those customers claiming they have more than $2 million in loans combined for systems that were supposed to save them money but aren’t.

“We end up with a lot of these companies across the country, with salespeople that have less than adequate training,” Gabe Amey said.

Gabe Amey is the sales manager at Cape Fear Solar Systems. He talked with WBTV’s sister station WECT about all the work he has taking over people’s solar panel jobs after reality didn’t live up to the promises of the sales tactics.

“They aren’t really sure about what they’re really offering. They’re just given limited information about what to go out there and sell and the priority becomes to sell more, sell fast,” Amey said.

Pink Energy is facing an investigation from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which issued an investigative demand for information “regarding its practices for sales and installation of solar panels.”

There are more than a dozen lawsuits filed against Pink by customers and subcontractors in 2022 alone.

As lawsuits and investigations start building, customers like Peets just want to be freed from the tangled mess and for North Carolina to join Missouri in getting answers and justice for consumers.

“Some government agency needs to be looking into it. I mean, someone has to,” Peets said.

In response to questions about the consumer complaints about sales tactics and faulty installations, a spokesperson for Pink Energy sent WBTV a prepared response on a lawsuit Pink has filed against its battery supplier, Generac.

The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office told WBTV that the office is “actively reviewing every complaint and working with the company to resolve these concerns on behalf of NC consumers.”

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