HONOLULU (Island News) – The Hawaii State Green Infrastructure Office and the HSEA Trade Association said they received a number of complaints involving aggressive door-to-door salespeople who are trying to sell their solar energy equipment.
The biggest problem is they are claiming to be state and/or Hawaiian Electric (HECO) employees.
The solar electricity business remains relatively strong here in Hawaii and experts said that is what is drawing mainland solar salespeople to fly in and take advantage.
The solar electricity business remains relatively strong here in Hawaii and experts said that is what is drawing mainland solar salespeople to fly in and take advantage.
Eric Carlson from Revolusun said the solar energy business has plummeted by more than 80% in California and that is where most of these new salespeople are coming from.
“They’re offering a solar system with a battery that a legitimate company would offer and what they’re offering is real but how they’re going about it is wrong. There is misrepresentation by saying they’re affiliated with a local company here,” said Eric Carlson, co-founder of Revolusun.
Local solar energy companies and associations are urging residents to be cautious when dealing with these out of state door-to-door salespeople.
HECO confirms none of its employees go door-to-door and the company is dealing with many reports of people impersonating HECO employees.
Solar investments can run up to as much as $40,000 and solar panels do last decades. However, in case there is an issue, the homeowner may be at risk.
Tech editor Ryan Ozawa said the high-pressure tactics can be intimidating. He recommends residents never sign anything when salesmen come to the door.
“It’s a good idea to invest in solar energy. We’re all looking at climate change and we all want to save money in this expensive environment. What makes this different is because the incentives involves the government, taxes and group discounts,” said Ozawa, emerging tech editor at Decrypt.
Ozawa said he heard many reports of people pretending to be HECO employees driving through the Mililani area. The Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority asks the community to reach out to them directly if you have questions about possible scams.
