LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – In response to the rising number of complaints about residential solar companies, the Nevada State Contractors Board has announced the launch of a special Solar Investigations Unit.
According to officials, the unit will aim to target solar companies with complaints “involving theft, fraud, abandonment, diversion of funds, and unlicensed contracting.”
“Of the 3,000 complaints the Board receives annually, nearly one-third are homeowner complaints about solar companies,” said Nevada State Contractors Board Executive Officer Margi Grein. “Complaints include misleading sales tactics with promised benefits such as rebates, government incentives, and the complete eradication of electric bills.”
In April, FOX5 reported on one contractor accused of stealing around $250,000 without performing any work over the past two years. The 43-year-old man is facing seven felony counts and one misdemeanor as a result, which may involve up to 65 years in prison.
This is the latest effort from the contractors board to hold companies that have harmed homeowners accountable.
Additionally, the board will be partnering with prosecutorial agencies to provide increased consumer protection against scams, deceptive loans, and aggressive sales tactics. The unit will also meet regularly with state agencies to collaboratively work toward finding “fair and effective solutions,” according to the board.
“We are sending a message to the residential solar industry that protecting consumers is at the forefront of our mission and we will take whatever measures are necessary to continue protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public,” said Grein.
Homeowner workshops will also be held to provide homeowners with information and education on how to identify licensed contractors, red flags that may indicate scams, and how to apply for the Residential Recovery Fund.
Homeowners can easily verify a contractor’s license by visiting the NSCB website at www.nscb.nv.gov to ensure that the contractor is licensed for the work to be performed.
For more information on the NSCB Solar Investigations Unit or to file a complaint, homeowners should contact the NSCB at (702) 486-1100 (Southern Nevada) or (775) 688-1141 (Northern Nevada).
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