Solar panel installer closes; panels 'have not met' expectations: family

BRISTOL, Wis. - A Bristol family thought they’d made an investment with a bright future. Instead, the solar panel installer they hired went dark.

Contact 6 visited Mike Von Gunten on a 70-degree day in February. The unseasonably warm weather was one reason why Von Gunten wanted to go solar.

"There’s something going on with our environment. If we can save it, I’m all for that," said Von Gunten. "I believe in solar power."

Still, Von Gunten wants his panels to work like they’re supposed to. He had 14 panels installed in October 2022. A few months later, the panels began producing solar power.

"And they have not met our expectations," said Von Gunten.

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Von Gunten was guaranteed his panels would make around 5,800 kilowatt hours of energy per year. He estimates their production is closer to 3,800 kilowatt hours.

The Von Guntens hired Modern Mill Solar out of Indiana after getting a pamphlet in the mail. Shortly after his panels were commissioned, Modern Mill Solar closed.

"Overnight, they were out of business," Von Gunten recalled. "It feels like we’ve been taken in by them."

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says it got notice in February that, "Modern Mill, LLC has, for the present time, ceased active operations. COVID, supply chain issues and challenging labor market have contributed to this unfortunate outcome. While our immediate goal is complete any open customer installations (to the extent possible,) we remain hopeful that we will begin operating again at some point in the future."

Modern Mill Solar didn’t respond to Contact 6.

Contact 6 is tracking the closures of residential solar companies. The BBB’s website says Solcius LLC out of Utah filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February 2024. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has 14 complaints about Solcius since 2022.

Moxie Solar in Iowa has 31 DATCP complaints since 2022. The BBB reports the company "is no longer in business."

Nick Hylla of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) says Moxie Solar closed because of market conditions.

"Interest rates and supply chain costs just pinched their business," said Hylla.

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Then, there’s Sun Badger Solar in Waukesha with 148 DATCP complaints. The company has entered into receivership, which is an alternative to bankruptcy. The FBI is investigating Sun Badger Solar for fraud.

Hylla is more critical of companies like Sun Badger Solar. He’s critical of any company that uses high pressure sales techniques or exaggerates the home’s likely solar production to make a sale.

"As much as some of these bad examples get the most press, they are still a very small fraction of the market," said Hylla.

Hylla says it’s important to work with a company with a good track record. He says the MREA is seeing a lot of new companies enter into the Wisconsin marketplace, so consumers should do their homework. He recommends checking the company’s length of service and operation in state. 

Arch Solar has been in business more than twenty years and has zero DATCP complaints.

Speaking to Contact 6 at a solar panel installation site in Wauwatosa, Mike Cornell of Arch Solar says he’s aware of predatory tactics in the industry.

"Words like, "zero down, free electricity for the rest of your life, won’t cost you a thing," said Cornell. "We hope that the legitimacy will outweigh scam."

Cornell says if you’re going solar, it’s important to ask questions like: do you have a master’s electrician’s license? Are you certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) https://directories.nabcep.org/ Are you certified by the MREA? Do you sub out your work?

"We don’t trust the quality of anybody other than our own people," said Cornell.

Cornell also says to ask: how long have you had an office in Wisconsin? That can also speak to the accuracy of online reviews and experience with in-state utilities.

"The nuances of the (different) utilities are crazy," said Cornell.

Cornell warns against solar installation companies that show up on your doorstep.

"It’s a high ticket item, so they’re out doing a money grab. (The company) will last a little while in a region or neighborhood and then they’ll move on," said Cornell.

Hylla says when it comes to solar panels, the cheapest option isn’t always the best.

Through Modern Mill, Von Gunten signed a contract for a 300-month loan with EnerBank USA. His paperwork says he had no downpayment and no payments for 12 months. Von Gunten says he never received a payment request notification or a form to authorize his payments.

In December, he got an email stating his account with EnerBank USA "is in delinquent status."

"They never told us when the payments were to start," said Von Gunten.

Von Gunten says he’s disputing his status with Enerbank and has yet to make any payments.

"I’m not going to pay for something that’s not doing what we were guaranteed it was going to do," said Von Gunten.

Von Gunten wants to stick with solar energy and is speaking with another company about how to increase his panels’ production.

EnerBank sent Contact 6 the following statement.

"While we cannot discuss specifics of individual accounts out of respect for customer privacy laws, we can share that EnerBank works directly with customers on issues impacting their accounts. EnerBank has a long history of providing homeowners and contractors innovative products and digital financing solutions to make home improvement projects a reality. By financing these projects instead of paying cash, customers have an extra level of support to protect their investment if issues arise with the work and a contractor is no longer in business. We recognize home improvement projects can be stressful, and our team at EnerBank is committed to helping clients through every phase of the process."

Von Gunten says he hasn’t heard from EnerBank since entering into its dispute process.