Murfreesboro solar power company shuts down. Here’s what customers can do next

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Geoff Edwards has been waiting months to get the solar panels on his house fixed.

“It’s been down since July 3rd,” Edwards said.

Then, last week he hears the company who installed his panel has shut down. Investigative Reporter Lindsay Bramson asked, “You found out from a Facebook group?

“I found out from a Facebook group with a posting of the letters they sent to employees, saying effective immediately we’re closing our doors,” Edwards said.

WSMV4 Investigates obtained a copy of that letter where employees were told they no longer had a job effective immediately.

Pink Energy is blaming the sudden closure on equipment issues and decrease in sales. But what about its customers?

“What do we do now? I’m paying money for basically a paper weight on my roof,” Edwards said.

When WSMV 4 Investigates called Pink Energy, its number was disconnected so we went to their local office in Murfreesboro only to find a locked door and no one inside.

“How could they shut down without setting up support structures for their customers,” Edwards said.

For most customers, Generac is who supplied the equipment for the panels. And they say, in many cases, they’re finding panels weren’t installed correctly.

Generac tells WSMV4 Investigates it plans to help people and that Pink Energy customers should reach out to them directly.

We also found out customers can contact the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association for help.

The associations executive director says if homeowners have solar panels not working, they can contact them to find a solar installer who will come out and fix it.

Edwards says when he got these solar panels two years ago, he was excited to save money. But instead, it’s been costing him even more out of pocket, and all he wants is to get what he paid for.

“I want a working system where I have support so that if it has problems down the road I can get it fixed,” Edwards said.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office says they’re aware of Pink Energy’s sudden closure and is evaluating next steps.

If you’re one of the many affected customers, you can contact Generac directly at solarsupport@generac.com or 1-800-396-1281.

If homeowners have a solar array that is not working, TenneSEIA (Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association) encourages those customers to reach out to a TenneSEIA solar installer that works in their community.

All members of their association agree on a Code of Ethics that is designed to help keep this sort of situation from happening. A list of TenneSEIA members can be found here.

TVA says it also has a quality installer network called Green Connect that TenneSEIA supports. The Program “connects” residential customers with installers who are members of TVA’s elite and long-standing Quality Contractor Network (QCN).  QCN members are licensed and insured and agree to install systems to the Green Connect Program standards.

For more information on the Green Connect Program or becoming a member of the QCN, please visit www.greenconnect.com

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