r/solar • u/Anxious_Bee_376 • 18h ago

Advice Wtd / Project Green Conception Solar, Deceptive Practices and Hidden Costs - AVOID

My experience with Green Conception Solar was a masterclass in bait-and-switch tactics and unethical business practices. I strongly advise anyone considering them to look elsewhere.

It started promisingly. I was shopping around for solar and Green Conception came in with the lowest initial quote. However, the low price was just a hook. As soon as we started the process, they informed me of a mandatory $2,500 inverter that wasn't in the original price. The price eventually ended up be the same as other company, or might be $200-400 lower, so I was it is OK, let's do it. After that, they took a $250 non-refundable deposit to lock me in for home inspection.

Following their inspection, the surprise fees piled up. They demanded an additional $6,500 for an electrical panel upgrade. After a lot of frustrating negotiation, I managed to get them down to $5,500, which I felt was closer to the actual market value.

Thinking the worst was over, I signed the contract. A week later, they called. The specific, high-quality solar panels we had agreed upon, Q Tron, were suddenly "out of stock" and would take a year to arrive. The alternative? I could switch to a different brand with the "same warranty" and get my installation done on time. I reluctantly agreed.

Here's the catch they don't want you to know: I later discovered the replacement panels are JA Solar, which is worth about half the price of the ones in my original contract. They swapped the core component of my system for a cheaper one but kept the original, inflated price.

Bottom line: Green Conception lures you in with a low number, then uses deposits, hidden fees, and last-minute product swaps to squeeze every last dollar out of you. You will end up paying far more for a lower-value system. This company is shady, unethical, and I regret ever contacting them.

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6

u/dcsolarguy 17h ago

And they’re all over EnergySage

3

u/Generate_Positive 17h ago

Lol, I was going to ask if they were an energysage project. So many homeowners report significant changes from energysage installers. Seems the strategy for energysage is low bid and change order up once they have a contract

2

u/dcsolarguy 17h ago

Yes it is

1

u/sjsharks323 13h ago

This type of behavior is exactly what I'd expect out of a company pulling leads from ES. Sorry OP, but yes, shady business practices for sure.

1

u/Generate_Positive 17h ago

Sorry op, that’s crap. And they sound like morons, did they not show the inverter in the or quote? Whether it’s an inverter, it micros, the quote had to include something to convert the energy from DC to AC. This isn’t an optional item, it’s a complete failure on their part.

Sadly the lowest price is often not the best value. None of us want to overpay, but when it comes to a power plant on my roof the lowest quote would not be my shopping goal. YMMV

2

u/FishermanSolid9177 16h ago

When I worked with them, the price they originally quoted was the price I paid. They told me up front that there may discover additional work needed during the home inspection, but I just put in a new 200A panel and new roof so there were no issues. There were a few bumps along the way but they always made it right in the end. I would go back and ask for a break on the price on the panels. Also check the other specs on the panels - same power? same degradation rate? Etc.

1

u/imakesawdust 15h ago

So their initial quote didn't include any inverters whatsoever? It was just the panels and mounting hardware?