The solar industry is booming as more people switch to renewable energy and work towards a greener future. But sadly, scams are becoming a part of this growing market. While solar energy is reliable and cost-effective, falling for these scams can mean wasting your money on fake products or bad deals.
Whether you’re in the solar business or thinking about getting a solar system for your home or office, it’s important to stay alert. In this article, we’ll talk about the most common solar scams and share easy tips to help you avoid them and make smart choices.
Common Scams in the Solar Industry
The solar industry has suddenly experienced a boom after years of staying unattained because of the extremely high prices of solar products. With technological advancements, the prices of solar products have drastically reduced. As people are now frequently switching to solar energy, including homeowners and business owners, the solar market has become overly populated, which not only includes high-quality products but a lot of low-quality products too.
Unfortunately, it is not only about low-quality products anymore, but rather about fraudulent installers, scammers, and all other forms of fraud in the solar industry. There are different sorts of scams you can encounter in the solar industry, such as some fake companies selling you bulk orders of low-quality products or hiring installers that are not even experienced and end up damaging your quality solar system because of their underperformance.
Here is a list of some of the most common solar panel scams and the ways to beware of them.
1. Fake Representatives
There are scammers in the market who might come to you as a representative of XYZ company and then sell you solar panels that have been imported through grey channels, or, if you want to put it into more simple words, they might sell B-grade and C-grade solar panels. For those who don’t have any experience with solar, they might end up paying high-quality panel prices for the panels that won’t even last more than a few years. You need to be cautious of such fake representatives in the market and not blindly rely on them.
2. High-Pressure Sale Tactics
Another form of scam you can experience is the high-pressure sales tactic, which is basically when a person uses illogical or aggressive methods to sell you something. They basically just want to sell that particular solar product, and when you ask them logical questions or about the technical aspects of the products, they will deviate you from the topic. Keep an eye, especially on these sorts of people, to ensure you don’t fall for their scams.
3. Fake barcodes and warranty cards
One of the most effective ways to identify the authenticity of solar panels is by scanning their barcode. However, to make their scams look more real, what a lot of people do is they attract fake barcodes with the panels. So, customers can’t tell that it is an authentic panel. The same goes for warranty cards. There have been cases where people bought solar panels with the warranty promise of 25-30 years, but their product didn’t even work properly for the next 3–4 years. The reason: low-quality panels sold as A-grade panels. Make sure to buy from a reliable source, verify the barcode, and also ensure you get an authentic warranty on your solar panels.
4. Forced Deals
When making a significant purchase like solar products, it’s important to avoid falling for forced deals, where pressure tactics are used to rush you into a decision. Unfortunately, many people still get trapped by such deals without taking the time to think things through. To protect yourself, always be cautious of situations where you’re rushed into signing a contract without proper consideration. Scammers often offer overly attractive promises, such as unrealistically low prices or the offer of free panels in the future. They may also be reluctant to provide proper company identification and may exaggerate the benefits of their products. Never sign anything without taking the time to carefully review all terms and ensure the company is legitimate.
5. Online Marketing Scams
Scams are not only done through traditional ways but online as well. It can be phishing emails or fake ads, where they will show you products of high quality but sell you a fake product of B or C grade quality. While there are famous companies with reputable online presence, there are some fake online entities too. Therefore, before signing any contract or finalizing a deal, meet the company’s representatives, if possible, visit their warehouses, and only after verifying everything, make a final decision.
How can you protect yourself from these types of scams?
A simple solution to all such scams in the solar market is comprehensive research. All you need to do is thoroughly check the company you are going to buy from, including how long they have been in Pakistan in the solar industry, how many successful solar projects they had in both residential and commercial sectors, and whether the company is certified or not. You need to first focus on the authentication of the company.
After that, the important step is to check the authenticity of the solar panels or any product you are buying. Scan the barcode, check if it is real or just a sticker attached, and once you scan it, check its documentation. Ask for warranty details. It is important that on solar panels you get 25-30 years of warranty, as this is the average lifespan of premium quality solar panels. Stay away from forced deals, deals without any written proofs, panels with no barcodes, or sellers without complete authentication proof.
Summing it up!
By carefully considering these few steps, you can easily make sure that you never fall for any of these solar scams. Investing in a solar system is a huge upfront cost; therefore, you need to make sure that you are investing your money wisely, which is going to give you long-term profit for years to come. If you are looking for a reliable company, Doart Energy is an option with a physical presence in Pakistan, premium-quality products that are certified, a comprehensive warranty, and a proper technical and support team for your guidance. Choose wisely, and secure a brighter, more sustainable future today.