Blue Raven Solar, LLC

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Sincerely, [redacted]

***’s account of the facts and timeline surrounding his installation are accurate His experience with Blue Raven fell short of what we expect of ourselves and what we commit to our customers I have contacted him and made the situation rightThe problems [redacted] encountered hover around a few main themes: · There was a shortage of Canadian Solar panels toward the end of the year and our supplier failed to meet commitments to us in a few instances (as evidenced by the delays, the delivery of panels, etc.) We could have brought [redacted] into a conversation about his options, rather than assuming the brand was less important than the panels’ specs and performance (Hyundai panels perform similarly to Canadian Solar panels) ·We failed to correctly apply for and achieve interconnection with his utility This was largely due to an organizational change that happened around the same time and we were caught with our eye off the ball In October we increased our staffing in this area and reorganized to improve our accuracy and turnaround times We are MUCH better at this now ·We did not communicate accurately or consistently We committed to alerting [redacted] when his permit had been approved and at a few other junctures and then failed to do so We also glossed over explanations and details with regards to his interconnection paperwork and did not keep him adequately informed We have written and implemented a series of communication guides for our front-line staff to improve this type of communication So far the results are promisingCurrent and future customers are having and will have a better experience than [redacted] had I expressed this to ***, and I will again here – I’m personally sorry that [redacted] had a poor experience with us and have already made it better for customers moving forward

We attempted to contact [redacted] over the phone to resolve this complaint, but were unable to reach her to talk it through. We have emailed her as well. [redacted] , we apologize for the persistent communication. Our intention was simply to help get solar panels on the roof as quickly as... possible. Our support team made several unsuccessful attempts to get in touch with you and your husband to keep your project moving forward. It appears that our persistence and eagerness were perceived as aggressive. We’ll be sure to review our approach to communication and re-train our staff to prevent this in the future. In regards to your experience with the sales representative, I can assure you that we don’t condone forceful sales tactics. We’ll be addressing the details of your experience with the representative directly. The information he provided was correct. We need a signed installation agreement in order to complete a site survey. This site survey will provide our engineers with the information they need to complete the final design. The reason we need that signed agreement to complete the survey is for insurance purposes. Our technician will be working with an open electrical panel and climbing on ladders. That agreement makes your home an official worksite, so if anything were to happen our insurance would cover our technician. That document, as well as the final design document, both have details of our cancellation policy. This policy is intended to cover our costs once we’re this far down the road. We have agreed to waive this cancellation and will not bother you again. We are sorry for the miscommunication and the hassle.

The customer complain from [redacted] * [redacted] regarding a contract dispute has been resolvedOur customers are required to sign separate documents that describe our termination policySince this customer had signed both of those documents, and the termination deadline had passed, we pursued the fee as part of our standard procedureThe information we received from the customer prior to this complaint did not indicate that there had been any wrongdoing on the part of Blue Raven SolarWe made every attempt to resolve the matter with the customer directly and even reduced the fee by more than halfAs the customer was not willing to pay the fee at the reduced cost, we notified them that an invoice would still be sent as part of our processThey were told that an unpaid invoice would go to collections after days The customer posted this complaint before we were able to get all of the details surrounding the situationUpon seeing the details regarding the incorrect information he was given by his sales representative, we immediately waived the termination fee and notified the customerHe was satisfied that the matter had been resolved and stated that he would retract his complaint officiallyPlease let us know if there is any additional action required on this matter Tell us why here

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me You may remove the complaint Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: my conversation with mike currently requires further analysis of system needsWe agreed to wait until July to determine real usageI think when the system was built, more consideration should have been given to projected future usage as previous months indicated such an increaseIf Xcel would not approve the system based on projections as mike stated at the beginning, mike should have recommended waiting until usage was knownI am happy with mike’s response to this complaint but would ask the company revise its sales tactic to include future projected usage just to give homeowners notice of the potential true costs ahead of time Sincerely, [redacted]

[redacted] got a proposal for his solar panels in August At that time, we calculated the yearly energy consumption for [redacted] using data from his utility company, Xcel Energy, showing consumption between Aug – Jul (attached)Mike, [redacted] ’s rep, tried to reassure [redacted] that we use previous, but recent data to create these proposals because we are data driven companySo, when [redacted] keeps referring to the usage as the “last year’s” that misses the fact that the usage used is representative of the previous months – including any in the current year, in this case Jan – Jul Mike got [redacted] an initial proposal showing a system designed to produce 6,kilowatt hours (kWh) in its first yearThis initial proposal uses remote analysis and is not the final proposal, which Mike sharedA final proposal is shared after an on-site visit to obtain more measurementsWe scheduled this visit with [redacted] and explained its purpose, so he was aware even then the final proposal may have changesAfter concluding our on-site visit, we sent the final proposal to [redacted] The final proposal showed a system designed to produce 6,kWh in its first yearThe change from our initial to final proposal is the result of updating the measurement of the pitch of the customer’s roof – which can affect system production because pitch affects the amount of sunlight the panels receive [redacted] signed off on this final proposal, yet another touch point where we clarify production expectations [redacted] acknowledges that Mike, his rep, would address the consumption vsproduction concerns at a later dateMike is right to do so, as we want make smart suggestion based on actual data before we proposing a larger, more costly system sizeWaiting ensures we have all the right information, which we shared with [redacted] And to be fair, I understand [redacted] ’s concern that his consumption offset percentage of 96% is not being met, but this is due to [redacted] ’s energy usage being different than that provided on past utility bills, and his contract only guarantees the energy production of his system, not the offset (see image001.png attachment) The offset on the proposal is only meant to represent how the proposed production in kWh compares against the customer’s consumption as determined by the provided utility dataIn this case, 6,kWh (initial proposal) is 96% of 7,kWh ( [redacted] ’s consumption from the year’s data we had)Also, the final proposal only represents the proposed system in kWh, since this is the best representation of the product sold and also what the customer signs off onIn this case, the final proposed production is 6,kWh [redacted] was installed in November and turned on in early JanuaryHe is on track for estimated production in JanuaryWhen he requested additional panels in early January to reach his more recent consumption, we reviewed the consumption from the months not available at the time of his initial proposalThat data would suggest the increase in panel count that [redacted] refers to in his complaintOur policy of making data-based decisions and [redacted] ’s misunderstandings of our contract is the reason why his concern aroseWe have been in communication with the customer regarding this situation and will continue to work with him on this as neededTell us why here

We were able to speak to *** this last week to review the complaint and come up with a resolution. April spoke with ***, and at this time we are waiting for more information on his energy consumption so we have good information to base an estimate for an upgrade to his systemWe will review his bills and help find the balance between offsetting all his energy consumption and a reasonable price for an upgrade. We will reach out to *** in May per our discussion to review and take the next steps. Thank you

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Sincerely,
*** ***

***’s to main complaints are that he’s not getting 100% production offset and that he didn’t get his tax credit. On the issue of offset, *** signed an agreement that guaranteed a certain amount of electric production. We estimated his panels would produce 7,kWh of power, or
roughly 59% offset of his previous year’s usage. To date, his panels have exceeded that guarantee and he is getting more than what he is paying for. Owing to ***’s memory of a guarantee of 100% offset, I have sent him a proposal to add panels to get him to 100%. He is still deciding whether he’d prefer to do that. On the issue of tax credits, we know tax credits are difficult to understand. We provide a pretty simple document explaining tax credits and how they work. We also have a “welcome call” in which we explain verbally how credits work. We do not expect homeowners to rely on our explanations or expertise to know whether they will be able to claim tax credits and we counsel them to talk to a tax professional. These things seem to have not helped *** and we will take another look at how we could make them better as a result of this complaint. As a result of *** not being able to put the tax credit monies into his loan, his monthly loan payments will increase. I have agreed with *** that we will compensate him for the difference between what he would be paying and what he is actually paying until he is able to claim the tax credit in February. *** and I have been in contact since this complaint postedI have apologized and he is close to deciding how to proceed. -Trevor W***, Director of Operations

***, Thank you for speaking with me on the phone about this complaintI wanted to follow up on here as wellAs I mentioned, we are very sorry to hear that one of our representatives was disrespectful to you while he was out working for Blue RavenThis is not something that we
tolerate here so we are taking this complaint very seriously as we try to track down who it was since you weren't sure of his name Our representatives do not always carry business cards, it is their choice, some people just prefer not to use themPer our conversation, there was more to it than that, but wanted to address that concern since it is a large part of the complaint here I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me about it to see if we can figure out who the rep wasWe will discipline as necessary when we have confirmedThank you for bringing it to our attention

The customer complain from [redacted] [redacted] regarding a contract dispute has been resolved. Our customers are required to sign 2 separate documents that describe our termination policy. Since this customer had signed both of those documents, and the termination deadline had passed, we pursued...

the fee as part of our standard procedure. The information we received from the customer prior to this complaint did not indicate that there had been any wrongdoing on the part of Blue Raven Solar. We made every attempt to resolve the matter with the customer directly and even reduced the fee by more than half. As the customer was not willing to pay the fee at the reduced cost, we notified them that an invoice would still be sent as part of our process. They were told that an unpaid invoice would go to collections after 30 days.  The customer posted this complaint before we were able to get all of the details surrounding the situation. Upon seeing the details regarding the incorrect information he was given by his sales representative, we immediately waived the termination fee and notified the customer. He was satisfied that the matter had been resolved and stated that he would retract his complaint officially. Please let us know if there is any additional action required on this matter.   Tell us why here...

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

[redacted] got a proposal for his solar panels in August 2017. At that time, we calculated the yearly energy consumption for [redacted] using data from his utility company, Xcel Energy, showing consumption between  Aug 2016 – Jul 2017 (attached). Mike, [redacted]’s rep, tried to reassure...

[redacted] that we use previous, but recent data to create these proposals because we are data driven company. So, when [redacted] keeps referring to the usage as the “last year’s” that misses the fact that the usage used is representative of the previous 12 months – including any in the current year, in this case Jan – Jul 2017. Mike got [redacted] an initial proposal showing a system designed to produce 6,788 kilowatt hours (kWh) in its first year. This initial proposal uses remote analysis and is not the final proposal, which Mike shared. A final proposal is shared after an on-site visit to obtain more measurements. We scheduled this visit with [redacted] and explained its purpose, so he was aware even then the final proposal may have changes. After concluding our on-site visit, we sent the final proposal to [redacted]. The final proposal showed a system designed to produce 6,597 kWh in its first year. The change from our initial to final proposal is the result of updating the measurement of the pitch of the customer’s roof – which can affect system production because pitch affects the amount of sunlight the panels receive. [redacted] signed off on this final proposal, yet another touch point where we clarify production expectations. [redacted] acknowledges that Mike, his rep, would address the consumption vs. production concerns at a later date. Mike is right to do so, as we want make smart suggestion based on actual data before we proposing a larger, more costly system size. Waiting ensures we have all the right information, which we shared with [redacted]. And to be fair, I understand [redacted]’s concern that his consumption offset percentage of 96% is not being met, but this is due to [redacted]’s energy usage being different than that provided on past utility bills, and his contract only guarantees the energy production of his system, not the offset (see image001.png attachment) The offset on the proposal is only meant to represent how the proposed production in kWh compares against the customer’s consumption as determined by the provided utility data. In this case, 6,788 kWh (initial proposal) is 96% of 7,081 kWh ([redacted]’s consumption from the year’s data we had). Also, the final proposal only represents the proposed system in kWh, since this is the best representation of the product sold and also what the customer signs off on. In this case, the final proposed production is 6,597 kWh. [redacted] was installed in November and turned on in early January. He is on track for estimated production in January. When he requested additional panels in early January to reach his more recent consumption, we reviewed the consumption from the 6 months not available at the time of his initial proposal. That data would suggest the increase in panel count that [redacted] refers to in his complaint. Our policy of making data-based decisions and [redacted]’s misunderstandings of our contract is the reason why his concern arose. We have been in communication with the customer regarding this situation and will continue to work with him on this as needed. Tell us why here...

We attempted to contact [redacted] over the phone to resolve this complaint, but were unable to reach her to talk it through. We have emailed her as well.  [redacted], we apologize for the persistent communication. Our intention was simply to help get solar panels on the roof as quickly as...

possible. Our support team made several unsuccessful attempts to get in touch with you and your husband to keep your project moving forward. It appears that our persistence and eagerness were perceived as aggressive. We’ll be sure to review our approach to communication and re-train our staff to prevent this in the future. In regards to your experience with the sales representative, I can assure you that we don’t condone forceful sales tactics. We’ll be addressing the details of your experience with the representative directly. The information he provided was correct. We need a signed installation agreement in order to complete a site survey. This site survey will provide our engineers with the information they need to complete the final design. The reason we need that signed agreement to complete the survey is for insurance purposes. Our technician will be working with an open electrical panel and climbing on ladders. That agreement makes your home an official worksite, so if anything were to happen our insurance would cover our technician. That document, as well as the final design document, both have details of our cancellation policy. This policy is intended to cover our costs once we’re this far down the road.  We have agreed to waive this cancellation and will not bother you again. We are sorry for the miscommunication and the hassle.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: my conversation with mike currently requires further analysis of system needs. We agreed to wait until July 2018 to determine real usage. I think when the system was built, more consideration should have been given to projected future usage as previous months indicated such an increase. If Xcel would not approve the system based on projections as mike stated at the beginning, mike should have recommended waiting until usage was known. I am happy with mike’s response to this complaint but would ask the company revise its sales tactic to include future projected usage just to give homeowners notice of the potential true costs ahead of time.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
You may remove the complaint.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

[redacted]’s account of the facts and timeline surrounding his installation are accurate.  His experience with Blue Raven fell short of what we expect of ourselves and what we commit to our customers.  I have contacted him and made the situation right. The problems [redacted] encountered hover around...

a few main themes:    · There was a shortage of Canadian Solar panels toward the end of the year and our supplier failed to meet commitments to us in a few instances (as evidenced by the delays, the delivery of 11 panels, etc.).  We could have brought [redacted] into a conversation about his options, rather than assuming the brand was less important than the panels’ specs and performance (Hyundai panels perform similarly to Canadian Solar panels).    ·We failed to correctly apply for and achieve interconnection with his utility.  This was largely due to an organizational change that happened around the same time and we were caught with our eye off the ball.  In October we increased our staffing in this area and reorganized to improve our accuracy and turnaround times.  We are MUCH better at this now.    ·We did not communicate accurately or consistently.  We committed to alerting [redacted] when his permit had been approved and at a few other junctures and then failed to do so.  We also glossed over explanations and details with regards to his interconnection paperwork and did not keep him adequately informed.  We have written and implemented a series of communication guides for our front-line staff to improve this type of communication.  So far the results are promising. Current and future customers are having and will have a better experience than [redacted] had.  I expressed this to [redacted], and I will again here – I’m personally sorry that [redacted] had a poor experience with us and have already made it better for customers moving forward.