Attorney General Ellison takes actions to protect consumers from deceptive conduct in the solar industry
July 17, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today the filing of four more settlements against solar installers and advertisers. The first two settlements prohibit Kris Sipe and Trevor Sumner, the founders of Sun Badger Solar, from doing business in Minnesota in the future. The settlements, both termed Assurances of Discontinuance, are a product of the Attorney General’s investigation into Sun Badger. The investigation revealed that Sun Badger failed to install promised solar arrays and forced consumers to renegotiate the interest rates on their solar loans due to delays by Sun Badger. The company entered receivership in its home state of Wisconsin, where it was determined there were insufficient funds to refund consumers. Prior to founding Sun Badger, Sipe and Sumner were employees of Able Energy, a company that swindled over $1 million from consumers by charging them for work that was never completed.
Two additional Assurances were reached with EnergyBillCruncher and Prospect Bacon, two lead generators that advertised on Facebook and elsewhere, then sold consumer data to local solar installers. Both companies published advertisements containing factually incorrect statements intended to entice consumers into providing their information to solar installers and eventually buying a residential solar system. The Assurances require these companies not to make further misrepresentations in advertising in Minnesota.
“Green energy is essential for our future, and I am pleased to see that Minnesotans are embracing it so readily,” Attorney General Ellison said. “My Office will continue to protect Minnesotans who are victimized while trying to do the right thing for the environment. I have no tolerance for bad actors who take advantage of the good will of Minnesotans.”
These four settlements are part of a series of enforcement actions taken by Attorney General Ellison to protect solar energy consumers in Minnesota. In March 2024, Attorney General Ellison filed a lawsuit against four market-leading solar lending companies doing business in Minnesota for deceiving customers into taking out loans based on false promises of low interest rates and hidden fees that increased costs by between 15-30%. In February 2024, Attorney General Ellison obtained $85,000 in restitution for community solar garden customers charged unlawful early termination fees. In 2022 and 2023, his office sued and obtained consent judgments against several solar installers, their owners, and lenders, returning over $300,000 to impacted consumers.
The Minnesota Solar Energy Industry Association (MnSEIA) awarded its 2022 Agency Excellence Recognition Award to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office for its work holding bad actors in the solar industry accountable.
Consumers interested in learning more about home solar-energy options should consult resources such as the Attorney General’s publication “Residential Solar Systems,” the Minnesota Department of Commerce webpage “Guidance for planning and installing your own solar energy system,” and the Better Business Bureau publication “A Consumer’s Guide to Going Solar.” These resources offer tips for those considering going solar.
Attorney General Ellison encourages Minnesotans with complaints about their experiences with solar advertisers, installers or lenders to file a complaint with his office via its online complaint form or call (651) 296-3353 within Twin Cities or (800) 657-3787 from Greater Minnesota.
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