California Consumer Claims ‘Free’ SolarEdge Monitoring System Came with Added Labor Costs

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A California consumer has accused SolarEdge Technologies of falsely advertising and selling “free” solar power system monitoring services. 

The 13-page proposed class action alleges SolarEdge has misrepresented to consumers that its solar power system monitoring plans are free of charge, in particular by failing to disclose that buyers themselves are required to pay for the labor to replace certain system components. 

SolarEdge’s misrepresentations “induced” the plaintiff and other consumers into buying the company’s products, the suit claims. 

“Defendant does not inform consumers, including plaintiff, that in order to utilize the free unlimited monitoring plan, consumers, including Plaintiff, will have to incur labor costs to replace components of the system,” the filing summarizes. 

The plaintiff, a San Bernardino County resident, had a SolarEdge solar power system installed at her home in January 2020, the complaint says. At the time of sale, SolarEdge maintained that the woman’s purchase would include “unlimited free system monitoring,” according to the suit. 

In January of this year, however, SolarEdge emailed the plaintiff to inform her that the modem of her monitoring system was being discontinued and that if it was not replaced, she would no longer have access to the system, the case relays. SolarEdge required the plaintiff to pay for the labor cost of replacing not one but two modems, which are responsible for monitoring the solar panels themselves and the battery backup system, the suit says. 

As the case tells it, the plaintiff “had no reasonable way of knowing” that SolarEdge would require her to pay out of pocket to replace certain parts in order to keep using her solar monitoring system.  

“Thus, Plaintiff had no reasonable opportunity to find out that Defendant would not honor its free unlimited system monitoring plan,” the lawsuit contends. 

The suit charges that SolarEdge’s sales tactics “rely on falsities and have a tendency to mislead and deceive a reasonable consumer.” 

The case looks to cover all consumers who, during the applicable statute of limitations period, bought a SolarEdge solar power system and had to pay labor costs to replace a modem component for the solar panels. 

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