Rooftop Solar Fraud: The Damage Continues (Part I)
By Robert Bradley Jr. -- February 25, 2026
“[Radiant Solar] was able to [rip off homeowners] in part because home solar energy systems are complicated, expensive things — they often cost around $50,000 — typically involving layers of financing and tax incentives that leave many consumers confused.”
The rooftop solar industry might be in freefall and on the way out, but the damage of bad performance and long-term contracts endures. The New York Times article, “New York Sues Solar Panel Firm, Saying It Bilked Hundreds of Customers” (January 29, 2026), explains how the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is seeking almost $20 million in restitution and penalties from ‘home improvement contractor’ Radiant Solar.
In all, “300 victims of the same company, Radiant Solar, which left a trail of damaged homes, large debts and broken promises across the city,” the article reported.
It was able to do so in part because home solar energy systems are complicated, expensive things — they often cost around $50,000 — typically involving layers of financing and tax incentives that leave many consumers confused. The city says that in addition to ripping off homeowners, Radiant undermined the efforts of the city and state governments to shift to cleaner energy.
CEO William James Bushell joins Sunnova’s John Berger and others in the business Hall of Shame.
https://www.masterresource.org/solar-bankruptcies/rooftop-solar-fraud-the-damage-continues/
