Ask a Renewable Energy Expert

Hi all!

 Someone reached out to me from Indiana who had solar put on their house almost a year ago, and it has never worked as it was put in by Pink Energy, which now has gone bankrupt.  Generac built the inverter and panels, and they still haven't had any luck with the solar working.

With that said, does anyone happen to know of someone that may be familiar with Indiana's utility interconnection rules, paperwork, and permitting rules there?

Thanks so much,
Ella

Unfortunately, this is pretty common. I have been asked to service and/or fix quite a few PV systems that have been installed in Ohio and PA by the now defunct Power Home Solar/Pink Energy company. The common things I have seen:
1) The PV and battery storage capacities were typically undersized, while the salesman dishonestly told the customer that their electric bill would be eliminated and their backup needs would be met in an outage. 
2) Wire management was a complete mess/non-existent. Little to no SS clips were used, only nylon zip ties, or "Tying" the PV cable itself in knots around things. I have had to cut off MC4 connectors after they smashed PV cables between the panel and the rails. No strain relief/protection at the panel junction boxes.
3) Battery backup not working. Outdoor compressor/condenser units moved to backup subpanel but not the indoor air handler or control electronics/thermostat. In one case, the homeowner was told they had battery backup, and was charged for it, but there was no battery onsite.
4) All inverters mounted outside, even when more suitable locations in garage or basement. In one case, they mounted a SolarEdge inverter and the adjacent disconnect to the vinyl siding/brown fiber sheathing, with no fasteners connected to the framing. They drilled huge holes and used drywall togglebolts to try and secure it to the fiber sheathing. The equipment was literally falling off the house and the wall was soaked with every hard rain.
5) Evidence of never using a torque wrench. I have seen 15 to 30% of the mid and end-clamps broken or distorted or missing due to over-torqueing. Probably from an impact driver.

If there still is a lawsuit going on with PHS/Pink, in my view the settlement/penalty should include paying a reputable solar contractor to reinstall every system on every one of their customers homes.

Did they never complete the grid connection / net metering applications for this customer in Indiana?  Does the customer have an emailed copy of the applications they would have been asked to sign?

The homeowner can find info  on the net metering and interconnection standards at DSIRE database:
https://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/in

It looks like the state may have been trying to phase out net metering through a law passed in 2017, but I don't have any direct experience with Indiana.

Hi all!

 Someone reached out to me from Indiana who had solar put on their house almost a year ago, and it has never worked as it was put in by Pink Energy, which now has gone bankrupt.  Generac built the inverter and panels, and they still haven't had any luck with the solar working.

With that said, does anyone happen to know of someone that may be familiar with Indiana's utility interconnection rules, paperwork, and permitting rules there?

Thanks so much,
Ella