Over the last few months, founder and chief innovation officer of RevoluSun Eric Carlson said he had heard 15 times from a variety of sources that his local solar company was going out of business.
“We’re not going out of business. That is one of their strategies is to discredit Hawaiʻi companies,” he said of Mainland solar salespeople pretending to work for the state government and/or Hawaiian Electric.
He added that this “solar dupe” is a national trend occurring wherever Sunrun Inc. and its third-party companies operate – including Hawai’i.
"Not only are these baseless and completely false claims, but it's causing a lot of fear and confusion for our local homeowners, which we believe works against our state's collective goal of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2045," a RevoluSun communications representative told Aloha State Daily by email. "Unfortunately, this isn't a new practice for these Mainland solar companies, whose sole goal is to get the sale with zero concern for the long-term well-being of the homeowner. However, recently their dishonest tactics are becoming more blatant and outrageous."
According to Carlson, local police won’t be involved, but the Attorney General can be, as seen in other states like Connecticut. “We’ve already filed a complaint with Hawaiʻi Solar Energy Association, which was signed by at least four local entities. Our next step is to talk to the AG, Building Industry Association and Better Business Bureau," in addition to his Mainland connections in the industry “to hit this from all angles.”
He shared more in a recent LinkedIn post, here.
“This is not a one-off. It’s Sunrun’s business model. ... I want to be vocal about it to help protect local people," Carlson told ASD.
ASD has reached out to Sunrun for comment.
Other local companies speaking out about scammers include Alternate Energy, Hawai'i Energy Connection, KumuKit, ProVision Solar, HI POWER Solar, Malama Solar and Independent Energy Hawaiʻi, among other providers, he said.
“I’m born and raised here. RevoluSun, one of Hawaiʻi's largest solar providers since 2009, is a product of the Islands – we are known for giving back to the community,” he said. "We’ve competed 'local style' for years, so what we’re worried about is the local market becoming a monopoly."
ASD asked Carlson more about what community members can ask to prevent scams and why it matters for the local energy sector.
How do you know that it is Mainland companies targeting local homeowners? We’ve heard it directly from Sunrun's local director.
What do they gain from it? Sales volume. And access to long-term financial contracts. These companies sell solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs), which they bundle into large investment portfolios and sell to Wall Street investors. Each lease they sign with a homeowner becomes a piece of a portfolio they can use to raise capital — so the more deals they close, the more money they generate on the backend.
They’re not just selling solar — they’re selling financial products and local homeowners are being treated as data points and revenue streams, not as clients they intend to support long-term.
How long has this been going on? This current surge started around mid-2021, but the trend has exploded in the last six months. We estimate Sunrun alone has brought in over 200 reps, mostly young salespeople flown in from the Mainland, given aggressive scripts and sent out door-to-door. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this — many of us in the industry stood together in 2013 during the Vivint solar blitz — but this time, it’s more widespread, more aggressive and potentially more damaging to local trust in solar.
Which neighborhoods are being targeted? We’ve seen it island-wide — but the hardest hits so far have been Mililani, Kapolei, Hawaiʻi Kai, ʻEwa Beach, Kāneʻohe, Wahiawa, Kailua and Kaimukī. And even rural neighborhoods where residents may be more isolated and trusting of someone "offering help."
What have homeowners said? Here is a statement from a Mililani homeowner and Revolusun customer: "A Mainland solar company came to my home in Mililani and knocked on the door. They asked me about my solar panels, and I told them I had SunPower panels. When they asked who installed them, I said RevoluSun. The rep then told me that RevoluSun was going out of business. I found this surprising, as I’m in regular communication with the company and hadn’t heard anything like that. To be sure, I called my contact at RevoluSun, who confirmed that the claim was completely false. I felt it was important to report this because spreading misinformation like this can harm local businesses and mislead homeowners."
We’ve also heard repeated accounts of reps telling homeowners: "We’re partnered with HECO."; "This is a state program."; "These panels are free."; "You’ll never pay an electric bill again."
Each one of these statements is misleading at best and outright false at worst.
Anything else ASD readers should know? Never sign anything at the door. Get 2-3 quotes. There's no such thing as “free solar.” HECO doesn’t sell solar and neither does the state. If it feels off, it probably is.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
