Jay Hector’s introduction to the world of solar panels began with a knock on the door of his Calgary home — and ended with an oversized bill.
It was a sales rep with Northern PWR, touting the benefits of installing solar panels. Her pitch about saving money on electricity as utilities prices continued to climb was appealing, but Hector wasn’t ready to take the plunge, so he turned down the offer.
A couple weeks later, another Northern PWR salesperson was on his doorstep, armed with an even more compelling pitch and charts showing astronomical electricity prices in the years to come.
“His sales pitch, it made a lot of sense,” said Hector. “I’m going to pay a very high price from my present supplier. I’m gonna be paying very low or even getting money back from going through solar. So that’s what sold me on it.”
The contract Northern PWR offered him was for a 13 panel 5.27 kilowatt array. The price was just over $48,000, to be paid in instalments. That means he’s paying around $9,000 per kilowatt.
Hector signed on the dotted line, but it was a decision he soon came to regret when he discovered he’d overpaid significantly.
“I’m now learning that people are getting arrays larger than mine for half the price,” said Hector, who admits he should have done more research and is now warning people to shop around before signing contracts. Meanwhile, consumer advocates and industry insiders say such “high-pressure” sales tactics are a challenge facing the sector.
Canada’s solar industry is growing rapidly, but as more Canadians consider buying renewable solutions, complaints are rising about high pressure tactics and unfair pricing by some sales people.
Service Alberta issued director’s order to company
The average cost of a similar system in Alberta is between $12,000 to $15,000, solar broker Jordan Kruhlak told CBC News in an email. He says that’s about $2,000 to $3,000 per kilowatt, and notes that door-to-door solar companies tend to have higher prices.
“We regularly see quotes from door knockers well above $3,000/kW,” wrote Kruhlak, who is with the solar power broker Glean. “It becomes very sad when a homeowner is coerced into a price of $9,000/kW.”
Northern PWR has run afoul of a provincial authority in the past.
Between June and September 2024, Service Alberta’s Consumer Investigation Unit received 27 complaints about the company, including that it was providing contracts that were missing critical information and failing to cancel contracts and refund payments within a defined period, as well as allegations that the company was “misleading and deceiving consumers.”
Last September, Service Alberta issued a director’s order against Northern PWR, requiring it to get in line with the Consumer Protection Act under threat of fines or jail time.
Solar Alberta — an industry association in the province — says it has also received complaints about the company and noted that it expelled Northern PWR from the association earlier this year for violating its business code of conduct.
CBC News reached out to Northern PWR, but the company declined to comment.
Industry group reports record number of complaints
As the solar industry grows in Canada, so, too, do the number of complaints. Solar Alberta has reported a record number this year, mostly relating to misinformation spread online.
And it’s not just an Alberta problem.
“We’re seeing things like false advertising, high-pressure sales tactics at the doorstep,” said Phil McKay with the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. “This is a challenge, this is a problem that the industry is facing.”
McKay urges consumers to do their research before signing a contract with a solar panel company so they don’t get stuck with the first sales pitch that comes to the door.
“They have resources available to them to look at what is true and not true about the rebate programs, the loan programs and anything that somebody might be trying to misconstrue in order to get that fast signature,” he said.
Cooling off laws
Even buyers who do sign a contract may still have a way out.
“Cooling off laws are a period of time when somebody is sold a product on their doorstep, they have a cooling off period where they can change their mind,” said Jim Swaffield, a business professor at Athabasca University.
The cooling off period varies between provinces, but is typically around 10 days, including in Alberta.
“It’s really important that consumers understand that they need to look at the date that is signed on the contract because it’s from that date that the cooling period starts,” said Swaffield.
“If they don’t get any support or satisfaction from that company and reversing that decision, then they can call Service Alberta. And every province has an agency that will help them to try to get their money back.”
Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta, also encourages consumers to get in touch if they feel like they’ve been wronged.
“We find it repugnant that Albertans would be misled or deceived on their doorstep in their own home,” said Nally. “We have recourse in place for them if they do find that they’ve been on the receiving end of that.”
After CBC News contacted Northern PWR, Hector says they reached out to him and offered him six extra solar panels at no additional cost.
Hector says he’s still waiting to get that offer in writing. For now, he says he plans to pay for the panels according to the contract he signed, but he’s also hoping others can learn from his experience.
“Shop around, definitely shop around,” he said. “Don’t be fooled like I was with somebody who’s dressed very smart, very friendly, all smiles and then still doesn’t give you notes.”
