NM Solar Group closes, blindsiding customers who purchased solar panels
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A customer said she purchased solar panels through New Mexico Solar Group. The only problem? The company doesn’t exist anymore.
“I was notified that all the permits for the solar project had been canceled by a New Mexico sort of group, and the electrician hadn’t been paid, so now I have a substantial loan that I need to pay if the project is not completed. I’ve been in contact with the credit union to try and get some relief from it,” another customer said.
KOB 4 spoke with a few customers who say they’re all in different stages of the installation process.
“We put down a deposit of half the total of the install, which was like $17,000.”
Just days ago, several customers got an email explaining the company was shutting down, saying it was unable to maintain cash flow for operations. Everyone we talked to said they just feel scammed.
A customer said she purchased solar panels through New Mexico Solar Group. The only problem? The company doesn't exist anymore.
“I felt like I’d been robbed or made a terrible financial decision of investment. Like, I didn’t think that it was a risky investment, like spending that much money on stocks. You know, I thought that I would at least get the panels, and they were guaranteed to be 100% efficient,” said one customer from Southeastern New Mexico.
That customer said he’s been paying for solar panels and his electric bill since February after a year of trying to get the panels installed.
“The project manager wouldn’t always answer my phone calls or texts and then whenever they would respond, wouldn’t really be accurate information in the sense of when workers would be here and what they would accomplish,” he said about his interactions with New Mexico Solar Group employees.
Some customers are calling for a state-regulated division to oversee these types of businesses, and others just want answers on what to expect now.
“I just want people to be made whole, right? So, the people who have their systems installed, I would like it if there was someone or some entity that will just pick up the warranty.”
KOB 4 reached out to New Mexico Solar Group but hasn’t been able to contact anyone from the business.
