Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Tephra Solar's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Tephra Solar

  14193 S Minuteman Dr Draper, UT 84020-7919

  
• 

  Tephra Solar, LLC

  St. Petersburg, FL 33702

• 

  Tephra Solar

  630 E Center St Alpine, UT 84004-1486

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We were told by ****** that Tephra would pay our first three months electrical bill, cover any damages to the roof, remove and reinstall the solar panels free of charge if there was any damage to the roof but now that I am trying to change my roof the installation company is trying to charge me over $5000 for the removal and reinstallation. They have not kept any of their promises and I should have never trusted them or agreed to buy from them. I have called numerous times and never gotten a response. The amount of money I have lost because of tephra is insane not only from the lack of kept promises but also issues that have arose after.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2024

  Dear *****, 

  We have reviewed your account and I would like to clarify that your contract is between you and Florida Power Managment. The installation company is ************************ and all claims from Hunter will need to be addressed by ************************ not Tephra Solar, we are two separate companies. We also are unsure of which phone number you have been contacting, we have not received any missed phone calls on our customer service number ************. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/21/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My solar was installed in May 2023, I was told it was up and running. I saw nothing on my ************* bill and I was being charged by NV Energy more than ever before. I called, Tephra in late June and was told everything was working properly, June, through September my electric bills were at or near $500 per month. I kept calling Tephra to try to fix the problem and left messages and no one ever got back to me. The leasing company called me 8/28/23 and told me they just got word from Tephra that solar was complete. I figured I'd give it a couple of months. The electric bill went down about $100, still way higher than ever before. I called the leasing company and told them if we couldn't get this fixed, I would default on the loan. The leasing company sent someone out and they found that the installers didn't put in the relay switch so the solar energy would go to NV energy or the transmitter that would let me know how much solar, NV Energy was receiving. The new people from the leasing company put in the relay switch but want over $1000 to put the part in that lets me track my solar. The Tephra solar agent, ******. was very nice and took time to explain things to me. He told me that Tephra would pay the first 3 months to whichever bill was higher, loan company or NV energy. they never did this The salesperson told me he was going to get me a new thermostat and have it installed for me. I got the thermostat, but it is not installed. I believe that tephra should be made to put in the part so I can see what NV energy is receiving, and at the very least reimburse me for the outrageous summertime bills.Thank you for your time and I hope you can help resolve this issue.***************** ***************** *************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2024

  Good Morning Joy,

  We would like to work with you on your concerns immediately. When there is a concern with a high utility bill we like to dig into the information on your utility bill to pinpoint where the increase is coming from. Could you please send your most recent utility bill to ******************************************? 

  Your concern for reimbursement on the $1000 part has been sent to management for review. I have also sent them information on the switch and the 3 months. I will have these answers for you as soon as possible. 

  If you ever have questions on your project in the future please reach out to our customer service department at ************. They will be able to assist you. 

  Thank you ***.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Tephra solar sold me $30,000 solar system. It was never connected these have been last November they broke my roof. They mess up my electric and they never held me or fix any problems. I’m still trying to figure it out when he’s gonna get connected and on top of that they’ve been charging me money regarding the system complete scam and beyond upset about the lack of professionalism of this company

  Business Response

  Date: 04/08/2024

  Good Morning *******,

  I reviewed your account and the concerns that you have mentioned. Hopefully I can assist in clarifying your concerns. 

  It looks like we have gone back and forth with the city inspector in regard to your systems equipment. Since our company uses the newest and best equipment the city inspector was unfamiliar with the updated equipment and would not pass the inspection due to his lack of knowledge on the equipment. Our team reached out to the city multiple times and has been able to walk through the equipment with the city inspector. We are now waiting for updated information to be approved by the city before we are able to schedule your final inspection. Once that has been approved your project manager will schedule your final inspection asap. 

  Since there has been such a delay due to the city inspector Tephra is reimbursing you $668.64 for your loan payments. 

  I would like to revisit your roofing concern. Our project manager reached out asking for photos of your roofing concern. Would you be able to send us photos of the area on your roof that your concerned about? Could you explain how your roof was "broke"? We need a little more detail to understand what your full concern is with your roof. Could you also provide more detail about your electrical concern so that we can dig into this as well. 

  Thank you,

  Tephra Solar

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/02/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Tephra sales team and pre-installation services were professional. The electrician who installed our panels did not put the grounding rod all the way into the ground and secured the wire with the bulky fasteners on top of the concrete. The wire is exposed to the elements and a direct tripping hazard. It impedes our ability to clear our outdoor stairs and sidewalk if snow. They also left a huge hole in the side of our house Tephra covered with an ugly cheap vent instead of fixing. When contacting tephra, they said it passed inspection. We raised concerns as it was being installed and it could still be fixed and the electrician and the account manager told us there was nothing that could be done. When following up she admitted they didnt want to use more wire (due to cost). We observed the electrician sitting on the back stairs on top of the issue during inspection obstructing the issue. We reached out to a trusted master electrician who referred us to the city for a code inspection. Our citys engineering confirmed that it violated the following electrical code: 250.64(B). The department reached out to tephra in October and November. It was offered to us by tephra that we could pay over $600 to correct their error and we declined. We were sent short tempered and threatening emails from changing project managers including sending our account to collections over the permission to operate form. After reading through our contract with the appropriate professional, we found several breaches from Tephra. We intend to move forward with sending our confirmation documents to the appropriate agencies as Tephra has doubled down with no intent of resolving the issue. This is an issue that could have been resolved with good customer service in the moment. It is an unfortunate reflection of the integrity of the company in the way it has escalated.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Good Evening,

  We have reviewed your request multiple time and have been in contact with you about this ongoing complaint. The grounding wire that you are referring to has been addressed and is within code according to the city and power company inspections. The city and power company did not have any change requests when inspecting and the grounding wire location and was not mentioned during their written reports. If you and the city inspector discussed this privately then we will need documentation from the city stating that this is an issue, which we have yet to receive. We have verified our call records and do not have any communication beyond the initial inspection from your city inspector. If you provide documentation from the city inspector claiming that the grounding wire is a tripping hazard we will complete a wiring move free of charge. Since you are requesting a grounding wire be ran from your electrical panel to your soffit then across the length of your basement stairs which is an additional estimated 20ft and back down to raw ground, this is an extra cost which was not calculated into your original design costs. If you would like to proceed with moving your grounding wire we have given you a quote for the work since this has been determined by the city and the power company as safe and is an additional request on top of your original contract.

  Please contact us with any further questions. 

  ************

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 20947446
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Don from ********* City contacted Tephra last week before this response was written in regard to the grounding wire being unsecured from the structure and the grounding rod not being flush with the ground. Additionally, if more wire was required to make the appearance of the work acceptable, it should have been factored into the quote and it is Tephas error that it was not. Visitors are shocked by the shoddy work done on the home, and several friends interested in purchasing solar have chosen different companies based on the poor quality of work and the response from Tephra. 

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 12/13/2023

  Good Afternoon,

  We spoke with ************** the day after our last response. The inspector stated that he would like us to pin the grounding in one area but has deemed it up to code and does not require us to fully move the grounding wire. The work we have completed is fully up to code as stated twice by the city inspector. It appears that the project manager from Tephra has been attempting to reach you to schedule the pin installation, if you could please respond to them so that we can complete that work. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I entered into an agreement for solar panels to be installed at my home. I also requested they help to take care of some roof repairs, which were done generally without issue. Tephra installed the panels a bit over 6 months ago, but still hasn't finished installing required equipment. The system failed multiple municipal inspections due to incorrect or insufficient equipment setup and installation. Panels still are not operational. Tephra has bounced me between 7 project managers, and I feel lucky if I can get anyone there to answer my inquiries, let alone take action to correct the issues they have caused by either their negligence or incompetence. It has been nothing but trouble trying to get them to fix the inspection issues (each issue was related to the install and their equipment, nothing to do with my home), or even to try and get them to finish installing all of the equipment so that I can use the system.
  
  My preferred solution at this point would be to have the equipment removed and the contract terminated and the balance (minus the cost of the reroof) refunded.
  
  Failing that, I would hope they finish the work I contracted them to do. At this point I would like it to be done for the equipment cost, refunding the difference of what I paid (minus the roof of course.)

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2023

  Feb- account sold

  march- 16th CAD and Engineering designs done 

  march - 29 roof installed 

  May 4th - designs not approved (3-4 calls over the next 3 weeks from Tephra to the City)

  may 30th- designs approved 

  June 6th - install complete 

  June 23rd - inspection scheduled...failed 

  Aug 24th - inspection passed 

  Sept 6 FULL PTO- account is operational. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My complaint is in reference to the panels that were installed on 10/19/2022 which have never worked. I contacted the company Tephra Solar, spoke to Ifrain to whom he has been giving me wrong information. First he told me that the solar panels needed to be charged for 12 months, even though the usage is daily. Then after a while of seeing no results, I contacted him again and he told me that the panels are not working because I don't have the wifi in an app that I should have installed on my phone. He sent a technician and I gave him the wifi and then they said it was an issue with the cables. They said they were sending another technician and no one has shown up yet. I have tried to contact them and they don't answer. He also said he will get in contact with the contractor named Dean. Dean did not want to talk over the phone only through email and did not fix the issue. They are only giving me the runaround. Translated by BBB 9/7/2023

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Good Afternoon,

  Thank you for reaching out. We have requested a full production audit on your account. We will respond with a full report of your production within a week. Please let us know if you have any other questions. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/05/2023

  Complaint
  
  : ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Sincerely,

  I still don't know if my panels are working or not, and they also cut off my electricity service. I have been paying for the panels without working and paying for the electricity with a Payment Arrangement and this month the electricity was raised to $900 and I still haven't been able to do it. payment on time 

  I contacted you and in 7 days you gave a response and until now you have not told me anything, I have called you and you do not respond as well as text messages and nothing and I need you to return my money that I had to pay electricity without the papers working.

  I want you to assure me that the permits for the panels are true and that the arrangement is not temporary because the payment for the panels is for 30 years.

  
  
  
  
  ******** ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2023

  Good afternoon, Your system is showing production. I have sent you access to your Enphase Enlighten Portal. This is where you can see the production of your panels. Since your utility bill is so high, I would like to see your last 3 utility bills. Do you have a copy of those you can send me?
  
  Did you contact our main customer service number ###-###-####? If you had contacted an individual number for a project manager who is no longer with us, we would not have received your communication.
  
  As for your city permit and Tephra agreement, they are not temporary. I can send you the city-approved building permit for your project. Is your email still **********************?

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/11/2023

  Complaint
  
  : ******** 
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ****** *****

  There he sent you 4 months of electricity, I have been paying for panels and electricity for 8 months, it is fair that they return the money for the electricity payment, as soon as possible because on the 17th I have to pay the electricity again otherwise they cut off my service again, I await a response from you 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/12/2023

  Good afternoon, Our production audit team has completed their audit. I have emailed the full report to your email. If you review the full report, you will see that your system is producing more than you signed up for. I also sent you access to your monitoring portal again so you can see your production. If you still have large utility bills, you'll need to see if your usage has increased year over year. The system is performing above what we originally proposed. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/19/2023

  Complaint
  
  : ******** 
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I do not agree, I think that they audited other panels, not mine, I sent them my electricity bill information for these months and it appears very clear that the panels have not produced what you are saying, please do your job well 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/20/2023

  Good afternoon, I assure you that the audit was on the correct property. I emailed him the original proposal and engineering package used for the installation, as well as a screenshot of its consumption and production from the monitoring portal. You can see that the homes match identically to the audit that was previously submitted. If you continue to pay high bills, contact Nevada Energy. They can test your meter to make sure they are correctly measuring energy production. The problem is not with your system, as it has a record of overproduction. Which you can see from the data that has been provided to you and which you can access at any time in your portal. Contact Nevada Energy to resolve this issue. Thank you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Complaint
  
  : ******** 
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  Hello, good afternoon, I am writing to you because the response I received from the Tephra solar company is not correct, I sent you my Bill for all these months where it is clearly seen that the panels have not produced enough as they claim, I was also in the electric company and I showed them the graph of what the panels are producing and they tell me that this figure is impossible, that it is not true and that they cannot do anything 

  That the one who must resolve the situation is the Tephra solar company.

  Furthermore, I am in a payment arrangement with the electricity company to be able to pay the high bills that have reached me. 

  Attached I send you information on the production of the panels 

  Greetings and I await a response.

  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Did they send a technician to check your home meter? It has a clear production history. The information I have provided you is real data that has been recorded from the production of your systems. Push them to test their meter to make sure their equipment is working properly. I understand you are frustrated, we want to help you with a solution. We assure you that your solar energy is producing what it should be producing. Ask Nevada Energy to check your meter. Also ask them if there have been any changes to your billing. Once again, your panels are producing what they should produce. It also shows that you are using less energy than your panels produce. The problem is with Nevada Energy's readings or billing.

  Please let us know how else we can help you. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/27/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We signed our contract from Tephra Solar August of 2022. It is now going into September of 2023 still no solar. We've had 3 to 4 different project managers all of whom fail to communicate effectively. I've went months and months without hearing anything and when I finally do hear something it's information that's half accurate.
  We had our panels installed on Feb 13, 2023 and was told that we were waiting for a meter collar. Four months later we are told that instead of the meter collar we need an entire meter upgrade. They came and did the meter upgrade and told us we didn't need the collar anymore. The day after the upgrade, Black Hills Energy came to my house looking and taking pictures of the new meter (saw them on the camera). I called BHE when I got off of work to see what the reason for the house call was and they said they were trying to determine if we needed the collar / they said we did not. Was told the same thing by the PM. The very NEXT day BH shows up to my house and installs the meter collar with 0 notice. Again I call them and ask them why install it if I was told by both BHE and Tephra that I didn't need it, their response was that Tephra told them to do it. I called Tephra and literally could not get any information as to why I'm being told two different things. All they could do was point the finger at BHE. The meter work they did on the house does not reflect a 66k system.
  In the past Tephra has tried to breach my contract to benefit themselves (Phone calls recorded for proof). They are constantly pointing the finger at BHE because the contract states that Tephra is not responsible for delays caused by the Homeowner or any Third Parties. Tephra has caused many of delays and I'm currently gathering my documents to prove just that

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2023

  This Particular job required a decent amount of extra work that was not originally planned on. There were also some revisions requested that changed the designs around Jan 19th 2023. The account was permitted in Feb. After the Installation the Utility company requested that we upgrade the electrical panel which is a $3600 costs to us. After the panel upgrade the utility requested another electrical meter collar which required an additional 8 weeks of processing time. The final inspection is for this Friday the first of September.  Its a really complex job. the customer should know that 90% of these additional time lines are from the utility black hills electric. We have been in communication with the customer the entire time. The max amount of double payments this customer would have is 5 months. we are offering 3 months to get it resolved. Which would be $564. I will have a project manager reach out to the customer and let them know this is our proposed solution. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/05/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The amount offered to me in the amount of $564 does not compensate me for the financial stress my household has endured throughout this process. I do not agree that Black Hills Energy(BHE) has been responsible for the delays we have incurred within this process. I have spoken to BHE and they have provided me with the documents they've requested from Tephra Solar as well as the documents they've received. The first final inspection took place 08-22-2023 which failed due to multiple code violations as well as the project plans not matching the "on-site" job layout. In the resolve that was offered to me in the amount of $564 it was stated that my final inspection was scheduled for 09-01-2023, that date was changed by Tephra Solar on 8-30-23 to the date  of 09-05-2023. This inspection also failed due to not meeting code requirements, as well as the originally identified (but not corrected) "Plans do not match job layout". The code violations that were identified follow the National Eletrical code(NEC) 2020. I as the home owner, have been told multiple times the delays have come from regulations being changed last minute. Tephra Solar has requested almost every time that someone be home for any work and/or inspection being done,  which me and my wife have time and time again adjusted our work schedule to fulfill Tephra Solars needs.

  I request that Tephra Solar provides me with all related documentation that supports the theory that BHE or any other third party, has caused these extensive delays that has led to my households financial hardship and stress. This documentation can be in the form of Emails, Letters, Amendments to NEC 2020 and/or BHE operating guidelines including any other relevant documents not mentioned. I also request a complete copy of the plans that have been submitted, accepted, and/or denied regarding my solar panel project.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2023

  Feb 6th permit received 

  Feb 10th install scheduled

  Feb 13th installation- on the installation morning the plans that we proposed didn't work (wouldn't fit). We had to make a same day change. After the change the information about the change (new designs required) came back from the field to the internal ops. this information was lost. slowing the project up. When a new Project manager caught the issue we resubmitted to black hills the new design. BHE had a new electrical policy that no longer allowed for a side line tap (a specific way to tie in the solar system electrical to the home). BHE now required a Main Panel Upgrade. this is Significantly more expensive that what was proposed to the customer. We covered this cost. 

  Aug 1st BHE requested a meter collar be placed on the account (also not caught by them in the re submitted plan review) after the Main Panel Upgrade was installed. 

  Aug 22nd account was scheduled for inspection which it failed. 

  sept 13 (today) we have the workers on sight getting everything fixed that had failed. Once its done we can schedule another inspection. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2023

   

  Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because: Per our contractual agreement, Tephra Solar "is not responsible for failures, errors, DELAYS or malfunctions caused by the homeowner or any third party" (Terms and Conditions sections 2B and 2C). The events described in the February 13th timeline within your most recent response to me, including (but not limited to) the cost of the main panel upgrade, was borne by Tephra Solar as the events which resulted in the MPU (Main Panel Upgrade) being necessary was that of Tephra Solar, as Tephra Solar failed to communicate effectively between its Field Agents and Internal Operations. Had communication been effective and timely, a MPU could have been avoided

  
  

  I spoke to Black Hills Energy(BHE) after the "surprise" meter collar install to ask them why had this still been installed when both Tephra Solar and BHE had previously confirmed with me that it was no longer needed (post-MPU), they informed me that Tephra Solar requested it to be put on. I spoke with the Head Field Tech at BHE who also told me that the collar was unnecessary and that I could request that BHE remove it and it would not effect our system.

  
  

  -Sep 20, 2023 (Today) we have a failed our 3rd inspection thus far. For reasons that can be deemed neglectful rather than mistakes. 

  
  

  1. Ground Rods not fully depressed into dirt. *images included

  
  

  2. Ground Rod "floating" inside of breaker panel. *images included

  
  

  3. Ground wire mounted to structure using Grounding Lugs instead of mounting brackets. *image included

  
  

  Per the state of Utah, every contract is subject to an implied covenant of good faith, My household has been robbed of the right to recieve the fruits of this contract that is held between I the homeowner and Tephra Solar. I am indeed looking to rectify/settle this with Tephra Solar in the form of reimbursement AND compensation. We have been making payments on our Solar Panel System since May 2023 to current (Sep 2023) to the cumulative amount of $982.81. Additionally we have been making payments to BHE, a cumulative amount from May 2023 to current (Sep 2023) of $2,009. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  *I am asking that Tephra Solar reimburses my household the difference of these two amounts in the total of $1,026.19, plus any future months our system goes unoperational. *Excluding months after a passed inspection that BHE requires to install NET Meter

  
  

  
  

  
  

  *I am also asking that Tephra Solar compensates me for lost wages my household endured whilst remaining available and present during avoidable (had Tephra Organized and communicated internally and with myself) Tech revisits, Impact on my military and home life as I've had to abandon my responsibilities on multiple occasions due to avoidable (had Tephra Organized and communicated internally and with myself) Tech revisits, as wells as the anxiety and stress that my marriage and has suffered due to the financial strain Tepra Solar has caused my houshold. As well as personal loans I had to take out simply to remain current on Solar Panel loan and avoid disconnection from BHE.

  
  

  -This compensation also includes the rise to claim for Breach of Contract as Tephra Solar has directly injured my right to recieve the fruits of this contract under the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing of Utah. 

  
  

  The total amount I wish to settle for in this matter is $7, 800, plus any additional future months my system goes unoperational *Excluding any months after a passed inspection that BHE needs to install the required NET Meter.

  
  

  
  

  Sincerely,

  
  

  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Have the head field Supervisor on directly with Black Hills Energy.  Please allow 1 week for follow up. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/09/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It does not address the extensive time it has taken Tephra Solar to complete this project. All of the delays were caused by Tephra Solar and their technicians. At this time in this process Black Hills Energy does not have any fault in why we have been waiting over a year to become operational. I absolutely regret working with Tephra Solar. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/12/2023

  Good Afternoon ******, 

  Our permitting department was in touch with Black Hills Energy yesterday, they notified us that the city of pueblo will need to reach out to Black Hills Energy to let them know we are ready for final inspections. Tephra will then be alright to proceed. Once your system has full permission to operate from Black Hills Energy we can review the request for the net compensation amount. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and i opted for solar panels to be added to our house and have been plagued with delay after delay. The electrical installer damaged sheetrock on a wall that shouldnt have been damaged and did a suhamful repair on the intended cutting into the wall. Then it did not pass inspection so i am unable to use my panels despite the fact they have been on my house for about two months now, its due to solar company dropping the ball and i feel like im getting a smoke screen of answers. All i want is to use the panels that are on my house but they still havnt fulfilled their contractual obligation. For a process that was suposedly only a couple months, im coming up on a year.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/11/2023

  Have our main operations manager on it right now. Should be scheduling a service tech to look at the problem and get it resolved. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/15/2023

   
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Had Tephra install our solar in August 2022. The service never worked until November 2022 at about 30 percent. They sent an electrician who determined there was a problem with either the inverters or panels. He changed a panel at that time. We watched it and determined it was the panels. Waited 2 months to get them changed out and then they came back and said they were fixed by restarting the inverter. Worked for about a week and then reverted back to producing about 25 percent. Have called quite a few times for relief and have not been called back.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/11/2023

  Just notified the field manager and project manager. They will run a production report and schedule the service call to get fixed. 
  please call ###-###-#### in the future. This is a simple service call. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/24/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We had our solar installed in March and its still not working.Solar didnt pass inspection and we were told it will be about week longer to turn it on but there were so many mistakes that it made it be months longer than expected.2 weeks ago Tephra told us they are waiting for Black Hills to swap meter and PTO,I finally called black hills today to ask for an update and was told they cant do anything because they are waiting for paperwork and permits from Tephra.It was supposed to be sent to Black hills 4or5 weeks ago but it was never actually sent.We have been trying to contact our PM& sales person with no help from them.I have called Tephra corp and was told everything is good on their end and they will call black hills and call me back with update(that was 2weeks ago and I still havent received any call updates). We were told our electricity bill will not overlap and if it does they will pay the first bill whichever is lower(either Solar or electric).When I called them that we got both bills and they are due they told us they can not do anything and we have to pay both bills ourselves.It would be fine if it was one bill but it is at least 4 months or more in a row that we will have to pay double. The reason we went solar was to pay lower electricity bill since our electric is$400-$500 and we will pay double for possibly next year until they decide to finally finish the work and turn on our solar.We went with tephra was since they were about 2k cheaper than other companies but dont let it fool you,2k more that we would pay with other company will be now paid for electricity because of all the mistakes that Tephra is making,at the end of the day we did not save the 2k that we were supposed to save. Stay away from Tephra, not worth the couple thousand on paper. ( since you will have to pay 2 bills for a few months and stress about all the mistakes and inspection that are not passing, turns out they are more expensive than others because of it).

  Business Response

  Date: 06/12/2023

  This account has full Permission To Operate (***), on June 8th. 
  to total process from sold to install was 75 days which about normal for this utility. The *** was 60 days which is also normal. The account is now operational and functioning. We had 2 failed inspections which once we fix takes the utility 3-4 weeks to schedule time come back to the house. 
  

  Black hills the utility company can and will change the requirements for solar on the spot. If we have submitted a job that was approved they have changed the requirements after the install quite often. Requiring an extra wire run, smoke detectors or a main panel upgrade after being approved on several accounts. 

  furthermore we have already sent the customer proceeds (cash back) for a generator and other home upgrades. 
  

  Based on our funding report the customer will pay 1 month of both utility and solar payments. We never authorized in the agreement or verbally that we would cover any payments of solar while waiting on ***. 
  

  The account is active and fulfilled according to the terms of the agreement.