One California homeowner questioned whether they were being taken for a ride after receiving a $4,000 solar repair quote.
Here's what to know
On Reddit, the Orange County homeowner said their solar panel system was three years old, but several optimizers had failed.
"Installer is completely out of business and no longer exists," they continued. "Found another certified installer, they want $800 per optimizer to install, 5 optimizers total so $4,000."
The original poster then asked, "Is this a ridiculous price? I saw the optimizers are about $70 each so the labor seems high."
Based on the homeowner's estimate, the parts alone would cost about $350.
"Yes, ridiculous," the top comment read. "That sounds like an 'F-you' quote, they don't want the business. A single $800 for all of them would be generous. It takes 2 minutes each. ... It's also DIY-friendly if you're comfortable on the roof."
Another wrote, "They should be embarrassed to even quote that number. Unless they are the 5 optis in the middle of [a] huge array that would require them to lift a s*** ton of panels to reach them, that's nuts."
A third suggested that a reasonable bill would cover five hours of work at $200 an hour.
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What can be done?
Several users recommended filing a warranty claim to seek replacement optimizers while gathering additional service quotes.
Another commenter suggested, "Search for installers near you with service departments and make some calls."
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Where can I learn more?
Other homeowners have faced steep solar repair quotes or struggled to find service after their installers closed.
• A solar owner facing monitoring problems received a $2,000 panel inspection quote for their aging system.
• A New Jersey homeowner was stunned when they received a $90,000 quote to fix their solar panels.
• After their solar company closed, a homeowner got a free replacement inverter, but it wasn't plug-and-play.
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