The AG’s investigation claims solar installers that partner with lenders are typically not allowed to identify and explain the fee, and they generally don’t show a cash price without the fee unless a consumer asks for it.
The fee is collected simply as profit for the lenders, the lawsuit alleges, which is the primary source of revenue on the loans for the companies. The four lending companies have collected these fees on an estimated 5,000 solar systems since 2017, according to Ellison. That would be more than 20% of all rooftop solar projects installed in the state.
Ahnemann said he didn’t think to shop around. His contract with GoodLeap does not appear to explain that the loan principal includes a dealer fee. The 24-page document includes two sentences that say the purchase price set by installer Blue Raven Solar “may include” the fee in question but doesn’t say how much.
He said he uncovered the dealer fee when asking…
