Solar Panel Fraud Florida. The Sunshine State historically has been a hideout for the bad guys, hustlers and con artists. Al Capone bought his mansion on Palm Island in 1928 as his escape. In 1935, “Ma” Baker was gunned down in her Ocklawaha home after robbing a Florida bank. In 1980, John Gotti was grieving the tragic loss of his son, Frank, in Fort Lauderdale, when the motorist who committed the vehicular homicide was abducted and never found.
Of course master swindlers and con artists Ponzi, Madoff, and Rothstein all enjoyed Florida’s sunshine too.
The Sunshine State has much going for it, and perhaps one day we take their rightful place on top of the solar energy industry but, with the likes of Advanced Solar Photonics, Blue Chip Energy, and Sfinkx that make take a while longer.
Founder and now proven solar con artist Dmetri Nitikin only managed to fraud Floridian’s with his fake solar panels for a few years until those at Underwriter’s Laboratory, USSolar Institute and Florida Solar One called attention to their solar panel scam.
Employees of these companies like Carlos Gonzalez, Wayne Tupulo and Genti Zego are certainly unlikely to gain employment in the solar industry anytime soon after doing their best to promoting the ongoing fraud mastered by Nitikin at the Florida solar panel company gone bad.
But what about the consumers, home owners and businesses who were duped? The bottom line is the contractors will and must eat the losses, without shame and do the right thing. They must get back to their clients and inform them – else be held negligent. Ignorance is no excuse for the law. The word is out about the great ASP solar panel scam.
Yes, it will hurt and it will cost more money than the contractor most likely ever made installing the systems but, that’s why solar contractors in Florida have to be financially sound to earn a license to work in solar in the first place.
Now that the jig is up on the ASP/Blue Chip Energy solar panel fraud, Florida Solar Contractors will bear ALL responsibility should anything go wrong. For example if Hurricane Big Blow hits the home and the unlisted solar panel is damaged – No Insurance for you. Should a fire break out for any reason – No insurance for you. Basically if the kid across the street trips looking at the solar panel – No insurance for you.
The Florida state mandated general liability insurance, that all qualified Florida Solar Contrators must carry, does not cover poor judgment, craftsmanship nor poor product selection. We once warned that if you are a contractor in Florida – Do Not Buy ASP Panels.
Now we are saying if you are a contractor who ever installed ASP panels – You Better Replace Them Now! If you want to know what products to buy, we recommend following the USSolar Institute PV Challenge.
All solar PV panels in Florida (or anywhere for that matter) have to be UL listed and installed in accordance with the manufactures listings and instruction – even if the manufacture is a liar and a cheat they still have to be installed in accordance with the National and Florida Electrical Code. No listing means no insurance and therefore no excuse.
…it is time to start swapping out those ASP solar panels my Florida contracting friends.