Green Brilliance (GB) damaged my home with improper solar panel installation. I live in a row home and, I n or about June 2016, GB installed solar panels for my neighbors which were mounted onto the shared wall. GB did not notify me in advance and did not have permission to access my roof during their installation. Last year, I started noticing a ceiling leak above my staircase which was traced back to the fact GB drilled holes in the flashing to mount their solar panels and then didn't seal the bolts. Not only that, GB damaged my roof, did not notify me of the damage, and made a very poor attempt to fix it (spoiler alert - their fix did not hold up). So for years, water was leaking in and slowly causing extensive damage to my roof and throughout the inside of my home.
Once the leaks last year were traced back to GB's installation, my new neighbors paid a roofer to repair/seal the bolts. However, the leaks restarted over the winter and were again traced back to the solar panels by multiple roofing companies. When anything is mounted on shared property, both parties should be notified and consent as I learned I couldn't even repair my own roof because of GB's panels. If my roofer moved the panels to replace my roof (which was going to cost several thousand extra on top of the repair fees), the panels' warranty would be voided. And if GB removed the panels for my repair yet remounted them the exact same way that caused the damage in the first place (all they were willing to do), my roof warranty would be voided.
In February 2021, I contacted GB to seek assistance (financial and otherwise) for repairs. When they stopped responding, I hired an attorney. They won't respond to him either. I've used the time to get structural engineers and repair companies out to evaluate the damage to my home and what caused it in-depth. It's now the end of April 2021 and I'm looking at over $12,000 for a new roof and $30,000 for crawlspace damage due to water intrusion along the shared wall where GB improperly mounted their panels. And that's just the estimates for "visible damage" - who knows what they'll find once the roof membrane is lifted and work starts in the crawlspace.
Please consider my experience a warning for people who live in rowhomes/townhouses. Your property is connected to someone else's - if you do something that can affect your neighbors' property, PLEASE involve them from the start!!! I never got a single benefit from those panels or the fact my old neighbors "went solar" yet am going to be out over $40k to fix damage that I had no part in causing.
