It’s time for solar to clean up its act
"For more than a year now, my organization, Campaign for Accountability, has been documenting how some rooftop solar companies exploit vulnerable consumers."
"For more than a year now, my organization, Campaign for Accountability, has been documenting how some rooftop solar companies exploit vulnerable consumers."
"A report seen by The Times examined the financial backing of five institutions in Britain and Europe. The academic groups also stage events that allow Google lobbyists to rub shoulders with ministers and policymakers who might not attend those run under the technology company’s branding. The report, compiled by a US watchdog, said that Europe was crucial to Google because the European Commission was the only regulator outside America with sufficient clout to cause the company to change its conduct."
On March 16, 2018, CfA released a new report revealing how Google has paid tens of millions of euros to European academic institutions over the past decade to develop an influential network of friendly European academics who write research papers supporting the tech giant’s business interests.
"In an interview Friday, Stevens said his organization has gathered solar company consumer complaint data from multiple states and has previously requested investigations, based on evidence of 'false and misleading actions,' by the attorneys general of California, Florida, Oregon and Texas. Stevens said he was 'not surprised' by the allegations leveled against Vivint Solar in Balderas' filing."
"As Congress debates tax reform, which may include provisions to hobble investment in wind and solar power generation, it is critical that when discussing renewable energy, American consumers are not forgotten. Specifically, bad actors in the rooftop solar industry must not be allowed to continue to abuse and mislead customers who are considering spending as much as $20,000 to install solar panels on their homes," writes CfA Executive Director Daniel Stevens in The Hill.
On December 7, 2017, Campaign for Accountability released a report highlighting the findings of its year-long investigation into the unscrupulous sales practices of the rooftop solar industry. CfA’s investigation found consumers filed more complaints against SolarCity and Vivint Solar than any other company.
On October 30, 2017, Campaign for Accountability released a report revealing Google continues to place ads on websites that promote false information despite promises to alter its practices. CfA analyzed a sample of 1,255 news publishers and found that Google continues to place ads on hyper-partisan and misleading websites, resulting in millions of dollars in revenue for the company.
"Similarly, Google doesn’t have to ask the researchers whom it funds to write about public policy to turn in favourable articles. But it has funded, directly or indirectly, 329 such papers since 2005, according to the US-based Campaign for Accountability. More than a quarter of those funded directly by Google didn’t disclose the source of their money, according to the report."