Dubious wave of bankruptcies

Photovoltaics: rip-offs by dubious providers

Photovoltaics is a good thing - but not all providers are reputable.

(Bild: zVg)

A number of photovoltaic providers in the Lake Constance region have recently slipped into insolvency. The PV company Hansesun, which is also very active on the Vorarlberg market, suspects fraud.

First the boom, now the wave of bankruptcies. For Andreas Müller, operations manager at photovoltaic specialist Hansesun, this is no great surprise: "More and more scandals are now coming to light. The criminal energy of some dubious providers is bringing the entire industry into disrepute," he says angrily, outlining the dubious business practices of the black sheep very clearly: "Anyone who robs a petrol station today is stupid. Fraud and rip-offs are easier: open a PV company, advertise it aggressively, collect a 20 to 80 percent down payment, provide no service and then go bankrupt."

Since 2021, the Swiss company, which has a strong presence in the Lake Constance region and operates a large branch in Röthis, has observed that dubious providers are springing up like mushrooms: "These companies are more fake than real. They pose as sponsors of well-known sports clubs, for example, and show off with Tesla fleets and tuned cars. But they only live at the expense of their customers and pass on the risk and damage to them," explains Müller. The problem: if the companies become insolvent, people are left with the costs and the down payment becomes a trap. "This is solar fraud with delay."

Anyone who robs a petrol station today is stupid. Fraud and rip-offs are easier: open a PV company, advertise it aggressively, collect a 20 to 80 percent down payment, provide no service and then go bankrupt.

Andreas Müller, Hansesun

Ban on advance payments to protect the industry
In order to protect reputable providers from rogue companies, Hansesun is calling for a general ban on advance payments for PV systems - initially only for the Swiss market: "A PV system is a standard product, not an individually planned fitted kitchen. Prepayment is simply nonsense. Reputable providers only charge once the system is up and running," says Robert Veronik, Managing Director of Hansesun Photovoltaik Swiss, speaking plainly.

Robert Veronik, Managing Director of Hansesun Photovoltaik Swiss (left), and Andreas Müller, Sales and Marketing Manager at Hansesun Austria.

(Bild: Dietmar Stiplovsek)

According to Veronik, trust is particularly important for PV systems, which are not replaced every few days: "PV systems generally have longer warranties than other electronic products. If the company suddenly no longer exists, even the best guarantee is worthless."