Experts sound off after solar industry leader shares misleading theory about rival company: 'This has so much misinformation'

Social media sites can be a great tool for information and reviews on tons of products and services, but it's important to always take what you read with a grain of salt. It's easy to be fooled by misinformation without fact-checking.

In the r/solar subreddit, a user posted a screenshot of an inaccurate Facebook post regarding brands that make solar inverters. Commenters were quick to note it featured deceptive statements.

"They have many differences." — Photo Credit: Reddit

The post claimed that Deye, the manufacturer of Sol-Ark inverters, was making non-Sol-Ark inverters "non-operational" in the United States and warned people against using them.

But in the comments, members of the subreddit said the Facebook post was written by the owner of EG4, a major competitor of Sol-Ark.

"This has so much misinformation. Deye shouldn't be installed in US because it does not have the right UL listings and certifications. Sol-ark does have all of the UL listings, certs and such. Deye manufactures the Sol-Ark inverters with shared R&D, but they have many differences," one commenter said.

After the news spread online, Sol-Ark responded with a statement saying the confusion was caused by "unauthorized sales" of Deye-branded inverters.

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"Though Sol-Ark has no control over Deye's actions, we recognize that the messaging conveyed through the Deye-branded inverter's screen suggests Sol-Ark can provide warranty or service for these cases, which we cannot," said Simon McLean, vice president of marketing.

McLean said the company was not responsible for Deye-branded inverters or any inverters that were not branded and sold by Sol-Ark. To remedy the situation, Sol-Ark offered any customers affected the opportunity to "purchase a new Sol-Ark inverter of equivalent performance at a substantially discounted price."

This offer was for residential households only and lasted until the end of 2024.

If you're interested in switching to clean energy for your home and investing in solar panels, check out TCD's guide to get started.