Shell Accused of Not Honoring Solar Equipment Warranties

Shell is being accused by the World Bank and green energy companies of not honoring warranties on solar power systems, reports The Guardian.

Despite exiting the solar business last year, critics said in the article that Shell, which made profits of $31 billion in 2008, has a continuing role in after-sales service and warranty replacements.

The World Bank told The Guardian, for example, about 700 solar systems appear to have failed in Sri Lanka, and local suppliers risked going out of business.

Shell says that it is being unfairly targeted and is working to solve the problem, stating that its Shell Solar Sri Lanka business has been transferred to a third-party purchaser, Environ Energy, along with all liabilities, reports The Guardian. The company also says the bulk of its former solar module manufacturing operation has been transferred to a new owner, Solar World, according to the article.

Complicating matters is Environ’s claim that Solar World will not replace any modules unless it has the appropriate warranty documents, which Environ claims were destroyed by Shell prior to the transition to Solar World, reports The Guardian. Shell told the Observer this was not true, according to the article.