The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on Wednesday said a lawsuit was filed against Radiant Solar, accusing the solar panel installation company of defrauding hundreds of New Yorkers seeking affordable renewable energy for their homes.
DCWP is seeking at least $1.75 million in civil penalties and approximately $18 million in restitution, as well as a court order to shut down the company and hold its president and owner-operator, William James Bushell, personally accountable. The alleged scheme left homeowners, including in Brooklyn, burdened with large, undisclosed loans, higher utility bills, and unsafe home conditions, rather than the promised energy savings, DCWP said.
“Radiant Solar and William James Bushell exploited New Yorkers looking to lower their energy costs and protect our environment,” said DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. “Our lawsuit aims to shut down this scheme, recover $20 million for consumers and taxpayers, and send a clear message that preying on New Yorkers will come with serious consequences.”
These practices included falsely advertising immediate cost savings, enrolling consumers in substantial loans without proper disclosure or consent, embedding hidden “dealer fees” into financing agreements, steering customers to preferred lenders in violation of city law and operating without the required home improvement contractor license, according to DCWP.
Radiant Solar promoted more than $18 million in loans to at least 370 New York City consumers, a DCWP investigation found. In dozens of cases, homeowners only learned the true size of their loans after lenders had already disbursed full payment directly to the company. Of the total loan amount, approximately $3 million consisted of undisclosed dealer fees that consumers were unaware of and should not have been responsible for paying.
The lawsuit details how Radiant Solar allegedly exploited the complexity of solar financing, installation requirements and tax rebate systems. The company’s business model depended on securing loan proceeds upfront, often without informed consumer approval, while collecting kickbacks disguised as dealer fees. City law explicitly prohibits both steering consumers to preferred lenders and receiving loan proceeds directly from financing companies.
After receiving payment, Radiant Solar is accused of providing poor-quality, incomplete, or nonexistent solar installations. Some homeowners reported leaky roofs, structural instability and other serious safety hazards. The company allegedly ignored consumer complaints, failed to secure promised solar tax incentives, and refused to repair defective work.
As a result, many customers were left with high monthly loan payments and ongoing utility bills, without the solar energy production or financial benefits they were promised.
DCWP first received complaints about Radiant Solar in December 2021 and launched a formal investigation in August 2024. The case represents New York City’s first legal action against a fraudulent solar panel installation company and the largest amount of restitution DCWP has ever sought in a home improvement contractor case. The agency’s previous major HIC case resulted in $250,000 in restitution for consumers defrauded by National Floors Direct.
Solar panel installation companies in New York City are regulated and licensed by DCWP as home improvement contractors, an industry that consistently generates some of the highest volumes of consumer complaints. Regulators at the state and federal levels have also identified widespread fraud across the solar installation industry nationwide.
