Newer Generac SnapRS 802 Switches Fail to Fix PWRcell Melting, Fire Issues, Class Action Says [UPDATE]

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Two North Carolina residents allege in a proposed class action that Generac Power Systems has falsely advertised its PWRcell clean energy system in that certain critical connector components can overheat, melt or explode during normal use. 

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The 34-page suit piggybacks onto a proposed class action filed last October that alleged Generac’s SnapRS 801 switch, the predecessor to the 802 switch, was prone to repeatedly turn on and off before eventually deforming and melting during normal use. The new case, filed in North Carolina, alleges Generac’s purported fix for the melting problem, the SnapRS 802 switches, “fail[] just as earlier models did,” as they will “overheat, melt, explode, and otherwise malfunction” during normal use. 

The lawsuit alleges all three models of Generac’s SnapRS connectors, the 801, 801A and 802, are afflicted by the same defect—namely, that they are overactive and repeatedly turn on or off instead of remaining in the on or off position consistently, causing overheating. Per the suit, Generac has deliberately and willfully concealed the SnapRS switch defect from consumers, who’ve allegedly been deprived of the benefit of their bargain after reportedly paying a roughly $47,000 baseline starting price for the PWRcell clean energy system. 

“Indeed, rather than providing consumers with new, non-defective Snaps after they fail as a result of the Defect, Generac fails to provide a non-defective replacement component capable of remedying the problem and/or improperly denies consumers’ warranty claims,” the lawsuit says.

Per the suit, Generac boasts that consumers who use a fully functional PWRcell system, touted as “the complete clean energy system,” will save more than $66,000 in energy costs over 25 years. The company describes its PWRcell as “not just a powerful battery, but [] also the most flexible and scalable home energy system on the market,” claiming the product offers “30% more power output than our competitors” and “more storage capacity,” the lawsuit states. 

According to the suit, Generac fails to disclose the “known Defect” to consumers or provide non-defective replacement parts. The case claims that although Generac represents that replacement SnapRS switches are available, consumers often find that they’re unable to buy the product directly from the company or receive service from authorized dealers. 

As a result, consumers are left with PWRcell systems that do not function as intended, and many end up voiding their warranties given that they are forced to receive service outside of Generac’s dealership network, the case says. 

The filing specifies that consumers cannot buy solar panels from Generac, and that the company’s PWRcell system is designed to integrate with a consumer’s existing solar panel setup to “manage electricity produced by solar panel modules for consumption within a consumer’s home.” Generac uses its PV Link to connect solar modules into an array, with the SnapRS switches installed to enable rapid shutdown, the case relays. 

Without functioning Snaps, the suit says, electricity produced by a single solar panel module is unable to circulate around the panel array to the PV Link and from there into a consumer’s home, the lawsuit explains, stressing that a damaged or destroyed Snap disrupts electricity flow and may render an entire array of solar panels useless. 

According to court documents, there are at least six proposed class action cases pending against Generac in several districts nationwide over the alleged SnapRS switch defect. The case filed against the company in October 2022 has been stayed pending a decision by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on whether to consolidate the case with several related lawsuits, court documents show. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons who bought a Generac PWRcell system in North Carolina anytime within the applicable statute of limitations period and until the date notice is sent to proposed class members. 

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