The layoffs in Michigan began on Sept. 12, "due to business conditions related to the unexpected economic downturn affecting demand for our products and services," the company said in a statement.
Crane left several messages Friday with Waller and company representatives seeking more information.
The state Attorney General's Office said it has received 75 complaints about Power Home Solar/Pink Energy, and the Better Business Bureau has recorded more than 1,000 complaints.
The company also received hundreds of negative reviews on Google. Customers say solar panels don't save money as promised, with some even reporting panels burning.
"The complaints allege a pattern of corporate fraud in the presentation of solar home systems," according to a subpoena request for a civil investigation filed by the AG's office in July.
The AG's office said the company's salespeople falsely claimed they would recoup the cost of the solar panels with significant savings on customers' energy bills.
Power Home Solar owed its debt to Wisconsin-based Generac Holdings Inc., which won the contract to manufacture the solar panel components. In early August, he filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging breach of contract and negligence.
According to the lawsuit, Power Home Solar alleged that Generac SnapRS devices designed to monitor output voltage malfunctioned, in some cases melting, ultimately preventing the panels from producing power. Power Home Solar said that the generator's patches failed.
"Pink Energy continues to field calls and troubleshoot issues with SnapRS ... and is also seeing bugs in other Generac components," the company said.
Generac spokeswoman Tami Coe said the lawsuit against the company is a distraction from the solar company's collapse.
"Unfortunately, Pink Energy seems unwilling to take responsibility for their actions," Coe wrote in an email. "We believe that through their public statements and strong legal actions, Pink Energy hopes to distract customers from numerous complaints and allegations of improper installation and maintenance, as well as alert audiences to dubious marketing claims and sales tactics." .
Waller, who lives in Birmingham in 2020, told Crain's two years ago that the company had $350 million in revenue and about a third of its 30,000 customers are in Michigan.
Waller's $6.5 million Birmingham mansion was featured in the August 2021 Michigan House Jealousy section of the Detroit Free Press.
In recent weeks, Waller and ISI Alarms NC Inc., which he ran from 2005 to 2013. including his business ventures have attracted media attention.
"We know this situation is scary and difficult for many consumers, and we will continue to look into this matter," attorney general spokeswoman Amber McCann told Crain's in an email.
