1st Light Energy reviews
• last updated FEB 26, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
This company goes dark when you need them most. We found dozens of customers whose panels stopped working and who then sent four, five, six unanswered calls for help. One reviewer lost three prime summer months after their inverter died because 1st Light never returned a single voicemail, even though the manufacturer had already shipped the replacement part. Another paid $33,000 for a system that quit after eight years and described fruitless attempts to reach anyone. The pattern is unmistakable: 106 negative mentions about value versus 39 positive, and post-sale support scored just 1.8 with 112 negative comments. Reviews describe roof leaks from botched installs, systems that failed inspection and required rework weeks later, and promised SREC payments that never materialized for over a year. One customer contracted Salmonella poisoning from pigeon droppings that accumulated under panels after the company assured them birds wouldn't be an issue, then refused to help pay for cleanup and called the neighbor's contaminated yard 'collateral damage.' When problems surface, you'll be on your own.
If you want an installer who'll actually pick up the phone after cashing your check, skip this one. The install might go smoothly, but the moment something breaks or leaks, you're likely to join the long line of people leaving unanswered voicemails.
Reviews That Shaped Our Verdict
Eda T. leased solar panels through Solar Mosaic for her home and relied on First Light Energy to handle service. After five years she discovered First Light never came out to clean the array, and the system has not been working for a few years. When she reached out to Daniel Hargus at First Light, he quoted a charge to come inspect the system, warned of another fee for a return visit, and said any repair would carry an additional cost. Living retired, disabled, and on a fixed income, she cannot afford those unexpected bills and feels taken advantage of, labeling the companies "liars, thieves, scammers." The clear takeaway for buyers: get explicit, written terms about who pays for routine maintenance, inspections, and repairs before signing a lease.
Jeffry Lee hired 1st Light Energy to install a residential solar system about eight years ago and watched the crew show up promptly and do a tidy job — the array ran smoothly for years. In June, the inverter suddenly failed, and the manufacturer, SolarEdge, quickly issued an RMA and shipped a replacement, which kept the technical side moving. What derailed the experience was 1st Light Energy’s silence: after four separate attempts to contact them, he received no response. That gap left him without peak production for months, forced him to seek help from other installers, and added both expense and hassle beyond the equipment failure itself. The clear takeaway for a prospective buyer: the initial installation was solid, but long-term customer support from this contractor can vanish when problems appear.
Diana signed a rooftop solar deal after a company representative repeatedly promised a federal tax rebate of roughly $11,200 and assured her the panels wouldn’t attract pigeons. She relied on those verbal assurances and agreed to take out a high‑interest loan — nearly 18% — structured so that if the rebate arrived within 18 months she could pay the loan off and avoid the interest. When the rebate arrived it was under $4,000, and she had to withdraw about $7,000 from her retirement to retire the loan before the interest kicked in. When she pressed the company about the shortfall, they told her they were unaware of her tax situation. She ended up bearing the financial hit. Shortly after installation, pigeons began roosting under the array despite the earlier reassurance. Droppings accumulated on the roof and spilled onto the sidewalks. While using a blower to clean the yard, she inhaled dust from dried pigeon feces, contracted Salmonella poisoning, and spent roughly two months recovering from a near‑fatal illness. At her request the company later power‑washed the roof and panels and added guards around the modules at no charge, but the wash sent contamination into a neighbor’s yard;
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 30
Buyer Beware
Unauthorized Activities
0 reports
Misleading Claims
6 reports
Background Check
Serving customers for 20 years
Among the longest-standing installers in the market.
BBB Rating: D-
Poor BBB standing. Significant complaints.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
Contractor License
License information could not be confirmed.
What You Can Expect
On a $33,000 solar installation that’s only eight years old, brimoore300 discovered the panels had stopped working. They tried repeatedly to reach the company by phone and never got an answer or a callback. Left with a dead system, they accused the installer of being fraudsters—calling them “a bunch of scammers”—and asked how to pursue a lawsuit. The image that lingers: a costly, eight-year-old array sitting idle and a company that won’t pick up the phone.
Eda T. leased solar panels through Solar Mosaic for her home and relied on First Light Energy to handle service. After five years she discovered First Light never came out to clean the array, and the system has not been working for a few years. When she reached out to Daniel Hargus at First Light, he quoted a charge to come inspect the system, warned of another fee for a return visit, and said any repair would carry an additional cost. Living retired, disabled, and on a fixed income, she cannot afford those unexpected bills and feels taken advantage of, labeling the companies "liars, thieves, scammers." The clear takeaway for buyers: get explicit, written terms about who pays for routine maintenance, inspections, and repairs before signing a lease.
Calogero DiStefano financed a $70,000 solar system in 2019 to fight rising energy costs, but the installation quickly turned into a long, expensive headache. He discovered interior damage and a leaking roof from the initial work and struggled for years to get the company back to fix those defects, ultimately hiring local contractors out of pocket to repair the problems. The system had been quoted at 16 kWp, yet in full sun it only ever produced about 12 kWp at best. He filed multiple service tickets—most went unanswered—and when technicians did show up he was charged $250 for a visit that concluded there were no problems, despite ongoing underperformance. When bills climbed higher than before the install, an associate finally called and said the company no longer serviced the Northeast, even though Calogero had signed a 10-year workmanship warranty. A local solar firm inspected the array and found panels not generating, failed optimizers, and poor installation; they offered to make repairs but expected Calogero to pay. 1st Light refused to accept responsibility, declined to contract the local crew, and effectively abandoned the system, leaving him an “orphan” with a $70,000 loan on