American Solar Direct reviews

After living with a new rooftop system for a year, Jeremy discovered his Edison bill for that first 12 months landed at negative $300. He ended up paying a monthly solar payment that’s still below what his utility charges used to be and felt comfortable cranking the AC all summer without worrying about costs. The install finished quickly, looked clean on the roof, and was handled professionally from start to finish. Frankie kept checking in regularly to confirm the system was performing as promised, and his hands-on follow-up and responsiveness became the standout part of the experience. Between the real dollar savings and the ongoing service, he decided there was no need to shop any other solar company.

Christian W. leased a residential solar system expecting a timely installation, but the company took four months longer than quoted to finish the job. Over the next two years he discovered the setup ended up costing him about $1,200 a year more to the electric company on top of the lease payments. He felt the company had misrepresented the system and the benefits, and found that he actually paid less by paying Southern California Edison (SCE) directly than under the lease. What lingered for him was the combination of the prolonged delay and the extra annual utility charges that left him financially worse off.

Mary H. had a solar lease installed in 2011 after being told it would cut her Southern California Edison bill dramatically — she had been paying about $240–$260 a month and was quoted roughly a 60% reduction (about $150) with an estimated SCE bill around $80. Instead she discovered her SCE charges now average about $350 a month, and with a $168 lease payment she ended up paying $518 monthly — roughly a 207% increase and about double what she paid before. She also found there has been no follow-up service since the install; recent attempts to resolve the situation produced an offer to buy the system for $27,000 so she could “own” it, which felt pointless given the lack of promised savings. On top of that, her contract referenced DWP power even though she is an SCE customer, a mismatch that raised more concerns about accuracy and disclosure. At 83, she felt misled by the sales approach and left with higher bills, no service contact, and a large buyout demand — a caution to verify utility details and the actual projected savings before signing.

Elcee C. had solar panels fitted to her home last year with a setup that required little to no downpayment. She only sees about $100 in annual savings but likes that the system reduces her carbon footprint. ASD ran a professional, punctual installation, but Elcee docked a star because the original array underperformed; the crew had to return and install upgraded panels to try to reach the savings they had promised. The memorable parts of her experience are the low upfront cost and the company’s willingness to come back and fix the performance issue—though the concrete payoff so far remains modest.

Johan P. had a rooftop solar system installed in June last year and walked away most impressed by the installation team’s thoroughness. He watched them check his roof and attic three separate times, photograph every step, and then bring a supervisor back for a final walkthrough — a level of care that produced a flawless installation. He also learned the hard lesson about timing: municipal construction codes, a city permit and inspector, then the utility’s inspection all control when work can proceed, so delays are often out of ASD’s hands. He discovered that even after the system was switched on it didn’t start producing useful electricity instantly — it requires a short ramp-up and patience, especially for an array meant to sit on a roof for 25+ years. Johan felt frustrated that some poorly trained people hired to introduce the product hurt the company’s reputation, but his own panels are running well and he ended up confident in ASD because of their meticulous installation. The detail that stuck with him: the team’s obsessive triple-checks and supervisory sign-off made him comfortable putting equipment on his roof for decades.

Steph D. has had solar panels on her home since 2010 and has been paying a loan for them ever since. She discovered the system never produced the expected savings and has come to accept she’s doing it mainly for the environment. For years the installer, ASD, used to show up annually to clean the panels and improve output; recently the company vanished. She has called repeatedly to schedule the yearly cleaning and gotten no callbacks. When she rang the loan servicer listed on her payments, they relayed that ASD was “having phone trouble,” a claim she finds hard to believe. Frustrated, she has told the servicer she will call daily until someone responds and warned she’ll stop payments and involve an attorney if there’s no plan to service the units. The image that sticks: more than a decade of payments with no service support, and a homeowner ready to escalate legally until a company actually stands behind the system.

Gail P. became an American Solar Direct customer in 2012 for a ranch-style family home, and the relationship with the company kept resurfacing through two moves. Early on she worked with sales rep Olive Martinez in San Diego, who helped get the first system installed without hiccups. Years later, when Gail put that house on the market, buyers initially balked at the panels; she emailed ASD customer care and Lisa Stephens in Los Angeles stepped in to arrange removal logistics and even canceled the move when the buyers first backed out. When a second buyer hesitated, Olive spoke with them, walked them through the benefits, and convinced them to keep the system — which allowed Gail and her husband to close the sale and move on schedule. At the new place they waited a few months to see energy costs, but after several bills over $400 the couple called Olive again. What stands out is Olive’s long-term attention: she kept in touch after the first install, would stop by unannounced to say hello to the kids, and treated the family like, well, family. That history made them comfortable signing up for a second system. On install day, however, the final engineering layout had placed a r0

Eleezeh had the company install her solar system 16 years ago, and they later handed off the system’s service to a third party. About two years ago she discovered the array stopped producing power, yet the lease payments kept coming out of her account. She ended up paying for a nonworking system for roughly two years and describes the experience as horrible. The standout detail for anyone considering a lease: the company continued to bill her while the panels produced nothing.

Talia F. entered a solar contract and discovered the company's billing system never worked for her. For more than a year she asked repeatedly for a paper bill and still never received one, then tried to enroll in autopay and was repeatedly denied. Because billing never settled, she now has to mark her calendar each month and call ASD Solar to head off repeated calls saying her account is unpaid. The experience left her frustrated enough that she wishes she could get out of the contract — the image that sticks is a year of unanswered billing requests and a forced, manual payment routine to avoid collection calls.