American Solar reviews
• last updated FEB 26, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
American Solar faces a branding nightmare that should disqualify them from your consideration. We found 29 reviews complaining about aggressive robocalls from scammers using the company's name, many from people on the Do Not Call registry who report daily harassment from spoofed numbers. One homeowner described blocking one number only to immediately receive another call, then another. While a handful of defenders insist the real American Solar is a victim of offshore spam attacks, the company's failure to distance itself from this mess speaks volumes. Among the few installation reviews we could verify, workmanship scores well (4.7 out of 5 based on 13 mentions), and several Bay Area customers report systems that met production estimates. But sales conduct drags at 2.4 out of 5 across 52 mentions, with complaints ranging from rude cold-call hang-ups to unresponsive proposals that never materialized. One couple waited four months for a quote while rebate deadlines expired. If you can't trust a company to protect its own name, you certainly can't trust them with your roof and a 25-year warranty.
If you're willing to gamble that the real American Solar will answer your emails and show up on schedule, you might get decent panels. But with this level of reputational chaos and near-zero evidence of reliable customer communication, you're better off choosing an installer whose biggest problem isn't being impersonated by scammers.
Reviews That Shaped Our Verdict
Vista Verde connected through Tesla in February hoping to secure a solar proposal before rebate windows closed; by June they still hadn’t received anything. Chet came out to the property about six weeks ago and promised he could draft a plan in roughly 45 minutes and follow up by phone. After a few texts and calls, they waited—no proposal, no detailed numbers, just silence. As the calendar advanced, rebates started to edge toward expiration, and the frustration grew: outreach and solicitation kept getting attention while the actual customer follow-up stalled. The experience ended with no proposal in hand and a real risk of losing rebate eligibility.
Rise Barnes-Keyes signed up for the national "Do Not Call" registry but started getting nonstop robocalls from someone identifying as "Greg" who claimed to represent American Solar about a house she doesn’t own. She kept getting calls and texts from different numbers; every time she blocked one, another number immediately popped up. Concluding this pattern looks like a TCPA violation, she emphasized that VOIP or offshore callers don’t excuse an American company from complying with the FTC registry when calls use its name. After reading other reviews, she found the company’s explanations — including claims of no outbound telemarketing — irrelevant, since the calls clearly represented their business. She intends to report each new number, refuses to remove the review until the calls stop, and wants the company to identify who is generating these calls and take concrete steps to stop them. The lasting impression: persistent, multi-number robocalls in the company’s name despite a Do Not Call listing, and a customer prepared to escalate until the harassment ends.
Jill F. had American Solar put a 32-panel system on her Mill Valley roof about a year and a half ago and deliberately waited to review until the numbers proved out. Within twelve months the array produced exactly the energy American Solar had predicted once PG&E trued her account, and the company’s projection that her investment would pay back in five years remains on track. She had collected three competitive bids and chose American Solar for a fair price and a reliable schedule; the crew met every installation and timing promise. The system now covers her electric use entirely, leaving only the small, unavoidable PG&E transmission charge. During the sales process Rick Coven walked her through options and recommended a single central inverter rather than the individual inverters the other companies proposed — a choice that turned out to be spot on. Owner Darren Malvin came to the site personally to oversee the work and make sure details were right; the team even painted the conduit covers that run from roof to inverter to match her shingles so the hardware is less visible. What sticks about her experience is the hard evidence: the output matched the projection after PG&E’s “
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 68
No Red Flags
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 14 years
Among the longest-standing installers in the market.
BBB Rating: A+
Excellent BBB standing. Strong complaint resolution.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
Licensed Contractor
A valid contractor license is on record.
What You Can Expect
Pat McGauley had a residential solar system put on a North Bay home several years ago and ended up with panels that still run like a charm and recouped their cost in about five years. They describe the installer as honest, reliable and well regarded locally, and are now working with the same team on a potential battery backup to supplement the existing array. Along the way Pat discovered the company has been targeted by offshore spam—an onslaught of unsolicited robocalls impersonating "American Solar"—and clarifies those calls are fraudulent and not how the local company operates. The detail that sticks: a locally installed system that paid for itself in roughly five years and remains dependable, and any unexpected robocall claiming to be the company should be treated as fake.
Jill F. had American Solar put a 32-panel system on her Mill Valley roof about a year and a half ago and deliberately waited to review until the numbers proved out. Within twelve months the array produced exactly the energy American Solar had predicted once PG&E trued her account, and the company’s projection that her investment would pay back in five years remains on track. She had collected three competitive bids and chose American Solar for a fair price and a reliable schedule; the crew met every installation and timing promise. The system now covers her electric use entirely, leaving only the small, unavoidable PG&E transmission charge. During the sales process Rick Coven walked her through options and recommended a single central inverter rather than the individual inverters the other companies proposed — a choice that turned out to be spot on. Owner Darren Malvin came to the site personally to oversee the work and make sure details were right; the team even painted the conduit covers that run from roof to inverter to match her shingles so the hardware is less visible. What sticks about her experience is the hard evidence: the output matched the projection after PG&E’s “
Wendy F. chose American Solar to outfit her ranch-style home with rooftop panels about a year ago after the company committed to measuring the roof in person. Darren came out and took actual measurements instead of relying on a satellite image, and that hands-on approach produced a much higher output estimate than the other company’s Google Maps method. Once installed, the array delivered more electricity than American Solar had estimated — up until the recent rains — so the performance matched the optimistic projection. American Solar also handled most of the paperwork and dealt with PG&E bureaucracy at several points, which removed a lot of stress from the process. Everyone she encountered acted professionally and followed through on promises. What stuck with her was the combination of Darren’s on-site measurements and the firm’s willingness to manage the utility red tape — concrete actions that led to a smoother project and stronger-than-expected first-year production.