Score
California Solar Systems reviews
• updated MAR 3, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
This company is not worth your time or money. We found a pattern of broken promises that should make any homeowner nervous: one customer says they were sold a battery backup system that turned out to be incompatible with their panels, nearly two years after installation. Another paid thousands upfront only to see their electric bill jump $120 per month instead of dropping, with a surprise $2,500 true-up bill from the utility a year later. The sales pitch sounds good (12 reviews mention clear explanations and professional quotes), but the follow-through collapses. In 6 reviews detailing installation problems, we saw roof leaks, tile damage, holes punched through bathroom ceilings, and warranty claims ignored past the five-year mark. One customer's system went offline for four months before the monitoring service noticed, racking up hundreds in extra utility charges with no accountability. On top of that, 8 reviewers report relentless robocalls even after asking to be removed from the call list, with one describing a rep who cursed and hung up mid-conversation.
If you are comparing solar quotes, cross this company off your list. The installation crews may show up on time and work cleanly, but when something breaks or the savings don't materialize, you will be chasing callbacks that never come and facing repair bills the warranty won't cover.
3 Stories That Stood Out
J G. bought a rooftop solar array specifically for battery backup to protect his home while he traveled an hour to Loma Linda for chemotherapy and radiation. Nearly two years after the panels went up, he discovered during a recorded phone call with the salesman, Gabriel Macias, that the batteries he paid for never arrived and — according to the salesman’s own admission — the system wasn’t even compatible with the batteries he was sold. Gabriel blamed his boss for lying about availability, and in that same conversation admitted to forging J G.’s spouse’s signature on the contract because the spouse hadn’t been present at the sale. J G. is a 100% service‑connected disabled veteran, and the promised backup power was the primary reason for the purchase. While he’s been at the VA getting treatment, burglars have been cutting the lock on the outdoor breaker box, killing power and waiting for the small ADT and 16‑camera Lorex backups (only a few hours of power) to die. Before the solar install his home had been burglarized 11 times; since the panels went up it’s been hit three more times. In the most recent break‑in thieves took a safe containing items he can never replace: his Purple H
James had solar panels installed on his roof and expected lower electric bills, but instead discovered his monthly charges climbed — on average about $120 higher than before the panels went up on what had been a beautiful roof. He watched the NEM line item on each bill grow month after month; that accumulated balance hits on the system’s True Up roughly a year after installation and, for him, will total about $2,500. A superior court judge who is an acquaintance urged him to sue California Solar Systems for misrepresentation, and he is now pursuing legal action. He’s also reaching out to others who feel similarly harmed and offers to connect them with his attorney — contact j_glynn@att.net.
Tina V. had a smooth installation about a year and a half ago for an expensive home solar setup, and that easy start is why she withheld only one star. What stuck with her was that, roughly four months ago, her panels stopped producing and no one at the company alerted her — instead she discovered the problem when her electricity bill suddenly spiked and the utility told her the system wasn’t generating. She called the solar provider and they initially had no readings, asked whether she’d changed her Wi‑Fi (she had), and put her through three or four resets over the phone before she insisted someone come out to service the system. They promised to check and call back that day but never did. After a week and a half and a scathing voicemail with no reply, her husband called; a technician finally arrived about a week later and told him the array had been offline for quite some time because it needed an update. Tina works out of town and can’t easily take calls during business hours, so the delay felt especially burdensome given how much she paid for monitoring and a warranty. She called again before the company opened to ask whether they’d cover the extra electricity charges from four
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 50
No Red Flags
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 15 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.
What You Can Expect
Tina V. had a smooth installation about a year and a half ago for an expensive home solar setup, and that easy start is why she withheld only one star. What stuck with her was that, roughly four months ago, her panels stopped producing and no one at the company alerted her — instead she discovered the problem when her electricity bill suddenly spiked and the utility told her the system wasn’t generating. She called the solar provider and they initially had no readings, asked whether she’d changed her Wi‑Fi (she had), and put her through three or four resets over the phone before she insisted someone come out to service the system. They promised to check and call back that day but never did. After a week and a half and a scathing voicemail with no reply, her husband called; a technician finally arrived about a week later and told him the array had been offline for quite some time because it needed an update. Tina works out of town and can’t easily take calls during business hours, so the delay felt especially burdensome given how much she paid for monitoring and a warranty. She called again before the company opened to ask whether they’d cover the extra electricity charges from four
Glenda J. hesitated at the first quote for a residential solar system because it felt pricey, but she valued how thoroughly the team explained her electric bill and the mechanics of solar when she’d never looked into it before. She shopped around, collected about five more bids, grew frustrated with sellers who offered misleading promises, and ultimately picked California Solar. The installation unfolded exactly as promised: crews showed up on the scheduled day, completed the work the way the salesperson had described, and treated the household professionally from start to finish. Two weeks after the install Edison cleared the system to go live, and she began tracking output — in that short window the panels produced more than half of what she normally uses.
Possum R. regrets signing a solar lease after a March 2013 installation on a Fullerton home (the company now lists Anaheim). They encountered aggressive phone solicitations up front; the salesman, Dan, came across friendly and low-key but is no longer with the company. Over the years the installation produced recurring problems: cracked and damaged tile, roof leaks, exposed nails left on the roof, and a hole poked through the back bathroom ceiling that installers patched poorly. When they refinanced through the VA, they had to pay extra to subordinate the solar company’s lien. Phone support turned into a runaround — Cal Solar redirected them to the installers, who didn’t return calls, and by the time anyone answered the five-year installation warranty had already expired (a nearby solar contractor told them 10-year warranties were more typical). Electronics tied to the system’s broadband connection failed over time; the most recent replacement part, the Envoy, ran about $600. A local roofer told them he sees this sort of shoddy installation frequently and was hired to repair the damage. Financing through Killowatt Financial added frustration: billing cycles were staggered so the on
Long-term Satisfaction
Long-term satisfaction for California Solar Systems drops to 1.3 ★ compared to early reviews. This decline is worse than 75% of installers we looked at.
Long-term reviews carry the most weight in our methodology because they are most representative of what you should be paying for: a system that will perform for years.