Cobalt Power Systems reviews

Jim K. has worked with Cobalt Power Systems across three projects beginning in 2010, and he kept coming back because their work simply held up. He first installed 40 SunPower panels in 2010 and found the array outperformed expectations. In 2016 he added 44 LG panels, which pushed production to cover his entire electric bill — he has seen a zero bill since that upgrade. This year he turned to Cobalt again to install three Tesla Powerwalls so his home could ride out the expected PG&E interruptions in the Bay Area. He collected about four estimates and, even though Cobalt submitted the highest bid, he picked them for one clear reason: as an electrical engineer he kept finding their engineering and design far more thorough than the competition. One rival had warned he’d need to trench a new main line at an extra $30,000–$50,000 to run the whole house on battery — an expensive requirement that Cobalt’s design avoided. A friend’s earlier recommendation of another installer even evaporated after that company had to redo a job to make it right. Cobalt delivered a proposal with detailed specs that left nothing out, so his project needed no last-minute change orders. Drew Johnson served,

Jim Katzman has completed three rounds of solar work with Cobalt Power Systems on his home: a 2010 SunPower array of 40 panels, a 2016 expansion of 44 LG panels that pushed production to cover 100% of his electric bill (which has been zero since 2016), and most recently a three-unit Tesla Powerwall battery system installed to protect against expected PG&E outages. He shopped about four bids and chose Cobalt even though they were the highest; what kept him loyal was their engineering. He found their proposals packed with clear, detailed design specs that matched the job so precisely the projects needed no change orders — a sharp contrast with other companies that warned of unnecessary $30,000–$50,000 trenching to run a new main line. Drew Johnson handled sales engineering in 2016 and again for the battery job; he originally quoted an August start but called in May when an earlier slot opened, and the crew began and finished on that accelerated schedule with no surprises. The only hold-ups came from city and PG&E inspections rather than the installer. The install team arrived on time every day, worked efficiently, and left the system performing flawlessly. Cobalt also painted the in

After more than ten years with Cobalt Power Systems—who installed the original solar array—Jack Damm turned to them again when a house fire damaged his system. He contracted a full replacement and found the team just as helpful, professional, and responsive as they had been over the last decade. The defining detail is continuity: the same company that handled the original install managed the recovery after a traumatic event, staying on point through the replacement and ongoing service needs.

Randy hired Cobalt Power Systems to put a rooftop solar array on his ranch-style home in 2022, and that positive experience led him to hire them again in 2025 to add a battery backup. He ran into a drawn-out wait because Powerwalls were scarce—Cobalt warned him up front about supply issues—but once the company tracked down the hardware the crew installed everything smoothly. The system appears to be working as intended, and the project wrapped up on schedule, which Randy credits to Cobalt’s professionalism across both jobs. He did encounter two clear shortcomings: there wasn’t a single point of contact to shepherd the project end-to-end, and customer updates were sparse while the Powerwall shipment dragged out. He believes semi-monthly check-ins from one responsible person would have eased the uncertainty during the months-long wait. What stuck with him most was the fact that he came back to the same company twice — because they delivered solid workmanship and followed through once parts arrived — but prospective buyers should be ready to press for regular status updates during procurement delays.

A K. had already lived through four prior solar installs — three homes and two businesses — so when they picked Cobalt for their fifth project, expectations were high. Working on a relatively new seven-year-old house that turned out to be wired incorrectly, they leaned on Cobalt to design and deliver a whole-home backup system that tied into their electric car charger. Cobalt coordinated with the general contractor and electricians, rewired the main panel, added a sub-panel to balance loads, and handled permitting and PGE coordination with a clearly mapped process from designer to engineer to installer. When startup hit a snag — a loose wiring bolt on the main panel that caused a couple of small irrigation transformers to fail — Cobalt immediately dispatched skilled technicians, diagnosed and corrected the issue, and even offered compensation for the damage. Their team moved methodically through problems, kept schedules, and stayed buttoned up during two large renovations across 2022 and 2023; among all the trades on those projects, Cobalt stood out as the most professional and reliable. The detail that lingered for A K. was watching a town inspector ask Cobalt for technical advice

Ed S. had a solar system installed on his home and soon noticed a couple of panels underperforming. The company stepped in right away and replaced the faulty panels without hassle. Seven years of solid performance followed, but when a couple of new issues popped up recently, the same team showed up — pleasant, thorough, and immediately responsive. In a market where aftercare can fade, what stood out was their consistent attention to detail and readiness to fix problems both right after install and years down the road. The detail that stuck with him: they replaced underperforming panels promptly and continued to provide fast, courteous support even seven years later.

Pierre G. had Cobalt Power install solar panels on his house and discovered they’ve delivered over 10 years of trouble-free operation. He experienced a straightforward, painless installation and hasn’t needed service since. The standout detail for anyone focused on reliability is that the system simply kept working for a decade.

Markus brought Cobalt onto several projects at his house over a couple of years. They installed a PV and battery system that now performs flawlessly and completed the work on-time and on-budget. More than the tidy installation, they took charge of the nightmare of PG&E paperwork — adapting to shifting requirements and pushing approvals through so he didn’t have to. Years after the job finished he still called with questions, and the team repeatedly went out of their way to help. What stays with him is the combination of reliable installation and ongoing, practical support through the utility bureaucracy; he would hire them again, although there isn’t much left to add to a system that’s already working so well.

Anthony T. had a 26-panel, 9 kW Sunpower array installed on his San Jose ranch-style house in April, and after one month of operation it produced more than 1,300 kWh — outperforming expectations even through a cloudy May. He returned to Cobalt Power after a positive experience in 2011 (they had installed a 6 kW system on his Cupertino home), and this time chose Kurt Newick as system designer and sales engineer. Kurt climbed onto the roof and ran a meticulous on-roof shade analysis that competing bidders had skipped, tailored panel placement to the roof orientation, supplied deep technical specs, and even priced Tesla Powerwall backup options — all in a competitive quote. Kurt also assessed steep roof sections other companies hesitated to touch and trusted the Cobalt install crew and Shelton roofers to handle them. The installation team led by Blake followed the design precisely and finished the physical work in seven days. They routed conduit with an eye for appearance, painted it to match the house, minimized interior disruption around the new subpanel, performed touch-up painting, swept up debris, and avoided any broken concrete tiles. City inspection cleared the system, and PG&E