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Energy Saving Pros reviews
• updated MAR 3, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
Energy Saving Pros handles the basics well but stumbles when things go sideways. We found strong praise for routine installations: 69 reviewers highlighted clean workmanship, 77 mentioned smooth sales interactions, and one homeowner's county inspector called out the install quality unprompted. The punctual crews and responsive sales reps (especially Barry McGinnis) earned consistent appreciation. But a troubling pattern emerged in post-install support. One customer spent three months chasing a broken inverter through repeated service calls before the owner intervened only after legal action was threatened. Another paid $60,000 and three years later couldn't get callbacks to fix a warranty-covered inverter, ultimately facing a $1,500 utility bill and a lawsuit threat. A third discovered a loose cable (likely caused during ESP's own second installation) went unaddressed after multiple requests. The company's equipment works fine when it works. When it doesn't, you may burn weeks waiting for help that should take days.
If you want a clean installation at a fair price and your system runs without a hitch, you'll likely join the satisfied majority. But if an inverter fails or a cable comes loose, prepare to escalate aggressively to get the follow-through you paid for.
3 Stories That Stood Out
James waited more than a year to write this because he wanted to be sure the system held up. He paid $42,000 cash for a ground-level solar array on a hillside and walked away with a system that now produces about 90% of his needs and left him with a $600 annual true-up — but getting there was a bumpy ride. Early on he discovered the sales rep, Paul, was low-key and helpful throughout the process. The installation crew, however, stumbled: they began leveling the hillside and setting posts before the foreman had opened the plans, realized the mistake mid-job, and then argued for two hours about how to correct it. Because they’d removed too much hillside, the racking had to be raised or the panels would have lost sun exposure. He finally insisted they follow the contract and threatened to withhold the second half of payment if they didn’t make it right. Problems piled up with the inverter next. The unit failed to send data, overheated and shut down repeatedly — a factory defect — and Tony from the crew tried repeatedly to repair it without success. For nearly three months he watched the inverter, filmed the failures, and chased help from Paul, Tony, and the inverter manufacturer.
Mike Hill initially enjoyed a smooth sale and paid $60 for a large solar system and a new roof. Three years later he discovered the company had gone dark when service was needed: after the inverter failed, the crew who was supposed to fix it allegedly blocked his calls. He now faces a $1,500 PG&E charge, still lacks an installed replacement inverter, and expects to be about $5,000 out of pocket for repairs that should fall under the warranty. Frustrated by the unresponsiveness and the warranty gap, he plans to pursue legal action to recover the costs — the detail that stands out is being cut off from support at the exact moment the system needed service.
Mary S. had Energy Saving Pros return to her roof a little over seven years after they added an extra bank of panels. Last year she flagged an unexpectedly high PG&E true-up; ESP replaced a single panel but balked at checking the inverter from the original system, saying someone else in the office would need to handle it and they would follow up — they never did. Health setbacks kept her from pressing the issue, but almost two months ago she called again and was told a $99 service visit would be scheduled in two weeks. After silence she called three weeks later and was suddenly told the visit would be the next week and the fee had jumped to $225; when she pushed, ESP asked for a photo of the inverter and promised to check with the owner, then disappeared again. Frustrated, she hired Capitol City Solar; their tech arrived exactly two weeks after her call and discovered the original inverter wasn’t fully functioning because of a loose cable in a connection box — a fault that could only have happened when ESP installed the newer system. She paid more to get CCS out, but ended up with a repaired inverter and a clear sense that ESP failed at follow-through; the detail that lingers is a–
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 75
Clean Record
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 12 years
Operating longer than most installers in the market.
BBB Rating: B-
Mixed BBB standing. Some unresolved complaints.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
What You Can Expect
A few years ago Frank P. and his wife shopped for solar the way many homeowners do — by asking friends — and discovered multiple recommendations for Energy Saving Pros. Barry McGinnis, known locally as Barry the Solar Guy, showed up at their ranch-style home with a clear diagram of the planned array, and in a couple of short months the panels were installed and the household started reaping the savings. Barry stayed engaged through the whole process; even on busy days he consistently answered calls and texts to clear up questions. When a heavy rain later revealed a roof leak, they called Energy Saving Pros again and a knowledgeable, professional crew arrived and repaired the problem in a few hours. What lingered for him was the combination of a responsive salesperson who guided the install and a company that could both put up the system and patch a roof quickly — practical service that made the switch to solar straightforward.
Eric W. had solar panels with a SolarEdge system installed on his home four years ago and has enjoyed trouble-free operation ever since. He noticed strong customer service from the start — consistent follow-up and quick help whenever needed. When a recent Wi‑Fi connectivity problem interrupted his monitoring, he called Energy Pros and Tony responded the same day, diagnosed the issue, and restored the connection. Tony’s technical knowledge stood out as a real asset to the company. The detail that sticks with him: four years of reliable generation plus a same‑day fix for the monitoring system.
Aaron Mandelik had worked with the company for years, so when his home needed ducting work he called them first. He discovered SMUD was offering substantial rebates, and because ESP is SMUD-certified they secured $3,000 in savings for the job. Mike’s crew took care of the installation, and the change was dramatic — airflow and balance improved noticeably. The room farthest from the HVAC now gets as strong a flow as the vent right under the unit, which made the difference palpable for him.
Jon M. had a SolarEdge inverter fail twice on the four-year-old rooftop system. He felt frustrated by the equipment failures, but appreciated how quickly ESP ordered and installed replacements — the first swap carried out at no charge and the second with a reduced labor rate. He found the field crew easy to work with and valued the clear, timely updates from Tony and David, who coordinated the repairs and got the panels back online fast. The standout detail for him wasn’t that something went wrong, but how responsive and communicative the company was after the sale.
Michael had a solar system put on his home in 2016, and from the start Barry McGinnis guided the sale, answered questions and enrolled him in Placer County’s mPower program. Over the years the array delivered as promised—essentially worry-free—but when a couple of panels began underperforming and some mounts developed issues, the company returned and handled the repairs. Xavier, Israel and Tony from the roofing crew stepped in to fix the problems and paid close attention to the details. Barry remained Michael’s main point of contact, responding reliably and keeping the process smooth. What stands out is that the installer didn’t disappear after installation: they set him up with the right program, delivered steady performance, and backed it up with prompt, hands-on service years later.
Mike Hill initially enjoyed a smooth sale and paid $60 for a large solar system and a new roof. Three years later he discovered the company had gone dark when service was needed: after the inverter failed, the crew who was supposed to fix it allegedly blocked his calls. He now faces a $1,500 PG&E charge, still lacks an installed replacement inverter, and expects to be about $5,000 out of pocket for repairs that should fall under the warranty. Frustrated by the unresponsiveness and the warranty gap, he plans to pursue legal action to recover the costs — the detail that stands out is being cut off from support at the exact moment the system needed service.
Hannah shopped multiple bids and ended up choosing Esp’s 15-panel installation, walking away with more than $20,000 in savings compared with two other companies that wanted 42 panels on her roof. She had the system installed in June 2015 and hasn’t paid an electricity bill since. The standout detail from her experience: a much smaller array and a far lower price delivered the performance she needed — a cost gap and zero electric bills that made the decision clear.
Matthew Rigdon had used Engergy Savings Pros several years ago for solar on his first house and, after recently moving into a new home, went back to them for another installation. He found the team consistently friendly and easy to work with, stayed quick to respond at every step, and ended up with a bid that was significantly lower than other quotes he had received. The notable takeaway: repeat business came down to steady customer service combined with a price that undercut competitors.
Larry R. had solar panels installed on his home eight years ago and was very happy with the system for a long time. Recently one panel stopped working, and over the last two months he placed dozens of calls asking for a repair. Despite repeated contact, the company never sent a technician, leaving him frustrated and disappointed — still with an inoperable panel and no scheduled service.
Long-term Satisfaction
Long-term satisfaction for Energy Saving Pros drops to 3.8 ★ compared to early reviews. This decline is worse than 67% 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.