Independent Solar Electric reviews

Diane completed a major off-grid new home build in the Tahoe National Forest and relied on Aaron Schroeder of Independent Solar Electric for the entire two-year effort. She watched him design the solar system, help shape the building plans, and stage installations through multiple phases, tweaking the setup as the project evolved. He and his team of electricians handled the home’s full electrical work, and she appreciated his combination of deep knowledge, responsibility and a genuinely helpful approach rather than a hard sell. At the final inspection Aaron arrived as the only contractor on site, a small but telling detail about his hands-on commitment. Their off-grid project — and Aaron’s role in it — even appeared in a New York Times piece on Californians choosing to live off grid (February 2022). The lasting image: a single dedicated contractor guiding a remote, complex build from design through inspection.

Mark Moreno had an off-grid system sitting out in the middle of the Sierra Nevada foothills when the inverter failed. Before anyone drove out into that remote terrain, the crew coached him through troubleshooting ideas to try first so he wouldn’t pay for an unnecessary service call. When they did come out, they diagnosed the problem and replaced the failed inverter, then followed up with a complete system health report that covered the whole installation—well beyond what he expected. He walked away impressed: the team felt down-to-earth, highly capable, and genuinely focused on saving him time and money. The detail that stuck with him was the up-front cost-avoidance help combined with the thorough post-service health report.

Wayne shopped the local market, collected four quotes for a large residential system, and discovered Aaron was head and shoulders above every other provider. He found Aaron answered technical questions quickly and with custom solutions—so much so that the clarity and responsiveness felt almost ChatGPT-like—and Aaron built the system Wayne actually needed instead of pushing a one-size-fits-all option. Aaron also landed on a very competitive price. No question was too small; he welcomed deep dives into system design and seemed to enjoy troubleshooting specifics. Because Wayne and his family planned to be out of the country during the install, Aaron kept them regularly updated on progress and finished the job on schedule. The installation itself balanced scale and neatness: 41 arrays sit on a roof with a favorable angle and tidy work, so the panels are hardly noticeable, and Aaron added a Kohler gas generator as part of the build. After commissioning, the household reached about 95% off-grid—Wayne’s target—and simple adjustments to family routines made that outcome practical. Post-install service stayed consistent: Aaron remained super responsive by text and phone. The detail that,

Gordon Gregory hired the company for electrical and solar work and ended up very satisfied with the equipment and the crew’s professional workmanship. He recommends them for everything from installations to repairs because the job looked solid and well executed. What stayed with him most was the combination of reliable product quality and consistently professional workmanship.

Phil A worked with Arron and his crew to put a rooftop solar system on his home. He found the team centered on service and innovation: they took a methodical, very thorough approach at every step and he ended up with an excellent system. The detail that stuck with him was their combination of hands-on service and forward-thinking problem solving — a polished installation with no loose ends.

Sandie started the search with a clear brief: a ground-mounted solar array for their Grass Valley home, built to keep the lights on during outages and not to sell excess power back to PG&E. Every sales rep they spoke with kept defaulting to roof-mounted systems oversized to export power — until Independent Solar Electric showed up. Aaron visited the site, absorbed their requirements, and returned with a plan that matched those constraints instead of trying to upsell them into the typical grid-export setup. He jumped at the homeowners’ idea to try dual-tracking ground arrays and sketched practical fixes to handle the extra panel weight and to eliminate a separate battery dedicated only to controllers. The result was a tidy, resilient layout: dual-tracking ground-mounted panels, one battery and a single inverter, all wired and sized so the system can be expanded later. Installation ran on schedule, the crew explained each component, solicited input on aesthetics, and left the site clean — communication stayed steady throughout. The system is performing well, Aaron has stayed responsive to follow-up questions, and the homeowners appreciate that the design solved their outage and “

Sam needed an off-grid solar system for his house, and two companies who came to quote the job backed away when the install turned out to be unusually complex. An employee from one of those firms pointed him to Aaron, and even a competing installer recommended Aaron as the best person for the work. Aaron arrived on time, sat down with him to design the optimal configuration for the property, handled the county permits, and agreed that Sam could do the trenching and other dirt work himself to keep costs down. Since the install, Aaron has reached out each year to run a complimentary system check. He would have given six stars if he could — the willingness to tackle a tricky off-grid job and the ongoing, free annual checkups are what stuck with him.

Mike P discovered an electrical fault had fried his home's inverter, leaving the solar system dead and the generator unable to supply power. He called the company; Will answered and arrived immediately, rewiring the electrical setup so the generator could charge the system until a replacement motherboard came in. That temporary fix kept his disabled daughter's power wheelchair charged—without it she would have had no way to get around. He found the response fast, the repair efficient, and the emergency price competitive. What stood out was the technician's quick improvisation that preserved his daughter's mobility while they waited for the part.

Beth worked with Aaron and his crew when she bought a solar system and found them consistently attentive and professional. She discovered their service didn’t stop at signing: after the purchase they stayed reachable, answering questions and helping troubleshoot small issues as they came up. The clearest distinction of her experience was that Aaron remained a direct point of contact for post‑install support, so follow‑up was fast and personal. For anyone choosing an installer, the practical takeaway Beth highlights is having a responsive person to call once the panels are up.