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Renova Energy reviews
• updated MAR 3, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
Renova Energy is a gamble you may not want to take. We found plenty of praise for installation quality, but post-sale support is where this company falls apart. One customer reported panels going offline, no callback from Renova, and a week-long wait for service after paying them on time for three years. Another watched a cleaning crew show up at the wrong address, walk across his tile roof breaking pieces, then had the VP cancel his warranty when he asked for compensation. The company's CEO reportedly called a repeat customer (who had spent $60,000) a "dick" after the customer complained about billing errors and service delays. Across 116 reviews in our post-sale cluster, 93% were negative. Problems ranged from unresponsive service requests to roof damage left unresolved. If something breaks after installation, you're rolling the dice on whether anyone will pick up the phone. Installation crews earn consistent praise for workmanship and professionalism, but that's cold comfort if your system goes dark and no one calls you back.
If you want a solar company that will still answer your calls two years from now, keep looking. Renova's installation teams are solid, but their post-sale support is a documented weak spot.
3 Stories That Stood Out
Gary had already hired Renova twice — two separate installations and roughly $60,000 invested about a year earlier — when a battery problem prompted him to file a service request on 11/25/24. He waited nine days for the callback he had been promised the same day, heard nothing, and then emailed CEO Vincent Battaglia to follow up. After that message, he learned his account had been put into suspension and that Renova would not provide service to him. Service staff told him the company labeled him “rude” and said he had threatened a BBB complaint over a series of accounting errors — billing mistakes, lien release problems, and an incorrect installation address — issues he says he had raised earlier. That explanation came as a surprise. Gary had seen the CEO on TV expressing concern for customers affected by the SunPower bankruptcy and layoffs, so he told Battaglia the public persona didn’t match his treatment. In response, the CEO wrote a dismissive message and later emailed back, calling him “You’re a dick,” and addressing him as “MD.” Gary is a retired physician with a valid Arizona medical license. He declined further interaction, opted to use another company, and flagged that the
Dennis Deeds had Renova install solar on his tile-roofed home two years ago and, at first, he and his wife were pleased with the price and service — enough that they recommended Renova to friends. In January, he heard noise on the roof and discovered a cleaning crew walking across his tiles to reach the panels, which sit on a flat, untiled section; he had not requested a cleaning. The crew had come to the wrong address, walked up the south side and down the north side of the tiled roof, and left broken and cracked tile behind. Dennis had previously asked that cleaners knock and be let in through the side gate so nobody would walk on tile, so this was unexpected. He asked the crew to check with the office; they said they would. He then spoke with a woman identified as their boss, Jonquil, who promised to investigate and call back — she never did, despite Dennis calling her multiple times over the next two months. When she finally returned to him, she said she would check with a manager about compensation; that call never materialized either. After more follow-ups she offered $200 or a stack of tile, but when Dennis requested to speak with VP Scott Perez, Scott withdrew the offer,,b|
Craig discovered his three-year-old paid-for system had gone dark only when he checked the company app and saw it’d been off for more than two days. He reached out to Renova first and learned they would troubleshoot with SunPower and call him back — a call that never came. Frustrated, he contacted SunPower directly; the technician walked him through a basic power-cycle and then reported they would open a service file only if the problem persisted “after next Tuesday,” citing a 48 hour rule. When he pointed out the system had already been down 48 hours, they pushed the clock to start from when he contacted them rather than when the outage began. Had he not been monitoring the app himself, the outage could have continued unnoticed for much longer. Craig also found the promised response time puzzling: he was told it could be almost a week before a tech would visit, even though the company hadn’t required that delay when they recruited him to sign up. That contrast stung because his earlier interactions — mostly with the previous owner — had been fast and personal; that person used to return calls immediately. This experience felt distant and bureaucratic by comparison. He ended up
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 79
No Red Flags
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 20 years
Among the longest-standing 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
Three years after Esu had Arnold Hernandez install panels and a battery on their primary home, they turned to him again to outfit a second property in Desert Hot Springs (DHS) with both panels and storage. They picked Arnold because the first project had been seamless — he stayed readily available to answer questions and pushed the process forward when needed. Renova’s customer service continued to stand out during the second installation, and having a local company in the Coachella Valley that understood their needs weighed heavily in the decision. On site, the install crew worked professionally and even handled a necessary electrical panel upgrade on the DHS house for a very reasonable price. The end result was a smooth second install where Arnold’s responsiveness and the crew’s willingness to take care of the panel upgrade were the memorable details that mattered most.
Kathy D. first had Renova install solar panels in 2021 and came back to them in 2025 to add a Battery Wall after she got an EV. She leaned on Arnold Hernandez for the battery project; he stayed professional, helpful and patient, always reachable, quick to return missed calls, and consistent about keeping her informed of the installation schedule. The installers on site answered her questions, and Arnold guided her through the NEM process with steady patience so the new battery fit smoothly into her system. She ended up very happy with the setup and plans to contact Renova again if future needs arise — what she remembers most is Arnold’s clear, hands-on support through the whole process.
Michael H. had Renova install solar panels on his home in 2022 and recently added two Tesla Powerwall 3 battery units. He found the relationship consistently professional—every employee he encountered left a positive impression—but what stood out was the company’s point person, Shawna Randell. Shawna handled every aspect of each job, communicating clearly, remaining polite and professional, and stepping in readily to resolve issues. She routinely went the extra mile to make sure things were completed to his satisfaction. What Michael will remember most is Shawna’s steady follow-through and willingness to do more than expected on every job.
Joey R. had Renova install a solar system on his home in 2022 and was happy with the workmanship at the time. A recent panel failure changed the picture: he discovered Renova charges a $450 trip fee just to have a technician drive out and perform basic troubleshooting — and that price doesn’t include any repairs or replacement parts. What started as a solid installation turned into frustration when routine service carried that steep diagnostic charge; his clearest takeaway is that the $450 call-out fee for basic troubleshooting, years after installation, is the detail prospective buyers should watch for.
Lisa bought a Renova solar system in 2023; the roof installation itself went smoothly and she was very pleased at the start. Over the following months she encountered steadily worse after‑sales support: customer service declined, Renova stopped honoring the warranty she had been promised, and the company began charging high diagnostic fees only to either be unable or unwilling to fix the issues. Frustrated, she moved all service to Enphase. Enphase, based in Fremont, California, agreed to diagnose and repair the problems and stepped in to support Renova equipment — honoring warranty coverage that Renova no longer enforced. The clear takeaway: the installation was fine, but long‑term service and warranty follow‑through mattered more to her, so she ended up relying on Enphase in Fremont to handle diagnostics, repairs, and warranty support.
Janet already had a 36-panel solar array on her home that Renova installed two years earlier; this time the company returned to add two Franklin WH batteries to complete the setup. She watched a local crew work with clear professionalism—projects finished on time, built to the stated specifications, and handled with care so the installers could work around the household. The install felt precise rather than hurried, and the pair of batteries now give her and her wife real energy independence and security. Janet first met Vince Battaglia 16 years ago when he was launching the business, and that long relationship threaded through the experience—Renova’s team delivered the technical upgrade without drama. What sticks is the combination of local, attentive service and a finished system that finally provides the backup and autonomy they wanted heading into 2025.
Ron came back to Renova for a third installation, and again the company earned his loyalty. He ended up with a clean, fast, professional install and panels he found genuinely attractive. He estimates the system will pay for itself in about three to seven years, depending on a variety of factors — a payback timeline that, for him, makes the purchase stand out as a very strong investment.
Christopher had a Renova system for several years and recently expanded it with 12 additional panels plus a Franklin battery. What stood out most was the hands-on management: the construction manager was on site the first day and returned on the final day to train him on the Franklin battery app, so the battery felt fully integrated before the crew left. The lead technician prioritized his satisfaction throughout the install, while the lead roofing manager moved quickly and efficiently. Renova’s support team kept him informed at every step, including the city inspection and final approval. The upgraded system is working well, and he’s already referred two customers in the past and plans to keep recommending the company.
Elite O. picked Renova Energy in 2018 after months of research for a rooftop solar lease on their home and enjoyed about five years of solid production. Over the last two to three years the system began to falter: the end-of-year settlement jumped from $2,000 in 2023 to $3,700 in 2024, and they now find themselves nearly $1,300 behind. In June 2025 the array produced nothing for the entire month. Getting anyone to look took almost four months because Renova and the lease owner, Sun Strong, kept passing responsibility back and forth. Renova refused to dispatch work without Sun Strong’s approval and warned any visit would be billed if Sun Strong didn’t sign off; Sun Strong in turn directed them back to Renova. The practical result was long outages, escalating year-end charges, and a customer stuck between two companies instead of with a functioning system. The detail that sticks: the panels went dark for a full month while both companies traded responsibility, leaving the homeowner with bigger bills and no clear path to a timely repair.
Long-term Satisfaction
Long-term satisfaction for Renova Energy drops to 3.8 ★ compared to early reviews. This decline is worse than 68% 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.