Swell Energy reviews
• last updated FEB 26, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
This company will waste your time and leave you stuck with a broken system. We analyzed over a hundred reviews and found a clear pattern: long delays, failed installations, and no accountability when things go wrong. One customer waited two years for a final inspection while their batteries sat offline, racking up unnecessary charges. Another spent 18 months in limbo after Swell incorrectly flagged their PG&E meter as noncompliant, then ignored PG&E's written assurance that the setup was fine. Reviews show repeated project-manager turnover with zero handoff, customers waiting 15 to 17 months past quoted timelines, and tickets auto-closed by a support system that doesn't return calls. When installers fried 70 percent of a customer's household electronics by applying 220v incorrectly, Swell went silent. The company's support site closes tickets on creation, their website lists no direct contact, and the only reliable way to get a response is posting a negative review online. Even then, any fixes are temporary. Early positive reviews praised communication and Tesla Powerwall performance, but those date from 2018 to 2022. Recent feedback shows the opposite: understaffing, coordination failures, and wrong rebate information that costs homeowners thousands.
If you're comparing solar installers, cross Swell off the list. The risk of multi-year delays, unresponsive support, and costly mistakes far outweighs any upfront savings or rebate help they promise.
Reviews That Shaped Our Verdict
Jim B. was dealing with problems on his home solar system when Ryan from Swell Energy apologized for the earlier lack of response and quickly arranged for a subcontractor tech to come out. The tech showed up and initially seemed to fix the problem; Ryan checked back in and Jim told him things were good for the moment. He watched the system run well for a few days, then the output began acting up again. He emailed Ryan to report the recurring issue and heard nothing for ten days. Fortunately the same tech has kept helping him troubleshoot, but this is the third time he’s run into slow or missing responses from Swell—once while waiting for the original installation and now twice while waiting for repairs. His experience: the only reliable way to get prompt attention has been to escalate the issue publicly on Yelp. If you’re considering them, be prepared to chase follow-ups and escalate publicly if you want a timely reply.
Bruce E. hired Swell for a home solar-plus-battery install, and two years later he still hasn't received a final inspection. He discovered repeated lost plan revisions and stepped into a tug-of-war between Swell and the installers, with communication breaking down throughout the project. During installation the crew energized the house with 220 volts and ended up frying roughly 70% of his equipment — anything that lacked a hard off switch failed. The batteries remain offline, and because the system never reached final approval he’s been pushed onto a sub‑optimal rate plan that’s actually costing him money. Every attempt to get help ran into dead ends: support tickets get closed as soon as they’re opened, phone calls aren’t returned, and he found no contact information on the company website. What lingers most is the combination of widespread electrical damage and an incomplete system two years on — a costly, unresolved mess rather than the finished energy solution he expected.
Robert N. qualified for PG&E’s SGIP battery backup program — a grant for homes with solar in Zone 2/3 fire areas that have had multiple outages and where someone needs 24/7 powered medical equipment. PG&E approved his home and pointed him to its list of authorized installers; he selected Swell Energy to install the backup battery. A Swell tech came out to photograph the site and scope the install, but weeks later Swell flagged the property as "In Violation," claiming the PG&E gas meter sat too close to the primary electrical panel and needed to be four feet away. PG&E had just inspected the setup, told him it met their requirements, and pointed him to the utility’s Green Book specifications. He handed those specs to his Swell project administrator, who promised to escalate them to the project team. After waiting 5–6 weeks with no progress, Swell told him the Green Book wouldn’t suffice — they needed a written letter from PG&E or they could move the meter for $2,500. PG&E’s tech rep offered to speak directly with Swell instead of issuing a letter; Robert offered to set up a conference call, but Swell declined to have him on the line and said they would talk to PG&E themselves. A.
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 62
Clean Record
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 10 years
Operating longer than most installers in the market.
BBB Rating
Not BBB rated.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
Contractor License
License information could not be confirmed.
What You Can Expect
Four years ago, Cindy embarked on a solar install for her 115‑year‑old house and wound up in a long, frustrating ordeal after the original company folded about a year and a half in. She discovered an inflated bill and that the two Tesla Powerwalls she had negotiated for never arrived; the salesman who had sold the system and who was a personal friend couldn’t fix it and she was left with nothing to power the home after sunset. After stewing over the loss, she got an unexpected call from Swell — someone had run into her original salesperson, learned about the missing batteries, and stepped in to try to right the wrong. A Swell rep handled reams of paperwork and introduced her to project coordinator Rina Alluin, who rebuilt the project from scratch and kept at it despite utility delays and a nine‑month backorder on the Powerwalls. Rina navigated slow responses from Edison, kept Cindy updated regularly, tolerated her rants and complaints, even learned the family cat’s name, and stayed relentlessly helpful and personable through the long wait. In the end, Swell secured approval, the two Tesla Powerwalls were installed, and Edison issued the Permission to Operate. Cindy walked away most
Brian L. hired Swell to handle a battery installation tied to the SGIP incentive — a process that stretched into the long haul but never felt abandoned. He found the team kept him updated on progress on a regular basis, even when there wasn’t much to report, and they warned up front that the SGIP timeline could be lengthy. The program did take one year and one day to complete, exactly as they predicted, and the local subcontractors Swell brought in performed an outstanding job on the actual installation. In the end he ended up with a finished system and the clear memory that steady communication plus skilled local crews made the extended wait much easier to live with.
Tracy C. waited 17 months for solar storage through the PGIP program, and what started as steady progress unraveled after a staffing change in April. She learned Swell had a Sept. 1 install penciled in, only for the company to return in mid‑October with new issues and a demand that she cover $3,100 to move forward — a cost she agreed to. Today Swell emailed to say that payment arrangement was no longer on the table. After a year and a half of delays, a shifted coordinator, a promised install date, a requested fee she accepted, and then a sudden reversal, she found the whole process confusing at best and untruthful at worst. Her concrete takeaway: enduring 17 months of waiting plus a reneged $3,100 agreement left her urging anyone with other options to go elsewhere.