The Solar Energy reviews

Zev N. hired Solar Energy Company and installer Chris Farley to put a large rooftop solar array and solar hot water system on his brand-new house — and the project turned into a months-long disaster. During installation Farley punched holes in the new roof; after the first rain the leak nearly ruined a piano. The roofing contractor repaired the roof and sought reimbursement from Chris and the company because the damage was clearly caused by the installation. A few months later the array produced very little power, so he kept calling Chris. Chris offered excuses — the panels were dirty — sent someone to wash them, and claimed he had inspected the array himself. Still, production didn’t improve. He hired an outside consultant (the array wasn’t visible from the ground) who called the installation “miserable”: electrical connections out of code and the entire array wired incorrectly. Chris grew almost impossible to reach. After repeated delays and evasions, Zev contacted the State Contractors Association; they forced arbitration after Chris refused voluntary arbitration. The contractors board investigator compiled a lengthy report with photographs documenting numerous violations. A

Mary F. hired Chris Farley to install a large solar system that cost more than $50,000 on her property. She watched the project run past its timetable and end up with roughly $15,000 in extra charges, but the real danger appeared months later: she discovered wrong-sized breakers and miswired J-box junctions that shorted, melted the box and created a clear fire hazard. For safety she shut the system down and spent 90 days listening to excuses while the company delayed repairs, during which she picked up over $1,000 in electric bills. Frustrated, she paid another solar firm $800 to fix the wiring; Chris promised reimbursement and never followed through. She filed a complaint with the California State Contractors Board; the board found him liable, but he used every grace period available so collecting the money dragged into mandatory arbitration, cost thousands more in time and expense, and took more than a year to resolve. Mary had used the company once before without problems, but this episode left her most struck by the melted junction box and the year-long fight to get paid back.

Paula B. hired the company to install both solar electric panels and a solar hot‑water system on her home about 15 years ago. The salesperson charmed her through the sale, but after she signed the contract he became impossible to work with and dealings with him turned into a nightmare. Years of unaddressed issues left her with no choice but to bring in a different company to do and to repair what the original installer refused to handle. The lasting takeaway: the installation remained, but she ended up paying another firm to finish and fix the work the salesperson wouldn’t follow through on.