I would not recommend this company. See above.
Description of Work: Bid for solar panels for our home. I hate to write a poor review, but if we do not relay our negative experiences, then we defeat the purpose of Angie's list. We did not use this company because of the lack of information we received from them; their inflexibility in contractual provisions; misinformation they provided; their rudeness and they had a higher cost and inferior product to the competition. The only reason I did not give this company an F is because the salesperson was a very nice guy and when I asked him to return our deposit, he did so promptly. He also apologized for his boss' rudeness. We had been thinking of "going solar" for quite some time. I broke my normal rule of obtaining at least 3 bids and went directly to REC Solar because of their reviews. I also broke my normal rule of being very prepared prior to a major purchase ($40,000 before rebates/credits). It took me a while to get through to someone at the company who then told me a salesman would call me. Once a salesman was assigned to me the communication was good. The salesman accommodated my husband's schedule and met with us promptly on a Saturday morning. He had four different quotes depending on how many panels we were to purchase. The proposals included computations and colored charts that were easy to comprehend. He explained how the "rebate" from Costco works. Each quote included either REC or Sanyo panels with TIGO maximizer system to increase efficiency. We were told we needed this because we were told the best area for our panels was shaded part of the day by our palm trees. We were told that the ideal place on our roof for the panels is where our current pool solar heating system is and we would have to hire someone else to move it since they don't do this type of work. When I asked the salesman to explain the SDG&E bill, he could not and told me to call SDG& E on Monday. When I asked what "tier 5" meant on his quotes he said they didn't apply to us (then why were they there?). I asked a couple of other questions and was told "I don't make these print outs--I just input your information into the computer and this is the result." In retrospect I realize that we were not given indepth information and we were not knowledgeable enough in this area to know what questions to ask. The salesperson did not tell us about net metering; he did not explain that if there is a power outage our system cannot send electricity to SDG&E, he did not explain that if we generate more electricity than we use that SDG&E never "buys" the electricity from residents--one can only receive a credit off a future bill; he did not explain that solar panels work via light (not heat, like pool solar). He look at our fuse boxes and said the outside box was full, but he could use the subpanel inside the garage and would "line side tap it" (I hope this is the proper terminology) from one of our fuse boxes for their power--I was later told by other companies that this was not "established or recommended practice," that the solar system needs its your own circuit breaker. Our meeting was cordial and the salesman was a nice guy. We agreed on a 32 panel system. He said he needed a $1,000 check, which we provided, and that the next meeting would be at Costco to buy the panels and inverter and final payment would be due on installation. He did not mention a 31 page contract. In fact, he didn't mention a contract at all. On Monday he called and said he wanted to email a contract and pick it up in person in an hour. I printed it and was shocked to see it was 31 pages (including exhibits). When the salesman arrived, I told him the contract contained a AAA arbitration clause that I would not agree to (for reasons I won't go into here). I crossed it out, initialed it and the salesman said that was fine. I also asked that REC add that they would use their best efforts to complete the project before year end (so we could obtain our federal tax credit on our 2010 tax returns). The salesman said fine and I added the clause and initialed it. Shortly thereafter, I received a telephone call from a supervisor. He said REC could not change the contract. I explained why we never sign AAA arbitration clauses and suggested a mediation clause such as a "rent-a-judge" provision instead, in order to reach a common ground. I said we needed some assurances they would use their best efforts to finish by year end. For about 20 minutes I received a diatribe from the supervisor of how REC solar has installed hundreds of systems and has never had a legal issue with any of them; how REC has a set contract approved by legal counsel and no provisions can be changed for just one consumer; that a printed contract that has been changed in ink is not legal (this is incorrect); that no reputable solar company has a contract without an AAA arbitration clause (this is incorrect); that the IRS only requires the system be "placed into service" by December 31 which means that it only needs to be completed and working but doesn't have to be connected to SDG&E and no city inspection sign off is needed (this is not tax advice that I would rely on!). I said if REC has never had a legal issue, then they should have no problem replacing the arbitration clause with a "rent-a-judge" provision. I was told this was impossible. I told the supervisor this was a "deal-breaker" on our part. In this conversation, the supervisor was demeaning, overbearing and disrespectful. I asked if the company had legal counsel. He said yes, they have an in-house lawyer. I asked if I could speak to him and said curtly, "I can't even speak to him!" That is when I said "Thank you very much" and ended the call. Little did I know this was all a blessing in disguise for us. I immediately checked Angie's list and called another solar company that is very highly rated. They said their contract is one page, contains no arbitration clause, they would be happy to include a clause that they would use their best efforts to complete the system by year end. We agreed to meet 48 hours later. Meanwhile the supervisor form REC left a voice mail (within 10 minutes of my ending our call), saying he was able to obtain approval to replace the arbitration clause with a "rent-a-judge" provision and when could we move forward. I immediately educated myself by spending about 8 hours on the internet learning about solar systems and talking to other companies. I learned a lot, including: a) what "efficient" means, b) if you purchase efficient solar panels, you don't need TIGO, c) there are fine solar companies that will also move your solar pool equipment d) proposals should set forth the cost of the system per anticipated kilowatt to be generated to make comparisons easier e) there are fine solar companies willing to think "outside the box" in designing where your panels and pool solar equipment will be placed--the panels do not have to be contiguous and if roof vents are in the way, you might be able to replace them with flat vents at very little cost f) there are companies who will accept your assignment of the state rebate as a service to the consumer so you are not out of pocket for this amount g) SunPower panels are the most efficient and most widely used panels for a good reason h) the fact that a company has a relationship with Costco is relatively meaningless to the consumer (except for a Costco and Amex rebate)--you have no recourse against Costco and the company pays for the privilege of having this relationship or having a kiosk at Costco i) several solar companies have recently gone bankrupt or are in financial trouble, so be careful! We received proposals from four different companies. One was definitely the "A Team" -- far and away better than the other companies we talked to. We signed a contract with this company, for a system that has more efficient equipment, is very well designed for our roof, and costs several thousand dollars less that the REC proposal. I will give a full report on that company on Angie's list under their name once the work has been completed.