SolarCity

My timeline: January 8 - First Proposal January 21 - All parties completed Documentation January 21 - Inital $500 payment January 21 - Site survey scheduled - this is done online by me at a date I looked for January 27 - Site Survey January 27 - Received Documents for signing with Notary January 31 - Proposed System January 31 - Questioned the system design February 2 - Finally received response that someone will get back to me February 2 - I signed the proposal as I was told any changes could set back the project February 12 - System installation scheduled, my choice to delay 2 days enabling a Saturday install February 14 - Invoice for 50% of balance February 16 - Payment February 17 - System installation. Made changes to design during installation. February 21 - Re-design approval February 22 - Notice on Inspection February 26 - City Inspection (I was not advised to be home for electrical box inspection) March 1 - Had to be home for re-inspection inside March 2 - I check to see if inspection results was send to Electric Company March 2 - Invoice for final payment March 7 - No response yet from scheduler, I resend request on results to Electric Company March 3 - I questioned need for final payment, system is not functioning yet March 7 - Reminder on payment, no response on my request on why payment March 7 - Final payment March 12 - I check with Electric Company, was advised something is missing. A placard is needed and SolarCity did not know. March 14 - Last update from Sales, he went dark for 3 days. His title - Sr. Sales Support Specialist. I am not getting a timeline. March 15 - I shared my gate code with Ops team. March 17 - Was told that they have other scheduled work too. March 19 - No response yet.... System has been installed more than a month, with delays in scheduling inspection and submitting accurate documentation. Once accurate documentation is send to Electric Company, they have 9 -10 weeks according to SolarCity. I will update as I get further input. My suggestion, ensure Solar City is ready to support your County / City / Electric Company.

Called SolarShity to ask for there no obligation quote and information. A sales rep spent several hours on the phone with me asking for, and I provided information regarding my electric bills and energy usage. Then he informed me that the number of panels installed on my roof will probably change after the site team comes out and does a site survey and I agreed (not sure why I needed to talk to him). The sales rep than asked me to sign a contract electronically. I told him I wanted all of the information before I signed anything. I was told that the contract didn't obligate me to anything... SO WHY DO I HAVE TO SIGN A CONTRACT???? Although they state that they will give me a free, no obligation quote; they will NOT unless I sign a contract... BUT THEY WILL WASTE YOUR TIME. I told the sales rep from California that I would not sign anything until the quote has been completed and my wife and I agree on the terms. We weren't sure whether we wanted to buy the system out right or get a solar lease. The sales rep told me that this was just the process. So I told him that I am very sorry we can not do business and that unless you can give me a quote without any signatures on anything, I would have to go and would prefer not to her from anyone about a contract or any of Solarshity's policies. I told him to have a good day and we hung up mutually. Then his Regional, Supervisor of the regional and Vice President of some such crap called me and left a message that this was the policy and that I would have to sign the contract to proceed. I left a message for him stating that it was my policy not to sign anything that did not benefit me in some way or protect them in a reasonable way and that he could only call me back if I could get a quote without obligation (Isn't signing a contract an obligation?). I then got a call from the sales rep pleading with me to sign the contract so we could move forward. I told him that this was done. That I wanted all of the information given to him destroyed and that I wanted to be put on their do not contact list... So I then go back to my computer and I have two emails from the rep. The following is the email content on the last email... Christopher, I am sorry to hear you have lost interest in going solar with us. At this juncture, I would like to ask why you decided not to move forward. Was it me? Was it the company? Was it the product? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Best Regards, Adam Igwe THE PROBLEM IS YOU, THE COMPANY, AND HOW WOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE PRODUCT? I NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO TRY IT!!! APARTENTLY, FREE NO OBLIGATION MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DEFERENT PEOPLE!!! CONTRACT IS THE OPPOSITE OF FEE AND NO OBLIGATION!!!! MORON!!! SOLARSHITY... PLEASE LOSE MY EMAIL ADDRESS, ALL OF THE INFORMATION I GAVE YOU AND PUT ME ON YOUR DO NOT CALL LIST FOR REAL THIS TIME!!!! OH... and feel free to check out my new home solar system (on satellite images) in a few months, once I have signed an agreement with another company and after the site survey and agreed contract! LOSERS!!!!! 9/9/2015 - This evening while my son was taking a nap, I received another call from the idiot manager/supervisor named, Christopher Shermen, his cell phone number is (907) 978-0299. He didn't leave a message but continues to call. Finally he starts texting me and harassing me. I tell him to F*** Off and he continued to text me with cute little smiley faces and ridiculous comments... DUDE TAKE YOUR MEDS!!! He would not stop, so I called him and had to threaten him with police action... YES THIS IS A TRUE STORY (Anyone who doesn't believe, I keep all messages and correspondence)... can you believe some people?... LET IT GO! and stop calling me! The number I originally called was (877)373-7652. BTW... Waking my son isn't the worst of it... My son has multiple disabilities and is self abusive... so when this j****** continued to call/text and wake him up... My son hit himself to the point of bleeding... THANK YOU SOLARCITY!!!!

We were pleased with their performance. It has been saving us money on our electric bill since then. It was a big installation for them but they came and did an excellent job on it. There were a few issues that came up but they dealt with them effectively and to our satisfaction. I thought that they gave us a good price for the work. They were very responsive. They came out when they said they would. It was a comparatively large install, 30 panels, and they just got them up there very well and punctually. They were very professional. I really like their work.

Solar City refused to install panels on an admittedly old roof. So they worked with us to find a roofing contractor to install new roofing shingles. In researching the first roofing company they provided for us; we found that another customer of this contractor had had a lien placed on their home due to the contractor not paying their supplier. We opted for the other roofing contractor and everything was done quickly and efficiently, except that the contractor never followed up to see if all was well, (roof wasn't leaking, etc.), as per the licensing boards' regulations. (I forget what the licensing board is called.) All in all, the roof seems fine with no leakage. The S.C. panel installation crew came and finished the panel and inverter installation within, I believe, three days. Upon inspection by SDG & E, it was found that the inverter had been placed too closely to SDG & E's meter and would have to be moved. NOT HAPPY. This meant more tramping around on our new shingles, wearing them, as well as re-routing the wiring conduit with new nail holes in the roof as well as new holes drilled into the stucco on the side of the house where the inverter had to be reinstalled. The transition from SDG& E power supply to solar and the acquisition of permits and financial arrangements for our leased system were handled by Solar City, flawlessly. They were kind enough to warn us that we should pay excess charges to SDG & E to avoid a large bill at the end of the year when the system "trued up" should our usage exceed the solar panels production. BEWARE No notice nor advice was given about the fact that Solar City would also "true up" production at the end of the year and that you might be responsible for a large fee owed to them for over production. They, as the professionals and experts in this field, work out what amount of electricity is used per year, and install the appropriate amount of panels to provide the customer. Yes, it is obliquely written in the contract that you will pay them for over production which of course, you read when you received notice that you owe S.C. money because the system over produced. Yes, Solar City did, in good faith, waive the first year's over production fee, but two years of over production fees indicates a problem that needs to be remedied. At this time, there has been no response to a letter mailed to them two weeks ago asking them to correct the problem and bring the system back to the estimated production upon which our monthly bill is based. They have very poor customer service once you've signed the contract and the only recourse is through arbitration, which does nothing to aid the customer. DO NOT LEASE POWER FROM SOLAR CITY !! We feel that they have been disingenuous and we were conned. If you must lease, be sure to ask the company if they "true up" at the end of the year and if you will have to pay for the over production of the solar panels. Ask if they will unplug a panel to bring production down at no extra charge. Several solar providers we have since consulted with indicated that a panel can simply be un plugged and a small adjustment made in the system. One company said that they can remove a panel entirely, but at a charge. We hope that Solar City will fix their problem and bring our production fee back to the original contracted amount per month. Time will tell.

Excellent as far as SolarCity goes. Delmarva is another story. Delmarva is still dragging their feet on the switch over and the installation of a two-way electricity meter.Waiting over two months so far.

It's a great company. They were just wonderful, were on time. It has a twenty year guarantee.

Solar City came to our door and we were already thinking about solar. After much discussion with my husband on the porch we agreed to let them come and give us an estimate on the second visit. They had my husband sign something on an ipad on the porch. They told him it was just for the estimate approval. They lied as we received a contract on email that said we were signing up and the contract had my name on it but my husbands signature. Was so mad and when I called about it they appologized and told me that those people were FIRED that did that and also they didn't do business that way. At that point I agreed to let them come out and measure for a true estimate because the estimate they gave me was a bigger system than the other solar system companies were telling us they could put on our roof. Roof very cut up and would need to go on several areas. Back has thermal panels already for pool. Someone came out and was on the roof and heard drilling. I called the attention to the gentleman on the roof and asked what he was doing to my roof? He stated had to drill holes in the roof to tie himself in so he could measure. I asked why I was not told of this going to happen? He stated "the office should have told me". He already drilled one hole and was working on two more. I asked why they would do this when no other companies do and he stated "someone fell off the roof the prior year and died" so now they tie themselves in. We would not have let them come out if we knew this was going to happen. They only cover the holes for 1 year that they put in your roof so then when it leaks the following year you would have to pay. I had the gentleman leave and not do the measurements and when contacted the office about why was not told. They stated this "The guy in the office I spoke to originally that scheduled it was FIRED and no longer working for them". This company lies and FIRED lots of people. LOL Would never advise using them for solar. Buyers beware!!!!

Very, very impressive! Solar City covered the cost of installations, permits, and required modifications (our town inspector required installation of an earthquake shut-off valve on the gas line). They also took out a $2 million insurance policy on our roof before work began. Solar City owns the panels and sells power to us. They maintain the system. We entered a 20-year power purchasing agreement. The cost of power increases 3% per year, which should work out to less than PGand E increases rates over the same period. The installation was outstanding! Solar City doesn't use subcontractors like other utilities and service providers. Everyone who worked on the job was a Solar City employee! That meant a lot to me because I care about doing business with companies that treat their employees well and generate good paying jobs. When I call with a question, I don't get a call center in India or the Philippines; I get a real Solar City employee who knows what they are talking about. The install exceeded my expectation in every way! Since I live in a one-level house, there is no conduit on the exterior of my home. The conduit runs through the top of my garage into the attic and through the roof. The foreman said it was more work for them but he wanted it to be as clean as possible. Believe me it is! SC even gave me a home owner association kit to help expedite approval from the architecture committee. Because of my roof design and trees in my front yard, the panels are not visible from the street. Only one neighbor can see them, so I didn't bother dealing with the association at all. It's been about 3 weeks since we flipped the switch. Most days, we send more power to the grid than we actually get from the grid. We will see how things play out with the short days of winter coming. Either way, I pay Solar City the same price as set forth in the Power purchase agreement. The unknown is how much power I will purchase from PGand E if any. It feels great knowing our home is now part of America's clean energy solution and I don't need to worry about ever-skyrocketing rates from PGand E. What if we move, you ask? Three options: a) For $1000 fee, the system goes with me to our new home; b) the home buyer takes over my PPA (which becomes more attractive cost wise with time); or c) The home buyer pays for the balance of the PPA in the real estate transaction. Any of the three options will be fine with me!

We just had a successful city inspection of our new roof solar installation. The entire installation went very smooth. As soon as the workers arrived, the lead installer (Anthony) gave me a thorough orientation of the entire process, and answered all questions I had about options I had for placement of the inverters and conduit runs. All employees were extremely courteous and were careful of our property. Our SolarCity Consultant, Michelle Casarotte (mcasarotte@solarcity.com), had good follow-up throughout the contract and installation process. Her recommendations on the system design and type of contract plan were excellent. Anytime we had any questions or concerns, she immediately provided us with the answers. Since we wanted the appearance of the solar system to look as uncluttered and tidy as possible, she made sure the final design incorporated a pleasing module arrangement and that all conduit would be almost entirely hidden from casual view. Michelle was very reliable and accessible throughout the entire process, even in contacting the work schedulers to confirm all installation times for us. She was our central point-of-contact at SolarCity, providing us the confidence that the project would be completed as promised. We signed up for the Power Purchase Agreement, which has zero installation costs, and are expecting approximately a $90 monthly reduction in our electric bill.

A crew of six arrived to complete installation. All were friendly, helpful, expert and efficient.

SolarCity has met or exceeded all of my expectations. We first had them install a solar electric system with solar production and household consumption monitoring, and they threw in a new 200 Amp electric service panel at almost no cost. Next, we had them install solar hot water, a new high-efficiency water heater, upgrade the efficiency of the envelope of the house, and install a 240V fast charging station for our electric vehicle. We are currently on their calendar for a battery backup system for our house. In EVERY instance of dealing with SolarCity, we've had great experiences. They always do what they say they're doing to do, at the cost we agreed to. To me, this means their sales people are well-trained to understand what they're quoting, and they don't play any up charge or bait-n-switch games to give you a and quot;gotchaand quot; punch in the gut. I love these guys.

They tried to sell us services/products we already had. Their plan did not include services/products we requested.

I scheduled a site evaluation for 11/23/13 @ 10:00 AM. Up front I told them I was interested in purchasing (not leasing). I did not receive any reminders or cancelation notifications. I was here at the appointment time and waited till 11:15 AM. Still no show and no calls. I suspect they are only interested in the lease option because it brings in more revenue in the long run. To accomplish this they try to maximize the size of the system (more system than I need or want)

Everything looked good except for the finances. The pricing was presented without any basis. When I questioned it, suddenly the price was reduced by 1/3, still without any basis. I was left feeling that I had no idea whether the price was fair--in fact, suspecting that an even better price might be available. The savings from solar were not as high as I expected. I never received a good explanation of the financial side of the deal.

We had them install the panels at a reduced rate and with a 20 year warranty. The process was a bit cumbersome as they are located in California, but we are getting a great benefit with the energy savings. Oregon state offers an energy efficiency tax credit for three years with the solar panels.

I was quoted one price for a lease, then a lower price (sometime after over the phone). When the bill came, I got three surprises. One, they did not give me the lower price (phone quote). I should have insisted to get it in writing or even an email, my mistake. It was lower than the first quote, but not as low as the second quote. So it felt like a ?bait and switch? was done to me. Perhaps it was not intentional, but it does not feel right. Two, there is a $15.000 fee if you make your monthly lease payment by check. I don?t recall that I was ever told about this. To get around this, you have to agree to a direct withdraw from your account. This is news to me, I have never had to pay someone $15.00 just to use a check. The SolarCity costumer representative that I spoke to was nice and professional, but she just keep referring to the invoice and the contract. They are willing to give me a two month grace period for setting up the withdrawal. Three, the bill was not itemized. I had to call and ask what I was paying for. With some companies their word is there bond, watch yourself with this guys and get it in writing. That being said, the quality of the work and materials is first rate, no complaints about that.

They were on time and very professional. It took them about 4 hours to put in the line. The quality of there work was excellent.

I really wanted solar panels, but the price has always been prohibitive. SolarCity has a lease option, and they now service Veneta. First I checked with my power company (EPUD) to see if they work together. They do, so I contacted them from their website. A man from SolarCity got back to me immediately by phone, and while we talked, he looked up my home on GoogleMaps to see if my roof had enough southern exposure. He sent me emails as we talked so I could see what he talked about. Later they sent a couple of men for a site assessment, drew up a complete a plan and emailed me a copy. They have applied for the necessary permits and filed an application with EPUD. It cost me absolutely nothing. They DO get paid - I assigned them my tax incentives and agreed to buy electricity from them for 20 years at a cost a bit lower than EPUD charges. I love the service, and for me, it's important to participate in any program available that utilizes renewable energy. This is NOT off-grid device; it's completely tied in to the grid, and I like that because I have a commitment to community.

Overall, this company is great! I decided to forego the lease program for solar panels for another year. However, I will be contacting this company again in about a year when I'm ready to proceed!

They are a national company but I found them on Angie's List. Their selection is great and they are one of the best companies out there. They have a very detailed offering and it is very easy to use and understand. They are very knowledgeable and if you want solar panels I would say to go to SolarCity. They are definitely expensive but you get what you pay for.

It cost me $0 upfront. They came out and did engineering. They engineered my house and agreed on a lease agreement. It was an attractive program where I would be able to mitigate my power at no upfront cost. I could mitigate my power bills. They installed it and even upgraded my circuit panels to accommodate the solar panel at no cost. It cost me the rebate that I got back from the power company; SolarCity got it instead of me getting it. I got a rebate from the power company for installing solar panels to be energy efficient. It was $1300 and SolarCity got that because they still maintain ownership of the panels. Basically at no money upfront, they received the rebate money. They gave me full instructions. They brought out a tech after they installed. They brought out a tech who showed me how to patch my computer modem up to the solar panels where I can monitor it. I can monitor my power usage, and what I sell back to the power company 24/7; it's web-based and it keeps me in constant communication. The installers were top notch. They left no trace when they were done. They were very clean and very professional in all aspects. They even came out at one point when they replaced my circuit panel and had to upgrade me to a bigger panel box. Their electricians came out when promised, and they replaced the panel. The electricians did a full tie in. They even went so far as to put my stucco back to its original condition where there was zero trace. I didn't even know they were there. They were very good in all respects. I would recommend them highly. As a matter of fact, two of my friends have already signed on. They offer incentive bonuses and I have already made over $1000 on referral. If I refer a friend or family, they sign up and get SolarCity signed on; upon completion of all the documentation, I get $500 paid to me directly and I have already got that twice. They even have a promise to where if they don't produce the amount of electricity that they promise us, then they will rebate us back the difference. During December, when we had a bunch of clouds, I already got back a $73 check because the panels didn't produce the same amount of electricity as they promised for that month. They have been holding up their agreements pretty hard. The majority of my power bill is mostly gas now. In my last power bill, the actual power that I was buying from the power company was $7 for the month. I lease these, so I pay $160 a month for my power usage. So I paid $167 as opposed to my monthly average of $258. I save almost over $100 a month.

It took them about six months to install the system. The workers take their time, but they do a good job. The quality is very good. They were very nice, but slow. The workers were very professional. We have saved a lot of money because the solar works perfect.

I met with the consultant. He was on time, very professional, explained things fairly well. I asked for references before I made a decision. Haven't heard from him since. It's been a couple of months.

They were very good. They were very friendly and competent. They did a good job because the strict city inspectors passed it with the exception of needing to be grounded better to a water source which was fairly a new code.

The entire process was incredibly simple which we really appreciated. The salesman was very patient and didn't try to pressure us into a decision. The company's pricing options are very flexible and accomodating, and they did a good job of installing the solar panels.