
About us
A ReVision Energy Company. Since 2009, Sunbug has provided best-in-class renewable energy solutions to a wide range of residential, commercial, and nonprofit customers, as well as expertise in solar for new construction and EPC services. Our helpful, responsive team brings deep expertise, experience, and a customer-first approach to every project. Each of us embraces a method and a mindset that’s equal parts craftsmanship, collaboration, and accountability. As a values-driven B-Corp with employee-owners, and a longtime member of the Amicus Solar Cooperative, we believe in doing the right thing, the right way, every day. Our relationships with clients, partners, and one another are guided by honesty, respect, and integrity, and we are known for standing by our work and by our word.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Solar electric, heat pumps, battery storage systems, and EV charging stations for residential, commercial, and non-profit customers
Services we don't offer
Wind and geothermal
Amenities
Eco Friendly Accreditations
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Warranties
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- Financing Available
- Check
- 33
Assorted photos uploaded by ReVision Energy
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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Filter reviews by service
I signed the contract in September 2015 and the last day of construction/installation was March, to the day, so it took 6 months to complete. Now because I had a tricky roof, this delayed the already long process (typically its a 3-4 month process), so they could get everything 100%.
All communication and experiences were great. From my initial calls, to house visits to the variety of installation folks, everyone was friendly and informative. Two big factors that made me appreciate SunBug more than others was the lowest interest rate on a loan (everyone else was 2% higher) and the country of manufacturer for the panels. We got 315w LG panels made in South Korea. Most other places had 285w at best and they were all made in China.
My complaint, which is minor, is that there were two times I had to reach out and ask "what is the status here?" I then got an immediate reply back saying "we were JUST emailing you about this." I know it's a long process but I was waiting weeks on end for an engineer to produce a report to move the project forward, I shouldn't have to send an email asking what the status is. In either case, a minor issue as I mentioned. They also by default added the critter guard for $900 on to my system (fence around the panels to keep animals out). While this is good in theory, I have yet to see this in place on any solar system, it should really not be a default item and I had to ask for them to remove it (no big deal).
In the end, I have an amazing product and was thrilled with the results. The system has been running for a few months now and it's producing more than we use, which is perfect. Before I found Sunbug I almost lost hope that solar could work on my roof (multiple angled roof + large tree) but they made it happen and did it with ease. I would highly recommend.
It went great. They spent a lot of time with me and on the site during the design stage to make sure we got the most cost effective system size for our situation. We set up an install date that was a few months down the line. They stayed in touch with me during that period until the panels were delivered and ready to install. The office staff worked with me to complete and process all the paperwork regarding the various credits and energy buy back agreements . The service team was punctual, professional and very friendly. They did a great job and were very careful to clean up after each day and test all the components prior to completion. We had an issue with one of the boards on the inverter and rather than have me wait till one was shipped in from CA., they replaced my entire inverter within 2 days. They set up all the appointments with the local inspectors and utility company and had a representative here to meet them.. I had one minor issue with a section of "critter guard" around the panels and called them. They had someone her that afternoon!!!!!
I spoke with 4 other companies, both large national companies and smaller local companies. With Sun Bug, I truly felt they were working to get me the best system for my needs and not just to sell me anything.. Everyone I have dealt with from Sun Bug from the design and sales team, office and support team and installation and service group have been fantastic. I would recommend this company to anyone looking for solar panels. They were knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and reasonably priced. In addition to that I get the added benefit of working with a local company who actually answers their phones and knows who I am!!! A WIN WIN for everyone
I'm a procrastinator. I will think about doing something, but then try hard to find reasons not too. I first started thinking about solar when I got my MassSave home energy audit done. It turned out that the company that did the audit was also a contractor that installed solar (and other type ) systems. Hmmmm ? But I still signed up for a visit from a sales rep to learn more about it.The guy that showed up was very pleasant and nice but it seemed like he was a recent graduate from Solar Sales Pitch school. I wasn't feeling great about this company but I did my homework and checked them out online at Angies' List, Yelp, etc. I found my reason NOT to do it. Procrastinator happy..... EXCEPT... while researching this other company, I came across a lot of positive, almost cultish reviews of SunBug Solar. Never heard of them. They cant be that good. OK I'll give them a call.
A SunBug rep, Dan Covey, came out to the house .A real nice guy. He was an information machine. There was no sales pitch. He just explained pretty much everything from design and equipment options through the final step of turning on the panels along with the incentives and rebates..He seemed genuinely enthusiastic about what he did and I was very comfortable dealing with him.
I still did my homework and called every reference and continued to look at reviews. The price came in about $8K lower than the other company. All the work went as planned. The office people I dealt with, Andrea, Susan and all were very helpful and friendly. The workers who did the install were professional and courteous. They were particular about the neatness of the job and respectful of my house and my neighbors. There is more I could add, all positive, but I hate writing and this is already getting too long.
We went solar primarily because of the financial savings. Our system has now been up and running for 10 months. It is on track to at least meet, and most likely exceed the projected estimates given to me by Dan. I'm no tree hugger but it feels good to be a little green while saving some..We are very happy we went solar with SunBug.
The SunBug salesman was also very helpful at listing different options (including different types of panels, different configurations, etc.) to fit whatever budget I gave him. The system was not cheap, but SunBug's price was lower than the other full-service installer who gave me a quote for a comparable system. According to SunBug's math (and mine), the system will pay for itself in 8-9 years, once tax credits and SwRecs are factored in. So, long term, SunBug was a better deal than the panel rental companies like Solar City, and SunBug's quality is much higher.
Unfortunately from there things went south.
There were a total of 4 inspections done on the house as a result of multiple failures.
1. The first inspection failed as a result of the inspector finding the sealant they used to be insufficient for outdoor use.
2. The second inspection failed when the inspector actually went inside and looked at the electrical work and found that they had hooked up to my panel without the 3 feet of clearance needed to pass inspection.
- This would not have been a big issue as I understand that they did not setup my basement. The part that unbeknownst to me the electrician had a conversation with my father-in-law and even told him it would not pass inspection but decided to do the work anyway.
3. As a result of failed inspection 2 it was determined that in an attempt to expedite things they would hook up to the socket outside to move and replace the panel.
- This also resulted in a failed inspection because the local inspector informed them that when they move and replace an electrical panel it is considered a service upgrade and requires the socket to be replaced outside. The plan to hook up in this manner ended up causing extra time to the project by a couple weeks.
4. The fourth inspection was really a 4th and 5th inspection because the inspector needed to come out and confirm everything appeared OK before electricity could be turned back on in my house and then to come back out and finally pass the inspection.
While Andrea(the office manager) was sympathetic for the issues SunBug came out for the installation at the beginning of May and we did not pass inspection until July.
With confirmation that the system had been turned on I was told a few weeks later I had a conversation with Andrea that they would be mailing me paperwork and to send it back once I received it. I waited a few weeks before calling and apparently no one found it necessary to send it out. I also had to contact the monitor company so I could get an account setup as no one had provided any guidance as to setup monitoring in the month that I had service. The paperwork I got was found to be lacking as well, while it did contact manuals it had no note or anything as to what the forms were for and a copy of the 2014 tax forms as well. When I inquired I was told they were just for reference but a note would have been helpful.
Overall it seems like other customers had no issues but every step of the way I encountered issues and lost 2 months of production(they did reimburse me for one month) and have had absolutely no guidance from SunBug on what is needed to be done to sell my SRECs when they do become available when the state certifies my system in January.
I would never be able to recommend SunBug to anyone I know looking for solar.
"[member name removed], Sorry to learn you are disappointed with your SunBug experience to-date. I discussed your comments with the SunBug team, including Andrea, Chris, Patrick, Anna and Malcolm, toward the goal of identifying where things got off track so that we can improve our efforts in the future. Installing solar in Massachusetts is complicated. It involves navigating the rules and regulations of each town’s electrical inspector and building inspector in addition to the electric utility, the state’s production tracking system, and even the IRS rules on renewable energy tax credits. It is not uncommon in practical application to have the rules or best practices of one entity be in conflict with the regulations of another. But we are the experts, and it is our responsibility to navigate the complexity. In your case, your home's existing electric panel configuration was in code violation. You had a water pipe too close to your electric panel. When we installed your new solar system and connected it to your panel, we technically assumed responsibility for making your existing configuration complaint with contemporary code. Since it was out of code, we should have moved your entire electric panel before we installed your system. But we did not. We made that mistake, and so needed to resolve it. The process of moving your electric panel and resolving it with the inspector did not go as smoothly as we had hoped, and for that we again offer our sincere apologies in addition to the reimbursement we gave you. And we agree that given the number of agencies involved, the wrap-up paperwork can be complex. In your case, we should have made sure we came to your home upon final inspection approval so that you and Chris could sit down together to review each piece of paperwork individually and address every question you ha in person. As you your concern about how to navigate the world of selling SRECs, we are happy to offer our best advice on the matter. That said, SunBug defers to the expertise of your SREC broker, SREC Trade, with whom you have your own, independent account. But Chris will be in contact this week to answer any questions you may have on the SREC front moving forward. He is smart and has good advice. Going solar is a lengthy process. In some ways we are at the beginning of working together, not the end. After installation is complete, SunBug supports all our customers around evolving regulatory issues, understanding your monthly utility bills, even home value and property re-sale advice. So while I again apologize for a process that has been flawed so far, please know that we look forward to supporting you and your system for years to come. Thanks, Ben Mayer and the rest of the SunBug team."
SunBug's staff was great. Mike was always willing to take my calls and offer advice. Andrea was very pleasant, helpful, and cooperative. Malcolm talked me through some of the technical set-up on the phone. The fact that I know these people's names a few months after the installation shows that they made themselves available.
The installation itself went more quickly than expected. We were expecting it to take three days and it only took two. The only small problem was the placement of the equipment in our garage. We had decided on a general area with SunBug, but didn't see the specific location until the equipment was already in place. We lost a little storage space, but it didn't turn out to be too big a deal and we work around it.
I recommend this company highly. They are knowledgeable, efficient, and customer-friendly:)
From the gentleman who came out and initially spoke to me, to the site inspector, down to the install crew who were there early and knocked out the large install within a few days - every aspect of the install was seamless and very professional.
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