What do you guys think about solar city? I am kind of impress the site survey they do without and contract or proposal. I got the survey and see the guy spend good 2 hours go through electric system, attic, and roof... Plus answer and provide a lot of good info.
It is great for the big company to do it. Sunrun and Sungevity never do it. Sunrun wants a signed contract before heading to the roof. Sungevity wants 50% of payment before moving their head. It is clear to show winner among those 3 companies.
SolarCity: Aggressive marketing, not so great installation quality. Do a search of the site - you'll get a better view.
DO NOT LEASE!! Do not fall into their trap. If you want solar, finance the system or pay with credit card. This way you will get the incentives and not Solar City. If you lease the system, you are basically having a lien put onto your home until the system is paid off. Do not pay any money up front, do not pay to have a site survey done, and do not sign any contract until you are comfortable with the decision being made. If you interview the potential contractor, ask them how they install the system onto your roof? Make them show you pictures and verify they use the proper equipment. Ask for past customers phone numbers and call them for a reference. Most solar companies will give you references of previous customers contact info if you ask. If they refuse to give you references, move onto the next contractor.
I do not lease with buy from either of those companies. But I see Solar city guy did a good job and spend a lot of time to explain the roof and attic for me. Now, I feel 100% confident that my roof can last for another 20 years.
I do not see any local installers even the company I signed with do that good home survey.
That's great the SS guy was thorough, but it was likely due to inexperience. No expert needs anywhere near that amount of time to understand the job on most houses.
You will pay about a $10K premium using solarcity. Some people will get a portion of that $10K back on future repairs. But on average it is very unlikely solaricty is worth the high premium.
Anyone with the sole financing choice of a credit card has no business buying a solar system.
Very aggressive sales people. Very poor installations...not professional. Be glad to send you pictures of their installations from where I live.
Run away from Solar City. Their prices for what you get are way too high. You can do better by going with someone else. I'd look for reputable local installers.
Be careful with Solar city. Im not sure if it is true but I've read from yelp that SC sell your info to other solar company.
I got the same experience, I told SC last week that I am signing contact with other company and to close my file with them. This morning I got a phone call from random solar company. I ask them where they got my info, they said I click on some link or show some interest on solar on whatever website. I never clicked on any link nor fill any solar quote. All the quote I got are from direct website which I wanted to deal with such as petersen dean, sullivan, semper solaris and solar city.
Btw also got email from sunrun today too where i never contact them before.
I had Sunrun and Solar City quote me along with two local providers. A local won out by far for my purchased system and I have no regrets. Once the Solar City sales guy found out I only wanted to purchase I never heard from him again. Most companies really push the leases and I refuse to do that.
Just saw a home that SC finished in my community yesterday. Everybody knows that they have hi pressured sales people, well this home is totally facing the wrong direction. They will be lucky to get 2 hours of sun tops. Maybe the home owner is looking to buy a bridge !!!!!
The only totally wrong direction is mostly North, at least up here in the Northern hemisphere.
Directly East or West can actually be surprisingly good.
PS: I have seen photos of pole mounted arrays for equipment like radar signs and cameras that have the panels oriented due North. Hopefully because of shadowing issue, but more likely just incompetence.