1st Light Energy

Avoid this company at all cost. They are liars and their products and customer service is below appalling.

1st Light REFUSES to HONOR their 10 YEAR WARRANTY! - Purchased and installed solar panels thru 1st Light Energy, Manteca, California. Signed a contract with 10 year warranty for workmanship and negligent workmanship caused ongoing massive leaks in our home but business refuses to honor the warranty and pay for the exterior/interior damage clearly due from their install. They have admitted to their install errors but refuse to pay for it. Furthermore, our homeowners insurance has rejected our damage claim because “damage is due to the solar company’s poor workmanship and should be covered under their warranty!” Currently our solar panels are in our garage, since March 2022, when 1st Light finally came to take them down. They are REFUSING to re-install them after we completed our roof work out of pocket! So now- we are also continue to lose precious energy! Pls - DO NOT USE this company! I have reported them to BBB, California State government as well as the California State Government Licensing Dept. They are currently under investigation- my hope is that they WILL do the right thing by their customers!

First problem, a sales person will sit down at your table and talk about a "call home" feature if your solar stops working, they'll know and notify you. Only that's a lie, because when it stops working and I catch it after a few months, I bring it up to them, and am told "it's my responsibility to monitor. Second problem, I purchase a 40k dollar system that had a hardware failure in less than 5 years, and I have to pay $250 to get them to come out and diagnose it. Once they determine it's a hardware failure, I ask if the service fee is refunded. No, the warranty replacement doesn't cover their time and work. Except I bought a 40k dollar system that isn't good for 5 years, so you should probably stand behind the product you're selling. Bottom line, look elsewhere. They don't stand behind their product or their sales promises. I'm out 3 very expensive months of solar coverage at this point plus $250 to get them to fix it. There are too many companies in this game to put up with this.

No answer for the calls and utilized email to ask regarding an issue with my panels and no response at all- I'm not even sure if they have anybody actually answering or returning any calls.

I have attempted to call phone and utilized email to ask regarding an issue with my panels and no response at all- I'm not even sure if they have anybody actually answering or returning any calls. If I could I would give them no stars

They promised me that the system I got was more then big enough to cover my power bill. Come to find out they put in a small system and has not saved me any money what so ever. When I call, they are telling me that even though the system is small it is doing what it's suppose to do. I have made very little energy. Now I have not only a solAr power bill but also a power bill. My $300 power bill is now $600 with everything. They have been no help and can offer no solutions. Worst investment ever made. In SC area.

I have had nothing short of a nightmare experience with this company. They do NOT stand by their work, they are hard to reach, not customer-friendly and do not care about their customers! I have had nothing but issues with my solar panels and trying to get 1st Lite to provide any service is futile! They send a repair technician to repair a whole in the roof who 1) didn't have a ladder and 2) didn't have any tools! This after weeks of trying to get an appointment where he showed up eight hours late. First they didn't put any guards on the panels so I had a pigeon nesting issue. This took months of calls to resolve. Their install leaked and ruined my interior walls and ceilings on four separate occasions costing me thousands of dollars in sheet rock and painting repairs. Now the system leaks again such that I need a new roof; and they want to charge me $3,500 to take the panels off and re-install them so that the roofer can install a new roof! Stay away from this company!

I Was told I was getting federal rebate check for $12,000.00 and State rebate check for &4,000.00 in a lump sum payment from each so I could apply the rebates to the loan to pay it down sooner. This turned out to be a total lie!!! The federal money is a tax credit, not a lump sum rebate!!! The state is paid directly to the contractor, also not a lump sum payment, but the solar company has to apply for that before anything is installed. They didn't do that and I am not getting anything from the state. I am in the process of taking legal action to recover what was promised to me. Complete deception! Do your homework before signing anything. They say anything to get you to sign.

Ive always wanted to go solar. I didn't think I could afford it until I learned that you could break it up into installments. 1st light helped me withe the whole process. It took 8 weeks to get installed. Ive seen my bill reduced to the basic service charge and couldn't be happier. I used to pay $200 a month now I'm saving over $55 a month.

I was very skeptical when it came to solar. Had two friends who both went solar. Both with different companies who I had sat down with. I didn't get a good feeling from both and rightly so. Both friends ended up having problems with the company. I got in contact with 1st light through another friend of mine who had worked with Penili. He was able to answer most of my questions and was very honest and not pushy like the other companies. He explained everything very thoroughly and everything ran exactly how he said it would. The company has been great. Had my panels up just a few months and definitely loving the savings. I still have a small basic charge from Coned like he explained I would. Great job to him and the company. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to go solar.

Signed paper work July/August 2017. Did not go live until Jan 3, 2018! 1st Light blew off our scheduled install date due to rain. Installed when we were not at home. Ran the pipes outside the house (instead of in the attic) and missed a bunch of rafters with the lag bolts. Now my roof is like swiss-cheese and they are slow to reply to roof leak repair requests. The cost savings returned by solar will be be out-weighed by the cost of mold removal and/or a new roof!

I started the process of getting solar installed in October of 2017. They dragged their feet through some parts and fed us misinformation about the process. Solar didn't get installed until January of 2018. Even then, it took them until the first week of February to actually turn it on. Then three day later, the system stopped working for a few days. Then it came back on. Everything was fine until July when it suddenly stopped working for ten days during the one of the most productive week of the year. Then it came back on again before they could come out. The system ran until October when it completely stopped working again. This time the system has been down for SIX weeks and the only thing I'm told by customer service is that a work order has been created and all I can do is wait for the techs to decide to come out and fix it. This is complete bull. I bought a $20,000 system from them that doesn't work 8 months later. I would have gotten better use of my money if I just burned those $20,000 for heat since PG&E is going to charge me a fortune to heat my home. Thanks for nothing, 1st Light Energy

My experience with them was for a warranty service issue as they are a Fronius Certified Warranty Company. 1. They never answer their phone: You will listen to a voicemail recording saying to leave a message and they will return it in 24-48 hours. They never returned my calls. 2. Finally connected on email and set up a service call and cleaning for June 25, 2018. After taking the time off of work, they were a no show. Finally got through to their Service Coordinator who told me they had a computer glitch. Set up another service call for July 17th. Showed up for this one, but wasn't aware they were supposed to clean my panels until I showed them the email confirming that service. To his credit they did clean the panels, and evaluated the faulty inverter. After cleaning my panels, the other inverter failed. They contacted Fronius and they told him it wasn't his fault. The service guy said he would take his inverter assessment back to the manager, and then call with an estimate for repairs, and warranty credit. It's been SIX weeks, and with multiple phone calls and emails not returned, I give up. These guys could take Customer Service classes from the local DMV office and it would be an improvement. They may be attentive to you when they are selling a new install, but spend your money on a company that will back up their products.

As i read these other comments, i say dont feel so bad im going on 2 years that i was promised a 500$ referral fee and all they can say is that im on a list. thats not counting trying to get the company to HONOR their warranty... its like pulling teeth. i would hope they go out of business but i still have thier product.

This company just wants your money. The Sales person Emilio didn't tell me anything about true up bill.  He also promise me $500 refer a friend money that i never got. My tax credit got pushed to next year and don't know if I'll even get it. And Emilio never turn on my solar power when he lied to me back in September 2017 that he turned it on.  So I was without solar for 3 to 4 months and that's why I have $550 NEM true up bill. Emilio never replied to any of my phone calls and messages after the day he was suppose to turn on my solar. This year alone I am paying almost double how much I paid last year when I didn't have solar. The account manager in Manteca CA doesn't want to own up to the fact that my solar wasnt turned on and says we don't guarantee production. So don't sell your stuff if you don't guarantee it. Fake company with fake people.

I actually haven't had a problem since they were installed and to be honest I'm impressed. It's been 3 years and they continue to generate good amounts of electricity for my home. The sales process was no-pressure and the rep was an awesome guy. The install took a little longer than expected but it was due to city permitting dragging their feet and our local electrical irrigation district taking their sweet time approving the setup. My payment was exactly what it was supposed to be and I do not regret making the switch. I am making loan payments for the panels, but I am still saving almost $2,000 a year from my traditional electrical costs. Thanks First Light!

Been asking for 1 year plus for my supposed $500 referral. Mike V. was the Salesman out of Bakersfield. Horrible Business. Nothing worse than a company that lies. On top of that the clients are dropping 1st solar and going with someone else.

The staff at 1st Light Energy is the best. Thank you Jennifer, for explaining to me the process I was going to encounter. The installation was finished much faster than I thought it would be, and I was totally impressed. The installers showed up when expected and were professional and courteous. I thought the town permits and SCE Permission to Operate would take forever. I was wrong. I'm generating electricity much faster than I could have imagined. Thank you 1st Light Energy, Weston and the 1st Light Energy Team. Job well done!

We purchase a 2200 sq ft, two story, Central Valley California home in July of 2015. Because of the sweltering hot conditions, our electric bill peaked over $550 a month which was way over our budget. I contacted 1st Light Energy and they quickly set us up with a unit that suits all of our individual energy needs. I'm very pleased with the customer service, professionalism, and savings that 1st Light Energy has provided my family. Going solar was the best decision ever- for our budget and for the environment.

I have been waiting for my referral check since the end of January 2018. My friends went PTO in November 2017 and now it’s July 18th and still no referral check. We also had a roof leak and they refused to take blame for that even after we had a roofing company come out and state that it was their solar panels that caused the leak. They finally fixed it the leak 6 months later. Do not fall for the lies they tell you. Go with another solar company. My friends have been trying to get an answer on their solar because the sales person underestimated the solar needs and 1st has yet to respond to them. CUSTOMER SERVICE is HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I been dealing with the company since 2016 they are the worst company , very unprofessional they don’t return your calls or fix the leaks you have from there solars panels ,I have a leak in my roof ,someone was to come on 4/7/2018 between 8 am and 9.30 am still waiting no one show yet and they probably won’t cause they done it before ,I’m sorry I ever went with this company nothing but problems and bad customer service ,they have a good sales pitch on offering it to you but they don’t comply when you have problems or show up

I was an early adopter to solar energy. My system was installed in December of 2009. The salesman told me it would cost nothing, since federal, state, and power company programs would cover the cost. They billed $60,000 for a 32-panel 6400 watt system. By the way, I have never achieved 6400 watts of production. When you have a problem, your call goes to California, even though it is a New Jersey number. The first time I realized my system was not producing what it should was shortly after Hurricane Sandy, so I thought maybe the system was damaged by the storm, or at least the bad weather reduced my production. When I called for service, they repeatedly told me to go down in the basement and push buttons on the inverter, even though it was dark here. Their service department couldn't understand that it gets dark earlier in NJ than in Ca. After at least a dozen calls, they finally sent someone out, whop discovered 1/3 of my total array was not working, due to squirrels eating the wires. This was over 6 months after the problem arose. More than once, their service manager told me "we don't make money on service" when I asked for my problem to be solved promptly. I could write a few pages detailing all my experiences, so I'll skip to the most recent. After an extreme rain event in late October 2017, a roofer noticed that the leak was caused by the way a panel was installed over my bay window. It was installed there because 1st Light's plans for the roof installation were off by one panel. Of course, 1st Light denied that it was their fault. In order to repair the roof, I will need to remove the panels. 1st Light gave me a price of $1300 to remove and reinstall the panels, but told me they couldn't do it until after January. I was really afraid I would get another leak (it was raining over my bed, and I was afraid the ceiling would collapse). Luckily, it hasn't leaked again, yet, but I still need to get the repair done before we have another intense storm. I am glad I went for solar...most months it covers my electric bill. I just wish I had better service from 1st Light. The pulldown meni for installation date only goes back to 2012.

The NY/NJ office is incompetent but it is all led by Tammy who makes many mistakes and is backed up by the president Justin. They have no customer service so you have no chance to get what they actually agree or pay for. Once you sign the contract and they have your money they cut corners to install ASAP so they can get paid in full. They do not file the property tax rebate for you which will not cost them anything but will save you $5k or so. The installation is botched in every way from the plans to the inspections causing delays. But since you already paid the down payment they will get their money. Their prices sound good but they lie and don't file permits or rebates. They also forge signatures as everything is electronic. GET A DIFFERENT INSTALLER.

I've had my system for over 6 years. I'm happy with the decision I made to go solar and with 1st Light Energy. I had an issue with my inverter and they fixed it right away. I've seen other solar companies go out of business in my area. It's nice to have gone with a company that is still around to offer support if needed.

After having ther company's tell me that they would not be able to do my roof, I had a Dvinci Energy rep knock on my door and told me they could make it happen. I learned that 1st light energy is Dvinci's installations partners and they were very helpful in the process. I had a lot of questions but they were able to answer all of them. The installation only took a day and the crew was very professional. Thank you 1st light!

Run from 1st light. The installers screwed up the array and my roof leaks!

Worst decision I ever made. This company is totally incompetent and unprofessional. It took forever to get my panels installed. The installers failed inspection and never followed up. I had to call 1st light energy and literally harass them because them to get my panels working since no one answered my emails and answered my calls. I made the huge mistake of referring 2 of my friends and they both have similar complaints. I started the process 8 months ago and still havent received the referral money they promised. The sales person does a great job selling the service but dont believe anything he says. Its all lies. No one educated me on how to sell my SREC's. April needs to be fired. She never returns call or answer email and has no clue whats going on. I have to track her down to only receive misinformation time and time again. I warn anyone reading this to stay far away from this company. SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!

I had my solar installed by them a year and a half ago and it keeps on breaking down and it would take days if not more than a week to get their guys come and fix the problem. I just made another call to them today because the solar system they installed for me ( 21 panels all in all of the SMA panels ) broke down again for the 3rd time in a span of 5 months. A LOT of hassle, wasted time, and wasted opportunity to generate power. I wouldn't recommend them or the SMA panels that I got. Also, the guy that came to fix it one time made me sign a paper that says nothing was wrong with it - " It just tripped and thats a common occurrence with these panels ". Then, it turns out, he had to replace a part. ( I would learn about it later on after he left me a message on the phone a few days later to check if the panels are still doing ok - after that particular part was replaced ). Aha!! If there are companies and better brand panels based on review out there, check them out. Feel free to give this company the benefit if the doubt, but I'm just stating what my personal experience had been with them, 18 months after installation.

I was lied to. I was told i would get the federal rebate money back when i did my taxes so that i could pay yhat portion of the loan right away and not accrue any interest. taxes are done now 12,000$ short with a loan at 18% intertest I would never had done this at this outrageous interest rate they screwed me and many others upon talking to accountants be wary they lie

it sounds good to go green and save on your energy bill but after having First Light Energy for four months, I started to see the real face of solar company and its not pretty It started with false promises by the sales people, thesn the fine print (please read the contract, the sales people will try to keep you entertained so you don't read it and go straight to singing) Second it does not produce near power as promised, the Tru-Up churches are almost the same as the normal electric bill And third, customer service is bad, they tell you to read your contract over and over, which means they will not help you I wish I would have never gone solar..

The only delay experience was a material shortage because of a new PV Panel design and some hold up with our town building officials getting up to speed on the technology. We were the first PV install in our town at the time. First Light Energy was first rate in all of their activities on this project.

Installation took MONTHS longer than anticipated. The problems initially started with the company not being able to figure out where our inverter was located. When the installer came out, the pre-inspection for the installation had not provided accurate information and the installation needed to be modified. In the installers defense, they were subcontracted by Home Depot. Some of the issues were related to problems with Home Depot`s distribution methods. The installers themselves were very good. They did have some problems coordinating with PG&E (big surprise), but eventually they were able to complete the job.

I buogh system from home depot. They installed.