Kota Energy Group

Easy, well-facilitated experience!

KOTA made the whole process super easy. Our salesperson Isaac came to our door and was very knowledgeable and friendly; and the project management of all the moving parts in terms of inspections etc was also pretty seamless. The end-to-end project didn't require a big time commitment on our part. We're really happy with the solar on our home and it's so satisfying to see the monthly kwh reports on the app.

Great Service, highly recommend!

I highly recommend Kota Solar. There installers were very professional, on time and clean. I have noticed a drastic reduction in my cost to SDGE and run my AC and jacuzzi daily. My sales rep McKay Hyde was so good and explains everything to me in a way I could understand without confusing me or upselling me for panels that I won’t need. His honesty and commitment to his clients isn’t something you find very often. He has followed up with me several times to check in and has come back over to my house one year after install to explain what all the charges are on my bill and where I am saving. I appreciate his hard work and customer service and have referred him to several of my clients and neighbors who agree that KOTA is the best.

8 months of delays and frustration

I would suggest one read the Yelp reviews to see how horrible they are in communication and delays...expecting the customer to make financing payments on projects that were not completed in a timely manner; nor confirmed and tested that the systems were operational. I find it a complete failure ethically to have this loan funded, monies tranferred, and the 60 day payment clock kicked off...yet it shows on multiple occasions in the Yelp reviews that we were not alone. We got off easy with just a couple loan payments...and lost solar credits...because we found that our system was not operational once PG&E granted our PTO (coincidentally during the longest days of the year). A customer service manager indicated that he would seek refunds for the 2 payments and 2 months later (and 11 months after signing our initial agreement) the KOTA failures and empty promises continue. We were even told that their accounting group concluded our situation did not "merit a refund"! WTF. Our install was not properly connected in multiple places...from the panel wiring leading to the inverter as well as the inverter itself. Once finally fixed we were told by the tech that there was no way this system was operational when first installed...with 2 opportunities to test prior to PTO...yet we lost hundreds of dollars in solar credits and made 2 payments on our loan before it became operational. Appears there has been a negative cultural shift within the organization placing quanity and sales over quality of service...with this accounting group hammering that fact home. Again, KOTA also did not on 2 occasions confirm the system was operational before the PTO was granted. Going forward, our system is now functioning but i wonder what a response will be if a warranty need arises. The 25 year warranty on roof and panels we all enjoy could be just a wasted piece of paper as this market saturates and KOTA's service continues to erode...and possibly they fold as a company. As one of their employees said...this industry is nicknamed the SOLAR-COASTER...and he felt pretty good with 3 years completed with this company - alot of ups and downs and no real deep feeling of security. Good luck...read some Yelp reviews.

Installation

Installation was quite easy and fast.

Solar review

Skylar was my sales rep and went above and beyond to ensure my concerns were heard and resolved both prior to entering into contract and during the equipment installation process.

Worse experience ever

So it’s been 5 months since we signed our contract and we don’t even have a date to start our job yet. We were ignored for months and finally started asking what the hold up is. We would be ignored for days and days at a time , get a text or call then nothing. It’s difficult to get email correspondence, they want to text which is less than professional.They say they have no roofing contractors. In trying to find a new one , the cost was more (6k more) and they wanted to pass the cost to us. No thanks! Our salesperson, Jared is no help, they have added two other people, one to manage the roof and one for solar. Roof mgr (Ryan) is essentially non responsive aside from an occasional call or text but no solution. The supervisor, Chance , does not respond to emails either. We got in under the rebate in California and now I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to continue with this horrible experience but to try to go with another company now would cost SO much more. Summer is almost over and we are still spending the money we planned to out towards our solar on electric bills. Now after reading the reviews about trying to solve issues after the install has me even more stressed.

Just go with Kota. It's a NO BRAINER.

While I wanted solar for obvious environmental reasons, I was concerned that it might not actually save money to go with solar. The rep at Kota was very helpful. We looked at the last 2 years of my PG&E bills and determined my monthly average. We then figured out how many solar panels I would need for my house. I said we needed to extra panels to accommodate the charging for the Tesla we recently purchased. Once we figured out how many panels we needed, the rep showed me how much it would cost to buy it outright, and also gave me the option of a 15-year and a 30-year loan. My understanding is that the panels will last a good 25 years. The monthly payment on the 15-yr loan was cheaper than my current monthly PG&E bill. So once 15 years goes by, I'll get "free energy" for years to come! Plus, I got a good tax-deduction on my 1040 for going solar. So if you take the total cost of the loan (or outright payment of the solar panels) minus the tax credit, and compare it to 25 years of PG&E, you'll see it's a no brainer. Oh, and don't forget!! -> the loan payments are fixed, but PG&E rates go up every year, so if you factor in how much electricity will cost in the future, going solar makes even more sense. It's a NO BRAINER, folks. Also, I highly recommend you ask for Skylar Sheriar. His number is 925-330-3328. He made sure every step of the way went well. He even stopped by on the installation day to make sure everything went smoothly. What a great guy. I also got texts from the Kota team letting know when things were going to happen. The communication and professionalism was really good. Honestly, I'm not sure how the experience could have been improved. Also, Skylar was not salesy or weird. He was no pressure and just factual about costs, the loans, installation process etc. Also, if you look into it, they are using some of the best solar panels out there.

JP & Team | NorCal

I'm handle contracts for a living, so choosing solar was very much about reading and understanding the terms, incentives, exploring the possible what if scenarios and getting questions answered. I interviewed several companies, and looked at many different solar options. We chose Kota because JP and his Team, were persistent, he responded to my inquiries quickly, had answers available and when he didn't have the answers, he diligently worked to get them. We wanted to take advantage of tax incentives which had timing constraints; Kota was able to make this happen (which was not easy). I appreciated the incentives the company offered in addition to the state and federal rebates. Install was one day and pretty easy. (Our original day was canceled due to rain). Crew that came out was solid, communicative and tidied up after themselves. We used Mosaic for financing which has been overall good, despite a couple of hiccups. Enphase has given us some reporting issues, my husband called them and left a message. While the never called back, the problem was resolved. I am glad we got solar and pleased with Kotas pricing and performance. I would recommend this company and Jp & Team.

Very happy with the experience

As a very pessimistic and cautious person I put off solar for a long while. When I finally did decide to look into it I was visited by a representative from Kota named Marco. Very cool dude and delivered on everything he promised. Marco was there thru the whole process and always responded to my texts. Actually, he would reach out to me with updates before I even inquired. The installation team was top notch - Team Aries if I recall correctly - and you should only be so lucky to have them as your install team. SCE took their time granting permission to operate but I can't blame Kota for that - they did everything they said they were going to do and got me into NEM 2.0. Very happy and glad to have finally gotten my PTO!

A team that goes above and beyond

The entire team at KOTA Energy group provided an outstanding customer experience throughout the initial sign up and solar install process. Our sales rep, Sean Silvestri, went above and beyond, guiding us from day one, all the way to the completion of the project. He helped us understand the best Solar and loan options without pressuring us and responded quickly to all of our questions. Our installation team, Greg, Simon and Harley worked very hard to ensure the solar panels were installed correctly while also accommodating our requests for the placement of conduit leading from the electrical panel to the solar panels. We’ve had our panels for a couple months now and couldn’t be happier! Thank you Kota team!!!

Skylar Sheriar did a great job educating me all about solar energy and how I could benefit from it. From dissecting my energy bill to explaining the mechanics & science behind the solar energy system I was thinking about having installed, he and the Kota team nailed it. Fast forward a few months and I’m fully up and running with my new solar panels! Already saving a good amount on my monthly bill. Highly recommend Skylar & Kota Energy!

Kota were excellent to work with

My experience with Kota energy was excellent. I worked with Marco who was one of the first Solar reps who pitched to us. After going through quotes with several other sales people, we realized a lot of them were downright dishonest and trying to upsell us into buying a battery which we didn't need as we were still eligible for NEM 2.0 We felt Marco was super transparent and honest and even guaranteed us getting into NEM 2.0 as we were just a week and a half away from the deadline for submitting paperwork. Getting into 2.0 was important for us as the system wasn't really saving us much money if we had to buy a battery and Kota delivered on their promises. We were kept in the loop via our project manager about the status of our application regularly. The site survey and paperwork/permitting documents were submitted in time to SCE and once ultimately approved, we were given a time/date to schedule the install. The install crew showed up on time on the day and were done within ~5-6 hours and we finally had a fully operational system in about 2 weeks. Throughout the process Kota communicated in a timely manner and everyone was a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend anyone to go with Kota and Marco for their solar needs

true up bill

I purchased a system last spring and was promised absolutely NO TRUE UP BILL. Well, my bill last month from Edison came with a $113.00 Settlement bill after 1 year of production. What a surprised that this just another name for a true up bill. They sold me on 10 400 watt panels but I insisted that I wanted to over produce so we agreed on13 panels rather than only 10. But still under produced and I wash my panels every 2 weeks. I am not happy even with this small true up. I was lied to by Brandon the salesman that sold the system. Over promised and under delivered!!!

Strong Customer Engagement

Isaac and his team worked hard to communicate consistently and clearly with us throughout the entirety of our process, from our first conversation until our system was up and working. They coordinated well with our roofing company as we replaced our roof in preparation, and they helped us understand the often-mysterious PG & E contract process. Highly recommend.

Easy Process

Isaac was extremely helpful in explaining the process. He stuck with my project to the end.

Bay Area (Oakland) Solar install

We had been debating going solar for a while and were leaning toward it, got quotes from SunRun, Sun Power and Tesla—expectations from each in terms of equipment and service, but all seemed too expensive, the return on investment was too far out, so we’d pretty much given up. And one day Isaac walked into my life. He came knocking door to door, extremely personable and informative, touting a quality product and an unbeatable price. We were still on the fence for months, and Isaac was persistent, and finally sold us. Installation happened pretty quickly, the project team was communicative and efficient—even tolerant of me muddying the waters a couple times—and we were up and green as soon as PG&E stopped dragging their feet. Now I honestly monitor each of my panels and their production all day long on the app like a ball game score—I now yell at clouds like they’re a bad call by an official on the TV. So far so good, panels work great, couldn’t be happier about our decision and action to go with KOTA, and Isaac has been an absolute dawg about seeing the project thru and following up with us to ensure customer satisfaction. In summation; Highly recommend.

My Experience with KOTA-not as scary as it looks

Skylar Sheriar was my sales support before and after the installation. He was always available via text or phone to help with the application process, follow up with issues and concerns. He keeps track of who and what should be where. He answered many questions for me and explained the process in terms we can all understand. The installation crew came early and finished early and left the area clean. They did return to install a ground system, which was neatly executed. Sam came with the first inspection and explained what they would look for and we did have a few items to correct. The second inspection went well-we passed and PG&E approved my application within a week!! yeah! I looked into other companies and selected KOTA as honest, long lived, and fair. I highly recommend the people I worked with and the company.

We didn't think Solar was a good deal but we are happy with Kota

In past years, we had low energy costs from PG&E so we never felt like solar was going to make financial sense. Often when we told solar sales people what we paid, they understood why we weren't interested. As PG&E has increased prices over time, the return on investment form getting solar made a lot more sense and fit with our desire to use clean energy. In March of 2023, Skylar Sheriar (925.330.3328) from Kota Energy Group stopped by to see if we were interested in the move to solar. He took the time to explain the benefits, the equipment Kota uses and showed us projections for the return on our investment. We were impressed by the tools Kota uses and Skylar assured us he would be involved throughout the process. We are now on solar and setup with PG&E for credits. We are happy to be on a cleaner energy solution. As he had promised, Skylar helped us through out the process and followed up with each phase. We recommend Skylar and Kota if you are looking to make the move to solar.

Quality Solar With No Headaches

I was approached by KOTA rep Isaac Roth in late August of 2022. My wife and I had been talking back and forth about getting solar installed since we purchased our home in 2017, but obviously we were taking our time about it. About a week later we sat down with Isaac and he went over the entire process clearly and concisely and laid out the expected time frame of each step from confirming the projected design all the way to when we could expect to start reaping the benefits of our solar. We opted for a 12 panel design and they were installed in a single day (!) and the work was impeccable. We know this because shortly after install, the Bay Area experienced an insane rainy season and we didn't have a single leak. Also, the panels themselves are sleek and installed in such a way that from the street you can hardly even tell we have them. This isn't a huge deal, but it just shows that KOTA is considerate of form AND function which I personally appreciated. Overall, I can't recommend KOTA enough. Isaac was available every step of the way to answer any questions or concerns we had and checked in on us throughout the process. If you're considering solar but feeling overwhelmed by the prospect, I highly recommend reaching out to KOTA to get a consultation. They handled every step of the process professionally and I hardly had to lift a finger throughout. The whole process was so easy that my only complaint is that I didn't do it sooner.

Solar install: Almost perfect if not for the redo of inspections

KOTA was already a buzzing name in our locality with their outreach and many installs. Luckily my trusted real estate agent had just used KOTA to install his solar, this along with working with a wonderful person called Issac made me sign up for solar install with KOTA. The initial process was such a smooth ride. Issac was patient and did not push for a sale the first 3-6 months I was still trying to see the best fit for our house. Once we signed up, the installs and initial approvals were done within 2-3 weeks and then we had to wait for over a month for the inspection. This is when the process slowed down a bit from small things like dangling wires, a small clamp missing.. all I can say I was impressed with the thoroughness of the official. We did the inspection 2-3 times and always it was a small thing, luckily KOTA was up to the task and provided all the information/pictures etc. Once the final inspection was done we got the final approval in 2-3 days instead of the weeks of waiting as throughout the process KOTA kept uploading the completed work documents and that moved the process along. We finally got connected a few days back and very thankful and appreciative of the folks at KOTA. From their install team to the engineers and reps all have been throughly professional. Thank you! I would definitely recommend them.

Awesome Rep

Skylar, a very young but very professional young man came up to me while I was reading on my porch. He told me that his company, KOTA Solar was installing solar systems in our neighborhood. My neighbor, a rocket scientist at LLNL and a trusted source, explained why he had chosen KOTA. My wife and I had been talking about the value of solar to us and had almost talked ourselves out of it. Between Skylar and our neighbor we got some solid info and went for it. It takes awhile to put the program together and get the city permits and another while to get the panels installed and working but the end result is very positive on paper. We are producing more power than we use and after 18 months we should see the financial benefit with a rebate check from PG&E. When we agreed originally there was no upfront cost. Since then the state has revised the process and there might be one now. The whole process was fairly simple and I would highly recommend chatting with Skylar when he knocks on your door.

Great experience

I came into the whole solar process pretty skeptically because I had some incorrect assumptions about how net metering worked and the potential benefits to my house. A few months later and I now have an active system and a new EV that I can drive without having to worry about paying for fuel. Kota was instrumental in walking me through what I was missing out on, and kindly informing me where I had those incorrect assumptions. I worked with Isaac in Oakland, and he was incredibly friendly and responsive at every part of the process. Everyone on the Kota team was helpful and transparent during sales, planning, and installation. I'm very happy with everything, and would recommend them to anyone interested in installation.

Great customer service

Very satisfied with customer service. Samir was very helpful during the whole process and answered our questions and or concerns promptly even after hours. Would definitely recommend Kota

Can't Go Wrong

I had been thinking about solar for a while. I was getting tired of the $400-$500 bills in the summer time. David knocked on my door in January 2023 and we got to talking about what solar could do for me and my situation. I walked away from that conversation impressed, and honestly started trying to poke holes in the numbers because it all seemed too good to be true. After a couple other bids that were unimpressive, I contacted David to get the ball rolling. It was the easiest process (long process, but very little work from my end). Everything David said, he and the Kota team did. He was a very quick responder to all my questions through the whole process, and I'm really thankful. I have referred 3 of my friends to David as well, and they've all had great experiences as well. Panels went up in April, but Edison took a long time to give permission to operate. Just got my first Edison bill, and it was a very negative number- hard to beat that! Really could not be more happy with this whole process. I'm saving a ton of money, and I have Kota and David to thank!

Very Positive Experience

Our family interviewed 3 solar companies and we went with KOTA.  Kota's offer was fair and included a much better rate on the loan  for the purchase and installation.  Kota's staff stayed on top of everything, from permitting with city to provider of electricity.  Everyone from the company was cheerful and friendly.  They painted the electrical conduits to match our house wall and roof with paint we provided.  After turning on the system there was a glitch and it was promptly fixed. Our family is very pleased with everyone involved with this solar panel installation.  We would highly recommend KOTA.