Photon Brothers

Post-Install Service really lacking

As I was trying to decide between bids from two companies communication was very good, giving me high hopes. Communication following signing the contract wasn't so great, with lots of confusion about how long the project would actually take, though at least the project manager responded quickly to questions. Frankly, I suspect this may be endemic in the industry, so I was still hopeful. But my gripe is how communication completely fell apart once the system was installed. I asked for a user manual and was told all I needed was in the app. Not really, and when I asked about the myriad of switches marked Emergency Disconnect and how I'd actually shut it down in case of an emergency, the installer blew me off. So I decided to contact the project manager with the same question--how exactly (in what order) do I shut the system down in the event of an emergency? Pretty basic and important question; 4 weeks and 1 reminder later, still no response. My other issue is that I had asked if the electricians are all in-house, because I've heard stories about issues with the actual wiring. I was promised that they were and that they were all Journeymen or Master electricians. Well, the lead electrician seemed to know what he was doing, but his sidekick seemed pretty clueless. Took pretty much all day to install the boxes and then they took off, leaving the clearly less knowledgeable panel installers to finish connections. Bad idea--when the city inspector came out to check he tugged two wires and they pulled right out of their connections. The electrician who corrected that didn't even have a torque wrench on his truck to ensure the connections were properly torqued. And the MC run through the attic was pretty slap dash, making subsequent access to some areas unnecessarily difficult. A little more time and maybe 10' of extra wiring would have made for a much more professional install, but they knew the inspector would never climb into the attic to look. On the positive side, the installers did try to minimize the visibility of the exposed EMT and the system is working well. They also had to make some last-minute changes due to changes in my city's requirements and they still honored the contract price. All in all, it could have gone (much) worse from stories I've read--but it also could have been done more professionally. I wouldn't use Photon Brothers again or recommend them to others.

Bad warranty

Photon brothers installed our system just over a year ago. One of our 38 panels got spider webbing throughout the panel. We have had no extreme weather, hail, etc… No one has been on the roof. They want us to prove what went wrong. The warranty will not cover the replacement cost of the panel which is 1215.00 to replace. Not sure what if anything the warranty actually covers. Our set was 81,000 before tax credits. I think the company should replace this panel.

Don't pay the balance until ALL work is complete.

I made a mistake when I signed the contract for my panels by agreeing to pay the full price as soon as the panels were finished being installed. I was told several times “Our work is done” and you have to pay us in full. But here’s the problem: their work is not done. At least here in Boulder, CO. Photon needs to pass inspection (with an employee present) and then apply and be accepted into the utility company’s (Xcel) queue for new meters to accommodate the panels. I agree, it is not difficult to do this. My panels we installed in early May and I paid the bill as required by the contract. Several weeks went by before the inspection, which did not pass. Several more weeks went by while the plans were modified and someone came out to the house and made the required changes. Then several more weeks went by before the next inspection, which required a little more work on Photon’s part before fully passing. Another week passed, and then I started calling Xcel to see if I was on the queue. Turns out they did not fill out the application correctly, so another week was wasted. Oh, and then we had a leak in the roof where Photon forgot to put in a screw and our bedroom ceiling was stained and the carpet wet. They did come quickly to fix the leak, the project manager no longer works there, and they did pay one month’s electric bill because of the delays. The system was turned on September 7 -- 4 months after I paid the bill. I strongly recommend you sign a contract requiring 50% up front, 25% at completion of installation, and 25% when you are in the queue with the electric company and the solar company’s work is actually finished. I paid too early and had no recourse, because they had all my money. And I feel like our project was a low priority for them as soon as the bill was paid.

So, the panels are up and working...

I hate to be the one who brings down these stars but my experience with Photon Brothers is quite different from nearly everyone else. In the end, the panels are up and working but it was painful to get here. I went with this company because it was larger and as a single woman I thought it would be easier down the line to get repairs done. Their biggest fault is the lack of communication. The panels they quoted me are different from the panels that were installed onto homes of those who gave me references. When the installers arrived we talked about how they'd put pipe from the garage to the roof, hiding it behind the trim and along the gables, but after they were done I saw that the pipe went straight up through the center of the exterior. It's a side wall, so it's not a big deal but still, they did not do what they had offered to do. I told Photon Bros that I was going to be out of town for a specific period but they scheduled someone to come out and do work. Fortunately my neighbor was able to cover during my absence. I was again out of town (a fairly rare occurrence) and told three different people that I was not available but they scheduled a review with the city during that week. Two times. The third time I told them (most of this is via email) to let me know when it was scheduled and I would be there. No response. I finally called the city to get the information. The inverter quit after a few days. I discovered this by looking at the online output table. When I called Photon Brothers they pretended that they had been monitoring the system and they knew of the problem. I find this hard to believe. And then they had to order a replacement, which took a week. I was billed before the final inspection had been completed. And once I paid (after the inspection) I had to ask three times for my $1,000 "rebate" through the company. If you only care about the end result, this company gets the job done. However, I would not recommend them.