Fred S. | Los Alamos, NM | 12/31/2024
2024 Solar project
Select Solar was highly recommended by a family friend and was a great experience to work with them. Our large ground mounted array with battery backup system is installed beautifully and performing great. 5 star company, two thumbs up guys thanks!
Rob Lowrie | Los Alamos, NM | 03/20/2024
Great service and installation
I’ve had a Select Solar installation at my home for several months now, and it’s going great. Greg is very professional, knows his business, and his team is fantastic. He worked well with the County and its rules, permitting, and inspections. He came up with a clever way to route the wiring to avoid a roof penetration, something that the other 3 quotes I got insisted on. The installation looks great. I recently had my roofer out for an inspection, and he was also impressed with the installation. Greg is a licensed electrician and did our panel upgrade, something the other vendors needed to contract out. This likely contributed to the overall price of the installation being the lowest. I highly recommend Select Solar.
Loyd Dobbler | Los Alamos, NM | 06/02/2021
Excellent Work
I built my own house, and I am very particular about jobs that I contract with other people. I've known Greg for a long time, and he was the only person I trusted with my PV system. My main gig is home inspection, and I've seen a lot of installs that were "okay" but not the way I would have wanted it. Greg did it the way I wanted it. I didn't bother getting any other quotes because I would not have trusted them with my project. The products are all top rated, and LG is made in the USA.
Robert Owczarek | Jemez Springs, NM | 04/30/2021
really good job
The offer was better than two others, though generally the solar is pricey and Select Solar LLC is not an exception to the rule, though it did not come with some ridiculous extras as one other offer did. The job was done surprisingly fast and with very little distractions for us. The two-person team looked knowledgeable and skilled.
Jennifer Hollingsworth | Los Alamos , NM | 03/08/2021
Excellent all around!
When we made the decision to install a solar array, we contacted 4 solar companies. Of these, only Greg of Select Solar asked to do a site visit before giving us an estimate. The rest attempted to do so via viewing satellite images of our home and/or a brief discussion with us. As a result, only Greg’s proposal made sense for the unusual angles of our roof and combination of flat and angled areas. Also, he answered all of our questions without having to resort to a “design team,” as a rep from a larger company had to do. Greg/Select Solar really know the solar business/technology and are genuinely committed to its effective use. He uses the latest, highest efficiency panels, etc, and can solve design challenges. Work was efficiently executed and clearly explained. We strongly recommend Select Solar! Nothing else that we found compares.
White Rock Installation | White Rock, NM | 01/24/2021
Installation of a solar photovoltaic power system
We were delighted with our initial meeting with Greg. He was personable and very knowledgeable about solar power systems. He could answer all our questions "on the spot"! He gave us not only verbal information, but also relevant documents to review about the power system before we invested in it. He walked us through each development of the system with clarity, so we could understand what was happening. Bernie and Desmond, the electricians who installed the system, were both very pleasant and professional, and they too gave clear answers to our questions when they arose.
Tesuque Solar Array YES! | Santa Fe, NM | 11/12/2019
Great professional service
They were not the cheapest bid, but seemed the most knowledgeable and were very willing to be sure we were happy with everything as the installation proceeded. They also were very good at communication, scheduling and follow through.
A.S. | 08/21/2018
Top Quality
Greg and his field assistants John and Bernie installed a new grid-tied, ground-mounted, 4.2 KW system at my home near Glorieta. It has been up and running for two months now, and I'm completely satisfied. They did excellent work at a very fair price, from the initial visit to design to installation to operation. The job was not without difficulties, but they found ways to manage them all. Greg recommended a site with good exposure requiring little clearing or tree removal. However, it was 130 ft from the house so a long trench was needed for cables, and considerable rock got in the way of setting the support posts. They kept a tidy job site and made sure I was satisfied when it was finished. In the first few days of operation they noticed that one panel had erratic output, so they came right out and replaced the optimizer; all good since then. Although the whole process from bid to completion took over 3 months, most of this time was waiting on permits or inspections (county, state,and utility), and there were more of these than I had expected. Another delay was in having to re-order the rack parts, which arrived slightly damaged in shipping the first time. But I cannot fault Select Solar for these issues; on the contrary, their patient tenacity kept the ball rolling with minimal impact to me.
KPT | NM | 01/10/2018
Excellent local design and install of our 6kw home PV system
Greg and his crew (John and Bernie) have done an outstanding job in all aspects of implementing our 6kw PV array. We choose to go the stand-alone route since we have acreage and our roof isn't oriented ideally for maximum efficiency and Sol utilization. From Greg's initial site planning (with his neat technology that allows him to pick the best location and orientation), to the design, trenching, footing excavation, support setting & pour, to the final wiring and install, everything was very fast (~ 8-9 days total of on-site labor in my estimation). The permitting and inspection process was the most time consuming aspect of this and in NM, it takes a while (too long) for these things to happen. Select Solar always had the ball in the Govt. agencies court but it still took several weeks to get things done on the permitting and several more for the inspections. Greg has no control over these aspects and I would give him 6 stars if I could to make up for those reviews that docked him because of the permitting/inspection time. I give my highest recommendation. A photo right before completion:
Ray87547 | 09/21/2017
Solar install White Rock NM
Greg Mechels did a great job installing our solar unit. Price was also quite competitive. Only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 for schedule is that the county was QUITE slow in approving the permits.
wantsun | 05/08/2017
Success!
We couldn't have asked for a better company. Greg came with his measuring equipment and told us right then and there what we could do. The price was very reasonable. The project was done before he had estimated that it would get started. We ran into a quandary with the output of some of the panels. Within a couple of days Greg figured out what was going on and we were getting more energy.
reviewer01011 | 01/31/2017
Knowledgeable Installers
More than just dedicated, quality solar installers, this team understands all aspects of electrical work and so were able to include a necessary service upgrade as part of the installation.
Physicist | 01/12/2017
Great quality and price
The care an attention to detail starts right from the first time you meet Greg. He comes and takes his power meter up on your roof (if you want a rooftop installation) and can tell you what the obstructions will be and give you a carefully engineered quote. Greg carefully monitors the real, long-term performance of the technology he offers so you don't get some untested thing that might fail or cost you more in the long-term. He also knows the utility and inspection people who you need to put your system on the grid if that is your plan. He handles all of the engineering and permits and makes the job come together right. When all of the engineering and permitting is in place, Greg's crew comes to install the system. John and Bernie are great! They are really careful and know their stuff. They never leave you with a mess or badly done job. They are both thoughtful, smart, really skilled, and do a great job. It amazes how many skills Greg, Bernie, and John all have. They can do everything from designing your system to patching your stucco where new equipment was added. You don't need to worry about some sloppy or incorrectly done job and that is a big worry off my mind We love our new system and even drive our new electric car on all of the power we generate and Select Solar installed our car charger, too! Solar is becoming so cost effective that you may well be able to repay the cost for your system in less than 10 years. If you also power a car (250+ mpg) with your array, your pay-back time can be much shorter, perhaps as little as 3 years. Select Solar are honest; give you a fair quote; do a great job, and deliver what they say. They took a bit longer than estimated but they are worth it.
Discriminating Client | 09/30/2016
Select Solar receives my strongest recommendation
I knew remarkably little about solar systems when I started this process, but Greg explained everything clearly and patiently. He worked with my complicated time frame to find an installation schedule that worked for me. His installers were professional, and the cost of the system quite reasonable. I am thrilled with the result. I would recommend Select Solar to everyone who wants to lower their electricity costs and do their part to support the environment by taking advantage of the sun's abundant energy.
RS1 | 03/27/2016
Great work
Greg was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. I had quotes from other companies and Select Solar was substantially less for what I believe is a very similar quality product. As a local contractor, it was easy for him to come by quickly. No snags during construction. Select Solar took care of everything.
sunbell | 01/30/2016
Select Solar
Most cost effective quote. Install is of high quality and they were good to work with. I recommend them if you are considering putting solar at your home.
JemezFred | NM | 01/29/2016
Excellent, local
So, if I could rate 4.5 stars, I would. Greg and Bernie are great people to work with. I got a good price relative to the other 3 quotes I got from other companies. Greg was on top of a good deal on solar panels manufactured in the US. Workmanship was perfect. Responsiveness excellent. It would not be fair to take away a whole star for how long it took to get my system online because Greg would have had to harass my utility company more and he does not seem to be the harassing type. I finally had to send a mass email to my utility company to get someone to respond with the net meter and get the system working.
janinaandedward | 08/04/2015
Great Job Select Solar
I highly recommend Select Solar. The service was professional, the price was reasonable (lower than many others). Greg delivered all that he said he would. A quality product at reasonable cost. It was a pleasure to do business with SS.
Desertgator | 07/18/2015
Excellent Project Experience
When I decided to install rooftop solar PV, I had the good fortune to have a neighbor who is a nationally recognized authority on alternative energy and who recommended I consider Select Solar as my contractor. Greg has been great to work with throughout the whole process. His pricing was very competitive with the larger companies, he worked with me to overcome some HOA issues, and adapted my installation design to cope with a stringent new requirement of the power company. It was nice to be dealing directly with the head of the company. In my view, Select Solar should be on everyone's bidders list.
RSJ | 07/09/2015
Manhattan Avenue Solar Project
Our contractor, Greg Mechels, was the most professional and knowledgeable of all three contractors we obtained bids from. His bid was also the least expensive. His presentation to us was not a high pressure sales job. We felt very comfortable with him. He was very cordial, honest and extremely well versed about the products. He followed through on all our questions and concerns and took care of all the permitting. We would highly recommend him and his company for your solar project.
2500 Chessman Solar | 06/09/2015
Problems with Elighten Web Reporting System
For about six months we have been getting Enlighten notifications ( ~six per day) that our system was not working properly. I asked Greg for assistance in trouble shooting this issue. He quickly responded and visited our home same week, and moved the reporting device closer to the electrical panels and installed a device to communicate with the reporting unit. The Enlighten notifications have stopped and all is back to normal. Thank you Greg and Select Solar team for excellent support.
Larry St | 04/03/2015
Select Solar - A rare find!
Greg Mechels and crew did a great job for me in installing a five KW ground mounted and grid tied system. There were minimal hassles for me since Greg took care of all permits, inspections, etc. All I had to do was watch them work. The ground mounts are mechanical beauties and so are all the electrical components mounted to my adobe home, a tricky job expertly done. Now I'm watching my power company meter run backwards, Thanks, Greg...!
NewMexicoSun | 10/22/2014
Planning and Installation of Solar PV system
We have had an excellent experience with Select Solar LLC during the planning and installation of our solar PV system. The owner of the company, Greg Mechels, is highly knowledgeable and was very patient and detailed in explaining the planning and installation of our system to us. He himself designed the system, and was instrumental together with one of his employees during the installation of our system. The company also handled the entire permitting and licensing process in a highly professional manner, and kept us informed of the progress during the duration of the project.
Sauerhouse | 06/14/2014
Design and install of a 7.2kw home solar system
We are extremely pleased with the solar system installed by select solar. They we're professional, thorough and they handled all the elements of the design and installation. Exceptional service.
rstrbn | 05/09/2014
Satisfied Customer
Select Solar did a great job installing my solar system. Greg was great to work with and was very helpful through the process. He helped with the tax refund documents and was very helpful on all the information to install the system. When the Solar Panel company that we were going to use went out of business he gave me the option to change suppers if I wanted. There were some complicating issues outside his control which pushed out our constructions schedule (county permits, etc), but it didn't delay the project long. Again, I am very happy with the solar installation and I highly recommend Select Solar. :)
CheerfulMonk | NM | 05/06/2014
very satisfied
Greg handled the entire project from the specifications, procurement, installation and debugging in a friendly and professional manner. The system worked perfectly on start up and we were very pleased.
ChipNM | 05/05/2014
Excellent job, system works great!
Greg and the crew at Select Solar LLC did a fine job on our system. We got several estimates and were most comfortable with Greg's knowledge of the process and the specific electrical aspects of our system. He followed through with the permitting, completed our job on time and on budget, assisted us with the Federal and State rebate process, and is able to remotely check our system on an ongoing basis. We very highly recommend Select Solar LLC.
LAsolar | 05/05/2014
great local business
Select Solar is very knowledgeable about various solar system options and county building code requirements. They put all my paperwork together that was needed to send to the state and fed for the tax refunds so all i had to do was mail it in. Communication was always clear and they kept me up to date throughout the process. They have a friendly and courteous staff and showed up to my home when they said they would be there. Most of all, the quality of their work could not be any better.
Sully | 04/27/2014
SATISFIED SANTA FE CUSTOMER
I was very happy with the installation of our residential PV system by Greg Mechels of Select Solar.The panels, inverter and infrastructure have operated trouble free for since 2007. The work was done on time and at the quoted cost. The work site was cleaned completely when Greg and his crew completed the job. Additionally Mr Mechels was always happy to provide answers to any questions we had about the new system. I was entirely pleased with the project and would not hesitate to recommend Select Solar.
Bear | 04/24/2014
Robert Hand
Very knowledgeable,courteous,prompt and high quality products, always willing to help out over the phone or in person,always follows through even after the work is done,
solarfan | 04/23/2014
4.8 kW solar roof panel
I did not give top mark for "On Schedule" but that was totally beyond contractor's control. There were software issues with Tigo at their end and they were slow to recognize this problem. The installer persisted in making Tigo fix their software and I am very impressed with the resolution. Actually in the first install everything was on schedule. On adding capacity there were a lot of issues apart from Tigo and the contrator handled it beautifully. At a lot of extra time on his part. I was so impressed I also tasked the contractor with additional work, like undercounter LED lights in my kitchen and garage LED. My general contractor who extensively remodeled my property was so impressed with these features that when I walk around town people approach me and mention my general contractor telling them about these installations.
Go Solar in Los Alamos, NM | 04/21/2014
Excellent solar installation from Select Solar
Select solar did an very nice job in bidding our installation, estimating the correct size of the array based on our needs, and assembling and integrating it neatly with our electrical box. Of particular interest to me was the way they dealt efficiently with our local regulators who were in the process of establishing new guidelines, and I greatly appreciated the knowledge they demonstrated of the available tax rebates and IRS reporting requirements. The cost was as-bid with no surprises. As a side note, they were just very tidy and conscientious, and it showed in all aspects of the job. I even came home while they were doing a wall penetration in the attic and saw that they'd taken off their shoes to go up stairs. We've had a number of other contractors work on our house for various reasons, and no one has ever been that considerate.
KSWiley | 04/21/2014
Excellent and Expert Service
Even though Select Solar Is a small firm, we went with Select Solar over much larger companies, because of Greg's expertise and hands-on management of the installation. Greg was involved from the sales process through final inspections and completion of paperwork for the tax credit. Greg, who is both a technical expert and the installer, gave us an informed and comprehensive view of the project at the initial stage. Because Greg does most of the work himself, with only a helper, it takes Select Solar a little longer, but that's more than made up for by the quality of the work.
Jemez | 04/18/2014
1040 Sioux system
Great work from start to finish Everything was covered.
Wiley | 04/17/2014
Happy Happy Customer
Select Solar installed my 2 kW system in the Spring of 2013 and I couldn't be happier with the system and the overall service! Before picking Select Solar, I received quotes from 3 northern New Mexico companies. The first thing that noticed with Select Solar is that I didn't feel like I was dealing with a car salesman. I did feel like Select Solar seemed concerned with designing a system that would work best for me and very concerned with answering all of my questions. PLUS, their prices were lower! I was a little hesitant to go with a smaller solar company that isn't as established, but I am so glad that I did. Installation went off without a hitch. Select Solar was great with dealing with Los Alamos county and their complicated inspection/hook-up rules. Select Solar also made sure that I was happy with everything when the job was done and made it clear that I should call if I ever had any questions or concerns. Overall, the experience with Select Solar was excellent!!!!