Semper Solaris

Roof, solar panels, and battery install

Semper seems to be competent. They are severely disconnected within their organization so be prepared to be the go-between contact to hold all their components together. They are difficult to contact, have poor follow through, unless it has to do with collecting money. They are capable in that regard. Generally, I would recommend them as honest, but very frustrating as they expect the customer to tell them who has been in contact and what was said. I gave them three chances on three different projects, and that is the end of the experiment. Too bad, I think they have some decent elements, but not enough and a really negative experience from a communication perspective.

Great at first; then poor job completion

Planning and installation were fast and efficient. BUT my reason for getting solar was that I have ordered an all electric car, so the plan was always to have an EV outlet. Semper STILL have not returned to fit that, 2 months after the initial installation and when I call them I get a total run around ("needed to reapply for a permit" or "job was wrongly marked as having been completed"). Which excuse is it? And now they are saying another 2-4 weeks. A friend who used a different company had her solar and EV outlet all installed together. Why couldn't Semper do that, too?

Not Dependable

My husband & I purchased a Semper Solar System & signed the financial paperwork on 08/12/22. After Semper Solaris did the Application for SMUD, which was Approved 11/03/22. SMUD had been waiting for “Inverter Function Settings” with no response starting 11/3/22 through 03/02/23. My husband & I had to get a hold of SMUD Solar Team beginning 12/19/22 to find out the status of getting SMUD to install the Solar Meter to get things finished. SMUD was still waiting on Semper Solaris to provide “Inverter Function Settings” to SMUD since 11/03/22 through 3/08/23. When we had contacted the office in Sacramento, calls were not returned. We finally decided to contact the “Corporate Office for Semper Solaris” 3/02/23 who ended up getting the reading sent to SMUD that was needed by SMUD. The readings were updated on 3/08/23. “SMUD Solar Team” came out to Inspect & install Power Production Meter 3/24/23. SMUD had to wait 4 months and 3 weeks on “Semper Solaris Solar” to provide them with the information needed to finish our project. Once Semper Solaris received their money for the solar we purchased, it seemed they putting us on the back burner. We are the ones that had to get in contact with SMUD & the Corporate Office of Semper Solaris we were trying to find out what was being done to complete our project. For our Solar we purchased on 08/12/22, took a total of 7 ½ months to finally be completed. If you ask us, that is way too long to keep your customers waiting. If I had to do it over again, I would not choose Semper Solaris.

Don't be "victim" of their "Learning process"

Where to begin? I will keep it simple. After researching several companies, we went with Semper Solaris. They talked a good game, and sure know how to present themselves to get you behind their mission statement. Well, what should have been a job accomplished in no more than 3 visits in less than a month took 11 visits and several months. It started with the system not producing as promised. This resulted in a crew coming out and replacing some faulty equipment. In so doing, they found workmanship errors from the first crew they had to repair. Well, withotu boring you, I would find an error (inverter computer not communicating, all panels not registering, weather tight junction boxes NOT being weather tight) and each time a crew came out, they also found other errors from prior repair teams that I had been unaware of. After 11 visits over multiple months, the system finally seems to be working right. NOW, we get to management. At one point upper management was fully admitting the errors were all due to poor communication and poor management at a branch level and that I was a "victim" in this "learning process". Supposedly the entire local maagement team that handled my case was replaced. However, shortly after this point, corporate management essentially did a 180 telling me that the errors were all 'cosmetic' only, the system worked as designed since the day it was turned on, and that basically I shouldbe happy that after paying them upfront I should be happy they FINALLY figured it out and got it working right. When I pointed out that the system most surely had NOT operated to specs the day it was turned on and took several visits to function at full cpacity, their answer was 'We are not responsible for that as it was the parts supplied to us by our vendor that failed'. WHAT?? I, as a consumer, did not choose this vendor or parts! YOU did. I paid you for the project, you installed the parts, and you are who came out when the failed to function. I paid you, Semper Solaris, you ARE responsible to the consumer for the failing of your contracted vendors parts. Well, at least my neighbors saw with their own eyes the fiasco of working with Semper Solaris, and are steering away from working with them. The only reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1 is beacuse at least now the system is finally working right, but what a long and tiring road to get here. Steer clear unless you enjoy long painful projects and needing to ride a company to the very end to make sure they do what they say they will.

Still looking at black tarp 6 mos. later

Semper installed our Enphase Battery Solar system in February 2024, and it is now the end of June and I am still looking at a large black tarp where Semper left it as they promised to repair roof tiles on my home. They have stopped answering my calls and have even blocked my access to their social media accounts.

Lack of accountability

The solar panels were installed 3 months ago however the company has not been able to get the city’s approval because according to the information I got today after several calls , the city has my single family home as an apartment. I had tried to communicate with anybody by phone to ask what I have to do to resolve this inconvenient but it has not been possible.