Solar Energy Solutions, LLC

Some good things and some major frustrations

Overall, the staff is generally good to work with. We are now 3 1/2 months post project completion and there are some significant frustrations. 1) The inverter does not notify when it shuts itself down. If you are not actively monitoring output several times daily, you won't know. This has happened to us three times. Apparently SES doesn't receive a notification of a system failure either. In each instance, they were unaware of our problem until I called in and asked about it. Most recently we were out of town on vacation and I didn't catch it until the third day. I called in and was told the inverter had a bad switch. Today is day 12 with no solar production, awaiting a new part. 2) If the inverter shuts itself down, I can't restart it. I have to call in to SES and wait for a tech who is free to do that remotely. In today's world of electronic devices these things seem crazy to me. The inverter should notify me of an error. I should be able to login and troubleshoot myself, to a degree. 3) During installation they dropped a ladder against my window screen, tearing the screen. The crew tried to repair it but the repair fell apart. Ultimately, I took it to a window/screen shop and had it done professionally. SES did reimburse for the repair. The crew also drilled an extra set of holes in my roof which apparently they didn't need. There are two large black spots of patching material clearly visible above the panels. On the bright side, the panels have been producing 15%-20% more than projected in the proposal. The system will not pay for itself in my lifetime. I'm too old for that. I am very much pro-environment and was willing to make an investment in the future of the earth. I really wanted to love solar, but after all is said and done I regret this decision and would discourage anyone from considering it. It has become an expensive and frustrating hobby.