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Navin | McKinney, Texas | 01/08/2025
"Good Experience"
We recently had the solar panel system installed by Solar SME, and we are happier with the entire experience. From the initial consultation with Noman Mehmood. Noman took time to truly listen to our needs and concerns and provided valuable insights and guidance. The consultation was informative and left me feeling confident about the solar system we got. Their team was professional and knowledgeable. The installation process was seamless and efficient, with minimal disruption to our daily lives. We highly recommend Solar SME to anyone considering solar power. They are a trustworthy and reliable company. Navin T
Jeff Apel | Annandale, Virginia | 10/22/2024
Absolutely avoid until their communication process is fixed
Here’s a detailed account of the many issues I encountered. They are currently denying any sort of compensation for their "home backup system" that lasts for 3-5 hours with basic home use. Management: The project management was an absolute disaster. Our initial project manager was completely incompetent, causing delays and providing incorrect information many times. It took three weeks for him to send a simple email, significantly delaying the project. Even after being reassigned to Erik, who was more responsive, it was clear that the entire organization suffers from severe disorganization, due to much of the operation being run offshore. Installation: The only redeeming part of my experience with SolarSME was the installation team—Mohammed, Rakan, and Jose. They were punctual, polite, and hardworking, deserving five stars. Their professionalism was a stark contrast to the rest of the experience. Timeline: The process from our initial discussion to installation dragged on from February to July. Some delays were due to our additional requests for a battery and car charger, the majority of the delay was due to the incompetence of the initial project manager and the company's disorganization. Car Charger: The car charger installation was another headache, complicated by our home’s layout and HOA regulations. Although the team eventually got it installed, the process was far from smooth. The initial project manager suggested running an extension cord over a public sidewalk to charge our car—an utterly unacceptable and unsafe solution. The charger works and I have no complaints there, but I had to assist with the installation and purchase over $200 worth of equipment of my own to help. Battery: This is where the experience falls apart. The sales team failed to do their due diligence, leading to a severely underpowered battery system. We expected a full home backup but instead get a mere 3-5 hours of usage. This forces us to rely on the grid at night, and the solar during the day is wasted recharging the battery instead of covering our usage. In July, our electric bill was over $80—barely less than befor. The situation was further aggravated when "Ryan" tried to charge us more to move the battery AFTER it was installed, despite the placement being clearly outlined and agreed upon beforehand. Their proposed "solution" to reduce our battery capacity to 40-50% is baffling. Financials: The total cost of the system was ~$52,000, which we financed with a 30-year loan. Our payments, before tax credits, are ~$280 a month—on top of our existing power bill. We ARE STILL GETTING A HUGE BILL with no real improvement in our energy independence. Turninghat was supposed to be a cost-saving investment into a financial burden. Additional Notes: Battery Issues: We are still waiting for a service call to get our battery running again. Bait-and-Switch Tactics: We were told a 17 kWh Panasonic system, but this was swapped to a SolaX system with little U.S. support and a poorly functioning app. Poor Logistics: We had nearly 2,000 pounds of solar panels stored in our living room and kitchen for over a month due to delays in installation. They should have been responsible for storage. Final Thoughts: As someone who runs a million-dollar service business, I believe in delivering what the client paid for. In rare cases where we fail, we go out of our way to make it right. SolarSME, however, expects the client to bear the burden of their failures and act as their own project manager. In summary, SolarSME has made our household bills higher and our daily lives significantly more inconvenient. I cannot recommend them—avoid SolarSME at all costs.
Bill Deady | Fancy Gap, Virginia | 08/28/2024
Enphase Gateway failed and problem corrected.
My system had a problem with my Enphase Gateway on my SME solar power system. It prevented my being able to get any information about how my system was operating. I contacted Compliance Supervisor, Faris Atal and he ensured that the issue would be corrected. A new IQ Gateway CR PCB was sent to me via Fed Ex and Faris contracted a local Electrician to remove old circuit board and install and dedicate the new one. The fix went well and the system is back in service again. Thank you Faris.
Chris Schuster | Herndon, Virginia | 08/28/2024
Quick resolution to issue
Roman did a good job quickly resolving my issue.
gbeck | Wayne, Pennsylvania | 07/26/2024
Good pricing, fairly quick to respond to questions
SolarSME offered me the best value of any of the companies that gave me quotes. With one brief exception (during transition of project managers), they've also been good at responding to questions. I worked with Johan for awhile (he coordinated install), and am now talking with Roman, who's been helpful in answering questions and offering continued support. My system was installed successfully by IHE (who partnered with SolarSME in my state of PA), and I had one battery issue where Enphase came out to correct, otherwise things have been running smoothly.
Steve C. | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 06/24/2024
Bad Panel
One panel began going bad in December. Faris oversaw the process for getting a RMD approved by Panasonic and then getting a local electrician to install. While it took many months for Panasonic to authorize replacement, Faris stayed in touch to get the job done.
james | Cooper, Texas | 06/12/2024
Best people to deal with
I've been working with Faris and had an issue where my system had to be shut down. Faris was on the ball and had me back up and working without a hiccup. Great people to work with. They listen and respond in a very timely manner. Very glad I went with these guys.
BD | The Colony, Texas | 06/07/2024
Excellent service!!
Got NEXT day service to fix circuit breaker for my existing solar system installed through Solar SME. I worked with Roman who communicated with me throughout the process.
Sebastian | Stuart, Virginia | 05/31/2024
Warranty repair done, thank you!
Thank you Roman and crew for taking care of a cable issue with my install.
Arthur | Bensalem, Pennsylvania | 04/20/2024
Terrible service
Nothing about this experience with SME was good. The managers would be incommunicado for weeks. The time awaiting installation was too extensive. The deliveries of the parts was confused. The installation was incomplete. A line for the internet connection was not connected. After about two years, the system shut down and complaints to SME went unanswered to this day.
