Solar SME - DUPE

Great Support Throughout the Process

Despite some issues with a local subcontractor, the initial Project Manager, Andre Leon, and Technical Support Officer, Akil Dabir, were always responsive and helpful throughout the process and worked to keep us on track and get us live as soon as possible. The process was otherwise seamless and we are happy with the installation, project cost/value, and financing Solar SME arranged. SolarSME were transparent, fair and forthright throughout the process, and did everything they could to get us up and running as quickly as possible, and we are happy with the end result.

Best value and very responsive team

We chose SolarSME after researching and getting quotes from a dozen other solar companies. The team was always prompt and responsive in addressing any queries we had be it through emails or phone calls. We finally got Solar panels installed and up and running for almost a month now. Love the app too to monitor panel's energy production.

Great experience

Had a great experience, everything was completed in a timely manner. Emir was great. My PTO was granted in a quarter of the time that my neighbors took. Tks

This had been quite a long process, however, my new solar system is very powerful in terms of power output. Panels look great on my roof. I had been approached by several solar companies and I chose SolarSME because the Google solar reviews of other customers. Their reviews seemed to be a step above every other solar company. During the installation, SolarSME contracted Hannah Solar out of Atlanta. These guys did a terrific job installing all the panels, the inverter and showed me how to use the SolarEdge app to monitor my new power source. I also got to interact with Joseph and the owner of Hannah Solar. Terrific guys! There were some challenges along the way, such as delays, a Solar edge inverter problem but, as with anything, there’s always a challenge or two. I rate a company based on how they respond to problems. That’s why I gave SolarSME 5 stars. I can be extremely demanding of people and with all the pressure I put on them, they performed at a very high level. They were calm, incredibly responsive and took care of any issues in a rapid manner. Farris in compliance was highly competent and slayed a problem we had with an inverter and he hustled to get it resolved without taking his foot off the gas pedal. Mario also did great follow up work and remained calm and responsive and, in the end, got it done. I’m completely confident I’m in good hands and, at this exact moment, my solar panels are creating 10kw. Well done SolarSME Team!

Smooth installation

Solar SME was fantastic throughout the entire process. They handled all of the permitting and paperwork. Supplies were very timely and the crew was efficient. My project manager Andre communicated with me very clearly during every step to ensure I knew what was needed and what was next. I've been very happy with my choice in solar installation.

Overall satisfied

The system itself is working great, the design and permiting process went smoothly, and everyone at Solar SME that I interacted with is responsive and professional. The install work was completed by a subcontractor, and due to local inspection requirements they needed to be onsite a total of three times - once for initial install, and twice for code compliance issues. Occasionally the communication during this period was a little vague. The compliance issues and final approval took several weeks to resolve, but I'm overall satisfied with the result.

SolarSME eventually delivered on what was promised. It was a difficult journey to get there as my project manager had difficulty following through with what he promised. Other staff had to step in and finish the job. Ultimately I was delivered what I was sold but it took some unnecessary struggle.

System works great and cost what we were quoted. Post-install support from Akil has been good for the limited problems we've experienced (mostly failing optimizers). Most other problems were with our local energy provider, or coordination with local electricians.

Very Good experience

It took about 3 months for the Solar panels installation. The whole process was pretty smooth with guidance and updates being provided by Solar SME at every step. They took care of all the approvals. Andre Leon who worked with me from start to the end was always quick to respond to any questions and was very helpful. I would definitely recommend them.

We recently finished our solar project with Solar SME and are very amazed and satisfied with the company and project in totality. We had gotten a solar quote from a door to door salesman of a different company, but decided to do some research and get other quotes to compare. Josh was our salesman, and he took the time to answer my questions, laying out technical specs and helping compare the system they designed to the competition. I never felt pressured into a sale, and Josh was very helpful in explaining some of the discounts and offers they had. Next, we worked with Henry our project manager. He worked quickly and was amazing with communication at every step along the way. He also helped to quickly replace a panel that was damaged in transit. Thanks to Henry and his management, the project was finished ahead of schedule. Our installers were very punctual, and respectful. Overall, we are very happy with the end result and thankful for the team at Solar SME for completing our solar project! We have been recommending them to our neighbors who have been curious about our new panels! Thank you Solar SME!!!!

Solar SME project a success with Cyril as Rep

I selected solar SME for my solar panel project. Everything progressed quickly and smoothly until final inspection by the county. It turns out that the previous home owner made some shady and out of code modifications to the electrical system that needed to be resolved before panels could get permitted to operate, PTO. At the time of the initial inspection, I specifically asked if the existing system was adequate for the pending installation and I was assured it OK. To be fair there was no problem with the Solar SME work but I felt misled and was facing additional costs to correct the previous owners work before the panels could be used. I was frustrated and quite mad. The problems were very obvious according to the county inspector and I should have been informed at the beginning of the project not at the end. In spite of my attitude, my project manager Cyril put up with my anger and kept pressing to get everything completed and operational to my satisfaction. Everything now is turned on and working well. Each day I check my power generation (hoping for sunny days) and my electric usage on nearly every day is less than the power I am sending back to the utility (negative electric bill). So, in total I’m satisfied with Solar SME but they get 5 stars only because of Cyril (ask for Cyril as your rep).

We chose SME to install our solar panel system after reviewing options available from EnergySage. The project began in June of 2022. My project manager was Areej Yousaf. There were a number of steps that were required for completion. The panels were installed on the garage roof and the generated electric power was routed through a sub panel. After the initial proposal was made I elected to add additional panels for potential additional future needs. Getting permit approval had delays with some minor changes. Initially I was told that projects take 12-16 weeks to complete however with the permit delays now 20 weeks out from the start I had to put a hold on the project due to a 3 month overseas need. Once the permits were obtained however delivery of supplies and instillation went very well and was completed in April 2023. The final Permission to operate and a change in the power company electric meter took another 5 weeks. In June of 2023 the project was finally completed and operational. The biggest frustration was the difference in time estimates for completion of the project. I was very pleased with the services I received from SME. They were always available by email or phone. I was kept up to date with the status of the project. The few changes that occurred were appropriately handled. I don't know how the time delays could have been managed differently. Perhaps there were nuances that a local company may have handled differently but there is no way to know that.

Installation of solar panels

The crew that carried out the installation were very professional, hard-working and respectful. They did a great job.

Great Job!

I chose this company for solar as they were local to my area. Areej was my project manager and did a great job at walking me through the whole process. There were minor delays but were taken care of. I started the process at the end of January and they completed mid May.

Great Company that Delivered Quality Product/Service

This review is on Solar SME, the service they rendered and the performance of my system. The physical installer Solar SME contracted was amazing. They were respectful, efficient and did very clean work. They damaged some drywall, and that was fixed (perfectly) in a couple days. A few months later, I had a leak, and this was fixed in 4 days, again, perfectly. Ricardo Dylan and Ruben Kian both were very helpful in getting my leak resolved quickly. Ruben was also extremely helpful following the installation in getting the interconnection agreement finalized and keeping me informed. The system has been operational for nearly 5 months, and despite unusually cloudy weather, my production rate is very close to the rated production for each month (https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/) and WELL above the warranty production. I am a nerdy engineer - I have done extensive data analysis on the system and average weather for my area, and calculate that in an average year, my production will be higher than the designed amount assuming no losses (which of course is a bad assumption, especially compared to the first few months of operation). Solar SME was one of the least expensive quotes I got with some of the highest-rated hardware. I was skeptical - they delivered and I am completely satisfied. Was the experience perfect? No. The process took far longer than originally estimated (about 3 extra months). The delays were two-fold and neither the fault of Solar SME. 1) Panels originally quoted were unavailable due to global supply chain issues and the design/contract had to be re-done. 2) CenterPoint took a LONG time to approve the interconnection agreement application. Solar SME could have done a better job explaining what was going on to me - but this complaint is not enough to lose a star. When I complained to them at the time, they assigned me a new project manager who was much better with the communication.

How can a company be so worst

A company full of lazy and unresponsive people. They do not listen and do not response either. Took almost forever for entire process of installation. Debris left all over place after installation. The heavy big pallets and bars still lying in garage which you can not even move by yourself. Even after several reminders, no action by Sam or Denis or Ayran. Before installation, they gave guarantee that they will make sure system is working with full potential. But they never cared about how system is performing. Upon informing them about issue with one panel which never produced as other others, they told to speak to Sunnova which is also pathetic. Stay away from them if you do not want to go through frustration and disappointment.

Leaking Roofs, Bad panel placement, No response.

We are group of 12 friends went with this company and at least 4 homes roof got damaged and leaking. No post install inspection done for roof condition. Plastic straps (atleast 100) left on my roof and clogged my rain drain pipe. Requested multiple time to inspect the roof and panel placement but 0 response. The panel placement is disaster. I have space to fit more panels on south, But, they installed most of the panels on East, which are less productive.

Unresponsive installer

Terrible experience with this solar installer It took several months after signing to eventually get the installer to work on the home and installation quality if very poor. They have installed solar for several homes in my neighborhood and most of the homes have roof leaks due to shoddy and bad installation process. Debris is left on the roof after the job. Required several follow ups to have the left over material cleaned up after installation was done. Denis and Sam at solar SME have left us disappointed many times during this process Referral bonus was not processed in spite of several follow ups. Don't have any confidence left that they will be able to follow through on warranty requests going forward

Fabulous job, better support!..

Ruben Kian and the team at Solar SME did a fabulous job on our system. Very responsive to difficult situations and always there for us. Highly recommended...

Great installation and better support!!

Ruben Kian and the team at Solar SME did a fabulous job on our system. Very responsive to difficult situations and always there for us. Highly recommended...

Very smooth process and installation

I had a great experience with Solar SME. After researching many companies, I chose Solar SME, they were highly recommended on Energy Sage. My experience was as it was described by many reviewers. My project manager was Mario Azar and he did fantastic job on keeping me updated at every stage. I signed the agreement on December 1st 2022 and Solar panels were installed and producing energy on March 7th 2023. I would certainly recommend Solar SME to anyone who is interested installing Solar panels.

Conscientious service

Solar SME took care of us very well. Our liaison, Dan Marino, kept me in the loop. A long time passed between original agreement signing and installation, but I was confident they were assuring that all permitting and agreements were finalized before actual installation. Installation, then, was very quick, less than two days, and there are no loose ends. Thank you.

Easy to work with and very responsive

Zen Harlem of Solar SME was very easy to work with as I dug into the state residential building code with him during the planning stages to maximize production and minimizing building code offsets. No matter how many changes I made and questions that I had about the types of inverters/panels available and the layout, Zen worked with me and answered all my questions to ensure that I was satisfied. Once the plan was submitted for approvals and permits, they were approved without a hitch on the first go around at every step. As with all major projects there were a few glitches, but Solar SME always responded immediately and made it right and quickly, too. In one instance, after the materials had been received and the installers showed up, it was found that the wrong tilt supports for the north roof had been shipped with the materials. Zen immediately responded by shipping the correct parts overnight to keep the project going. Solar SME's subcontractor for the project was also top notch and also very responsive. After installation completion and once the PTO from the power company was issued, I discovered that a couple of items were missing for monitoring production which was needed for the subcontractor to commission the system. The response time to get the parts over to me and for the rep to show up onsite to get the system online was same day!! If there's one thing I'd have to say about Solar SME, it's that they were always available at every step of the project and this was instrumental for timely completion.

Glad to Go Solar

I used EnergySage.com to collect 5 quotes for my residential solar panel project in PA. The transparency EnergySage provides is unsurpassed. The standardized process meant the 5 quotes were really easy to compare and I was shielded from numerous duplicative sales calls. I highly recommend using EnergySage.com for your residential solar project too! Solar SME was one of the five providers to bid for my project. They weren't the cheapest, but I selected Solar SME for a follow up call because I was drawn to the quality of equipment included in their quote. In particular, they use industry leading EverVolt panels by Panasonic with an efficiency rating of 21.2% and end of warranty guaranteed production of 92% in 25 years. Those numbers were meaningfully superior to the other 4 quotes EnergySage had obtained on my behalf. My follow up call with Ray Conner gave me the confidence to proceed. Ray's presentation was very clear and very compelling. He is a true subject matter expert. He had all of the facts at his finger tips, and answered all of my questions to my satisfaction. He also added a rebate to help make the quote from Solar SME even more compelling. I'll update this review as my project progresses, but so far, so good! I'm very excited to being going solar! *** Update ***: my project went live today and I love the app which shows how much power I generated. Much thanks to Emir Kemal from Solar SME who guided me through the entire process with patience and skill. He was consistently responsive and helpful. 5 stars!

Envoy IQ not reporting due to change in Internet provider

I sent an email reporting the condition. The email went unanswered for several days. I then called and left a VM with Support. Got the call back from the project manager (whose name was Faris Atal) and got instructions to restore service. Everything works again now!