Solar SME - DUPE

Great start and finish

This review is for the initial experience of the quoting/proposal stage. We just signed the contract and are starting the process. So far so good. Solar SME’s initial proposal was sound and their response to my initial modification request was quick and accurate. Their combination of equipment, guarantee and price one the day. They weren’t the absolute cheapest but the combination of factors provided the best overall. Ray Conner (my consultant) was quick and concise. Not too much fluff or pressure update post install and operation: Solar SME was easy to work with, delivered what they said they would in a timely manner. Michael the project manager was to the point, got the job done and has been very responsive to a couple of service inquiries after install. The construction lead (Frank I believe) was outstanding in his communication and work ethic.

No Issues and Solar is Up and Running

I went with Solar SME as they offered a strong warranty, provided the panels I was looking for, and had good pricing. I also appreciated the detailed quote and breakdown of expected performance that was supplied. My Project Manager for the installation was Rick Hendrick. While there was some initial communication issues, everything including permits from the City and Utility Company were delivered without any issues. Terry was my installer and he and his team did a great job with the installation and cleanup. I appreciated them taking their time to explain the different aspects of the system and electrical. They also rode out of their way to pick up the rail system which was delayed by FedEx in shipping. The only issue we have is one with a configuration with the electric measurement used by our home which should be fixed shortly by a follow up visit. Easily resolved and no major issues.

A new member of the Green Team!

Solar SME was very informative and helpful to get the best set up of solar panels for my home. Rick Hendrick, my project manager, was great with getting permits processed and setting up my installation. The entire process took about three months, just as planned. I am excited to have joined the green team and the use of solar panels! This is only the first month and I am looking forward to seeing the change in my electric bills. My one complaint is that I am still waiting on the completion of all rebates that were promised in the proposal.

Great to not great getting back to great!

We have had our panels for over a year now. We recently have had some connection issues with some of the panels. After two attempts it was finally repaired and after many attempts to get a response from the team they are finally responding in a timely manner. They have some work to do on their support processes but everyone I have dealt with there has been very nice and kind. On this last attempt David helped me and he was very responsive. Also the last contractor they sent to repair was excellent so they are a three star heading to a five. Hopefully I won’t need any more support. I do love my solar panels and the system they provide to monitor it!!

I found SolarSME through EnergySage and I am super happy with the end result! Sales: I felt that the package, warranty, equipment, and price were all the best fit. I worked with Ray Conner and couldn't say anything negative about the experience. He spent over an hour on our initial consultation appointment, thoroughly answering all my questions, never rushing me off the phone or to the next topic. He was the most honest of the sales people I talked to with one notable exception (see cons below). Very attentive and quick to respond to emails, but he balanced this well with not seeming super pushy either. He gave me time and respect to consider other options while not blowing up my phone with texts and calls and emails. Project: Rick, the project manager, has been wonderful and responsive all the way through the process. He took care of the plans, home inspection, permitting, and install. Their affiliates (inspector/installers, etc) have been super efficient and friendly. From the date that my contract was signed to the date my panels were installed was roughly 15 weeks. Just awaiting final building inspection. Can't wait to get the permission to operate and get the system switched on. Cons: -They subcontracted the work out despite saying it is their installers and that they have local warehouses. Maybe they do their own installs locally to Texas but I'm in PA. I do not feel this affected the job quality or scheduling but I would have respected the honesty approach more. -They asked me to store the panels in my garage before installation. Minor inconvenience, but I'm sure this also saved me on the project cost. -Both Sales and the project team were kind of desperate for reviews, but again, maybe saved in overall cost if they can do higher volume of business.

Solar SME a professional solar energy installer integrator

SOLAR SME came vetted by a providing service to a neighbor of mine. The sales person was willing to work with me to tailor the system to my requirements. Being in South Texas HVAC is a critical feature during the summer, but the initial assumption that a single battery could provide backup proved incorrect. Unlike other professional service providers the sales team remained honest with me and did not sell me a system that would not work. The engineering / project delivery team was likewise professional and thorough. There is a lag at times in communication but they have been a good vendor to date.

Solar subject matter expert - TRUE

Solar SME is a subject matter expert on solar panels, installation, permits, warranty, and service. At every step they worked for mutual satisfaction and exemplified being customer driven. I found them to be reasonable and to live up to their word and commitments. I highly recommend Solar SME. My system is set to produce ~25,000 kWh per year with south and west facing panels totaling 51 REC solar panels with Enphase micro inverters.

Great Job

David Adams, my coordinator did a great job from initial set up through installation. The contractor team was extremely professional and personable. Could not ask for a better experience for such a complex matter.

Great Product, Good Experience and Good Price

Ray the sales guy did a great job in helping me understand every detail of their product and how it was better than his competitors. He also worked with me to get the price just right. He offered me two of the best financing options from all the competitors. He did a great job explaining to me every line of the contract I was signing. Wish their roof warranty was better (only two years) but only two other companies offer a better roof warranty (25 years). I ended choosing Solar SME because they offered a superior system at a very reasonable price (Panasonic panels with Enphase microinverters). After signing the contract, I was contacted by the installation project manager Rick who immediately took care of site inspections, permits with the city and HOA, plus Duke Energy agreements and rebates. Installation was quick, clean and done in one day. After Duke change the meter, Rick help me start the system and ensure the system and app were working appropriately. Overall a great experience!

Perfect work!

We're really happy we chose Solar SME for the project and got Rick as an engineer! He was courteous, explained everything in details, gently lead us through the process with all the paperwork, approvals, hardware and software setup, so the actually complex project became nice and easy. The system was pretty carefully and precisely designed, works as a charm! Thank you, Rick, for all your care!

Quick/effective/competitive/warranty, but thirsty for reviews

Quite aggressive sales/very competitive pricing. They met their timeline for installation, getting things turned on did take a bit longer than expected 50/50 on them (not paying for the new meter), and the power company (taking a long time to install the meter after I paid for it). You'd be hardpressed to find a cheaper supplier, and the 25-year parts AND labor warranty are FANTASTIC! My reason for the 4 star was due to the "used car salesmen" level of pushiness for the sale and reviews and that I had to pay the meter fee which held up turning things on.

Very thorough and responsive!

This process went better than I could've imagined. Alex and Brian helped me in everyway. I know I asked several questions and even discussed the different layouts of the panels. Alex and Brian were patient and very responsive to any question I had! The panels are installed and I couldn't be happier!! Thanks Solar SME!

Good experience

I was quoted by SolarSME and ended up taking their bid. Michael was my POC for the project and was there every step of the way if I had questions or concerns. The install, or lag time between signing paperwork and getting everything turned on took longer than I expected but it was still completed and as quoted. In fact it was a little cheaper so I am happy. I would recommend this company to anyone looking for solar panels.

Bar none best solar company in Houston

They were thorough, attentive and very engaged throughout the entire process. They may not be the cheapest but at the end of the day they were the best choice and came in under all of the other cheaper choices anyway. Professional throughout, and would recommend to anyone looking to have solar panels installed.

Solar SME - Truly a Subject Matter Expert

We wanted to install solar panels for a number of years but each time we reached out to solar installers, it was always a typical sales pitch. Having about 8-10 quotes with a significantly wide range of quotes only made the matter worse until I was approached by Solar SME. Omar was the very first person I spoke with at Solar SME. Not only Omar worked with me to explain the whole installation process but went above and beyond to make sure I was completely satisfied with every question he answered. Additionally, he was very patient while offering me various quotes with various brands of solar panels. Once we finalized the panels, the project manager, Henry, was just as kind and patient during the entire installation process. Henry was literally just a call away each time I had a question or needed a project status update. He has patiently worked with me and at times it appeared that he even responded to my queries during his time off. On the day of the installation, the installation team was right on time and completed the installation without us realizing it. The entire installation team was true professionals. They completed the installation in about 5 hours and left the premises completely clean. I want to thank the entire Solar SME team for staying on top of the project, updating with correct information, and completing the project in a timely manner. I will be sure to recommend you to everyone I know.

Awesome Experience!!! 100% Recommended

We are so glad we decided on Solar SME. No one could beat their prices and Rick Hendrick was great to deal with. He was able to complete a 3 month project in 2 months and the actual install was only one day. He went above our expectations for this project. He kept us up to date on all steps of the project. Walked us through parts we did not understand. He more or less held our hand through the entire process. We cannot say enough about his professional and exceptional service. We just want to say Thank You to Rick and Solar SME. You guys are AWESOME!!!!

Competitive

Did a great job. Took a little longer than I like but, I guess it mostly because of the pandemic. I really appreciate them not trying to price gouge me and didn’t try to pressure me into buying. Just make sure that you request they install all CT’s if Enphase install so you can see what is exported and imported.

Good Product

The system installed is good and the installers were excellent. The only drawback was dealing with the contract manager. He was able to get the install done when he said He would but did not know much about the monitoring software. Asked several times if the monitoring software would show me my usage and he said it would. Needless to say it does not but does show me how much it’s making. Good product and it’s working great so far.

Great company to work with!

Solar SME has been a great partner to work on with this project - they're super prompt with getting back to you and very in the loop as far as where you stand with getting financing. The option they offered completely fit our goals at the outset. Updated after project completion: Installation was great. There were some minor logistical difficulties, related to FedEx only delivering to curbside and our residence being a townhouse. Even that though got resolved quickly by Solar SME sending the panel installers to put the panels up. There was a bit of a delay between panel and electrical work BUT I 100% accept that and I appreciate that the delay was caused by Solar SMEs dedication to both quality installation work AND crew safety. Rushing a project like this isn't good for either of those things. I am 100% happy with the production levels we're getting. Our usual electric bill of close to 100 was 7.14 this month. We were able to run our AC without importing grid energy while doing so. I have no reservations about highly recommending Solar SME.

Awesome experience with the Acct Manager at Solar SME”

I chose to purchase my Solar from Solar SME after a lot of research. During this time, I had an acct manager assigned to me from Solar SME that will help answer any technical or inquiries I may have after the purchase of Solar. Eddie Wilson was assigned to my account and he helped answer all my questions during and after the Solar installation. Eddie was very helpful in providing me with updates on installation times and when the equipment would be delivered. Eddie was also very helpful in working with me on issues that came up along the way but were quickly resolved. If I had to purchase Solar again, I would use Solar SME and request that Eddie Wilson be the acct manager assigned to my Solar project.

Quality Solar Panels

We had our Solar Panels installed by Solar SME, a month ago. My project was completed by Mr Rick Hendricks as a manager. He was professional helping dealing all answers of my questions, also he brief all the steps in details. My Solar Panels are now functioning well and producing good supply of energy.

Great job

Great job with my solar panel installation. They did a great job keeping me updated and making sure all proper steps were being taken.

Stay away

Stay away from this company they try and pressure you into signing contracts their site survey does not involve explaining anything to. I had to have them redo the contract multiple times finding things that did not sound right or were incorrect. I finally made a rep come to my house and explain everything to me and found out that the current panels that I was in the contract would only cover a fraction or my electric bill. I specifically told them that I did not want an electric bill and that I wanted to average between 2500 and 3000 kWh a month. We redid the number of panels from 30 something to 52 and I was assured that it would generate the number I asked for. My solar panels have been installed for the last 3 months and I have yet to generate more than 1500 kWh a month and when I called I was told my system will average out at 2000 kWh which is a huge difference when you are paying 45,000 for the system that runs 300.00 a month. If you decide to go with them make sure you have them put in the contract the number of kWh you expect to produce because you will put it in their terms that you don't understand. I usually am really good at making sure I am covered in a contract but I found out I definitely was not this time.

SOLAR SME services are incredible

going solar was not easy. but solar sme helped us from start to finish of the project. they gave us really great price and material. the services and the communication was awesome really satisfied. highly recommended.

System Still Not Done, iffy responsiveness, fire hazard?

I was originally reasonably happy with Solar SME. They were kind of slow getting started, but when they showed up, the install team was professional and quick. The battery was defective, but they said they'd return it and I'd get a replacement in a week. Then the pandemic shut everything down, so ok, I understand, no battery for a while, no inspections allowed. And I have an expensive solar system on my roof that doesn't yet work and can't be turned on, but ok, pandemic, fine, I'll wait. However, we then started having electrical problems that we thought were unrelated to the solar. I called a local electrician, and they said the solar wiring had been installed unsafely, there was water leaking into the electrical conduit, there was un-shielded wiring installed in my walls, and it was a fire hazard. I contacted Solar SME, who said they'd send someone to look at it. This was over a month ago. I've called and emailed Solar SME over and over, and I keep getting back responses that they aren't yet open in our area, that they'll send someone soon. Meanwhile, it's not because of the pandemic, because our county is open again, and I've had no issue getting other electricians and service providers to come and do work. I'm starting to really worry if I will ever get my working battery, if Solar SME will ever send anyone to fix what they messed up. And meanwhile my un-usable expensive solar system is sitting on my roof doing nothing. The county is doing inspections again, but my system won't pass because Solar SME hasn't fixed the problems in their work. I'm still paying my electric bill every month, and Solar SME has my money in their bank. I'm trying to be understanding and optimistic that this will still get fixed soon and it's just due to the challenging times, but I'm really concerned and getting more concerned every week that goes by with nothing...