StraightUp Solar

Cost effective, good service and overall a good company

Overall a trustworthy company with a good and knowledgeable team. Crew was courteous and did what I asked by hiding the wires and not leaving them exposed outside, unless it's completely unavoidable. I was told in advance what trees needs to be trimmed. As of today the system is generating good amount of energy as stated in the sales quote. They took care of all the permits, inspections, SREC applications...etc. I didn't have to do except signing a few contracts with the utility company. Their financing partner is also very helpful and provided excellent service and I strongly encourage using them. However, communication could improve. Installation begun on 5/24/16 but didn't fully complete until early July. For an entire month, the system was running at 2/3 of its capacity and no one was able to tell me what might be the issue, some emails I sent were ignored, until a more senior engineer finally stepped in in early July and fixed the issue. It turned out to be a very minor issue. This made me feel their after-sales support isn't as reliable as I anticipated. In addition, they took care of the designing of the system and I was pretty much left out of the loop. I understand that the engineers have more expertise in this matter but it would be nice if they could at least give me a reason why a specific location is selected. Ultimately the senior engineer did explain to me everything I needed to know. With all that said, I understand that the Solar industry is still experiencing much growth pain and with all the good they are doing, they deserve a praise for a job well done.

Not Careful Enough

The company installed a 9.6 kW PV system for us. We thought we were being careful in not naively accepting their sales pitch promises. Unfortunately, we were not careful enough. The workmanship was good. The on-site workers were pleasant and professional. The office support staff were patient, courteous, and (until the last payment was received) said all the "right" things. The problems were that the representations made did not match reality. We were assured the system was sized properly and the size of the inverters would not limit production. We were told if that was not true, they would replace the inverters. This turned out to false. The company (after getting the final payment) finally admitted the inverters will limit the production, but essentially said 'tough luck'. We emphasized at our first meeting that we did not want to encounter hidden costs in order to achieve the estimated production. They assured us this would not happen. This also turned out to be false. We ended up having to spend over 10% more to achieve their original promises. Without that added expenditure our production was 20% less than the estimate. They also attempted to slip in an accelerated payment schedule when they presented us with the first unexpected change order.

Tower Grove South City Solar Success

The team with StraightUp Solar were professional from start to finish. Staff was knowledgeable and informative in helping me purchase the right system for my home. There were no hidden prices and the process was smooth and transparent. I live in the Tower Grove South Neighborhood of St Louis and had the solar panels installed on my detached garage. My family is enjoying the many benefits of our system and are glad we have made this investment!

Started small.....

In the Summer of 2013 I started contacting local installers (based on who was involved with MOSEIA) about putting an array on my home. After meeting with a number of companies it became very apparent that SUS was the right choice for me. While discussing my home array I realized that solar could be an even better fit for my business due to some of the federal incentives. I still went ahead with a 7.6 kW on my home, but also tacked on a 175kW array for my business. As an engineer I was very pleased with SUS's technical competency and the smoothness of the project. I had some tight deadlines that needed to be met and SUS was able to meet or exceed all of them. My business array has been up for over a year and I have been very pleased with the results.

Glad I Contacted StraightUp

I wanted solar electric for my home for decades. When the price of grid-tied systems came down around 2009, I got excited. I called my electric utility Ameren, and asked about their net metering program. They said, "Ha! You must be some kind of nut!" I had to admit it, but they indicated this was a rare inquiry. They eventually revised their program, and I was good to go. In the 5 years after I called my utility, the panels or PV modules became inexpensive. Even the good ones, efficient, textured, monocrystalline silicon behind tempered architectural glass, dark aluminum frame, and a 25-year warranty from a 50-year old company. (Silvantis 265W from MEMC/SunEdison, my employer at the time) But I saw the interface details, utility tie inspections, and city permitting as continued roadblocks. Not insurmountable. Most general electrical contractors have know-how but not consistent or upgraded experience. It's a sideline for many. Then I was introduced to StraightUp Solar at a presentation I attended. That was the missing piece! PV electric is all they do. StraightUp had solid answers to all my questions. They gave me a preliminary system design and some choices. I took way too much time to consider this. I concluded payback time would be shorter than the conservative assumptions. StraightUp Solar solved all the problems that were bugging me about installation. They made the interface and permitting and install look easy. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and expert. They are easy to work with, and happy at what they do. My system has been operating flawlessly for 10 months. It's beautifully simple to own and operate. It just sits there and makes electric power! And I was able to sit in a chair up on the hill and watch the crew do the install. Mainly in one day, and part of another. Only a few years before, it looked impossible. And it turned out to be almost the easiest thing I have ever done. The difference: StraightUp Solar. If you have ever wanted to generate your own, and thought it was way too complicated, you should really just give them a call and ask. I think you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Radiant Review

Everyone at Straightup Solar is passionate about their business. My wife and I had just purchased two electrical vehicles, an iMiev and Leaf. We were struggling to share the one 15 amp circuit in our garage so we decided to look into solar. The free Level II charger being offered as an incentive led us to Straightup Solar. When John Hulse helped us understand the tax incentives and the interface with Ameren, and he explained the impact on the environment, we were sold. The installers, management, even the office staff were genuinely happy to have us as a customer. We could not be more satisfied with our decision. If you have an EV, you need to consider solar. It's a good economic decision and it's the right thing to do.

Great Experience

We installed solar panels in the summer of 2014, to add to our existing 2.1kW system, which was installed in summer 2009. We worked with StraightUp Solar on both occasions. Everyone from StraightUp Solar was extremely professional and knowledgeable. All our questions were answered and we knew exactly what the price and the benefits of the different options we had were. The project was completed in the expected time frame. Since we installed the additional panels, our electric bill has been half what it was for the same month prior to installation. We love having solar panels and we will absolutely call on StraigthUp Solar again if there was a way to add more panels to our home.

We loved working with StraightUp Solar!

StraightUp Solar is an excellent company that operates with the upmost integrity. They helped us navigate the confusing process of working with our utility company and helped us to choose system components that would maximize our productivity given our budgetary constraints. The installers were courteous, prompt and professional and our system works (and looks!) great. I would recommend them to anyone looking to preserve our environment and save some cash in the process.

Great to work with!

StraightUp Solar did a great job from start to finish with our installation. We were very happy with the results!

SOLAR INSTALL

Could not be happier with our experience with everyone at StraightUp Solar. Our system was installed in 2013 and we love it. We would highly recommend StraightUp for your installation.

Solar Electric Installation

Did a quick and clean job. Unfortunately the SREC quota had been cut by Ameren so part of the subsidy was gone but that was not this companies fault. They have been lobbying steadily for residential solar installation in Missouri.

VERY pleased with the decision to install and our system

StraightUp Solar did a great job for us. The process, start-to-finish, was smooth and professional. Year-over-year comparing the 12 months prior to our solar install with the next 12 months after, our electric bills averaged 70% less per month. To say that we're pleased is an understatement. We're ecstatic and highly recommend StraightUp Solar for any residential OR commercial application. They are professional and courteous through and through. Michael T., St. Charles, MO

One of the best contractors we've ever had

Every person we dealt with in this company was professional. They did exactly what they said they would.

Great Experience

They showed up when they said they would. They kept me informed every step of the way. Even when Ameren was slow getting out to replace my meter StriaghtUp had told me what to expect and the timeframes involved.

Shagbark Court installation

Everyone on the team was knowledgeable, from the first person who answered the phone through the final inspections. They know their product and the local regulations. We have had the system for 3.5 months now, and the production is following what the proposal predicted almost exactly.

We were very satisfied with the quality of the work and the accessiblity and cooperation for our solar electricity installation.

I would highly recommend Straightup Solar for any type of solar installation. We really enjoyed working with them. They know what they are doing, and do great work. We were very please with the manner in which the contractor handled all of the paperwork for this project. As a result, we received a rebate check from our local electric utility in just a few weeks after completion of the PV installation.

I thought the staff was extremely professional and very knowledeable. They answered all of our questions and talked us through several solar options that we want to consider int the future. We would definately go with this company again

We are buying more PV`s to fill out the array in the Fall of 2009

I would highly recommend Missouri Solar Living as a full service contractor for alternative energy. They were professional, knowlegable and truly exceptional to work with.

Our PV installation was part of a very complex project with a compressed schedule- MO Solar Living was one of the more reliable contractors on the job. They have continued to assist us as we improve and fine-tune the system to meet our needs.

When Misoouri Proposition C passed in Nov of 2009, I thought we would be entitled to a rebate from Ameren which we intended to use for tree trimming to help optimize power output. As it turns out, there won`t be any rebate for us which leaves our installation a bit less than optimal.