Sunwork Renewable Energy Projects

Best Project Manager I've ever work with and a Great Company

I’d like to start out by saying what a pleasure it was working with Meo Nguyen while installing the Solar System. Meo had just finished installing a Solar array on my neighbors roof. The feedback that I got from my neighbor on her installation, was outstanding, especially coming from someone who had just finish taking a Solar installation course at Diablo Valley College. It’s easy to just talk about his excellence at both installing a system, but also supervising a crew of people that barely knew the difference between a hammer and a drill. He performed at a craftsmanship level installing the largest part of the installation while guiding the rest of the crew with both patience and a sense of humor that made the two day installation an enjoyable experience for everyone working with him. I have over thirty years working as a project manager and Equipment Engineer overseeing the construction of Semi-Conductor Fabrication Facilities. I’ve both overseen contractors and inspected their work which at time reached almost the level of works of art. Meo also works to accomplish the same level of pride in his work that the best craftsman show.

Sunworks was excellent and better priced.

Found sunworks through google's sunroof project. https://www.google.com/get/sunroof#exp=7.1&p=0 After talking on the phone, they sent someone out for the site survey and after getting a plan, they scheduled an installation, working with the installation of my new roof as well. They were able to install my small system in a day and a week later it easily passed city inspection and PG&E authorized it. Sunworks kept me up to date on the status and handled all the PG&E paperwork with me and set me up with system monitoring. I highly recommend them, and they were far cheaper than the other quotes I was getting from companies. Many wouldn't even bother because my system was only 6 panels. They even came in under their quoted price.

Good quality installation with good value

I helped install the system at my house along with the project lead from Sunwork. He taught me how to do it. I learned all aspects of the installation and got to do it with him. So I had a chance to very closely observe his work throughout the job and can confidently say that the work was done well. City building inspector gave final approval within 10 minutes after arriving. He didn't find anything amiss.

Job well done

What attracted me to SunWork in the first place was their pricing model. The team came in and got the job completed over the weekend. The Solar system is working great.

Solar Installation of our home

Bryan our installer guided us with the entire process and even help me and my wife assist as volunteers on the project. The install was done ahead of time and each step was communicated well and coached upon. I highly recommend this company and great job by Bryan.

Excellent Experience

We used Sunworks for our residential solar installation. We were very happy with our experience and worked with Marc (the project manager) who was professional, courteous and knowledgeable. Marc was very thorough in explaining the step by step process throughout the installation from start to finish. Prior to learning about Sunworks and their solar program, we did not anticipate installing solar panels due to the cost and long payback period. Sunworks pricing was affordable and reduced the payback period to 6.5 years which made it an easy decision for us. Our panels were installed this past weekend and our family feels good about using renewable energy. Thank you Sunworks and Marc for helping us do our part forthe planet and making this happen with an affordable solution. I would recommend Sunworks and Marc to others.

Very Satisfied, would highly recommend Sunwork

Initially, I was hesitant to install solar on our home, but when I finally decided to pursue it, I am very glad that I was made aware of Sunwork. I pursued quotes from a number of sources, but Sunwork was clearly the most affordable and I genuinely liked their philosophy of supporting solar installations for residential customers that are smaller energy users. I also like the idea of keeping the costs low by using volunteers on the installation. I (the homeowner) also participated in the installation and because of that opportunity, I learned a lot about the system we were installing. I was also amazed that we finished the installation in a single day. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the entire process. The advice and options I was given when choosing the size and arrangement of the system was very helpful. The contractor that I worked directly with was great, and I am very appreciative of the help we received from two skilled volunteers during the installation. The paperwork needed to complete the interconnection with the utility grid is a little daunting, but the assistance we received from the Sunwork contractor made that process relatively easy as well. If you are considering installing a solar system on your home, I would highly recommend that you consider working with Sunwork.

cheap and good

shopped different companies and finally chose Sunwork because of its competitive price. service of Bryan's team is good. I hired roofer to replace roof before the solar project started and hired skylight contract to replace windows during the project. Bryan was capable of cooperating with them well. my solar panel started to work since last week. I am look forward to seeing the big different on my PGE bill.

Best price/watt and awesome installation experience

I'd been looking into installing PVs on my roof for a while and got several quotes. Then I found out about Sunwork on Google project sunroof. Their quote was about 40% less than the best quote I had. It was really hard to believe but then the rep explained to me that they are a non-profit that rely on volunteers to help with the installation. I was initially skeptical but several of my co-workers had used Sunwork and were very happy with the quality of the work so I ended up going with them. It was the best decision I made. My installer Matt was extremely knowledgeable and walked me through the process. Installation happened on time and actually slightly under budget! I would highly recommend Sunwork.

Green & Clean and of course Cheap Energy !

One of my colleagues referred the Sunwork folks. Spoke very highly about them and mentioned that they are a volunteer organization and is driven to grow awareness about solar technology and its affordability. I came to know that Sunworks does crash courses on solar installation and I also noticed them training a few folks while they were installing panels at our home. Its a great thing ! I wanted to join but with twins the schedule remains packed. They were very professional and helpful from the 1st day. You get to meet the people who does the job and run the things. I spoke with all of them - Solarcity, SunRun, Sungeivity etc etc etc. No one beats these guys. The only downside (if you are really looking for one) is Sunwork does not deal with SunPower panels (those are California designed/made and are the best mono crystalline panels available) But I got a good 7KW system with 315Watts panels - its just awesome ! Thank you Matt Thompson and Mike Balma for all the help ! I have told all the guys at work about you - expect to get some calls :)

It was really easy

I engaged Sunwork because it was difficult to cost justify solar panels with an average electric bill of less than $75 a month, but we wanted to do it for the earth. Their non-profit cost structure was such that they beat the other bidding vendors by about 40%, which made the project possible. On the Saturday of the install, Sunwork's team was here early and worked all day in a way that I hardly noticed they were here. On Sunday the work was completed, we were tied into the service panel and we started operating as a power plant. And everything was clean and neat before they left. It was so easy and drama-free I was amazed. I highly recommend Sunwork for anyone that wants to do the right thing for the earth and needs some help getting the costs under control.

Awesome smooth installation (and cheap!!)

Installed my solar this week (got City approval). The whole process was very smooth and seamless. Worked with Bryan @ Sunwork since the start. It was a great experience. Got hands on experience in installing the solar system myself. Got approved in Jan, assessment done in Jan. Installation complete first week of April. City approval 2nd week of April. Highly recommend Sunwork (specially if you qualify and don't have the need for large system).

Very good experience. Company has unique business model

Sunwork has an interesting business model in that they will only accept as clients those who are already proven low energy users. I think that the idea is to offer their low cost installations to residences and non-profits where the normal solar cost structure would not pencil out. Sunwork also fosters training and interest in the solar industry by using volunteers to assist in installations. I volunteered on my own installation and another project, and so know a lot more than most customers about what is on my roof and how it all ties together. Project leads are the "pros" who design each project, run each installation, direct any volunteers. In my experience the leads are personable, knowledgeable, and professional. The cost structure is unusual: actual cost of materials (down to the last screw) plus a flat rate per installed watt. No hourly labor cost. After federal tax credits, my costs were less than $2 per installed watt. On the economics alone, this company deserves attention. Everyone I dealt with was polite and responsible and reasonable, a huge relief for a project as big as installing solar panels on your roof. Post-installation followup (filing paperwork with PG&E, answering questions, etc) has been good. My experience was very good.

18 REC panel, 5kwh Solaredge install

Meo and Sunwork are amazing! Simply put, I am so happy and relieved that I went with them. Have you ever purchased something only to find the SAME THING about â…“ cheaper a few days later? Well, when that item is, say, $20, you live with it and move on without much concern. But, can you imagine the angst you'd feel if your solar panel system was quoted out for $18K-$20K and then find Sunwork could do the same thing for $12K? Don't bother looking elsewhere...as long you qualify with them you will be happy you signed with Sunwork. Meo, project lead, is super fast (installed in 1 day!), meticulous, skilled, and kind. He went above and beyond for me to make sure everything was great.

Oakland Ca

My eight panel micro inverter system was installed in one day aside from some electrical prep work done by myself the week before. I really enjoyed working with Sunwork's lead Meo. The whole process from initial evaluation to the submitting of the PGE paperwork was clearly explained and straight forward. I've already recommended Sunwork to two friends.

My Install in Sunny San Carlos

Fast Install, really nice group of people. A little administrative futzing about with setting up the monitoring and PG&E connection, but that's a mere bagatelle considering the high-quality job, the speed of the installation (twice as fast as quoted), and that, to a man, everyone involved in consultation, quoting, design, and installation was an absolute gentleman. Final price after install was even a couple hundred $ less than quoted. Recommended!

Very satisfied

Bryan was literally a one man show - from the sales to installation to follow up, he did everything. I never actually met another employee. I like the option to learn more about the installation process, with other companies you had to get through all their marketing jargon. As an engineer myself, I appreciated the direct and no frills. They use top tier components - I felt like I wasn't paying for an army of MBA's to figure out how to make solar profitable. As it is now, solar is only profitable in certain situations. There are many variables to consider so when talking to a for profit company, you will get skewed information. With Sunwork, the math was very straightforward and I could see by using volunteers and catering to small arrays, they could be more competitive than a for profit could ever be.

Awesome Experience

I stumbled upon Sunwork from SolarReviews and I'm so glad I did. I leveraged EnergySage (great site, btw) to get quotes from local installers after poor experiences with NRG and SolarCity, and used SolarReviews to check the installers out--that's when I found SunWork. Everything from the initial call, to the site visit, to the install was great. They (Paul and Matt) were very responsive and detailed. Matt was the lead installer and was highly communicative before, during and after the process. I also loved the idea that I could help on the project to learn more about the system and my install. The handled both the PGE and city approvals/permits flawlessly, and came in RIGHT on their quote (which btw--if it weren't for our city's ridiculous permitting fees, would've come in much less). If there was only 1 gotcha, it's the wait time. I met SunWork in Nov for the site visit, and didn't get the install until the last weekend in Feb. Having said that, it was entirely worth the wait. The system itself is very, very comparable to what other installers were offering, though not exact. Remains to be seen how it operates so won't rate on that.

excellent job

Our neighborhood community strongly recommended, and also warned me for the waiting list. I am glad that I waited. With their professional leader and passionate and hard working volunteers the installation was done neatly and pass inspection without any problem.

Fast and Excellent Service

We worked with Bryan Noel at Sunwork for our installation. It was one of the smoothest and hassle-free experiences we've ever had with a contractor. The house inspection required to plan and quote our installation came only days after my first phone inquiry. Bryan was on-time, inspected the roof, attic and main electrical box in about 20 minutes, and told me roughly what the cost would be. He then worked up a quote within days as we provided him with PG&E usage data. We accepted and Brian did all the work to construct a formal plan, obtain permitting, formalize a contract. Then, surprise, surprise. He had another customer with a scheduled weekend installation who had a last minute permitting issue. He could install the system that coming weekend if it met our plans. It sure did, and the job was done over the weekend. From my first phone call to Sunwork to an inspected system took only 3 weeks. PG&E approval and our permit to operate an additional week. We're enjoying that feeling that comes when your meter runs backwards. I must add a few comments as "Please tell us more" answers aren't good enough: Our installation was $300 cheaper than the quote, as Sunwork bills on actual materials used, not their early estimate. Our schedule was not 5-stars, it was 7-stars.

Review of Sunwork

I met people from SunWork in El Cerrito at a December 2015 workshop and soon after that called and set up a visit. Within a short time, I had very clear information and a set of options. I soon was put into contact with the main site person, Meo Nguyen, who has uniformly helpful, diligent in returning communications, knowledgeable, and friendly. The installation happened quickly. Meo has always been available, even after the installation, to respond to help with details. I recommend SunWork very highly and without reservation.

Just use them already...

Get three bids, but use these guys! As a homeowner on any project, you can find good contractors and bad ones. This has been the gem in my experience. I used SunWork to install at 5kW system on my home. These guys are a non-profit that utilize a paid project leader and volunteer labor to help install solar on home that otherwise wouldn't be financially viable. Marc Fontana was the project lead on my system and walked me through all the different options that were available on my house. Of the three bids I got, he was the only one that came out and examined the roof to do the bid. This was important in my case because I have a very small roof and wanted enough solar energy to offset my home use and my electric car usage. The entire installation process was as promised and because I volunteered to help install my system, I have a much better understanding on how to troubleshoot if needed. The permitting and inspection process went flawlessly. Marc even taught the inspector something the day he came out to sign off!

Enjoying my pv solar system installed by SunWork

No pressure coupled with high education prior to contract signing Solar system options given to me with pros and cons so I can make my own decision With weather forecast for rain, SunWork checked the day before and saw that with the weather forecast change, install would occur on schedule Watching the install, I was very comfortable with the install quality - I even went of the roof to watch the install I haven't needed service after install but I did have some questions which were answered promptly I'm telling all my friends who are interested in pv solar to consider SunWork and I am looking forward to seeing my next Pge bill

Excellent

I compared several installers, but after meeting with Marc Fontana (and especially after the quote he gave), I knew I had to go with Sunwork. Marc was very informative, kept or exceeded his promises, and walked me through how they were going to get my solar panels set up. They gave me a quote that was $1000's lower than the competition along with solar data to back up the monthly kWh I could expect. So far, the panels are performing as expected and look beautiful.

System Install in San Jose Ca Area

SunWork was absolutely delightful to work with. They finished the job well within the quote and set expectations appropriately along the way. I pushed out my install date two times and SunWork was able to accommodate with no complaint. I understand how disruptive the rescheduling was, but they did not once make it my issue. After the pushed out schedule, SunWork was able to find panels that were a little more efficient and a string inverter that supported more features and cost less. They were proactive in providing me these new options and helped me along with the decision. Because of SunWorks unique business plan the system itself was very inexpensive. We worked with wonderful volunteers and even had the opportunity to help in our own installation. It was a great experience.