Sunwork Renewable Energy Projects

Great Customer Service and Support

Alex was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process, from sizing the system and explaining the different options to the actual installation of the system. I was pleased with the workmanship and professionalism.

Job well done professionally

The whole process was great. My wife and I actually became our own volunteers working on the project. Matt is the project lead and he did a great job explaining everything and the work is very professional. He handled all the city permits and pg&e paperwork. The city inspection passed with no problems. Highly recommend.

The best of the best, and we talked to many installers

We interviewed and met with 6-7 installers and decided to go with SunWork and we couldn't be happier. In fact, we put down a deposit with Sungevity first, then after meeting with Alex at SunWork decided to get our deposit back. Sungevity took us in loops around their customer support, design and sales folks, burning lots of unnecessary time and still not getting us answers we needed. Alex was knowledgeable, hard working and professional. In this case, the single point of contact from sales to install to completion was super helpful. When we have a question, we go to Alex, and we always get an answer quickly. From his very first visit, through the install and in his email communication he maintained the highest of standards. We couldn't be happier. He finished in 2 days, and we along with some other volunteers were on the roof with him doing some of the work. But he definitely did the lion's share. PG&E turned on our system within 2 weeks of installation. The whole thing was quick and painless, and even fun and educational. You don't have to help install but in our case we had a great time. I've been telling all my friends about it. Go with SunWork.

great company and great service

Its a non profit organization and thus does not operate like big organizations. Once you put your request for consultation they come out and give an estimate for your project. I am pretty sure that this would be lowest as I went with almost 7 other companies before zeroing on them. The wait for installation is really lengthy. For us it was almost 2.5 months from the start to end. Again this is because this is nonprofit organization and they only do installations on weekends. Matt, our installer, took care of everything from start to finish that is inspection to PGE connection. The best part they don't charge you a dine until inspector approves the whole system. And the quality of work was top notch. All in all great experience. Brownie points for following up later too so if u hav any questions you can ask them.

Very, very good

Really impressed by how easy they were to work with. System has only been up a week, but so far, so good.

Excellent!

Excellent service, communications, commitment. Highly recommended!

Sunwork.org Solar Panel (PV) installation is a no brainer

I'm writing this to our neighborhood because I am so impressed with our new PV System from Sunwork.org. I love saving money and doing something great for the environment at the same time. If you've ever dreamed of doing away with 95%+ of your PG&E Electric bill (in fact, go to annual, not monthly billing) then you are probably going to like this relatively simple, affordable upgrade to your home. Today (mid August 2014) (it's sunny (as usual) and in the upper 80's outside and we are enjoying our newly installed PV Solar System.. currently using our air-conditioner (instead of sweating our butts off) cause our 14-panel system is generating 2,850 ~ 3,000 Watts, enough to power our air conditioner without using hardly any PG&E. Our system uses one inverter, made by Sunny Boy (model 3000) for our 3.5KW system, but the Company makes larger inverters (model 4000, 5000 and 6000) for a greater number of Solar Panels and correspondingly larger wattage system: 4KW, 5KW and 6KW). For those of you who have a 100A Panel (stock electrical panel) on your Ditz Crane home, Sunnyboy makes a model 3800 which is the largest Inverter you can install without having to upgrade your service panel. This is important because your PV Solar Panel System ties into your Service Panel so that you can become a net-producer of electrical power while attached to PG&E's electrical grid. Sounds complicated, but it's all quite simple once it's explained. I've attached picture of our PG&E Meter (that I just took a short while ago.. yep, it says "Negative 2.024KW".. I'm not using PG&E's power at all.. in fact, I'm producing power for other PG&E Customers who are buying it for .38, .50, .60 or more per KW, depending on what PG&E Plan you are on.) Sunny Boy's (that's the name of the manufacturer of these inverters) new single inverters are much less expensive (about $1400) than those offered just a few years ago and offer an emergency bypass in case PG&E has a black-out. In such a black-out, you can power up to 1500W of items directly off your PV System (even if PG&E is entirely down). You can use this bypass (ie: electrical strip) to recharge cell phones, power small appliances (TV, small refridgerator), power radios, lights, etc http://www.sma-america.com/en_US/products/grid-tied-inverters/sunny-boy/sunny-boy-with-sps-3000tl-us-3800tl-us-4000tl-us-5000tl-us-6000tl-us.html As for the placement of the panels, Sunwork.org has a software system, called SunThink that, based on the position of your home, the angle of your roof, shading by surrounding objects (trees), plus the Season of the year, to recommend the number of panels, number of arrays and the placement of those arrays on your roof. A south westerly facing roof is optimal, followed by a easterly facing roof (as I understand it). SunThink recommended 6 panels on our easterly facing roof plus 8 additional panel on our SW facing roof. Our single inverter handles both arrays for greater system reliability, efficiency and affordability. As I mentioned, these inverters support multiple arrays, so having 6 + 8 panels on two different parts of my roof is no problem. The other alternative (to a single inverter) is something called "integrated inverters". In such a system, each Solar Panel has it's own mini inverter that separately convert each panel's DC voltage and current to AC Voltage (used by your home and PG&E). The advantage of this second alternative is that if your roof is shaded in multiple areas, but some area are in full sun throughout the day, each panel will contribute to the total power generated by the System. This works better in some cases, especially when an entire array is never in full sun. The downside is that integrated inverter system is about +10% more expensive and does not offer the emergency bypass electrical strip. The payoff: as the picture shows, our PG&E Meter runs backwards when our PV System is generating more than our home's electrical consumption. You actually become a "power plant" for PG&E's electrical grid. Once you have completed PG&E's paperwork (including going on "time of use" rate plan and "net-metering" application) you are ready to effectively rack up "KW hour credits" when the sun is shining that you can use when it's nigh-time or very cloudy. If you size your system correctly (Sunwork.org will help you determine what size system you need, based on your usage patterns and future demands (ie: electric vehicle)) you can literally bring your PG&E annual bill down to "tens of dollars" instead of something in excess of a thousand dollars per year, like our PG&E bill used to be. My system's installation was started on August 8 (Friday) at 8:30am and the system was operational the following day, August 9th (Saturday) at 4pm. Officially, you will go through a City Inspection and PG&E approval for "net metering" but Sunwork.org handles all of this for you. Affordability: PV Solar Systems are thought to be quite expensive, often taking 12 - 15 years to pay for itself.. so, most people pass on the opportunity to take the plunge. That was my case, too. Solar City quoted me $21,000 (yikes) back in 2010 and after a 30% Federal Tax Credit (Renewable Energy Credit) their system was still $14,000.. I concluded it would take me 14-15 years for such a system to be justified (since my PG&E electric bill averaged about $85/month or $1020 annually. Solar Companies today (like Solar City and Sungevity) resort to "leasing you a system" because it appears to be less costly (on a monthly basis). What they don't tell you (at least, proactively) is that a lease often is much more expensive than a purchase. Most Solar leases are 20-25 years long for atleast $100 per month. Do the math: 25 years x $100 = $25,000 over the life of the lease.. Sure, a lease offers you peace of mind and "free repairs" if something wears out, but the fact is, in a 20 year period, the only thing that will need replacement is the $1400 inverter, which is warranted for 10 years. The other parts of the system (the PV panels) are warranted for 25 years. Bottom line: the best way to go is a purchase.. My purchased system from Sunwork.org (not leased) cost $9900 - 30% Federal Tax Credit (Renewable Energy Credit) for a net price of $6930.. making it possible to justify the initial cash outlay (in the form of savings) in only 6 1/2 to 7 years. After that, your electrical power is largely "free". Larger systems will, of course, cost a bit more, but you would be off-setting a larger PG&E electric bill and your savings would pay for themselves in roughly the same amount of time. If you'd like to learn more or have additional questions, I encourage you to contact Mike at Sunwork.org (he's the real expert ;-) Feel free to let Mike know that I referred you (no, I don't work on commission ;-) but I'm sure Mike would be pleased to know that a fellow neighbor spoke highly of them). Here is Sunwork.org contact information: Mike Balma SunWork Renewable Energy Projects Sobrato Center for Nonprofits 477 Valley Way Milpitas, CA 95035 mike@sunwork.org (650) 678-2213 Hope this is helpful info. Thanks, Marshall 748 Shasta Fir Drive

Great company to work with

Worked with Reuben on this project. He did the initial home visit, design and installation of the solar system. Their quote was very competitive compared to other installers. Very patient and friendly team of people. They also managed the city permit and inspection as well.

Great job and awesome support throughout the project

It was a fantastic experience working with Alex from SunWork. He was really professional and took care of every single details. Providing the accurate quote and estimate, working on customizing the panel layout making sure that produce high energy as well as aesthetically pleasing, doing everything for the city inspection including finding a right address light and installing it. He went beyond what was required and helped with every step of the process and kept me in loop. I am highly satisfied with SunWork and would recommend it to everyone who wants to install Solar Panels.

Best People to Work With

Reuben and crew are the best people you can work with. Not only does he offer the best price BY FAR, he also provides the best service. There was complication with my job, and I told Reuben to just cut open the wall and i will fix later, and he would not until he exhausted all other attempts, and was able to not cut open the wall. He also did a more expensive electrical job than others would have done because he felt it was important for it to look professional. Finally I have a tile roof, and he did not even blink about it, as others would not do it, or wanted an outrageous overcharge. You will not be sorry with his product or work.

Happy customer in Los Altos

Matt and Mike were very responsive to phone calls and emails. They were quick to respond to questions throughout the sales cycle, installation, and afterward. SunWork handled everything, end-to-end. Ours is a small system, taking just 1-day for installation, on schedule. Matt managed the installation, and was impressive in coaching volunteers onsite. He handled agency paperwork submissions, including city permits and permission to operate from PG&E. We chose micro-inverters for our system, for technical and aesthetic reasons. So, there is no central inverter in the garage or outer walls. The end result is a neat and clean looking system, where nearly the only visible aspect is the nice solar array on the roof. Inspection was quick and successful.

A very good company to work with

A friend recommended SunWork to us because they had very good experience with them. We chose them after talking to a few companies. They had the best price and they seemed quite competent. Our job was a bit more complicated as we needed to reroof the area that the panels would sit on and the two companies needed to coordinate. Matt from SunWork worked patiently and tirelessly to accommodate us. He worked very well with the roofing people. At every step we were informed of the various details and choices. All the inspections went well and on schedule. And the system is working great so far.

Awesome Sunwork 3.8kw in Santa Clara, CA

We helped "awesome Alex" and volunteer Chris install a 3800W solar system this weekend on our Santa Clara house. Its easy to work hard on your own home especially with the great Silicon Valley Power rebate and nice Federal credit. Thanks Alex. We enjoyed your knowledge, training, but personality most of all. : ) We're very excited to have found Sunwork.org and to have become net-zero power user. Mike & Carly

home Solar installation

we started our home solar process around may 16 2014 and our solar system started operating from june 19 2014.In just about a month everything was completed. the whole process was super smooth. prompt replies ,site visit,submission to pge, Installation and getting final approval everything was done as per our expectations. since they work with volunteers their price is abot 30% lower than other companies Mike Balma,Rueben Veek and Alex Fratar (who did installation) were very professional and very patient in answering any questions about the system. Installation was fast and very neat. I like to recomend thi team.

Home solar installation by Sunwork

High Marks for Matt Thompson. He was the one-man army from Quote to permits to install. Very professional and by far the most economical quote. Couldn't be happier. Highly recommended. -Amarnath

Excellent Service and Great Staff

Matt at Sunworks was amazing. Typically you have to program manage contractors to ensure the work is completed and done right. This was NOT the case with Matt. He showed up on time, worked extremely hard in the summer heat, and completed the job before the deadline. In addition, he took the time to help me understand the technical aspects of the solar system. He was fantastic.

Sunwork is the best

Likely the best installer in the Bay Area. Best price and excellent quality is guaranteed if you can afford to be patient and wait a few months as they are a small team and super busy. No unnecessary sales pitch and trying to sell a lease. This is for people who want to own their system at the best price.

Palo Alto project

An outstanding experience.

Excellent Solar Roof Job!

Sunwork.org Reuben and his fellows installed the solar system on my roof. It only took two weekend days. The electrical work is done beautifully, the quality and workmanship of the whole project is excellent. Reuben is very knowdgeable, so as his co-worker. The whole process is seemless and easy to follow. The quotation process is also easy and clear. After the installation, they handled city inspection and PG&E interconnection application, and kept me well informed. Within two weeks of the installation, I am happily connected to the PG&E network. The cost is very competitive. I could not be more pleased by using Sunwork.org for our solar project! Go Sunwork.org!My advice is to sign up early.

...a well run project

The staff at SunWork are responsive from initial inquiry to final approval. They promptly answered all questions. When the project was scheduled, they were on time. When done each day over the installation, everything was picked up and the site was clear. Matt and crew did an outstanding job. The entire project was run professionally. The work was well coordinated and delivered as promised. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive about the "volunteer" aspect of the work but the people who Matt directed were wonderful and did an great job - they really do care about what they do! The SunWork Company made going solar even better! I would highly recommend them for your project.

Highly Recommended

I would highly recommend this service to others who would like basic solar installed at a very good price.

Enthusiastic Recommendation

Sunwork was recommended to us by a friend who had recently installed their solar system. I additionally learned about Sunwork through a city of Palo Alto Utilities workshop that gave a great introduction to solar power. Sunwork provided knowledgeable support, courteous service, and an efficient installation. City of Palo Alto permits and rebate were completely managed by Sunwork. We/homeowner only needed to fill out forms, which were straightforward. One drawback was the 6 month lead time, which we were willing to accept to work with this reputable company who is in demand for their competitive price and professional services. I highly recommend Sunwork for Solar installations.

5,72 kW system in San Jose

Good job by Matt Thompson in getting the system installed and passed by the City of San Jose, and driving the interconnection work with PG&E. City was not easy to deal with, but that is normal with San Jose. Recommend.

Sunwork ROCKS!! Great design, fast installation.

I really believe in Sunwork's mission, which is to utilize volunteers to help lower the cost of PV projects and shorten the time to ROI. I attended a training with Sunwork before my own project that enabled me to help install my own project. Helping create my own PV project makes me more excited about it! Meanwhile the design includes EnPhase micro-inverters which makes it even better, because I know exactly how the system is performing all day. Thanks to Sunwork for the design, training, and letting me participate.

Fantastic experience!

After years of looking into PV and not doing it because the payback period would be 20-30 years, I found Sunwork through the California database of solar installations. With their unique business model and focus on making solar affordable to people who already are conservative energy users, I now have a great system that will pay itself off in ~6 years. What I liked: - Reuben and crew were very friendly, on time, and clearly explained what was happening - Most of the crew were volunteers and were well-educated, clean, incredibly friendly, and had a passion for renewable energy - Sunwork took care of all of the permitting, etc. - Reuben and the Sunwork team were extremely responsive to emails - Reuben's meticulous attention to detail and aesthetics. The installation looked great! - Pricing was very transparent. At the end of the project, I received a detailed invoice which listed everything (including every screw) and the amount of markup. What could be improved: - Communication prior to the install could be more pro-active, i.e. a couple of weeks before the installation, contact the customer and let them know the exact schedule, etc. Overall, I was very happy with the experience, and I would recommend Sunwork without hesitation.