Review for Exact Solar

01/23/2018
Anonymous Clarksboro, NJ

Exact Solar: A skilled, technically competent firm

I almost signed a contract with one of those large multi state organizations that employes your sterotypical salesman and has a contract that is 29 pages long. I was going to be away for a month and decided to wait and educate myself on the issues (technical and financial ) and get a better sense of the mass of sellers (installers) out there. I spoke to a professional commercial structure inspector in Delaware who introduced me to a PA analyst that was quite knowledgeable in the solar industry. I had some issues that I felt were above cookie cutter and wanted a firm that I could rely on for correct answers whether it benefited their firm or not. He put me in touch with Exact Solar and Dara Bortman (who is an owner along with her husband Mark). They are on the executive board of the Mid Atlantic Solar Industries Assn and are very knowledgeable on industry trends and state legislative movements. If Dara did not know the answer to a technical question she got Mark involved and we worked our way thru it. They helped me with Atlantic City Electric when ACE would not allow me to install the sized system that I felt I needed. Between us we were able to convince ACE that we would use the size system that I wanted . They were very good at explaining the ins and outs of alternative equipment designs and were able to determine that the slight shading toward some trees would not reduce my system performance. They even arranged for their electrician to install some outlets in the garage to enable charging of my new plug in hybrid. I told Mark and his crew of my HOAs concerns about external equipment (conduit and boxes) showing on the outside walls and they designed a system that did not show on the side walls. All the installation was done in a very workmanlike manner and they would explain why they had chosen various methods. I was about to go away for the month of Nov and Marks schedule was very booked and he was not sure he could get it done before I left. When he got an opening he offered it to me and we got it done before I left. With all the paperwork completed while I was away ACE came out and installed the replacement meter and I was up and generating while I was still on vacation. <br />I like the way these people think and work. As a new customer they donated a small amount to a third world solar organization in our families name. We continue to talk about issues like selecting a Broker/aggregator to sell the solar credits that my system produces. <br />I should also mention that they have two very competent in the office that also handle the routine questions and keep everything going when Mark and Dara are tied up.<br />I would recommend that anyone contemplating a solar system (photovoltatic or PV system) should do you homework and be very skeptical of the large national installers and select a local installer that is heavily involved in the local industry. One other point that needs to be made. After I got going with Exact Solar I looked back at some of the quotes from the large national firm and realized that Exact was actually Less Expensive.