Renu Energy Solutions - Profile & Reviews

Short version:
Great initial experience with great prices, but a general lack of proactive communication plagued the process. Renu seems to be a little short staffed. Some major problems (roof leak and Duke rebate problems) were able to be worked out satisfactorily. Early production results seem promising.

Long version:
Sales team was great, and willing to work with me on pricing. I had quotes from five companies, and I chose Renu for price, positive reviews, length of experience, panel quality, and production guarantee. Mark has been great about being involved throughout the process and clearly communicating.

My biggest scare was the Duke rebate. At the time I was signing the contract, I was assured that there was virtually a 100% chance I would receive it, and that they would take care of submitting the necessary papers the day it opened in a timely manner. Due to technical issues (not Renu’s fault), I almost missed the rebate, but due to Renu’s diligence in bookkeeping, I was able to receive it. While I am happy with the end result, and Renu did do the proper things to ensure that we got the rebate, the process could have been less stressful had Renu been more proactive about communicating what was going on. I also want to note that Reun submitted my application at about 9:19 AM, with a cutoff for receiving the rebate (this year) ended up being at about 9:20 AM. Bottom line, I would be wary of counting on the rebate in making your purchasing decision.

My second biggest problem that I had was a roof leak caused by solar panel installation. This is something that according to pretty much any source online should be very, very rare, as long as the installers are good and your roof is in good condition (ours is brand new and hadn’t had any problems). Now, to give Renu credit, they sent someone out quickly to take a look, and didn’t try to pretend that they didn’t cause the problem, and got it fixed within the week. Getting it fixed in that time frame did require me to push back on their original plans, which were to fix it about a week later, after some major rain storms were set to pass through. We were lucky that the water dripped onto a place where it was visible to us, otherwise we could have had major water damage done before noticing that there was a problem.

A recurring problem after signing until completion was communication. I was given only one day of notice before installation, and wasn’t told that it would be an all day affair. A bigger deal was working with Evan to get the inspection done. Evan was a nice guy, and I suspect at least part of the problem might be that he is too busy, but he required constant prodding to let us know what was going on, and often did not show up when he told us he would. The first time the inspector came by, he was supposed to stop by a couple hours earlier to drop off needed paperwork, but he never showed up, which meant we failed the inspection. Furthermore, he never called to explain what happened, meaning that a few days later I had to call to find out what was going on. The cycle of needing me to call to find out needed information or needing him to push him to reschedule, etc., occured several times. Again, nice guy who is probably just too busy, but definitely not too reliable or good at letting you know what was going on.

Since my panels have been on (only a couple of weeks), I have seen production numbers that are about what I expected, and should be higher than the guarantee by a comfortable margin. Right off the bat, one of my optimizers didn’t work. Renu automatically generated a work ticket for it, which is nice. After a couple weeks of not hearing from Renu, I reached out to find out when they would be coming. Joel let me know that since one panel not working is a small problem, it might take a couple more weeks to even get a date scheduled for when they will come. Once again, it seems as though Renu might be a little short staffed.

My experience with Renu Energy Solutions was excellent! From Sales (Bill Winker), to project management (Hannah Elliott and team), to install (Zach Mercer, Josh Pennington and teams), to billing (Tristan Herbert and Vidya Ravindran), and followup technical questions (Joel Robinson and team), everyone was extremely professional and accommodating. Out of three Solar venders, Renu gave me the best price and worked with me to convince my solar virgin HOA that solar power can be smart, responsible and beautiful (non-compromising to the home or community). Due to extra effort put in for aesthetics, the final outcome exceeded everyone’s expectations to the point most visitors don’t even realize we have solar panels. All black panels with dark shingles, and solar array skirts with squirrel guards drastically helped blend the solar panels with the architecture of the home. Inside, the electrical team (Daniel Blake, Dillon Sellie, Even Robinson and Michael Westhafer) spared no expense or time to do a clean, modern, zero-compromise install. It’s by far the nicest looking solar panel install I’ve seen and an excellent example of how it should be.

Overall rather poor experience. My installation is still not operational even though we started the project in July last year.
Installation was done quite well - I have to complement the crews working on it.
Coordination of the project with local authorities and technical documentation is a total failure. Drawings do not much actual installation which caused us to fail inspection - still weeks away from final resolution awaiting clarity on the next steps...

Easy company to deal with and made me feel like I'm winning

At first I was skeptical about getting solar panels. I thought it would be too much trouble and not worth the time. I was wrong!! After talking with Nick Zink we had our panels installed and 6 months later we have seen amazing savings on our power bill. I also cannot say how amazing Nick has been. He walked us through and ensured every concern or worry was resolved before the install and personally walked through the process and checked to ensure everything was done on time. The installation went seamlessly and ahead of time, they cleaned thoroughly afterwards, and the respect they showed was incredible. If you get solar panels ask for Nick Zink. I trust no one else.

Renu has been excellent to work with. From initial estimate through installation Renu has been helpful and kept us up to date and informed about each step of the process. Once we signed our contract they were able to promptly schedule installation, and installation was completed quickly, safely, and professionally.

RENU installed a 12kW ground array for us. Our salesman was excellent, "on the ball" answered all questions even promptly after business hours. The installation and electrical teams were also first rate. Completed their jobs in one day and left a spotless worksite. They were courteous and answered all questions.
We had an instance of poor communication resulting from two incorrectly worded/ proofread emails from staff that created confusion but it was sorted properly. There was a delay due to a material shortage which we felt should have been anticipated. From signoff of the agreement to energizing of the system took almost 4 months when we had expectation it would be done sooner.

The sales process was quick but the installation took 3 months. It was supposed to take 1 month. The installation quality is very good.

I am sorry to say that so far Renu has not lived up to expectations that they raised! I was told that we would be producing power within 4 weeks of agreeing to start the process. Well, the installation was complete and the county inspector checked it on October 4th and we finally started producing power on December 2nd! That is at least 10 weeks from start to finish when they promised 4! It would not have been touched if I had not called repeatedly and then finally called Duke on two occasions to followup on getting my "special" meter. Neither Renu nor Duke were willing to take responsibility of the lost production. I blame Renu since they should have been on top of this to be sure it was completed.

Now it is producing only about 15 KW on the best days when we were expecting somewhere around 25 KW. Not sure if that is due to angle of the sun or whether something is wrong, but no one is willing to take responsibility and come check it out.

Renu was very helpful throughout the entire process of having a solar system designed, installed, and financed. They were by far the best quote that I received as well.

Our goal was a "net zero" system and so far it looks like they nailed it.We had 38 panels installed on our house that went live in June and I have not had a power bill since. Duke Energy still charges ~$15 /mo for connection fees but actual power consumption has been zero and we are banking credits towards the leaner months when power generation may be less than consumption.

We are very pleased and I would recommend Renu to anyone.

Renu Energy was so helpful and quick. Jeremy Pitts even went the extra mile to reassure me of the quote after hours when I emailed him. Fantastic and quick customer service responses to ALL of my emails.

Renu Energy Solutions provided the materials and installed an 8.4 kW array on my garage. Their installation crew did an excellent job, from ensuring the standoffs on the roof were properly secure and leak-proof, that rails and panels were correctly attached, and finally the system was attached to the inverter on the side of the building. Their crew’s work could not have been better. But bureaucratic screwups in Renu’s front office delayed power delivery to the grid by seven weeks.

I used Renu for my 1st installation and two additional add ons. Renu was great for each of these at at every step of the way.

We got quotes from three solar companies and chose Renu for their price, components, and quick ability to move very quickly installing and activating our system.

There was a hiccup at one point but Renu Energy did a great job resolving everything.

Renu provide an on time, on budget solution for my solar installation. They gave be the best quote of 4 companies contacted and they use the best panel in the industry. They employees are great to work with and it was done quite professionally.. I would recommend them enthusiastically to anyone......

Very professional, prompt, responsible people and workers.

Renu had the best presentation and proposal of several I requested, then its team followed through on everything, just as promised. I am now generating electricity from the roof and looking forward to years of savings ahead. Renu is first rate.

Our panels have been installed, the electricity has been connected, and we're waiting for Duke Energy to approve the installation and allow us to go live. Throughout this entire process, Renu has been exceptional. They not only communicate well with the customer but their internal communication is also amazing. The right hand knows exactly what the left hand is doing. Anytime I've called with a question, I get a satisfactory answer in good time. I can't say enough about how well this company works and how well they stand by their word! Thank you, Renu!!

They had the best price without haggling, straight forward, very helpful through the process and they don't try to trick you (such as guarantee the Duke rebate when they really can't guarantee it).

Renu took care of all interface with Duke Power and Mecklenburg County inspection. Their installation crews were dressed in company uniforms, were polite and very professional. The project management team kept me fully informed every step the way. It was an easy project for me. They even submitted all documents to Duke such that my rebate was processed right as the project finished. I would highly recommend Renu for your solar needs!

I haven’t seen or even heard of any design-build project that didn’t encounter problems – our project was not an exception. Problem # 1. The delivery of the solar panels was delayed three weeks. Now what you should expect and deserve is to have a firm working for you that responds to each problem in a professional manner and works diligently to successfully resolve every issue during the course of the project. This is the true measure of accountability. Renu Energy Solutions proved themselves to be accountable. Christina at Renu tracked the solar panel delivery daily and scheduled the installation crews on the first day that the panels were available in their warehouse. The panels were installed in a single day. And on the second day all of the electrical wiring, penetrations, connections and disconnects were completed. The last activity was the installation of a second home ground rod as required by current building code. Problem # 2. Normally the rod is installed by driving a half-inch diameter copper rod 8 ft. into the ground, usually near the electric meter location. Unfortunately, our home has only 1 ft. of topsoil over bedrock. The solution was to drill through the bedrock. Unfortunately, the drill bit needed was an industrial grade, extra long drill bit which is very expensive and has a long lead time to fabricate and deliver. Renu worked to locate a drill bit and when none could be found available, they purchased one at their own expense to minimize the completion delay – never asking for any additional money.

Everything went really smoothly. I got a proposal from Renu, then I found Energy Sage and used them to compare. Energy Sage is a great resource. I got multiple quotes and offers. I went with Renu because they were local, had many installations in the area and had a good price.
Installation, both mechanical and electrical , was done by Renu, no sub contractors. It was quick and efficient. They took care of all the forms and permits and notified the power company when it was ready for turn on. Two days later I'm up and running. Two days before rebate applications are being accepted, I got an email from Renu with the form to sign and they filed it.

Renu has done everything they said they would do and did it professionally. I am very satisfied thus far. Now, if Mother nature will cooperate with some non-rainy days, I can generate some electricity. The few clear days so far have indicated that the system will perform as advertised.

My installation was as proposed and was professionally done. Production seems to be in line with what was promised. Actual results are difficult to judge because monitoring system is totally bogus. Power company meter indicates that my night time use is almost double that indicated on the monitor, likewise the monitors listing for daily usage is only half to two-thirds that of my last 3 years. I am currently in discussion with RENU to correct the monitoring system. Don't know if I am truly being put off or if they are just slow to respond. Will update later.

A RENU electrician came out ( on a Sunday) and relocated a couple of sensors. After a software update to account for new sensor location, monitored numbers appear to be accurate.

It's been about two months since monitor installation was tweaked. Comparing monitor numbers with those of electric company meter readings and known feed to grid, the monitor numbers are very accurate. I would estimate single digit error possibly 1% or less.

I've waited an extremely long time to write this review (2 years now) but I'm sick of waiting for this company to honor what they said they would.

So lets start at the beginning. We ran across one of those Renu sales guys at the BJs in Concord, talked to him for a bit and decided to have someone come out and go over everything. Anwar, the guy that came out, was very nice and everything and worked his little calculation magic to show us what we would be able to get for essentially the equivalent of what we spent the last year in paying Duke. In the end, we ended up getting 15 of the largest capacity panels they carried. We were PROMISED, by Anwar, that the system we decided to go with would get us to what is called net zero (meaning you produce as much power as you consume over the course of the year and it is a wash) for what would work out to be the same amount Duke billed the previous year. So we were told that we would pay the equivalent amount to the loan for our solar panels that we paid to duke and that we wouldn't end up paying out for electricity to Duke anymore, essentially paying ourselves. Awesome, we loved that and decided to go for it. Anwar gave us all of his contact info and said to let us know if we needed anything.

At this point the whole permitting, measuring and installation process started. I told several people about what we did and gave out Anwar's info. No one was able to get ahold of Anwar. I tried to get ahold of him several times and couldn't. With-in the first week of the process, a guy came out to pull dimensions. I was talking to him about how no one could get in contact Anwar. He told me that Anwar was no longer at the company. When I asked why, he reluctantly said that Anwar was apparently having issues where he would lie to potential buyers, and that it has happened several times (more on that later). I hoped it didn't happen to us.

So the solar panels finally ended up being installed and connected to the grid. Every month we received a bill to where we would have to pay Duke. I was expecting some months to have to pay out and some months to be credited back since usage is averaged out over the course of the year. Every single month we paid, and we were paying a good bit, not just miniscule amounts that were to be expected. So I became frustrated. I called up Renu several times, bounced around between a few different people, if the receptionist even found me someone to talk to.

I finally ended up talking to a guy, maybe Chris or Jason? I can't remember his name at this point. While talking to him, he reviewed the production data and managed to see that it was producing the exact same amount of energy as the system was supposed to. Ok, fine. Why weren't we at net zero as was promised? Well, come to find out we actually would need 8 MORE panels for that. I would need enough roof space for 23 345kwh solar panels for a house that is under 1500sqft. That is ridiculous. So why were we told what we were told? He doesn't know. So then I brought up Anwar being fired because he lied to multiple people. To this statement, I was told that Anwar wasn't fired, he moved back to New York to be with family, and I was told that the guy who told me that was himself fired, because he was some sort of trouble maker. But if Anwar was going to be moving back to New York like I was told by the last guy, why would he give out all of his information and not just say he was about to move? This "moving" or firing, happened with-in a week of us deciding we were getting the panels. One would think that he would know that he was leaving the area in less than a week and let someone else take over for him.

At this point, I'm fed up with the situation and company. The guy I was dealing with said he would escalate this up the company to someone higher and that they would pay my next power bill to show how "committed they were to fixing the situation". Lucky for them, it was the month that we produced the most amount of power so their "commitment" was a grand total of like $30.

That whole commitment situation, was a year ago at this point. An entire year with no resolution. I called to find out the status several times, no one knows anything. The last time I was contacted was them wanting to have me buy a battery backup. I told the above story to the person on the phone who told me I would get a call back from a manager the next day. I never did. That was over a month ago. This company is full of liars and scammers. In the end, my "free" electricity is costing me substantially more than it ever would have cost just sticking with paying a power company. Buyer beware.

Turned on the system today and already sold Duke 10kw in less than hr. Very professional from sales to installation. Installation crew is composed of university graduates and interns. Team leader had over 3 years experience with the company. Biggest hang-up was Duke Energy, very bureaucratic in forms and information. Everything must match exactly (i.e. spelling of first name) with them.

Renu Energy Solutions is an amazing company to work with. Drew and Hannah have gone above and beyond to answer our questions and make our solar panel install a smooth and easy one. We have had our panels for about 4 months and are very happy! I highly recommend Renu Energy Solutions!

I did a lot of research before purchasing my system and spoke to nearly a dozen different installers. I wanted to take my time and make an informed decision.

Of all the companies I spoke to, no one was even close to, Renu's communication, support, and professionalism. Starting with the first phone call, the sales rep (Whitney) was patient, knowledgable, transparent, respectful, and articulate. Nothing like the pushy sales tactics I saw from other companies.

During the initial site visit, the engineer (Joe) came prepared with polished presentations on multiple size and configuration options. He explained the technical differences between the panel types, impacts on reliability, production and warranty scenarios. Just like everyone else at Renu, Joe was a first class pro.

The price negotiations that followed were amicable, and Renu even found ways to save me money using creative financing options. Again, nothing but professionalism.

Once we kicked off the project, I had a dedicated project manager (Hannah) and a direct line to her via text any time of day. She walked me through the process that included a site survey, layout planning, installation, inspection, new meter installation and activation by the power company. Most communication and scheduling was done by text or phone, and she was always 100% responsive. It really felt like a concierge service.

All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend Renu to anyone considering rooftop solar. Compared to some of the other companies I spoke with, they're in a league of their own.

I spent nearly 6 months researching Home Solar PV. I choose ReNu Energy because they were open and responsive to every question; assisted my HOA to develop guidelines for the neighborhood; handled EVERY detail about it; they are a SunPower Premier Dealer; they are licensed and certified residential solar installer using their employees; offered a competitive price; and my utility provider personnel when putting my new meter said "probably the best installation we've seen"

A beautiful 22 panel/8 kW system installed on our LKN home. Our solar Production already is out pacing our energy consumption so looking forward to near zero dollar bills (unfortunately duke still charges fixed fees) in the future.

The Energy Sage experience was the best! The information, website navigation, interaction with bidders, everything was spot-on!

Our installation was completed on time, on budget & as proposed. Am very pleased with selections of installer & with their capable help the equipment chosen.

Probably the only AND continuing negative in the whole experience is the overall political environment as it relates to solar, read alternative, energy & Duke Energy's hold on the NC retail market.