Solar SME, Inc. - Profile & Reviews

The SME installation started on May 4, 2020 is not complete per our Home Improvement Contract. Our contract states that our solar system will produce a maximum of 14.85kw but, as of today it has not produced more than 11.58kw. This is a KW production shortage of over 22% less than what was the expected production. Initially, we had not contacted our SME solar installer about the current underperformance. We assumed that they were still adjusting and replacing the defective parts that they received from the initial delivery. I did mention my concerns to the SME installer while they were installing our system who then put me on the phone with their office who assured me that my system would produce over what the stated KW production states on the SolarEdge specification sheet of 11.4kw. We figured that Solar SME was still working on our system and did not think that the install was complete because of the continued unannounced, and random days the installers would arrive at our home to continue the install and tweaking the system.

We believe the performance confusion started when our solar panels increased from 41 panels to 45 panels without anyone compensating for the increased capacity needed from the inverter. To our understanding, the system will perform within10% of the PVUSA Test Conditions (PTC) rating of 14.85kw and if the system does not meet this minimum requirement additional work will be performed to correct the deficiencies. The current inverter will never perform to a maximum of 14.85kw, according to SolarEdge's performance data sheet for model SE11400H-US, even if the sun sits directly ten feet above and directly over our home for 24 hours a day seven days a week. The Interconnection And Parallel Operation of Distributed Generation presented to ONCOR by SME shows that SME knew that our system needed two inverters for a total capacity of 15.23kw.

What needs to happen for our solar system to perform to the PVUSA Test Condition (PTC) rating of 14.85? I believe the system is not meeting the minimum requirements of 14.85KW due to the decision of SME to install a SolarEdge Single Phase HD Wave Inverter with maximum production of 11.4KW and not the required inverter able to handle a system production rate of 14.85 or greater. Our deepest concern is that if the system cannot produce in the summer on completely clear skies 14.85kw, then what will be our KW production in the winter when there are fewer hours of sunlight and cloudier days?

As of June 12, 2020 at 5:25 pm we are still waiting for a reasonable response from Solar SME about when our 14.85kw solar system will be complete. We will update our rating once our contract agreement is complete.

As of August 2020, additional Inverter was installed to increase my production to 14.85kw. Make sure that you pay attention to the details of what was agreed to in your contract. I do recommend Solar SME because of the quality of their equipment, the total price of my system, and their strong warranty. I Paid a total of $30,000 after deducting my check from Oncor for $8,100. My system has 45 panels at 330 watts each and two inverters totaling 14.85kw.

They went above and beyond to answer all my questions, present multiple versions of their proposal, and make sure that they gave me the best offer possible.

Very responsive and helpful.

I will start by saying the system we have installed is working well, and after our first full month of production we are pleased we chose to go solar. At every step and turn along the journey, though, I wished I had not chosen Solar SME.

We were preparing for an interstate relocation, and we wanted solar installed on our new home. I was doing the research and looking for an installer that served my new state, and Solar SME's quote looked like the value, for the % of need met and payback period (I now believe the others were just better, more informed, more accurate proposals.)

They are attentive and responsive until you've signed the contract, and you only learn later how tenuous their commitments and capacity are.

Solar SME doesn't really serve Missouri, and everything was done entirely remotely. Every step of the process felt like it took 2-4x as long as it should have, and getting information required constant follow-up and was met with defensive, adversarial responses. Even after I was assured by their senior manager that he would become my point of contact, the old, problematic staff were interacting with me and the local planning commission again within days.

And what a journey that was. Solar SME started by insisting to local authorities, against all photographic evidence, that the project didn't need a permit. That argument alone costed weeks, as they resisted submitting permitting paperwork. They twice submitted plans that weren’t compliant with local code, first with a non-compliant design, and again because of non-compliant equipment. They clearly had not looked at local code before trial-and-erroring through the process, with each step adding another government review cycle and in-person hearing (that they were not present for and did not support me to prepare for). Instead of facilitating the process with the local planning commission, they seemed resistant, aggressive, defensive, and generally counterproductive. I ended up having to interact repeatedly with the local authorities myself, smoothing things over and assuring them that I, at least, was not trying to sidestep regulations or cut corners.

I estimate we lost at least three months with no progress at all because of this dynamic, adding to an already slow local permitting process. $5000 worth of state incentives expired along the way.

Installation ended up being done by a local company I could have easily hired directly, and the same dynamic of opacity, misrepresentation, inefficiency marked the whole process. In the vacuum, I ended I ended up dealing directly with the subcontractor, highlighting just how little I was getting from Solar SME--and at what cost. After installation, the equipment sat dormant and depreciating on my roof for several weeks, as the need for repeat inspections and process missteps delayed activation.

By the end, more than a year after I signed the contract, I felt like I had been oversold, overcharged, and overburdened by Solar SME. Caveat emptor.

UPDATE: A few months after I issued my final payment to Solar SME, their subcontractor--the ones who actually installed the system and provided any sense of responsible service--showed up asking me for access to my roof. It seems they had not been able to collect their final payment from Solar SME, because almost 20% of my panels--south-facing ones, of course--were not online. Solar SME had never advised me that my system wasn't fully functional, but suddenly I had desperate local subcontractors on my roof for several days trying to diagnose a problem.

It has been months since this new round of communication and service failures started, and it's still not resolved. We've had occasional, unannounced visits from the subcontractors and, no matter how many times I asked them to keep me informed, no proactive communication from Solar SME. When I communicate with them, they repeat what I already know and ignore questions about how they mean to reconcile collecting final payment from me before I have a fully functional system. At this point I'd just be happy to have my panels producing at full capacity, but I'm flying blind on when that will happen.

I gather from the subcontractor they've finally diagnosed the problem, and now we're waiting for parts. Of course, that was three weeks ago (or more... it all begins to blur), and I've heard nary a word from them or Solar SME.

These guys are actively, aggressively, willfully terrible.

Stay away from this company they try and pressure you into signing contracts their site survey does not involve explaining anything to. I had to have them redo the contract multiple times finding things that did not sound right or were incorrect. I finally made a rep come to my house and explain everything to me and found out that the current panels that I was in the contract would only cover a fraction or my electric bill. I specifically told them that I did not want an electric bill and that I wanted to average between 2500 and 3000 kWh a month. We redid the number of panels from 30 something to 52 and I was assured that it would generate the number I asked for. My solar panels have been installed for the last 3 months and I have yet to generate more than 1500 kWh a month and when I called I was told my system will average out at 2000 kWh which is a huge difference when you are paying 45,000 for the system that runs 300.00 a month. If you decide to go with them make sure you have them put in the contract the number of kWh you expect to produce because you will put it in their terms that you don't understand. I usually am really good at making sure I am covered in a contract but I found out I definitely was not this time.

Update:
As seen in thier response they lie about what was said between me and the sales team, they call me and ask what the problem is, I explain what I wanted and what was talked about and instead of calling me back they email me saying that I agreed to something else. When. I reply to the email that that wasn't true I hear nothing back until I find out they replied to this review. That should tell you alot about this company

We started thinking about solar panels for our house in the summer of 2020. We realized our roof has great exposure, the limited chance of any shade trees overshadowing the roof in the next twenty years, and the likely benefits of solar on our future air conditioning bills.

We did not find EnergySage first -- rather, we scheduled a visit from PowerHome Solar, a large company with a local office here in Virginia... but they sent a salesperson up from North Carolina. The sales visit was more embarrassing than enlightening, as it consisted of showing us YouTube videos on a tablet while being unable to answer any of our questions before collecting signatures. It was a textbook example of a "hard sell," and it absolutely turned us off on the company, but not on Solar. We realize that with the growing exposure of solar panel technology, more people with MBAs and a "Get Rick Quick" attitude will find their way into the business, no matter how silly they might appear. Solar Panels, after all, are not Used Cars.

Fortunately, our disgust with PowerHome turned us toward the internet, where we found EnergySage. We have had great phone calls with EnergySage, who connected us with multiple installers and helped us find financing options that worked for us, including a roof installer to get a new roof on before putting solar panels on top... but I have to say that this makes the PowerHome sales approach make more sense. They know if they fail to get those signatures, the buyers will find out about the superior competition: superior in quality of panels, cost, installation, and financing options.

If you are on the fence concerning a solar system for your house, give EnergySage a try. We found SolarSME (the installer) and their financial options (out of Oregon, of all places) only thanks to EnergySage. It is one of the few positive experiences I can attribute to having an internet connection in the house. :)

SolarSME was by far the most responsive and professional solar company that I received quotes from. It really pays to do your homework as there are many companies that have a "cookie cutter" plan and they will assure you they are the best. I shopped around and found that SolarSME offered a quality of panel, cost of project, warranty, and ease of doing business with was unmatched by any other. I learned that there is an immediate difference in solar companies and quotes can vary widely. SOlarSME made the process simple and communicated along the way. I am happy I decided on this company and refer my friends and family to them. The take away is DO NOT sign a contract without shopping around and speaking with SolarSME first.

the salesman for this company continues to send a message approximately once a week asking me to sign up for solar panels when I already said I am not interested. please reconsider doing business with a company that resorts to such aggressive sales tactics.

Really nice customer service happy with everything they done easy process always trying to make customer happy

We are happy with our installation from Solar SME. The process had several delays that were not Solar SME’s fault (An inefficient local permitting process, Covid 19 and shipping damage). Through all these setbacks Sam and his team at Solar SME worked through every roadblock until we were satisfied. We are pleased with the quality of the equipment installed (Panasonic panels and a Solar Edge inverter) and the performance over the four months since installation is in line with the estimates.

Hampton, VA. Zack Miller sent a very thorough proposal and followed up with great phone conversations. Specifically, the difference in total cost between financing or paying cash for a system is huge. Zack was very open about the differences and explained things that no other solar provider did, e.g. zero down financing is not always the best approach because of it's large origination fee. I would have selected Zach and SME Solar, unfortunately I am postponing solar until my next house.

My solar installation needs appear to have been unusual: all-circuit full-home backup and all panels functioning during a power outage. While I felt like SolarSME and I learned in parallel how to do this and it took substantial time, SolarSME persevered through months of technical details and redesigns to build a system to meet my requirements and adjust it as we discovered third-party limitations.

--Pros--
(1) Perseverance in the face of technical challenges
(2) Flexibility to meet user requirements
(3) Loan program, no hidden loan fee (same as cash)
(4) Prefers to use high quality materials
(5) Relatively prompt communication

--Cons--
(1) Needed to carefully review contracts and designs to correct oversights and misunderstandings
(2) Redesigns to meet technical specifications and utility requirements added months to the process
(3) Felt like this was the first time SolarSME was building a large full-home backup solar system, we had to learn together

--Lessons learned--
(1) Check with utility on transformer capacity before designing a large system (over 12kW AC)
(2) Tesla PowerWall is the best value for full home backup right now, but likely more than one is needed. I estimate similar Enphase batteries would have been ~$30k more than the 3 PowerWall units I settled on.
(3) There is a limit to the solar generation that can feed PowerWall units, approximately 22 325W panels per PowerWall unit

Overall, I would give the experience a 3.5 out of 5 stars. SolarSME was quick to reply and very responsive with any questions or concerns. There was never a moment where I felt without support. Getting solar during a pandemic proved to be time consuming, taking roughly 6 months from the initial outreach to installation. We figured this would be the case and remained patient. A major area for improvement would be the cleanup after installation. Zip ties were left on the roof and plastic debris/cigarette butts were left in the yard. Attention to detail is key for a satisfied customer, especially a customer who is conscious about the environment. A second area for improvement was the hired electrician. It seems that there needs to a measure for solar knowledge as this contractor lacked confidence and understanding, specifically with the connection process and mobile app. Their lack of confidence made me doubt the overall process which is never a good feeling. Our system is up, operating and soaking in the sun! Our system has yet to operate for a full month so it is hard to know if the unit is producing the correct amount of energy. Further information about how to read our unit would also be appreciated and a check in after a few weeks would be preferred.

Alex provided good information, but the layout was awkward and wouldn't revise unless committed. SME was the only quopte we received from this site and without competition could not proceed

Lots of communication but we could not get to a deal

The process of choosing the right solar energy provider and installer is very difficult due to the lack of consumer knowledge and the vast number of installers. The same question may give you various answers depending on who you ask. I found the Solar SME to be extremely helpful. Xavier Lee, one of their energy consultants took his time and explained the entire process, outlining the pros and cons of the solar installations, and also went into specifics on the different solar panels and subsystems in layman's terms that I could understand. He also demonstrated great customer service with timely responses to my inquiries. I would recommend looking up Solar SME for your solar energy needs.

Solar SME is undoubtedly one of the best solar installers in DFW metropolitan area. Alex approached me with a quote after posting my requirements on Energy Sage. But, I have got a better quote which I have forwarded it to Alex. He not only did the price match, but also went above and beyond and offered me an unbeatable $/kwh price. We have signed the agreement and requested Solar SME to apply for Oncor on our behalf. Unfortunately, our loan wasn't approved and we had to cancel the agreement the very next day. After a month, Alex approached again with the news of Oncor rebate (worth 5k) and offered us plethora of options to move forward. Great job Alex!
After signing the new agreement, Steve contacted us and he took care of rest of the installation. He was very professional through the process and handled all the necessary paper work. Installation went smoothly except for connecting my system to enlighten app via wifi (weak signal strength). Steve stepped in and installed M2M device for free (though it wasn't in our agreement). Thanks Steve!
Over all, I am a very happy costumer and thanks Solar SME for making this happen.

We did not end up going with SolarSME for our panels for financial reasons, but had a very positive experience with them exploring and negotiating their quote. They were knowledgeable and I would consider working with them in the future.

I used EnergySage to determine my options and placement for a solar installation on my townhouse in Pennsylvania - I thought that since my roof was small, it wouldn't be worth it. To my surprise, the estimate showed I could meet my entire electrical demand, and at a fairly reasonable price. I put out a request for a quote, and SME responded quickly and with a very detailed plan. I asked many questions about configuration and layout, to which SME regularly responded with detail and alternatives, up to and including quotes for different configurations. When it came time to choose, I went with them - the hardware they recommended was top-of-the-line, and the analysis performed left nothing to chance. The process was lengthy (at least compared to my expectations - it took a little over 4 months from first contract to turn-on) due to the many permits and licensed installers the city requires, but SME took care of it all - while I chose to be very involved in the process, I believe I could have sat back and done nothing and I would have been just as satisfied. Today I have a full net metering solution online, and am very happy with the setup I chose. They weren't the cheapest quote I got (though the cheapest option wasn't much lower, and had multiple drawbacks in terms of equipment quality and warranty restrictions), but these people seem to have the quality I don't mind paying a bit extra for.

My journey to solar was a bit tortuous. After getting a really bad quote from one company leading to a cancelation of contract, Sam from SME contacted me because I had made an inquiry through energy sage. My enthusiasm was dampened but I allowed Sam to convince me about solar. He gave me a plan and he was very patient with lots of missed calls between us. Mistakes happened along the way but we eventually resolved and today I have 30 solar panels on my roof. I cant wait for the power which I already see being generated over the last three days of launch.

It was a pleasure working with Sam and I am pleased with my system so far.

Patrick

Solar SME completed installation and we powered up in last two weeks. I received their contact from my neighborhood page and I am glad because everyone only quotes with panels that will deteriorate quicker and has lower conversion rate (including the big names) but Solar SME quoted with premium panels and I liked that. The on boarding process was simple and their financial institutions that provide loans have more options which is also a plus. Once the loan|plan was approved installation began in two weeks. The operations team is very courteous and helpful they work hard and before leaving your property they will walk around the house and clean-up. Something Solar SME can improve on is to keep the communications open (Weekly update) and show the steps or "What to expect" when you initially start the communication. The best part about working with Solar SME is that they will take your feedback and come back to you with a proposal to try and satisfy all your queries.

After research of solar companies I decided to go with Solar SME because of price and reviews. They did all the necessary paperwork with the city, neighborhood association, and with the electric utility. They were also answered all my questions and responsive to my concerns doing installation. I am happy with the installation.

Zack has been a persistent, and professional providerof every detail (and then some) I have asked for during this process. He has answered all my technical questions on the panels and installation specifics, and also my wife's questions about financinig, asthetics, and warranties. He has been patient with mine and my wife's schedule to schedule phone calls and Zoom meetings, even with re-schedule requests. He would be the first person I turn to at SME and I hope is representative of the quality person SME employs.

I hope to be a customer of SME as soon as I can work out the financing on my end.

I has been a great pleasure to work with Mr Lee, that has great knowledge about solar and design to make it look perfect on our house. We looks forward to go green

Working with Shane Lee has been a very communicative experience. He will respond to you and answer all questions. He is quick to rewrite quotes and explain in detail. I have not made a decision yet to use this company for my solar needs.

I worked with Shane, who was very responsive to my questions and requests. We have not yet had panels installed as we are still considering whether to move ahead. However i was pleased with the responsive service i got.

Very good and clear info. Was able to explain all the details in the Quote and answer all technical questions. Good follow up. Will be putting purchase on hold for now due to personal reasons.

Thanls

Solar SME provided me the technical aspect in layman’s term to expedite my purchase of a solar panel system. The process is timely but I’m comfortable knowing that everything is being handled meticulously and in an expeditious manner.

Alex was great to work with - I had done some research and had lots of half-baked ideas about the installation which he was able to answer patiently, however wrong they may have been. I never felt pressured or like I was under the gun to acquiesce to terms. Solar SME's rates were also by far the most competitive amongst the companies I researched and they are using top-rated panels, I am waiting on the installation but based on my experience thus far - I expect everything to be stellar as it has been so far.

Awesome site! Received lots of good quotes from a lot of good companies. Customer service has been outstanding.

Zack did an excellent job putting together the presentation as well as answering all of my questions. He was patient and had no problems explaining technical concepts or answering questions I had about the products being used. His insight definitely helped inform and shape my opinion on how my solar project would turn out.

I was really comfortable with this sales. He explained everything I needed to know.

Shane was very helpful, was willing to build the system on what we wanted. With the Pearl Certification, it
gives them the edge over everyone in the marketplace. If you want a good system with great prices, Solar SME is the company you want to go with. We went with another company based on the financing options that were available. If were not financing Solar SME would have been our choice.

We are glad that we were able to get in touch with Zac at Solar SME, in our pursuit of Soalr Panel installation.

Zac has been very patient in answering all our questions and concerns. He is very meticulous in communicating all of the information that are necessary to make a informed and calculated decision going for solar panels.

As we are planning to purchase Electric cars next year, we are definite to approach Zac at SME Solar next year to expand our solar installation, since we foresee higher consumption of electricity.

Nanda Mokaneti

Everything to this point has gone smoothly. Zack got us a great deal over other companies and we are excited to get the process completed

Shane Lee did a great job completing our contract. We had some misunderstandings early on, but once I said I needed better communication, Shane took care of what needed to be done and was responsive.

Shane did a great job getting us setup with the right system for our property at a great price. Made the process fast and easy. Went above and beyond on getting us the best financing available.

Every need was met in a timely and professional manner. Shane helped us quickly and completely get our system up and running.

I hired Solar SME to have my solar array installed. The installation has not taken place yet as we are still early in the preparation phase. I had a site inspector come out a couple days ago to inspect my property. Next stage is to apply for permits and get approval from HOA. All of that will be handled by Solar SME.

This review is only for the initial stages of my interaction with Solar SME's representative Shane Lee. Shane has been very fast and very responsive to my questions and requests. Whenever I have a question I would e-mail him and he usually responds within the hour or within 3 hours. He has been very flexible with my requests and worked hard with his senior management team to fulfill my requests and needs. Shane even works on weekends and during Labor Day holiday.
So far everything seems to be going pretty smoothly. I cannot speak to the installation process, the quality of the installation, and how my solar array is working yet since that is 2-3 months down the road. Therefore, I will not rate the quality of the product yet. If possible I will update this review later on when I cross that bridge. So far so good!

Excellent service

I had requested quotes for a 12.8KW system and Shane Lee from SolarSME provided a straight forward solid quote for a system that exceeded my expectations. Shane worked closely with me to further refine system size and options to ensure the system will meet my needs. Throughout the process he has kept contact and ensured all my questions were answered. I recommend SolarSME and am confident you'll have a solid experience as well.

Solar SME and Shane Lee have been very helpful throughout the initial solar process. Although our panels have yet to be installed, all of my questions have been answered thus far in a timely manner and with extra care. The design was SO detailed and organized. Shane is always quick to respond and very polite. We appreciate all of his help and hard work to make this dream of ours come true!! I am looking forward to finally having solar panels and doing my part to help our beautiful planet. Highly recommend!

Zack was my sales rep and he went above and beyond working on my system. Between working on pricing, system size, and a few customizations, it has been a great experience!

Zack did a wonderful job communicating with me about the solar process. He gave me a detailed proposal and explained everything clearly. I had a great experience working with him and Solar XME, they keep you informed every step of the way!

Our job is not completed but so far we are pleased with the help we received from Shane. Whenever I have questions he us quick to respond he is always professional and courteous . The workers that were here to look at our project were down to earth good guys. We look forward to getting our project completed and have confidence that we will have a great job done for us.

I worked with Shane Lee designing a solar system for my home in Georgia. He did an excellent job creating the design, making changes based on my input and answering my questions. The installation was subcontracted to Solar Plus near Atlanta. The companies worked together well and they handled all of the architectural approvals with minimal effort needed from me.

Shane Lee did a great job getting us the best price possible on our system as well as a low finance rate. Highly recommended.

I just bought my house , furnitures and appliances. My credit was neither perfect but with no negative remarks. But Zach from Solar SME worked with me to find perfect financing options. I am waiting for the installations to happen, so no comments there. But Kevin worked closely with me to finalize the design and get all the approvals . Where i needed to get the approvals on my own, he helped me through . Answered all my questions in deciding what kind of panels and battery backups I want to use.

Mike Brown was great. I actually WANT to buy from Solar SME, Inc. because I trust Mike Brown. The estimate from Solar SME was not the most competitive but the communication, education, and honesty have me sold on their products and expertise. If I move or build another home, I will ensure my roof design will accommodate enough solar panels to make going solar a worthwhile reality.

Work with me to gey correct size system for my needs.

I had been looking for solar companies to accommodate a solar design that I need. I selectted Solar SME over others because they are very open minded on what I want in my system. Zack is very accommodating, very patient and listened to me very well. I appreciate the effort he is doing to make my solar project going. I strongly recommend Solar SME.

Shane Lee develope a solar panel package for me with the 340 HIT panels for my roof , the Panasonic panels rating and durability were outstanding as well as the complete package, for net metering. At the time I couldn't take advantage of them. So I refer him to my son Peter Jackson Jr. and He lives in Texas and he is taking advantage of Shane Lee services. He has a contract with him and will be putting the panels on his house in October. Thanks again Shane for your out standing service.

Zach went above and beyond to get my business. Unfortunately the other Solar company had the upper hand with some extra incentives. But I would definitely recommend Solar SME.

Thank you for your time and effort

I worked with Mike Brown from Solar SME and was very satisfied with his response time and genuine interest in finding the right solution for our solar needs.I recommend working with Mike.

Solar SME was the only company to respond on EnergySage with a quote and their prices and products were better than the other local quotes that I received. I have been working with a few different folks at Solar SME to get my project going but Mike and Sam have been the most helpful of the bunch. Very patient and go out of their way to answer questions and offer a top notch customer experience. I’ve never had a salesperson send a text just to let me know I hadn’t been forgotten while the process is in a holding pattern. It definitely gave the feeling that they genuinely care about their customers to not be left hanging for long periods of time with no communication even when there’s no real update to report. The information provided has been incredibly detailed with nothing overlooked. Really excited to get through permitting and actually see the installation happen.

I worked with this company to come up with a plan to have solar installed on my house. They where very prompt at answering any queations that I had about the process and explained it all in a simple and,easy to understand way.

They worked with us, took care of every detail, she followed up to verify our needs were being met.

Thanks to Sam and team, we were able to get our ideal system installed. They were happy to accommodate our adjustment requests for the system (altering the system size and picking a different panel) as we were in the planning stages. They were on the job as soon as the permit went through (even mid-pandemic) and did the work quickly. We've had multiple compliments on the great looking system!

Great experience working with SolarSME.

I was highly impressed with Zak Miller knowledge and abilities as well as his professional presentation and the fact that if he didn't have the information he would go out of his way to find out the information that I was interested in. He knew his equipment he knew his Spec's in regulations and was able to provide me with the information about tax incentives that I needed. I was highly impressed with Zach Miller's salesmanship professionalism and knowledge. I was even more impressed with this young man when I decided to go with a different company and how well he handled it. Even though he had gone out of his way and the extra mile he handled my choice of a different company with professional Grace and an excellent attitude. I feel he would be a valuable employee any place that he worked and I hope solar SME appreciates him as much as I did

I selected Solar SME after carefully considering three or four other providers based on their timely responsiveness, labor and product warranties, quality materials, and positive reviews on Energy Sage etc. Furthermore, they were quite accommodating on modifying the contract language and terms so everyone was happy. I originally went with a rooftop installation and later changed to a ground mount system since I have the space. This delayed the project slightly but overall, the SolarSME team that they sent from Texas was patient with my questions and courteous. Two Thumbs up to Frank and Mark from Solar SME for a job well done.

I am the first in my family for going solar but I have a feeling that others will follow suit. We are only a few weeks in but I am pleased with the KwH production levels so far for cloudy Western PA!

Solar SME bid on our job through Energy Sage and their proposal was the best price for the highest quality equipment and system I was looking for. They were very responsive and accomodating of my requests both during the design and installation phases. The construction crew was careful, efficient and professional. It’s been less than a week since the system was turned on but I’m very pleased with the quality of the installation and the performance of the system. I would highly recommend Solar SME to design and install your whole house solar system.

I've had a very pleasant experience working with Solar SME and their team and I would especially like to call out the names of Adam and Steve.
They were very professional. They gave me a very competitive quote for high-quality components and they took care of all of the permissions including city, HOA, and utility company.
I will definitely recommend Solar SME to everyone without any hesitation.

Because of my specific circumstances, I elected not to go forward with a solar/energy storage system, but Alex from Solar SME provided me with a quote which was very responsive, well researched and comprehensive, including two separate options for achieving my goals. I was extremely satisfied with their effort and responses to my questions..

We backed out of the process after having +10 issues with the contract by SolarSME, the contract with the lender, promised rates that changed, and stipulations that were absolutely insane. The contract to get a solar service ended up having more strings than our home mortgage.

Just to name a couple issues we had;
they require that you waive your right to ever take them to court (not sure how catastrophic things could get if that’s included).
If you are ten days late on a payment, they will make you pay the entire balance then and there.
If you’re thirty days late, they repossess the system.
Lender (sunlight financial llc) completely unresponsive to issues.
Solar SME told us we could do a soft credit check “instead” of a hard credit check, but then told us right after the soft that they had to do a hard credit check anyway.
Lender and SME both have remote access to the system.
Warranty not brought up in depth in either contract.
We were asked to leave a review of their service because they had a negative review on here (since there are tons of reviews in the last week, it’s obvious they reached out to all their customers) to try and push the bad review down.

Not a great experience to enter the solar world with. I recommend keeping a cancellation letter at the ready just in case.

Solar SME completed the installation of solar panels on my house. The job was completed according the contract and the system is working fine. My only regret is yhat I should have got more panels. I feel thar I received a fair value foe my money and would highly recommend this company.

From the moment I submit my information, I receive a quote the next 2 days, very thorough, very accurate and most details explained, Zach follow and answer a couple of my emails , and even on a Saturday he got on the phone to answer some of my questions about yhe hardware and other questions that I have.
I am very grateful for his time and attention , we have already refer some of our friends to this company.
Not expensive at all if you consider yhe money you save in a long run.
Worth it every penny.

We are very happy with our decision to choose Solar SME. Their responsiveness and professionalism were visible throughout the whole process. I appreciated the additional conversations during the planning phase, which helped me decide on a system size appropriate to my needs. The system has been online for almost 6 months now with only a minor issue during the initial week of the system being online. Solar SME was quick to response to my call and had a technician there to address the issue. We haven't encountered any other issues. Thank you Solar SME.

Zack from Solar SME was the to contact me through EnergySage and was the most consistent in communications. Along with EnergySage, I used other sites to research solar and received a list of companies, but few made an effort to reach out let alone provide an immediate quote online.

I could go on and on about the negative experiences I had from several other companies, but decided to leave it out because I wanted this review to focus on the positive experience I had with choosing Solar SME.

I chose Solar SME becuase I felt my specific system and installation requests were being properly addressed and met. I specifically requested black panels and black racking installed with no penetration mounts to not damage or detract from our concealed fastener bronze colored metal roof.

The other companies offered few choices, little details or did not take my requests into consideration. Other companies wanted me to buy what they wanted to sell me.

Solar SME has easily addressed my concerns, have provided me the options and even provided additional panels to increase offset at no additional cost, at a lower cost, and all without having to provide a competitors quote.

It was a very good customer service experience working with Alex. He was responsive and very patient with us as we asked a million questions. He was truthful when answering our questions even when the answer wasn't what we wanted to hear.

We had several quotes from other companies and spoke with a couple of other salesman. We decided to go with Solar SME because of Alex and the great price we got on our system. I recommend this company to anyone who is looking to install Solar on their home or business. Hopefully, the rest of the process is as smooth as this initial part of the process.

I quoted my system all around and SME was far the best option both in quality of components and price. Their customer service team is also very responsive.

It was a very good customer service experience working with Zack. He was responsive, attentive to my requirements and got me the system that I was looking for at a good price.

I SIGNED A CONTRACT AND THEY VOIDED IT THE FOLLOWING DAY. This is all because I said I would cover the trenching and they tried to say that trenching included all the wiring and if you look trenching up that is definitely not what it means so I was very very upset to say the least. NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO PULL MORE AND MORE MONEY OUT OF YOU.TRUST ME THEY ARE FRAUDS. BBB “Better Business Bureau” here I come. Texas Attorney Generals Office here I come, lawyer here I come. You don’t mess with Veterans and get off Scott free. Gonna cost a lot of money for them. Now that’s clean and precise, very specific and to the point. Same way there communication should have been with me before they signed the contract.

I appreciated all of the information and communication between Alex and myself. Whenever I had a question about solar or the quote I would receive a timely response. SolarSME prices were one of the best.

I ended up not getting a system installed for now due to my specific economics, but the people I spoke to and that designed the proposals from Solar SME were very helpful and responsive. I’m going to check back in with them in the future

In early January, we started looking into Solar. We already had a high pressure salesman come to our home and give us the presentation from another company. Eventually, we found EnergySage and within a few days, we received multiple quotes.

Solar SME and Mike came in with a good price to begin with on top quality panels and equipment. Over the next 10 days, I probably asked Mike over the EnergySage messages every question that popped in my head. I tried to go through every scenario that things could go bad. I asked specific questions on warranty and filing claims and he answered every single one of them with a straight answer, even if it wasn't an answer I wanted to hear, but it was the truth.
For example, I asked about a hail storm and the other high pressure salesman from the other company told me they would take care of all of it and switch out all the panels for free. Mike was very honest and explained if that ever happened, we would first file a claim through our home insurance. That's not something I wanted to hear but through asking other companies (besides that one), they all said the same thing.
Mike and the Solar SME team put together a great proposal that explained things in further detail.

We started with 12 bids (from EnergySage, in person and phone consultations) and we eventually narrowed it down to 3 and then 2. Solar SME was always in the top 2 in terms of price, warranty, and customer service.

In the end, we went with another company, but the quotes were nearly identical (after both companies negotiated). I would not hesitate to recommend Solar SME and especially Mike to others.

I originally started my solar project with Tesla. But due to their inability to edit contract detailsi stopped with them and i went through Energysage to get quotes from other installers.

Solar SME offered me the most flexibility in regards to the products i wanted to use and how i wanted it installed. They also offered the best price for the project after some negotiation.

They were willing to add to the contract terms without issues. They had good communications through the whole project and were transparent in using a local solar install company to perform the install. Who did an excellent job BTW. they also had no issues sending me all details i asked for including the engineering documentation.

There was a few months delays due to county's permitting issues, but once that was settled they had the installation setup and done in 3 days.

My recommendation for any solar project is first educate yourself on tech and determine your needs. Make sure to express your concerns and desired outcome when discussing the project. Also ask a lot of questions. Finally to find your own financing, it will save your money.

Solar SME designed a high-quality system to my requested specification, arranged efficient field measurements, permitting, and skilled and very responsible installers - all at a very competitive price for a 12 kW home system. There were some delays due to high installation volume at the end of 2019, but my net metering was operational before the end of 2019. I was pleased with the professionalism of every participant in their system.

This company made a deal with that if they did not finish in time they would reduce the price as I would loose part of my federal discount. They keep on trying to bill me an extra $1000 even though it was in our contract.

In addition to that I had new roof installed and it the install made it leak.

First time dealing with solar so I was skeptical. Pending the final inspection post install but so far the process has been chugging along smoothly. Only a speed bump arose but solar sme went out of their way to keep things on schedule.