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Windfree Solar

Windfree Solar is the answer if you are looking for solar expertise and individual care. We are the company that figures out difficult projects.

As an EPC, we stand behind our customers every step of the way, including permitting, design and engineering, interconnection and net metering applications, procurement of custom materials, premium installation, inspections, and application for incentives. We also offer an industry-leading 25-year workmanship warranty. We have worked with a variety of clients, both private and public. We do not cut corners and we do not stock up on cheap materials. At Windfree Solar, we use premium equipment and certified installers to ensure that each project is completed safely, correctly, on-time and on-budget. If you are looking for the top-of-the-line quality, experience, care and knowledge, then Windfree Solar is the only choice.
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4.5
Avg rating
4.5
Avg rating
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Windfree Solar provides custom solar project consulting and installation across the Midwest. Since our establishment in 2009, we have installed over 25 Megawatts of solar and wind renewable energy system covering homes, businesses, schools, and municipalities. At Windfree, we have a great deal of experience with a variety of projects, including custom roof and ground mount applications. Our team consults and collaborates with municipalities, universities, structural and electrical engineers, and architects regionally and across the globe, integrating alternative energy systems into environmentally friendly and economically driven businesses, homes, and communities.
Year Established
2009
Phone Number
3129431500
Reasons Why You Should Work With Us
  1. Superior expertise. We aim to be the most knowledgable people you speak with about solar.

  2. High quality materials. We only use top-tier materials and are more than happy to accommodate any specific preferences that a client may have.

  3. Experience. We have been installing top-notch residential and commercial solar PV systems across the midwest for over a decade.

We speak

English; Spanish

Solar, Energy Storage, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.

Services Offered

  • Installation
  • Financing
  • Architecture
  • Energy Auditing
  • Construction
  • Electrical Contracting
  • Solar Repair & Maintenance
  • Community Solar

Workmanship Warranty

Windfree Solar Design offers a 25-year Workmanship warranty on all our installations. You can feel at ease knowing that our team is fully insured & bonded. We only use top of the line, high-efficiency Solar Panels with a 25-year performance warranty. We use cutting-edge Hybrid inverters to maximize the safety of the installation. Every single project is custom designed to fit the diverse needs of our clients. Our team of certified professionals stands behind every piece of our design and installation.
All installations come with Performance Grade Web-Based monitoring, aluminum/stainless steel attachment systems, Safety Disconnects, Conduit and Wire, Certified Design, Electrical and Structural Engineering, Permits, Utility Interconnection Application, SREC and Grant applications processing & assistance, and all material and labor to make system operational.

Licenses

NABCEP Certified, General Contractor with the City of Chicago, ICC Certified, Master Electricians, NABCEP Certified Engineering

Insurance

Workers Comp, General Liability, Auto Insurance, Umbrella, General Contractor Insurance

Certifications

OSHA Certified, ICC Certified, Certified Project Manager, Registered General Contractors, NABCEP Certified Design, NABCEP Certified Engineers, NABCEP Certified Master Electricians, EEC

Industry Certifications

  • Better Business Bureau
  • North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
  • Solar Energy Industries Association

Manufacturer Certifications

  • Certified Solar Professional
  • PowerUP

What Customers Are Saying

4.5
29 reviews
4.5
Average Rating 29 review(s)
Response
4.5
Quality
4.5
Value
4.5
Service
4.5
Leave a Review
AWOL after the sale

Windfree installed an expensive solar system with battery backup at my house in 2017. I could tell at the time, and they even admitted, that they really didn’t know much about the battery backup part. After eight years it was finally put to the test when storms knocked out our ComEd service for an extended time. The Windfree system lasted about 30 minutes and crashed miserably. It wouldn’t even produce solar power when the sun came back out. I wouldn’t be writing this had they pretended to care even a little bit as my basement filled up with water. After 8 or 9 calls to their office nobody on their self proclaimed award winning team could be bothered to call me back. Buyer beware. Scott in Marengo

Posted by scott.brix on Jul 16, 2024
Windfree Solar was an excellent partner!

We came to work with Windfree Solar through the SOLAR SWITCH program that aligned a vetted solar company with Illinois residential projects. We highly recommend the Windfree team for the top-notch professional service they provided us throughout the large solar installation project. Our team lead was Eric Ullrich and he provided excellent customer service! A home update decision of this scope can be so challenging, but Eric was an excellent communicator in keeping us informed on the complex project requirements and the timeline expectations. The installation and electrician crews were also super professional and thorough. The entire project took 7.5 months from start to completion and that included the time for the Village of Wilmette plan review process and required inspections. Finally, we love how the 14 solar panels are installed and being able to track the Enphase microinverters on the app! Excited to see the power of the sun...power our lights on! And in the future, power an electric car!

Posted by juliaford on Apr 10, 2024
Windfree Solar Co.

We just completed our solar install and are up and running!!! Having Windfree and our project manager Eric was a real blessing. He helped and advised us every step of the way. All questions were answered and there was excellent information offered to make the best decisions for our project. Communication was excellent! I was very comfortable with Windfree and their experience in the field. They know what they are doing!!!!!

Posted by d_bill114 on Mar 14, 2024
Would have given 2 stars, but Eric was amazing throughout the process

December 21st, 2022 - Agreement for 17 Q Cell panels signed. Told that the project would easily be done by May and potentially earlier if the weather cooperates. February 23 - Told our garage can only hold 4 panels instead of the 17 originally quoted. We request cancellation of project March 23rd - Windfree reaches back out and garage can now hold 12 panels. Project back on and new contract signed April 11th - Windfree sends application to We-Energies (why did it take over two weeks? I don’t know) May 9th - Receive invoice for ordering of panels per contract. I request an itemized list of what will be ordered. I find out they switched out the panels from the requested QCell panels to the REC panel. To swap out a major component without notification is EXTREMELY bad business. May 23rd - wiring diagram/one-line sent to We-Energies May23 -June 23rd - We-Energies denies MULTIPLE versions of Windfree’s wiring diagrams and includes notes of what needs to be changed. Windfree seems to ignore the notes that We-Energies includes with each rejection. June 23rd - wiring diagrams finally approved August 15th - Windfree attempts to add $2600(20% project increase) to the invoice to cover the cost of a dual meter pedestal We-Energies had required from the beginning. We do not agree to pay this additional fee. August 28th - solar panels are mounted September 18th - Meter wiring takes place (Windfree subcontracted it out) October 3rd - System fails inspection. Wiring that took place didn’t match diagrams. November 3rd - Another Full month of generation lost. Meter wiring takes place….for the 2nd time.(Windfree subcontracted it out). November 10th - System fails inspection….for the 2nd time. ANOTHER month of generation lost November 21st - We request a discount on the final invoice due to lost solar revenue….no response from Eric, Ashley or Mark at Windfree December 12th - We-Energies schedules their meter installer to be on site with the electrician (Windfree subcontracts it out) December 12th - System passes inspection. December 12th - Home power now on, but basement lights do not work (disconnected in breaker box during the day's work) December 12th - My wife notifies the electrician of this basement issue as he is preparing to leave. He spends more time to correct this problem. Had she not tried the light switch, it may not have been known or fixed. December 13th - Final invoice received from Windfree UPDATE: Eric went the extra mile before, during and after project completion. It was their first time working with We-Energies which made the project more difficult.

Posted by gunnar.stapp on Dec 27, 2023
Great partners

We found Windfree Solar very easy to work with. Dan Green recognized that we had done our own research, so did not over explain in answering our questions. Jack and the install team are very kind and responsive, checking in every step along the way. The crew that came to do the install let me know exactly what was going on and was cognizant that I was working from home. We feel like we got a good deal and know we got great service.

Posted by donandsuz32 on Oct 16, 2023
Breach of Contract on top of a Failed Installation That Had to be Completed by the Homeowner

First I explicitly asked if they used their own employees to install. They assured me they only use their own employees. They sent a third party company to install. That was the first small lie of many uncovered. They wrote in the contract that they would install bifacial panels and Enphase IQ7A inverters. When the items were delivered the day of install, they did not deliver bifacial panels and they sent IQ7+ instead. They then informed me they do not sell bifacial panels and cannot source them. This was a specific requirement I had and they reassured me multiple times, in writing and in the contract, that they would provide bifacial panels. These issues combined and dropped the AC system size by roughly 2.5 kw and decreased DC system output by at least 2% per year. To their credit, they did comp an extended warranty on the battery in compensation for the breach of contract. They installed wire that was too small between the ground mount system, solar combiner box and the system controller resulting in voltage rises large enough that the electric company revoked my permission to operate. By this time the final installment had been paid and Windfree became unhelpful and unresponsive. Thankfully their 3rd party company did come out and rewire to get me permission to operate again after months of back and forth. They moved the solar combiner box that includes the Envoy Gateway during the rewiring for voltage rise but ever since then I had errors in the system including the app reporting megawatts of both usage and production which is not possible. Enphase informed me this could be dangerous during an outage because the batteries rely on those CTs to be accurate in order to determine how much to charge or discharge. My first power outage lasted more than 48 hours and was during a record heat wave. The load control panel failed because they did not use the transformers required by Enphase and I was without AC and our garage for nearly the full outage even though we had full sun and plenty of power. We had a freezer in our garage and we have an attached apartment with a refrigerator and freezer that we had to limp along with a small standalone battery and inverter. Temperatures inside the house swelled to over 90F with high humidity. The county had to open shelters for those without AC. After months and months without a response and without fixing the problems the third party company told me that Windfree stopped paying him to complete the work and he couldn’t keep coming out to fix the issues. I took the Enphase University classes required to make me certified to work on my own system. What I found with Enphase’s support is they used wires that were too small to extend the production CTs. I had to replace the wire myself at my own cost as well as disassemble the solar combiner box and replace the Envoy circuit board. I also had to fully rebuild the load control panel at my own cost using the transformers recommended in Enphase’s documentation. This rebuilt load control panel worked perfectly as expected during the next grid outage. 1.5 years after the original installation date I finally have a working system no thanks to Windfree. I am very disappointed in EnergySage for putting me in contact with this company. Don’t trust Windfree unless you want to rewire and finish the job yourself with lesser grade equipment than is in the contract after 1.5 years of struggle and hassle.

Posted by offline-cast-0l on Aug 18, 2023
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