8MSolar - Profile & Reviews

It took me roughly 2 years to decide to go solar. I met with a company in front of Home Depot at first, had an appointment at my home and all of that.
It can be overwhelming at first if you never read anything about solar energy. Everyone will try to tell you that cost wise is worth it but it is always better to do your own research.
On my second year looking at this, I visited once again a Marketplace called EnergySage – a place where companies will compete to earn your business - it was the best thing I did.
I've uploaded a previous quote there and I got some good offers and feedback.
This is where 8MSolar stood out above their competition. You do not talk to a salesperson - you talk to the owner who is also a certified Engineer in this area. Usman will walk you through the process with all cards on the table. He did point out some mistakes from the quote I've uploaded into EnergySage - this same mistake was also pointed out by another company.
8MSolar took care of everything for me: paperwork for HOA approval, scheduling all milestones ahead of time, performing the job to my satisfaction, submitting my Duke Energy rebate form and answering any questions I had for them.
Please, don't take my word for granted - do talk to at least 5 different companies and then reach out to 8MSolar.

After an unpleasant experience with another installer that had an aggressive sales pitch and provided us with inconsistent and misleading information, we decided to explore other options. We set up a consultation with 8M Solar, and it was the exact opposite. We met with one of the owners (Usman) who is an engineer, not a salesperson. He was extremely knowledgeable and very upfront about everything - the technology, the installation process, working with the utility company, etc. The staff were very responsive and always pleasant to work with - our emails were always answered within a few hours, and they provided us with updates regularly. The installation went smoothly, and everything was finished in a day. Upon discovering that one of the panels was damaged during delivery, they immediately ordered a replacement panel and set up another appointment to install it. 8M Solar did a great job handling the inspection process and dealing with the utility company, including submitting our rebate application for us. We are very happy with our system and would definitely recommend 8M Solar to anyone who is interested in solar panels.

I did a ton of research before deciding on which company to go with. Received a lot of quotes from both national and local companies, negotiated with them, got all of the information on what panels and equipment they install, warranties, etc. I could not find a better deal in terms of price and equipment than 8MSolar. They also are very easy to talk to and have a great staff. I couldn't have been happier with the communication or work done and I'm glad I found a local company that was so competitive and met everything I was looking for.

The 8MSolar team provided outstanding service, excellent price, fast install, and a great deal of passion and professionalism to our home solar project!

I called 8M just before Thanksgiving hoping to have a system installed by the end of the year to take advantage of the home solar tax credit (requiring install by 31 Dec). For anyone that's familiar with the permitting requirements to install solar--HOA, city, energy provider--this was a dauntingly short timeline. Usman, Ali, and the 8M team jumped into action and made permitting painless, install simple, and a beautiful project come to fruition in an accelerated timeline.

Simply put, do business with these guys! You won't regret it.

My wife and I spent a solid month researching solar systems, which included vetting five companies. We went with 8m because of its professionalism, knowledge, helpfulness, eagerness, and affordability. After having our system up and running for a couple of weeks, we’re 100 percent happy with our choice.

Usman Noor at 8m thoroughly explained our timeline, which allowed me to know exactly what to expect at all times. Usman prides his company on the swiftness of their execution. While that was profound (8m met or bettered every timeline), I was most impressed with their availability. Any time -- no matter the day or time -- I had a question, I was able to call Usman’s cell phone and he’d pick up with an answer ready. Shahzaib Khan handled a lot of the paperwork and he responded to every one of my emails immediately -- usually within minutes. Shahzaib also stayed on top of Duke Energy and other entities to make sure everything ran smoothly.

8M Solar has exceeded all my expectations in the installation of my 11kw solar system. I took my time in selecting a solar install professional and met face to face with 5 solar company representatives before deciding to go with 8M Solar. What impressed me the most was the professionalism and quick communications from 8M. Having a solar system installed requires many approvals from HOA, Wake County and Duke Energy.
8M Solar handled everything on a tight end of year schedule and kept us informed at all times. We selected 8M in November they had our solar system up and running in December. No other solar company could come close to that commitment. Best of all, no other company could match the price that 8M was able to offer! I would recommend 8M Solar to anyone wanting a solar system!
Thank you Usman and Team 8M!
Sincerely,
Stuart Cobb

Our household is solar powered thanks to 8MSolar. We worked with Usman and from the first enquiry about Solar panels to last inspection Usman and his team showed utmost professionalism. During the process we had 100s of questions and all of those handled in timely fashion, making us comfortable with the whole process. 8MSolar handled all the paperwork from start to finish. I would definitely recommend 8MSolar to everyone who is looking to go green !

I'm thrilled with my new solar system from 8MSolar. They installed a 5.27 kW system in a single day and got it all the electricity hooked up. A few days later it was all inspected and given a green light! A few days after that I was connected to my power company and was generating electricity... I am able to monitor the system online to see how the system is operating (they keep an eye on it too from their location), and can even playback days to see each panels output.

I consulted with a few different solar installers, and 8MSolar definitely made me feel the most confident and offered a competitive price. Usman and his team were great throughout the process. The time from our initial conversation to the install was very quick, and the longest part of the process was post-install waiting for inspections and our meter replacement (which was out of their hands).

Within the first day after we signed our contract, 8M was already working through the permitting process and designing our updated panel layout. They handled every step of the process, so we didn't have to contact the city or power company ourselves about anything. They also sent someone out to do a pathfinder analysis to get a granular idea of how much energy we could expect to generate based on the shade our roof gets throughout the year. I was impressed by the level of detail in their data, and it made me feel very confident with them as an installer.

Communication with the team at 8MSolar was better than I'd expect from typical contractors. They were very responsive by email and phone, even on weekends when I didn't expect a response so quickly.

We did run into an issue during the installation where the workers were putting on the rack based on an outdated design, but they were quick to fix that issue and patch up our roof like nothing happened. We also were given a discount off the install price for our troubles. Even though it was a mess up, that experience actually gave me more confidence in 8MSolar because they made it right.

Overall I was very satisfied with my experience, and I'd definitely recommend 8MSolar to anyone looking for an install.

Excellent service, quality equipment, and lots of individual attention. I would highly recommend 8MSolar. The investment in solar is a no-brainer -- better than stocks, tax free ROI, and guaranteed return. I love my panels!

I had 8M Solar install a 12 kWh system at my home. They used attractive black-on-black high-efficiency panels, and top rated equipment (rack, power inverters, etc), all with the longest and most comprehensive equipment and service warranties available. It has been a pleasure working with them during the design and installation process and they installed months faster than anyone else could do it, setting me up to be able to apply early for the competitive local utility rebate program in North Carolina. I appreciate how the team of engineers thoughtfully approached my project and consulted with me—all except for one thing...

The electrical lines and boxes were installed outside my home, over the gutters, when there was plenty of space in attics and the garage for these less than attractive components to be protected and out of sight. It’s not a big deal, but it does needlessly impact on the aesthetics of our home and I don’t see this on any other solar installations in the neighborhood. If you install a solar system, be forewarned and just ask your installer about this up front.

If you chose 8M solar, and I recommend you do, they will offer the best system available for a competitive price, they have complete familiarity with the local state and city regulations, permitting, and utility approvals. They handled everything for the application/permitting for me and similarly will submit the utility rebate on my behalf. Unlike most service providers, these guys are responsive, accessible, and prompt. Really a pleasure working with them. No doubt if I had to do it again, I would hire 8M Solar again. I highly recommend this local outfit of folks who are passionate about what they do.

Other outfits gave me incorrect information about how federal and utility company rebates are applied. The larger outfits have sales representatives, who are not electrical engineers or solar experts, whereas with 8M Solar, the person who sold me the system managed my entire project and was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the project. This really makes a difference.

Lastly, my real-time system specs are available with the Somar Edge app on my mobile device, which works seamlessly. And if I don’t feel like monitoring it myself I do because I am a data geek), it doesn’t matter because 8M Solar monitors my system on there end!

8M Solar installed my 2nd and 3rd solar systems on my home and shop. Usman, the sales representative, was very knowledgeable and obtained answers quickly to the few questions he didn't know on a charging system for my electric car.
The system was competitive with other solar install companies I checked with.
The panel installing crew was efficient as well as the electrical crew.
The whole company was very professional yet had a personal touch to them.
I have had these 2 systems running for 2 months now and the systems are working well and the customer service is great.
I would use them again if I had another system installed, like a battery wall.

I worked primarily with Usman from the get go, he was excellent communicator, extremely knowledgeable about the solar products available. He Also helped me appeal to my HOA when they wanted to decline my request to put the panels up at all. In the end I was able to put up a 7.44kW system.
Also the Installation was professionally installed in about half a day, and went above in beyond to make sure I was informed about the path the conduit would take.
Extra Shout out to Stephen the installer who must have waited 3-4 hours waiting for the actual panels to show up by the shipping company to ensure the palettes were properly stored. They May be a smaller solar shop right now in NC but their price was the best i found, and the quality of the materials and installation quality can't be beat.

In recap BEST value in solar in NC!

8MSolar was fantastic to work with. I spoke directly to Usman, who owns the company and he gave me a great price, much less than Blue Raven solar was quoting me, for more solar panels. As a result, I decided to go with them. The process was incredibly quick – from signing to installation was about a month, including permitting. I don’t think many companies could beat that. They explained everything to me and addressed all of my concerns. I had a 21 panel, 6.5 kilowatt system installed on my roof and run through my attic to the side of the house, and then it connected to the grid with a SolarEdge inverter box and a disconnect on the side of the house. The panels are from Silfab, a Canadian company as opposed to the Chinese-manufactured panels Blue Raven proposed. The installation looks very clean and professional. They were very accommodating regarding payment arrangements on the system – they allowed me to split the cash payment price across a few months in order to lessen the financial burden, which saved me a ton of money as opposed to the alternative the proposed which was solar financing from Admirals Bank. After looking at the costs, I didn’t want to pay the financing charges from them. The system has been working for about a week now, and seems to be functioning well. I don’t have anything to compare it against, so I will post the data from the SolarEdge monitoring system which uses my internet connection via a Zigbee adapter that plugs into my router and sends the data across the internet (which is really cool by the way and allows remote diagnosis of the system). In the last week, which was partly cloudy and towards the end of the year, I generated 118.28 kWh of electricity (from 11/30/2018 – 12/07/2018) and at around 12 cents per kWh, this is roughly $14 of electricity. I expect it to generate even more electricity during the summer months, but even at that lower winter rate of production, the system will pay for itself within 22 years. Assuming the cost of electricity goes up, and it definitely will when Duke power raises rates due to the coal ash incident, the math will work out more in my favor. Usman gave me his personal number during the installation process, and it was great to chat with him while work was being done on my house. The installation looks great, and I can barely even tell I have solar – it’s seamless for me, everything works just like it did before. I don’t have to have a backup battery as the installation is done in a way that Duke energy’s grid is used to power my house at night. The surplus power I generate during the day is credited towards my account via net metering, so I can tap into it at night. Overall, I’d really recommend 8MSolar, they were genuinely about $9000 less than Blue Raven Solar’s quote, and if you decide to go with them based off of my review, you can tell them that I sent you, as I believe they give referral credits. I ever move, I have been told that the system adds more value to the house than I paid for it, and I’d happily go with 8MSolar again. They are local to the Raleigh-Durham area, and all the engineers and installers are in North Carolina.

From giving the quote to installation to making sure the system works properly, Usman and Ali both were in constant contact with me. The whole crew including the panel installers and Electrician all were very professional. Usman was providing help all the way through from beginning to end, to make sure the project completes smoothly. I am very pleased with 8Msolar’s work. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have solar panels installed on their house.

It was a great experience overall working with Usman and his team! From day one, Usman was very responsive to my questions and concerns. The schedule was also managed very well : we even had a hurricane in between, but Usman and his team managed delivery of materials well. The installation and post-installation activities went off without a hitch. Customer service was really good. Usman and his team also checked in with us periodically. Overall - a really good experience working with his team. It's always a nice thing to support a local business. I wish 8M solar all the best and would highly recommend them for anyone looking into solar panel installation!!

8MSolar installed our system about 6 weeks ago and I am still thrilled with it. They are a fantastic company to work with. Everyone is extremely professional - sales, engineering, installation, electricians. This is a huge investment for me and I wanted to make the best decision possible. I spoke with several other companies; national, regional, and local. 8M was the best and most affordable. They clearly and patiently answered all my questions. Generating power to use is a good investment. Generating power to sell back to the electric company is not a great investment. So it is important to do your homework and get what is best for you in your house. 8MSolar is a local company that is really customer focused and wants to do what is best for you.

We highly recommend 8M Solar. They were professional and helpful...from getting a quote through the finishing the job.

We chose 8M Solar because...
- Ali Buttar (8M Solar Guy) answered all my (engineer) husband's questions.
- Italian made solar panels (we did not want solar panels made in China.)
- best warranty on solar panels (30 years.)
- sold the equipment we needed to track our Solar Panel production in real time, WITHOUT requiring products or services we did not want.
-Ability to add another panel without additional fees... which was a stipulation/required by some companies.
-Cost (Under $17K for 6.1 kWP system) is a great price for a quality system.
- Took care of all the paperwork (though we did have to get them the HOA forms.)
- is a Local (Cary, NC) company that was were long before Duke offered the rebate.
- has good employees. Our Solar Panel installers have worked for 8M for 7 years. We asked because they were so quick & worked together very well. When the freight company left our solar panels on the driveway instead of in the garage (the driver was pulling away when I was opening the garage door...really quick delivery), an 8M Solar guy came out and moved them into the garage for us.
- The more we learned about 8M, the better we liked them.

Background:
We looked into Solar Panels for years, and were ‘holding out’ for solar shingles. But when we realized we could get Duke’s rebate and that the Fed’s program was decreasing annually, we decided to do it this year. My husband researched for 2 months & contacted National, Regional and Local companies. He asked for information on the equipment, warranties (panels, inverters & workmanship), and cost. The jargon is such that even with all his questions it was still difficult to compare one company to another. Plus, we are in a new home and have not been here long enough to know what power costs for four seasons (moved from a warmer State), so we didn’t know our ‘numbers.’ But we did know that the power bill stressed us out this summer.

‘Going Solar’ Considerations & Realizations
1. We could lower our summer power bill.
2. We would need to continue buying power from Duke Energy: Solar panels don’t generate power a) at night and b) when very cloudy. We could buy more panels and get a Battery Wall to store the excess power... but even then we could still end up needing to buy power depending on weather. (We chose to not get the Battery Wall and only bought the recommended number of panels.)
3. We could recoup the cost of the system sooner if we were smarter about how we consume electricity... keeping in mind that Duke Energy would buy energy at Wholesale from us, but and sells it back to us at Retail (you can look up the numbers online... I think it’s $.04 Wholesale & $.12 Retail, but I could be wrong.)

FYI: After a Solar Power system is installed, Duke Power has to inspect it before the homeowner can turn it on. Ours was installed right before Hurricane Florence hit NC. Duke Energy said it would be 3 weeks before an inspector could come out. But our system was inspected within a week. I think 8M Solar did a good job filing/submitting all of the necessary paperwork. And I’m grateful Duke Energy could spare an inspector so soon after the storm.

We had an excellent experience in every way - design of our system, construction and implementation. They made it easy for us and we are producing clean renewable energy. We looked a long time for the right system to meet our needs and they figured it out! Very professional, top notch, individualized service. Highly recommended by Dr. L and Dr. M.

I met with several solar companies around Raleigh and choose 8M Solar. Not only did 8M offer me the most competitive pricing, they were also the most knowledgeable and could answer technical questions. I've met with sales representatives from other companies where you could tell they were following a sales script / sales pitch and could not answer any of the technical questions. 8M solar came out and measured everything to provided detailed plan before proceeding.

The installation process was very fast and very clean. My installation was meticulous. Everything went very smoothly.

Thanks to prodding from my bother-in-law who put me in touch with Ali Buttar I had solar panels installed on my cottage. The only thing that went wrong was that twice broken panels were received by the installer. But now the system is set up and working and by next month I should be able to evaluate its impact. Meanwhile, I am collecting more stories in hopes that more will be done.

We worked with the 8M Solar team, who did a great job analyzing and pricing a myriad of alternatives for a solar shade for a roof-top condominium. Very creative yet realistic solutions.

I got several bids but Usman from 8m Solar was the first to really take the time to understand what I was looking for and work with me on options. Once we agreed on a system they kept me updated every step of the way as far as paperwork and final installation options. The installation went well and the panels look great. Highly recommended.

These guys know what they are doing. on every step you can count on them.
the price is correct. any question you have, they have the correct answer and they are honest.

this was the only company that came onside, where I had 3 companies telling me via phone..: i see on Google maps there are tree so we can't make solar energy I’m so sorry.. but cut the trees and call us again..
this company came onside and took data from my roof and came up with the best solution without cutting a branch of a tree and we are producing energy as planned!

they support and help you on the HOA document the rest they run for you and it just works!

clearly 5 stars and my recommendation, i wished all companies would operate like that!!!

Excellent customer service and highly qualified experts. Solar installation was very smooth and they took care of all the paper work. I did not even had to call Duke even once. Always available on phone if there were any questions. Would recommend to everyone who are thinking about going solar.