Poulin Solar Pro

We recently had Poulin Solar Pro install our whole home solar system here in Albuquerque. They were amazing. Poulin Solar Pro handled every single detail of the process and provided the most outstanding service I have ever received on a project of this scale in my home. Their prices are fair and honest and having a local, family owned company who has been remodeling homes for more than 40 years was important to my peace of mind. The first appointment began at our home. Our roof was inspected and measured. We provided some details on our energy consumption from our utility bills. The very next day, we received our solar plans from Poulin, along with an initial quote. We then visited the gorgeous Poulin Design Center, home of Poulin Solar Pro - which made me ache for a new kitchen - no wait! a new soaking tub! Once we had negotiated our final price and package and had our final quote, we signed. I even negotiated a $250 gift card to Poulin Marketplace, their home decor store right next door, which I quickly spent on some fabulous items for our home while enjoying excellent artisanal coffee from their espresso bar. We opted for their financing, since it's with Nusenda FCU (our preferred bank). That process was also smooth and our interest rate is VERY low. With funding secured, and a signed contract, we were put on the schedule for install. We were able to get started with the physical install about 45 days after signing. This may seem long, but it isn't. The work that occurs during that 45 days is enormous - there's permitting, scheduling, forms at the city, county and utility levels, etc.. This was the piece that kept me up nights when my husband first thought he could just "DIY" solar for us. Once install day came, the crew arrived with Steve Poulin himself there to greet us and get the crew going. We were introduced to the site manager, a lovely young man who never tired of my excitement and litany of questions. The fact that Poulin uses no subcontractors and employs and screens it's own professional, licensed installers was incredibly important to my peace of mind - working from home alone with a crew of strangers, you want to know they've been properly vetted. The crew was onsite for 2 days. Each evening, they left their area as clean as, if not cleaner, than they found it. After install, there was another wait of about 3 weeks in total while all of the many inspections were scheduled and completed (Poulin handled all of that - we just had to be around to let PNM and the city inspectors in). The most glorious moment was when my husband woke up that first morning we were connected to the grid and watched the dials spin backwards on our meter, and the second was when he plugged our Ford Lightning in to charge at our very own EV charging station (Poulin does those too). We were also able to take advantage of PNM's EV charging program. We charge our truck between the hours of 11PM and 6AM and receive power at a reduced rate of 3 cents per KW. Even after we were up and running, the service from Poulin did not end. A few weeks after project completion, we received a VERY helpful letter and email from Poulin outlining all of the important info and steps we would need to take to receive our tax breaks. They could have just told us to go to the IRS/state website or a tax preparer, but they didn't do that. They actually took the time to research and compile an easy to follow guide for us. Finally, and this was SUPER important to me, the solar industry is newer and many startup companies have begun to fail or have already closed due to market demand vs. competition. There are also some scary predators out there. One of those tried to sell us on the same package we got from Poulin, but for twice the price. As a marketing person myself, I saw this coming and insisted we find a company that we could be reasonably sure would still be around in a few years if we needed support. Poulin is a real company with multiple enterprises. They have grown slowly and thoughtfully over the years and have a staying power none of the others, local or national, can bank on. So, if you live within 80 miles of Albuquerque, I would skip all the worrying and wondering and just call Poulin. You will love solar!

We had a 3.5 kW photovoltaic system installed by Poulin in July 2019. The installation went very smoothly and we have had no problems with it, aside from the manufacturer of the inverter changing the internet connection from 3G to 5G and wanting $500 to upgrade the inverter. The problems began when I started looking into a system upgrade. I discovered that Poulin had installed a 3000 W inverter when the permit plans showed a 3800 W inverter. A check of the contract showed that we had paid for a 3800 W inverter. In addition, we had purchased a warranty extension on the inverter and received a certificate from the manufacturer. However, the serial number on the certificate does not match the number on the inverter, presumably voiding the warranty. It looked like a classic bait-and-switch. I went to the Poulin store, informed them of the situation and requested some sort of explanation from them. I received a call from Steve Poulin a few days later. He very cavalierly stated that we didn't really need a 3800 W inverter for our system. I pointed out that that was what we had paid for and what the plans submitted to the local government called for. After several go-rounds he asked what I needed to settle this, and I said that at the least they should reimburse me for the difference in the cost of the inverters. Later that day I received a call from Kara and was told I would be receiving a check in about two weeks. Three weeks later with no check and no further communication, I filed a complaint with the BBB. Within two days I received a voicemail and an email from the electrician who installed our system. He acknowledged the error and offered to replace the inverter with a 3800 W model. I informed him that with our planned system upgrade I would need a 6000 W inverter, so getting a 3800 W inverter at this point was of no use. I suggested that Poulin pay me for the 3800 W inverter I didn't get and they could have the old 3000 W inverter back. That was a week ago and I have not heard back from them. I am not impressed, and would caution anyone considering using Poulin Solar Pro to be very attentive to the details of the installation.

Poulin did an excellent job with my solar install, everyone was professional and easy to work with. They did a significant remodel for a couple of years ago that was fantastic and they continued their high quality work with my solar install in July of 2017. They make it easy, handle all permits and applications with PNM.

The experience we had with Solar Pro was excellent from start to finish. We love the the system they designed just for us and that all of the employees we worked with were very professional and knowledgeable. We would highly recommend this company for your solar panel needs.

From the day Steve Poulin sat down with us (for about 2 hours) to propose a design for our smallish flat roof in Nob Hill and explain the installation, materials, and processes involved, to the day of our final connection, we were completely satisfied with the knowledge, technical ability, and efficiency of every thing at each step of the way. Everyone we dealt with — Steve, Ron, Brian, and another gentleman whose name I cannot remember — were all reliable, polite, and helpful (the word ‘friendly’ also comes to mind!). For two months we have been happily watching out PNM meter spin backwards as it inputs solar energy from our 6-panel rooftop system. All this came with far less expense than we were expecting. A "win-win" situation all around. Thank you. Absolutely would recommend.

Solar has always been in the back of my mind, now I have it! My 31 panel project that Steve, Ron, Brian, and Mario coordinated was practically flawless. All the design and permitting process is handled through Poulin. Since our array was rather large, installation took a full two days. Inspections were painless and now I really enjoy watching the meter spin BACKWARDS! Thanks Solar Pro!