Sun Badger Solar - Profile & Reviews

After doing research for more than 3 years and getting various quotes, in 2020, my neighbor referred me to Sun Badger Solar, which has impressed me from the beginning to the end. I definitely will be recommending my family and friends for a referral with Sun Badger Solar.
From the beginning, my sales representative, Ann Golseth, provided a detailed solar system proposal presentation (very professional), unlike other solar contractors. She patiently worked with me to revise the proposal based on my particular requirements for my solar system. Even after installation, Ann is super responsive to all my questions.
During the course of the project, Sun Badger also impressed me when they showed that they were using a project management software and detailed timeline documentation to ensure that both the Sun Badger project team members and I were always informed of all project steps. Sun Badger approached every aspect of my solar project in a professional and courteous manner.
Of course, with every solar project, the not-so-fun part is the waiting game for permit approval with the municipality. I believe Sun Badger did their best to push the approvals through in a timely manner.
On the day of installation, which happened to be a snowy January 2021 morning, everything went super smooth. The installation team also made an improvement to the original solar array layout on the day of installation which improved my roof’s aesthetic. Final inspection was handled professionally between Sun Badger and the municipality representative. Audrey Crispin helped answer my questions (super responsive) over email once I was approved to use my new solar system.
After my solar system was up and running, I also received a friendly follow up call from Lindsey Stellflue to ensure that I was properly setup with the solar monitoring software. She also helped to answer my solar tax credit questions and solar monitoring software questions.
Thank you to Sun Badger Solar for the excellent customer support and professionalism in installing my dream solar panel system!

I am so happy that we chose Sun Badger for our solar system. They had a knowledgeable sales staff. They handled all of the permits, ordering, and managing finance and instillation for the entire system. The process took longer than I expected, but that was because of COVID and permits, not their staff. I am incredibly happy with the quality and price of the system and all of the support they have offered since the instillation. It is great to be able to track all our documents and output for each panel from the simple app on my phone. I highly recommend them for your future solar needs.

The entire process went well. I felt well communicated with on timelines and progress. Our system was about 10k more than other quotes received, but did feel that we were investing in a more superior system. I hope that to be the case! We installed late December and were quickly covered with snow. We haven't produced yet, but looking forward to it soon!

Due to our roof type, the local municipality, and several other factors wh had a difficult install. But Sun Badger was fantastic about communication about possible problems and unforeseen problems that popped up. They were incredibly professional and were a joy to work for. I interviewed around 8 different solar companies and Sun Badger stood out from the rest. I would defiantly go with them again if I need more. Here is a video about our install https://youtu.be/DN--HemYHvY

I just finished having Sun Badger Solar install panels on my indoor riding arena and am now carbon neutral for electricity in my home. I learned about them from ads on public radio and decided that this was the year to go green. The communication I receive at every point was fantastic! they recognized issues with my energy company and jumped on them for me. They were friendly, competitive in price, worked hard to get everything completed by year end so that I could take advantage of the tax credits and rebates and were just lovely to work with throughout. Everyone was professional and competent. I would highly recommend speaking with them for your project.

We recently finished installation and commissioning of our residential solar system. As part of that process we had multiple conversations over a few years with multiple solar providers. We had wanted to make sure we were working with someone we could trust, that we minimized the length of the payback period and that we had quick and efficient installation. Our first conversation with Sun Badger Solar was with Tristan. He was knowledgeable, personable and easy to talk to. He did a nice job of explaining options and listen to our goals and objectives. He helped us understand incentives available and made sure that this was the best economic deal for us possible. Once we selected them for the project, we worked with Liam and others within their organization. As well as with Ryan from home team energy, one of their installers. Although the process was detailed, they made it simple to understand and have a very well developed app to use to follow the project. Everything was intuitive and communication was prompt, professional and personable. They met their timelines, the installation looks very good and all along the where they made sure to communicate each step clearly and in advance. Great job. Cannot recommend strongly enough.

We just had our solar panels installed by Sun Badger Solar and they were outstanding to deal with. From the first interactions with our salesperson Matt, the process was seamless. They kept us informed of every step, and immediately answered any questions we had. We are so excited to be helping the environment this way.

I’m very impressed with the planning and strategy involved in maximizing the overall benefit of Solar electricity assistance. Tristan has been very informative and has a wonderful approach to helping you understand the advantages of home Solar electricity. Communication has been excellent and he has a no pressure approach that gravitates my interest in this process every time I speak to him. There are some logistical problems with my application that may make this not worth it for me but I still find myself intrigued by all this so I am not discounting the idea at this time. Speak to you soon Tristan

After a threat of legal action and a demand that I remove my reviews, I’ve amended this review to read as follows:

Sun Badger Solar made me a proposal to install a solar array on my home. I agreed to and signed the contract. Two days after I signed the contract - and after receiving approval for a loan for the system from the financing company Sun Badger partners with - they cancelled the contract and notified me that they would “not be constructing this solar project as it is stated in the contract.” They offered to “revisit it at a higher price.” When I asked what the price would be for the same service we had already agreed upon with no changes in equipment or installation, it had increased nearly $3,600.

I have never been treated this way before and deeply regret my involvement with Sun Badger Solar.

Sun Badger Solar gave us such a perfect experience when they installed our solar array. We chose them because they install a variety of panels, including the one we most wanted installed after rather extensive research. Jared gave us a thorough explanation of the product and Sun Badger's process of installing and taking care of all rebates, permits, inspections, etc and the methods available for payment. The installation was done in about 10 hours, including the installers meeting the city inspector so the process was easy and everyone ended up happy. Especially us.

We now watch the electric meter essentially moving backwards as we get "net metering" to credit us with our excess power - which the electric company buys from us. Sun Badger and the installation team showed us the web "dashboard" so we can see what our solar panels are producing all the time. (We probably won't continue to be so obsessive about checking up on that info, but it is fascinating for now.)

I contacted four companies about solar panels & Mike from Sun Badger did the best job explaining the system. No pressure to sign up that day, when all the other companies wanted to complete the deal the day of their visit! They did have a few "Hiccups" along the way, and they were taken care-of. There is a 10% vendor fee taken out of the "R.E.C." payment that I was NOT aware of & not put in any of the contracts. I have 570 Kwhs in March of 2020 & 872 Kwhs in the 1st 12 days of April 2020.
I would recommend Sun Badger for your solar projects.

Sunbadger did a awesome job on our Solar. There were no problems from start to finish and there was always someone there to answer our questions, I highly recommend them to anyone looking to get Solar

Deciding to install a solar panel system is a very big investment with time and money. I've been fascinated with solar for over 40 years. With that said, I wanted to make sure I went with a company that had a great reputation and had the expertise to satisfy my stringent requirements. After interviewing four solar companies, I selected Sun Badger. I was impressed with their customer service, knowledge, and their patience with all of my questions. The installation was top notch and materials were excellent quality. I was impressed with the thoroughness of the installers and how well they cleaned around our house after the installation was complete. I would highly recommend Sun Badger to install your solar.

Received a quote and proceeded with installation, All done Panels changed as they where supposedly unavailable (not sure if there was a problem, or a bait and switch, Talked out of going with another company because the salesman insisted going with these are the best panels), they where very popular on energy sage and I agreed. So At the end I asked for an invoice with the materials listed, was told to reference the quote even though that had the wrong panels. Quote showed 3 inverters, I only have 1 was told there is an error with there quoting tool. Then sent another document that showed about $1500 cheaper that showed 32 panels, inverter was told this document shows that it has 1 inverter. Ok Ask for the difference of the $1500 says well this paper shows that was cash., and same as cash is more. But thats signed? and the document you referenced that has the word Inverter (not 1 Inverter). They can not produce any justification for the old bait and switch, be careful with them.
There SubContractor Fresh Coast Solar was excellent to work with, SunBadge was totally Hands off durring installation.

From the first time I contacted Sun Badger through the commissioning of the install, I was kept updated and provided straight forward information. Sun Badger met with me at my residence for a free quote and outlined the various options I had. The moment I gave Sun Badger the go ahead for the selected system, they handled everything from permits, install, inspection, and commissioning. The process was very easy and I would recommend others to use them as well for their solar installs.

Our experience with SunBadger has been terrific throughout the entire process.
When we had specific questions about the array design and panel construction, Dustin took the time to carefully answer everything in detail so that we had a clear and solid understanding of component selection and why the design was being recommended over others.
Each step along the way we were informed of next steps, who would be contacting us for what purpose. Everything was clearly explained.
The team was also extremely helpful with all of the paperwork to obtain the 30% federal tax credit as well as the Focus on Energy incentive/rebate. Everything was seamless, behind the scenes.
Our system is newly installed, and we are just starting to monitor our energy production via the MyEnlighten app. It provides a terrific capability to be able to monitor the health of each panel, both from SunBadger’s perspective as well as the homeowner.
We cannot say enough about SunBadger and the whole team. Highly recommended!

We chose Sun Badger Solar for our solar PV project because
1. of their experience working in our climate, knowing which components will hold up in our extreme weather conditions.
2. their analysis of the combination of our roof, our electricity usage and their equipment made the most sense financially for optimum solar power production on this site.
3. the sales and fulfillment process went smoothly even though there were some delays and additional requirements by the city's electrical inspector and ComEd that were not foreseen. They went out of their way to schedule the additional work and get the inspector back within a week!
4. They share our family's commitment to doing everything that we as individuals and as a community can do to help make a transition away from fossil fuels and lower our carbon footprints.

After a delay in the ComEd Net metering application, the original 26 panel design by Sun Badger Solar (SBS), was reduced to a total 24 solar panels. This reduction in solar panels was required by ComEd do to the utility transformer's limitation in support of Net Metering. ComEd did offer to replace the residential transformer at a cost of $9,000. ComEd's initial Net Metering application review looked only at the solar system size being applied for and at first did not identify the max capacity of the utility's transformer, causing a 5-6 week delay in this project.

SBS's installers, Fusion Solar, started the installation following the original 26 panel with one inverter design. The reduction in panels changed the panel layout and went from one inverter to each panel with its own Enphase micro inverter. The inverters are supported with an Enphase Combiner panel that has the equipment to monitor the panels production which interfaces with Enphase software so I'm able to monitor the solar power production through my computer, smartphone or tablet.

A couple of bumps in the projects installation and compleation but both Sun Badger Solar and Fusion Solar worked tirelessly in completing the project as designed.

Thank you Sun Bager & Fusion Solar. Job well done!

Kurt Eshelman

Sun Badger Solar did a great job installing my solar project. Very professional with an outstanding install crew. I picked them over four other companies because of their no BS approach.

Sun Badger did an extraordinary job throughout the entire process of having our solar panels installed. They started with a low-pressure, informative meeting where we went through various options we had available to us. Once we decided we wanted to move forward, they were in constant contact throughout making the process go very smoothly. I would highly recommend Sun Badger for your solar panel installation, they were everything I was expecting and more!

excellent service, very prompt response, impressed with the quality of work. great value, especialy with federal tax credit and state rebate included in price!

Sun Badger was able to quickly get me a quote on Panasonic panels while other installers refused to install panels that they had bulk deals on. All my questions were answered quickly!

I had a smooth process and have the system running and producing! Would recommend!

Very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. They were very patient and I was happy with the process.

The process of getting solar panels was really easy. The installers were quick and super friendly. Any questions that I had along the way were answered in a timely fashion. The app for tracking energy production is fun and a little addicting.

Had a great experience working with Sun Badger Solar . They did a large 10.27 KW solar ground mount for our eco-friendly farm. From the initial correspondence to the installation, everything was great. Carley the project manager, was very prompt with keeping us informed of how each aspect of the installation progressed. We are very happy with our solar unit, and wouldn't hesitate to use this company again.

Sun Badger is a great company for the amazing people that work for them. From the design, offer, signing of the contract, installation, and commissioning, all the people involved in my project worked efficiently and professionally to deliver my project at a blazing speed. The project that was contracted to be delivered in 3 months took just over ONE from the signing of the contract to start producing electricity.
The installation and overall quality of the equipment is great and the best value I could find.
Thank you to all the people that were involved: James, Carley, Ryan and all the rest that worked to deliver my project
Now I'm an extremely satisfied customer of Sun Badger.
Great job

Sun Badger Solar was one of several bids we considered for our solar project implementation. Sun Badger won out on price (not the highest or the lowest), fantastic consulting and a smooth sales cycle. Other contractors offered solutions that did not meet our needs financially or technically.

We felt that Sun Badger's proposal would create the best return on our investment combined with state and federal incentives (which they were really knowledgeable about).

Once we secured financing (which their sales person was able to consult with us on), we signed a contract and began the first phase of the project. The site survey was performed by Re-Think Electric and was meticulously conducted. I was educated in the structural and electrical considerations that must be taken into account in the design of the system. I felt very comfortable with how thorough the person conducting the site survey was and we knew that our solar system and house would be well matched for each other and meet all regulatory and safety requirements.

Another item of note - the project management process was very transparent and I could see when tasks were scheduled. The BaseCamp project management platform (which I've used in a lot of other projects) keeps you in touch with your project team. I felt very comfortable asking questions through this portal and the response time (if not immediate) was within a business day.

Construction scheduling took place quickly after the permit was issued and we were slotted for a week or two later. By the end of installation day one, the rails were installed and most electrical connections were made. By the middle of day two the solar modules were installed and the system was ready for inspection. I noticed only a few bits and pieces of construction material in the grass...a bolt here or there or an aluminum scrap but nothing major. The crew did a great job cleaning everything up (as compared to roofers and siding installers several years ago).

We had an inspection and commissioning scheduled two business days later. The Re-Think Electric crew chief checked everything out and made sure that the system was electrically and mechanically sound. The inspector signed off and we were ready to commission the system. The crew chief explained what he was doing as he paired the power optimizers with the inverter and set up the remote-monitoring communications system. Fascinating stuff!

The Sun Badger Solar people provisioned a monitoring account for me to see how the system was performing. Other than a minor communications issue (resolved the next day), the data has been flowing and I've been keeping an eye on production numbers and pleased to see that everything is working as designed.

In summary, Sun Badger Solar is the way to go and I am proud to recommend them to my friends and neighbors. I wish all of my renovation projects were this smooth! Thank you Sun Badger and Re-Think, for a great experience!

I knew that Sun Badger would take care of all permitting, interconnection, etc. Still, I was surprised how little involved I was in that process. I needed a new roof (by others); Sun Badger started the install the day after the roof was finished. My experience was so positive that I am now discussing with Sun Badger an installation for my church.

Our whole project took less than 2 months. Sun Badger solar team took care of all the permits and inspection from start to finish. Noah did an excellent job explaining the entire process and provided a detail illustration of our project. The installation team was awesome, they communicated each step of the project and any changes or problems to the original project. Highly recommend Sun Badger Solar.

With my 6-month journey to move to solar I have had many written quotes and some verbal quotes, Sun Badger Solar without any doubt has come out on top. From the initial call to the sales presentation with Noah explaining every detail of the solar journey and expectations. Never once tried to over sell (as many other companies), but clearly understood my requirements and my expectations. Once I approved the initial quote the inhouse team took over and provided all of the aspects from design, install, permitting, and activation either over the phone or on their portal. The installation went extremely well and by comparison to other companies installs in my neighborhood it was a very clean install with nothing visible from the street (even the final inspector mentioned he has never seen such a clean install). Special thanks to the install team from “Fresh Coat Solar for the install of the solar arrays and Sige Electric for a great electrical installation”. Now it’s time to sit back and generate some solar power to put back into the grid and reap the benefits.

I spoke with 6 different companies when I decided to go solar, 3 of whom I met in person, and 3 of whom gave me online quotes. At the end of the not only was Sun Badger among the cheapest, but Noah Rothschild proposed what appeared to be the most realistic plan of any of the companies that I had spoken with. Plus, Noah was easily the most responsive person I could talk to. Replying instantly to emails I sent him after the kids went to bed, and coming out to my house to look at everything and show me how everything would work. I'm glad that I met Noah because Sun Badger was a pleasure to work with.

After signing the contract Sun Badger moved very quickly, sending the contractors out to my house to take measurements and finalize everything. As soon as we got the permits from the village (and it stopped raining) they were out on my roof installing the panels. The installation went very smoothly, they informed me of what was going on and what the next steps would be, and they stayed on top of the power company to get them to approve my panels.

The entire process was very smooth, and Sun Badger made sure that I had to do a minimal amount of work to go solar. I highly recommend Sun Badger and Noah Rothschild if you are looking to get solar panels!

I got quotes from 5 different solar companies. Proposals included purchase, lease, and PPA. Some companies offer all 3 as options. I have been watching the industry for a long time and so I know a fair amount. I was more interested in product quality and life expectancy. I looked at the specifications for the products in all of the proposals. Sun Badger uses excellent products that are at the right point in the cost/quality curve.

The paperwork involved with the city, the SRECs and ComEd can be daunting. Sun Badger made the entire process smooth as can be.

The installation went smoothly. The installation team was clean, fast, always on time, available for the inspections and excellent in every way. A few minor issues came up in the inspection and they were solved quickly.

My only concern is that Sun Badger seems to be like a general contractor and hires subcontractors to do the site survey, engineering design, and installation. The entire process went very smoothly.

From start to finish it couldn't have gone any better. SunBadger was super knowledgeable and helped us make an informed decision. They took care of everything and made the process easy. Install only took one day and the crew was great. Couldn't be happier. Really great company to work with.

I had a terrific experience with Sun Badger, start to finish. Noah had a great understanding of solar and was very helpful in answering my questions. The installation team lead by Jeremy and Adam was outstanding. Highly recommended.

I have been working with these guys for the past few months, and have been so impressed by their quick responses, professionalism, but most importantly, their honesty. I had been really excited about the prospect of putting solar panels on our home, but really had no knowledge of placement, number of panels, etc. We have a lot of trees on our property, which I hadn't even factored into our potential install. Thank goodness I was working with a team that was able to steer me in the right direction. They haven't been in it to just sell me a system - they were up front about some of our shading issues. We're now looking at a possible ground mount, and if it works on our property, I wouldn't hesitate to move forward. I trust them completely. Thank you Sunbadger Solar for helping me to 'see the light'. :)

Couldn't ask for better service and keeping me current with every step of the process! Their process is seemless and response is better than timely!

Great team, excellent communication, seamless handoff from sales to the install team. Sun badger have voluntarily and proactively worked with us to to solve every possible sticking point in our favor. Could not be more satisfied.