Solaria Solar and Roofing

My experience with Solaria was awful, marked by significant safety risks, a failure to deliver on promises, and a frustrating lack of accountability. It was a comedy of errors that just kept getting worse. While some issues were eventually fixed after months of persistence, the process was a nightmare, and I cannot in good conscience recommend their services. Be aware that they are offering $100 gift cards for 5-star reviews, which should tell you a lot. The project was for an Enphase solar panel and battery system. From the start, there were disagreements. They insisted on a partial home backup, even though my research and Enphase's own literature indicated a whole-home backup was feasible and better suited for my needs. After much debate, they agreed to my request but made me sign a waiver about battery life with the A/C running—a moot point since the batteries are irrelevant during the daytime when the panels are producing, and a properly installed load controller, which was part of the plan, would manage that. I'd just simply turn off my AC if I was ever off grid, it isn't that complicated. The problems escalated dramatically after the system went live, they removed the load controller and other hardware and left holes in my wall. When they returned several weeks later to reinstall it, they wired it in an incredibly dangerous manner. A load controller consists of two 45a relays. A 60-amp circuit was placed on a 45-amp relay, a 35a circuit was placed on one, a 40-amp circuit was split between two separate relays. This is a serious fire hazard that could have damaged my electronics or worse. I had specifically warned them twice that a larger, additional relay would be needed, but my warnings were ignored. This is a very basic mistake to make, and should have never happened. It took a week for them to bypass the issue and took another month or two to completely fix it, and only after I involved my bank to put a hold on the loan, for them to correctly wire the load controller. It was then I discovered they had also installed the wrong system controller—one that wasn't generator-compatible as we had discussed and agreed upon in text messages. When I insisted on receiving the correct equipment before releasing the final payment, they threatened to put a lien on my home. The threat was only dropped when I countered with the threat of legal action. The final straw came in June, about 4 months after the initial go-live, when they installed the correct controller. Their technicians installed the CT clamps backward, causing the system to misread energy flow. The system thought it was exporting power when it should have been importing, leading to multiple power surges throughout my house. Several light bulbs blew, and some of my electronics were destroyed. When I called for an emergency fix, they initially said they couldn't come for a week. Only after I stated I would hold them liable for all damages did they find the time to come out that day. Incredibly, while looking at the Enphase app which clearly showed the malfunction, the technicians gaslit me, insisting everything was "normal." Somehow they thought that my batteries could be charging when nothing was drawing from the grid and my panels were disabled...which is physically impossible. After they discreetly fixed something and finally reversed the clamps, the system began to work properly. Today, the system is mostly functional, but I still experience frequent small power surges and brief off-grid moments that never happened before their last visit. I no longer trust this company to touch my electrical system and will have to hire someone else to diagnose and fix these lingering issues. This has been a deeply unprofessional and stressful ordeal.

Solaria was one of my short list companies due to the excellent reviews it had, details in the initial proposal and competitive price. They were also very aggressive with the implementation time, which was crucial to be able to claim tax benefits for the 2024 tax year. Dennis Aguado was incredibly helpful, easy to work with and very knowledgeable. His focus on the details made a big impact on my confidence in moving forward with Solaria. From the beginning he assisted me in resolving questions and provided ample information to allow me to have piece of mind in the process of what can be seen as a very difficult project due to the amount of misinformation circulating on the internet. The implementation was done on time and with no problems, and the panels started working and reducing my electrical bill from day one. There was only one issue in the design and optimization of the solar energy, which meant some of the panels needed to be relocated. Dennis listened to me, was very helpful in defining the optimal design and Solaria responded by making the change at no cost to me. I was very pleased with their approach to customer satisfaction and final resolution. At this time, my panels are actually producing enough energy to sell back to the company and my bills showing consistent reductions year over year, which of course was the goal of the investment in solar energy. As you might infer from my review, I wholeheartedly recommend Solaria and give tons of kudos to Dennis. Thank you!!

I had given up on going solar after hearing too many nightmare stories about contractors cheating people. Then I came across EnergySage and decided to give it a try. After submitting my details on the site, Solaria was one of the companies that stood out to me. I made an appointment with Dennis and was very happy with his explanation of their services and company history. Afterwards I decided to go with them and they were on the ball. The progress proceeded quickly and they had good communication through-out. The system has been performing as expected and even during the cloudy days of Jan/Feb it is producing 90%+ of my power (and I use quite a bit due to multiple large appliances and A/C units). I am very happy with Dennis and the wonderful folks at Solaria!

My system included 1 Powerwall 3, 1 Tesla Gateway 3, and 28 QCell 420W panels. Dennis Aquado (sales) and the installation team at Solaria did an excellent job at delivering and installing the system. Although it wasn't without it's hiccups, I'd work with them again and recommend them to my friends. The system has been installed for 2-3 months now and is working just as it was designed. I'm a knowledgeable and demanding buyer that requested specifics from Solaria regarding the system. I wanted my generator inlet to continue to work, my Tesla Wall connector integrated, the Powerwall 3 hard wired to the internet router, a clean installation running cables in the attic, critter guards, panel skirts, and more. Doug (electrician) and his crew delivered on everything. The project management communication is the area where things could have improved a bit. The team was hard working, but it took multiple installation trips to get the details correct. The team forgot the requisite parts a few times as well. This to me could be avoided with project management. They likely felt that they had time because the utility company dates were so far out. Unfortunately they waited for scheduling the utility company until the installation hit a certain point. All of this could have been tighter with some project management planning and scheduling. That said, when it was needed, Doug and the team stepped up and Dennis followed through as well. I never met the project manager assigned to my project throughout the whole ordeal. I'd expect the project manager to be the point of contact that communicated all these things, ensured the installation and the utility company dates were within the expected timeframe, etc. But again maybe that's just me. If I had to do it over again, I'd still give Dennis a call and order the system again!

I began my solar installation journey in late August/early September, and it is now December 2, 2024. The company I worked with, based in Orlando, took on the task of installing 30 solar panels at my home in Tampa. Unfortunately, the process has been fraught with delays and poor project management. The installation was delayed for about a month due to the company's lack of familiarity with TECO's requirements. While this was inconvenient, I wasn’t in a major rush, so I let it slide. However, this marked the beginning of several missteps. Inspection Mismanagement The first major issue occurred when a Tampa City inspector came to my home, only to find that there was no solar system installed yet. This clearly highlighted poor project coordination. I believe the company, Solaria, was charged a fee for this mistake. Although it didn’t cost me directly, it’s indicative of their lack of organization. Installation Delays The installation finally began in late October, and I was told it would take two full days, with possibly a half-day on the third day to finish. Over a month later, after about seven or eight full days of work (some stretching late into the night), the system still isn’t operational. To add insult to injury, the inspection before Thanksgiving failed. Additional Pr oblems Electrical Issues and Damaged AC During the installation, my home’s breakers were disrupted, and my upstairs AC unit was knocked offline, likely due to a power surge. While the breaker issue was resolved quickly (it was due to mishandling of the panel), the AC remains broken. Although power is being supplied to the unit, it’s not reaching the thermostat. The company’s higher-up assured me their preferred contacts would handle the issue, but weeks later, and after multiple voicemails, I’ve had no resolution. Personal Inconveniences Adding to the frustration, I found a nail in my car tire—a likely result of debris left by the installation crew. This attention to detail, or lack thereof, reflects poorly on their overall service. Communication Breakdown Throughout this process, communication has been abysmal. My project manager, Sebastian, never proactively reached out to me. I’ve had to call him at least 12 times over the past month for updates, which he often didn’t have until contacting his team. I found his habit of calling me "boss" dismissive and unprofessional. When I finally escalated the issue to a higher-up, things seemed promising initially, but even they have since become unresponsive. Current Status After three months, I’m left with: - No operational solar system - A broken upstairs AC unit - A flat tire I’ve already paid $18,000, with another $11,000 due upon completion. The situation has been deeply disappointing, and I’m struggling to understand how this company has such high ratings. Perhaps they excel with Orlando-based customers, but my experience has been a nightmare. Final Thoughts Based on my ordeal, I cannot recommend this company. Their lack of organization, poor communication, and inability to address issues effectively have made this process unnecessarily stressful. My family and I are grateful it’s cooler weather, as we’ve been without proper AC for weeks, but that’s hardly a consolation given the circumstances.

Everything went smoothly and quickly. Jake the salesman handled everything and communicated all along the way.