SGE Solar (Second Generation Energy LLC)

Dave and SGE were fantastic. Their price could not be beat, and I can’t imagine anyone else providing better customer service or installation experience.

Our overall experience with Second Generation Energy (SGE Solar) as an installer was very good. They worked very hard to achieve a successful installation. A particular challenge occurred in the rack system that was initially installed, it turned out to be defective. The SGE Solar team carefully assessed the situation, even bringing in a representative from the rack manufacturer. In the end, they used a different manufacturer’s racks. They stood behind their commitment to complete satisfaction and delivered within the budget. Our system was installed in 2023 and involved solar plus battery storage. The battery system once completed, has worked beautifully. However, anyone considering battery storage should be aware that the electrical and fire inspections associated with battery projects are more complicated. In our case, the local inspectors clearly did not have a lot of experience to draw on and at times we received conflicting guidance from local authorities. Again, Second Generation did a good job with the installation and they adjusted to those changes when they came up without additional cost. With a year of operation completed, I can state that the project is meeting our goals and the design estimates.

This will not be a typical review, as we decided not to go ahead with solar, but wanted to give us a shout out to Dave. He was very helpful explaining what we could do on our house and what the limitations were, and didn’t sugarcoat anything. He listened to our desires and showed us realistic options. No pressure, very ethical and professional. And he knows his stuff!

I used EnergySage to help me find and evaluate an installer to work on my slate roof. They were very helpful in every step of the process, and I was glad to have them as a technical resource when deciding who to use, and how the installation would be done. I was very satisfied with the whole process, and as someone who works in the energy field, I am happy to recommend EnergySage to anyone considering adding solar panels.

Overall, using SGE was a great experience. The sales contact, Dave Simmer, was extremely thorough and walked me through the whole process. I never felt too rushed, except for securing the loan from UMASSFive, but that's unrelated to SGE. Things happened quickly once National Grid approved everything, and SGE was ready to go within a week! The electrician/installer was phenomenal too. He worked with me on layout of equipment and even helped improve my electric panel to make sure everything was safe. Definitely recommend Pat for anything! As mentioned, communication about the loan was not as great, but that seemed to be independent of SGE. After everything was installed, I did lose a little bit of contact with them. There was an issue with the app (not the panels), and it took a bit to get corrected, but in the end it was fixed and I have had no issues since! They were always honest about pricing too and adjusted the quote when it turned out an extra panel wasn't needed.

We did not opt to go with SGE in the, but that had nothing to do with the excellent interactions we had with Dave Simmer. He shared a lot of insights and helped make our overall solar process better.