Clean Solar

I’ve recently installed a solar system for my house from the Clean Solar company. My experience with the company was awesome especially with the project manager Pamela who is very knowledgeable about solar systems & she walked me through the process from the beginning to the end of the whole project, finished in less than a month despite the rain. Not to mention the coordination & the good team work of the rest of the team members who performed the job beautifully. I am very pleased with their service & work.

I got proposals from multiple solar vendors. Clean Solar’s was far and away the best. They performed a detailed site inspection prior to coming up with a configuration, and their proposal was easily the most detailed and professional I’d seen. Every time they came to my house they were slightly early (so as to not be late). They let me know what to expect every step of the way, the installation was fast and efficient. They handled all the paperwork for permits, changing my service with PG&E, all I had to do was sign paperwork that had already been filled out.
When designing my system they were careful to size it in such a way that I’d maximize power, and minimize the time to «break even.» Clearly they were used to most people installing solar in order to save money. My reason was different– I want the best environmental solution, which meant more panels than I need– It was a bit of a mental leap for them, but in the end I got them to sell me more than they expected. :-)
The installation was slightly different than configured on the proposal– Not the amount of power, but the placement of the panels. After the proposal, an engineer came by to validate the original configuration, and found a more optimal way to place the panels. It’s nice that multiple people check over the configuration to ensure the best installation.
There was only one hiccough in the installation– There was a slight mistake made in wiring, that wasn’t caught by the county inspector. I found it when a breaker popped, and Clean Solar quickly authorized getting a third-​party electrician to come by and correct it. It’s my belief that the measure of a company isn’t how few unforeseen issues arise, but how they handle them. By this measure, Clean Solar is great.

We have a metal roof (type Metro Roman Tile) and had a difficult time finding a solar contractor that was willing to install on a metal roof or that we felt knew how to work with one. We finally found Clean Solar and we are very pleased with their work and with our new solar system. Clean Solar is an exceptionally well-​organized company, and all of the employees were friendly and knowledgeable. They handled all of the details of the project, including permits and coordinating with PG&E and their roofing partner. They kept us well informed along the way.
For the roof work, Clean Solar partnered with Yorkshire Roofing to open and close the roof for the mount installations. Yorkshire has many years of experience with metal roofs, and the installation of the Qbase mounts went flawlessly. The two companies worked together very well and had the mounts installed and the roof sealed back up in one long morning. Installation of the panels was done on a second day.
Our system has 10 Sun Power 345 Watt panels with ABB microinverters and so far its energy production is about what was predicted. We like being able to check the performance of the system with our iPads and iPhones, and being able to see the output of each panel. If a panel or microinverter ever fails it will be easy to locate the problem. It was a pleasure working with Clean Solar, and we can highly recommend them.

I contacted 3 vendors for estimates for our solar installation. After meeting with Clean Solar, the others weren’t even in the running. The whole process, from sales to installation, was seamless. And most importantly, they listened to what I wanted, which means they delivered a product with which I am 100% satisfied.
Clean Solar is, hands down, the best vendor of any type I’ve ever worked with — and I’ve worked with many, having just undergone a gut remodel of my primary home. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

I am in procurement so I do my homework before selecting a provider for large projects. Clean Solar impressed me from the start in taking the time to educate me regarding solar. They showed true interest in me as a potential customer and helped my wife and me make the best decision for us regarding financing. The install was done quickly in one day and met my expectations of a clean looking solar array. I recommend Clean Solar without any reservations.

After much research and interviewing several companies we selected Clean Solar. Clean Solar representative Tim Littlefield was extremely patient and professional while answering my numerous questions several times over. He applied no pressure whatsoever and listened to what we actually wanted which was to purchase our system. The installers were wonderful as well they completed the job entirely in one day. I would absolutely do business with them again. And when we got our first electric bill it was so low we were shocked at the $, needless to say we are very pleased; we used to pay anywhere from $ 250 to 300, our bill was $ 15 that included both gas and electricity! VSR/​LR

I was very impressed with Clean Solar and their installation of my solar system. I work with a lot of contractors in my business and I have to say Clean Solar is one of the best. Their installation crew was professional, friendly, on time, neat, and knowledgeable. They were a pleasure to work with. Everyone I worked with at clean solar was great. This was a very positive experience from beginning to end. I would absolutely recommend them for your Solar installation!

Clean Solar is very customer-​focused and very professional, with all the required expertise (e.g. sales, marketing, financing, project management, technical).
When I contacted various better known solar developers to get quotes for installing PV on my roof, they were not interested in providing a quote. These were the reasons:
Solar Developer #1: We install a minimum of 10 panels, and you only need 8.
Solar Developer #2: You are not a single-​family residence (they only looked at the GoogleMaps photo of my townhouse. I explained I was indeed single-​family, but they didn’t respond).
Solar Developer #3: Your roof is too steep (my roof is 44.5 degrees, and they only install solar PV on roof tops which have a maximum angle of 40 degrees).
So I called Clean Solar, and they had none of the above issues. Chase Kauf was my sales guy, and he was terrific, always answering (or getting the right expert to answer) my sometimes esoteric questions. For example, when I insisted on having them install not a microinverter (which typically is the best option), and instead install an inverter which can be software-​upgraded to become a smart inverter, they were happy to do so.
The reason for this request was that I know the CPUC is extremely likely to issue a new ruling by around 1^st quarter of 2016 requiring all new inverters installed in California to be smart inverters. These smart inverters will have many capabilities, including sending electricity to the utility (i.e. PG&E for most of us in the Bay area) for ancillary services (e.g. voltage regulation; frequency regulation; anti-​islanding with new voltage & frequency ride-​throughs). Once the CPUC and UL have approved these and other ancillary services, the CPUC is very likely to also order that solar generators (including small residential) should be compensated for providing excess electricity to the utility for ancillary services. Clean Solar’s partner, SolarEdge, provides solar optimizers which can be software-​upgraded to become smart inverters in the near future.
Other reasons I recommend Clean Solar: they keep you informed with everything, and my project manager, Raye Martin, always kept me informed. Other members of the team, from administrative to marketing to technical, were all highly qualified and very helpful.
Also, Clean Solar and Solar Edge provide a very user-​friendly software app which enables me to check my instantaneous and historic solar production data… which is even more interesting since I know I will be paid via the Net Energy Metering program for electricity I sell back to PG&E (besides the upcoming ancillary services mentioned above). Moreover, Clean Solar donates $ 250 to the charity of your choice (as long as you are a paying member of KQED).

I did not go with CleanSolar b/​c, despite very professional site survey and reasonable attempts to upsell, their quotes are very noncompetitive (for the same hardware as quoted by other installers).

Let’s keep this brief.
Clean Solar did not do my installation because they did not make it through the competition.
I asked 4 companies for quotes. All companies had the same information, a 4 KW system and my address and phone number.
Response time #4 out of 4
Quote accuracy #4 out of 4 (quoted 3.6 KW)
Price /​KW #3 out of 4
Wait time to get the quote #4 out of 4 (4 days versus all others within 24 h)
If you want a company with high ratings from others, are willing to wait a little longer and pay a bit more, Clean Solar might be great, just not for me
In the end I went with a company where personal connections got me the best deal. I want to mention that excluding personal connections, Earth Electric would have made it. Very fast response great quote.

Very happy with my solar install. Clean Solar did a stupendous job from beginning ’til end. Here’s a little summary from what an awesome job they did throughout the project.
1. Scheduling — Alicia reached out to schedule and confirm a site survey, which was effectively communicated via e-​mail. What’s great is that they provide some fun facts about the rep who is coming out to survey your house. Makes the experience more personal and comfortable.
2. Site Survey — Justin came out to my place for a site survey and did a great job explaining the different types of panels, installation procedure, and financing. There was no pressure to sign anything, unlike other vendors. Just a straight forward and honest conversation about solar.
3. Plans and Drawings — Ron put together a very detailed plan with drawings, schematics, hardware, etc. that was very clean and easy to understand. Clean Solar submitted drawings for approval and made sure my HOA was covered. Made it a painless process!
4. Project Managing — As you can see from above, there are many interactions with different employees at Clean Solar. Great communication between employees. Raye made sure everything was organized and clearly explained from start to finish. She made sure everything went as planned without any hiccups.
5. Installation — Anthony and his team made a 2-​day job into 1. Very impressed with the quick installation. Installation was very clean, conduit was not visible from the front of the house, and they even painted the conduit to match my house color. To top it off, I didn’t even have to be home. The only thing that bugs me are the lugs that hold down the panels stick out and not flush with the panels. Minor detail, but no biggie.
Overall, GREAT teamwork from Clean Solar. Thanks for a job well done!!! Will recommend to family and friends.
Btw… get the SunPower X21 black panels because they are so fresh and so clean! Other solar neighbors will notice and ask why your panels looks so much better than theirs!

Very impressed with my dealings with Clean Solar, from consultation to installation. When you’re new to this sort of thing, there is a lot of learning to do and it took me almost a year to make a decision. I talked to five other installers and got detailed quotes from three of them. Clean Solar wasn’t the cheapest but the combination of their production guarantee and the manufacturer warranty was a big factor. You can also read good reviews for this company in multiple places, including here and Angie’s List. They delivered on every promise they made and even ended up getting the systems installed well before the target date they initially gave me. They don’t disappear after collecting the check either, they’ve been back to check on the system to make sure everything is working well and I’m glad to see that it’s performing even better than they estimated (though not so much better that I was sold a system I didn’t need).
Solar is a big decision, considering that it costs as much as a car and you have to live with it for even longer. You can believe the reviews you see here… Clean Solar is head and shoulders above most of their competitors and I really can’t recommend them enough.

Had a great experience with Clean Solar from start to end. They were the 4^th company I had talked to about solar and the only one that actually provided me more information about themselves and solar instead of shoving numbers down my throat. Chris Ellis was my sales representative and was very patient and responsive to my questions. If he didn’t know the answer, he would tell me up front he didn’t know and would chase it down for me. It was no pressure sales and provided me everything I needed to know about solar and the difference between them and the others as well as the benefits of buying verses leasing.
Once the process started, Raye was my PM and she kept me informed of where I was in the process the whole time. Everything flowed pretty fast and faster than I had anticipated. There were actually rain delays that pushed my installation back but that is understandable. The installation crew was awesome as they came, did their work and left the work area clean as they were never there.
Turn up and final approvals were smooth and fast. Everything checked out good and I signed it all off satisfied. Couldn’t be happier with Clean Solar as I felt comfortable with the company and the staff that backs up their product and service.

Clean Solar is awesome they are the fastest there is in installing solar panel and in between the process there is no hiccup. The process is long but they manage to answer every question we have and convinced us to purchase the system with Sunpower and micro inverter. Special thanks to Chris and his patients to answer our questions!

I’m am beyond thrilled with selecting Clean Solar as my solar provider! After pricing and meeting with 5 different companies including The Solar Company & Solar City, the quality of the product provided and the high level of customer service are the primary reason we selected Clean Solar.
Our sales consultant, Chris Ellis, was like no other sales consultant I met with. I felt as if I was having a trusted friend talking to me about a product that would make my life much better by going solar. He never pressured us, answered all my questions, while maintaining a high level of service. He was always so quick to respond to all my emails (and there were tons) and stayed connected to our project, even now that’s completed.
The rest of the staff we worked with were all very friendly and knowledgeable. Our installation was completed in two days and went extremely smooth. We were actually so surprised how easy it all went.
I’ve taken to social media to share my experience with Clean Solar as well as with my family and friends in hopes to have them too experience the wonders of solar and to work with the amazing people at Clean Solar, especially Chris!

I’m in the market for solar and Clean Solar was one of the 3 companies that I wanted to get a quote for solar installation purchase. I’m still in the process of purchasing because I haven’t received my final bid from Solar City yet. So far, I like what I see and the 3^rd party financing has the best rates. I have eliminated one of the vendors and it’s between Clean Solar and Solar City. I like that Clean Solar is the underdog and #2 in the market, but I feel that I will get more personal attention. I had to knock off one star because the rep was late coming to my appointment.

Just finished a significant solar installation with CleanSolar and I am extremely happy with the end-​result. I started with four different providers in the Bay Area and after interviews, research and bids, selected CleanSolar for a variety of reasons but ultimately because they gave me the best information and the most confidence at an appropriate price. I would not call them the low-​price winner but I don’t only focus on cost for such an important long-​term investment.
Marcia helped me significantly to review the different financial models and their respective cost benefits and I decided to purchase high density panels capable of bringing my large house PG&E bills down to noise levels. I am looking forward to ‘giving back to the grid’ most months of the year in fact.
Installation was done promptly and professionally and I appreciated the daily check-​ins with the team. My final system looks fantastic. I would recommend them to anyone considering this critical investment.

Research and comparison shopping pays-​off. Clean Solar is the best. Bob, the salesperson was very knowledgeable and performed a series of tests on our rooftop at the first meeting. He explained the details of how solar works and the different products they offer.
No other solar company went through this process, and we met with at least 4.
Beware of solar companies that want you to sign a contract before they perform a solar analysis on your property. Also, closely read the warranties, as they differ greatly.
We received a very detailed proposal within a few days from Bob. Over the next few months, we did more research and more comparisons, and determined that no other solar company comes close to the 15 year annual kw production warranty. Bob was not pushy, and always responded quickly and professionally to all of our inquires. We signed an agreement for 34 SunPower solar panels. The process took time for planning, permits, and precise measurements; in addition we had a new roof installed.
Pam was our Project Manager. She was on top of all the details, coordinating the work with our roofer and kept us appraised of the progress during each phase of the project.
The project was complete before the estimated time line. Bob came to our house on a Saturday morning, and explained all of the details. We had some difficulty with the monitoring system, but that was quickly resolved by Pam on the following Monday. Since the system went live in Dec 2014, and we have some shading challenges, the power generated has been limited, but this was expected for this time of the year.
Further updates to follow as we progress throughout 2015 and the years to come.
Our experience with Clean Solar has been excellent!
As of April 3, 2015: For the first 4 months of operation, the panels have produced the expected outcome. So far, so good.

Love Marcia, love the entire crew. They are fast, courteous, top notch service and guides us through the entire process pain-​free. We even got helped with filling out all paperwork for tax credit, sun power panel credit, and work place incentive credit.
My husband tracks the solar production everyday like a cat tracking a roomba in the house.
All you need to do is call, schedule and you are on your way to getting clean and sustainable power!

Called Clean Solar some time ago to get a quote, since we were ready to take a chance on solar panels again (had a bad experience with Solar City). Talked to Kristina and answered the basic phone based questions she had. Big red flag in that I had to repeat the spelling of my name and repeat my phone number multiple times to her. She said that she will send an estimate in a few days. Got an email requesting a PGE history, got that in right away.
More time passes, and never got the quote based on the agreed deadline. Emailed Kristina again, and says she will get it to me that same day. A week passes and still no quote. However, today I got a stock email asking how my experience was with Clean Solar. I’ll let them know that they somehow made Solar City look credible in comparison. If you are busy, just let me know and I can work with that. However, If I have to contact you multiple times to give you business, then I’ll go elsewhere.