Best solar companies California Original Energy

Original Energy Reviews

Based in Arroyo Grande, CA. This profile is built from public installation records and published ratings, not paid placement.

17verified installs in California utility records*
6recent installs, 2025-26 records*
2015first year in county records
8.2/10Solar.com Score · 39 reviews analyzed

Solar.com Installer Score for Original Energy

One score, computed the same way for every installer. We read the full text of all 39 substantive published Original Energy review texts across every platform and measure what customers actually report. Not a survey. Not a sample. Never for sale.

Solar.com Installer Score

8.2/10

Synthesized from 39 substantive customer review texts.

Google 5.0★ · 37 reviewsYelp 5.0★ · 2 reviews

Updated September 28, 2026 · No installer can pay to change this score · How scores work →

Read what customers actually say ↓
Sales IntegrityHow clearly and honestly the company explains the system, contract, savings, and incentives before you sign.7.3

6 reviews speak to this · 6 praise · 0 complaints

Price TransparencyHow well the final price, financing terms, and incentive guidance match what customers were led to expect.7.1

7 reviews speak to this · 7 praise · 0 complaints

CommunicationHow reliably the company keeps customers informed and answers questions across sales, installation, and service.7.5

15 reviews speak to this · 15 praise · 0 complaints

Timeline ReliabilityHow well the company manages the path from contract through permits, installation, inspection, and turn-on — without the customer having to chase it.7.2

7 reviews speak to this · 7 praise · 0 complaints

WorkmanshipThe quality, professionalism, neatness, and property care of the physical installation.8.2

21 reviews speak to this · 21 praise · 0 complaints

Long-Term SupportHow well the system performs after turn-on, how the company handles monitoring, warranty claims, and service calls — and its staying power to honor them.7.1

7 reviews speak to this · 6 praise · 1 complaints

#231 of 678 scored in California by Solar.com Installer Score

How does Original Energy compare where you live? Rankings are local; an installer that leads one city can trail in the next. See how they rank in your city →

Why this differs from star ratings: most five-star reviews say “great company” and stop, and star averages reward that. These category scores only count reviews with concrete evidence, weighted by recency and the reviewer’s track record. A company can hold a strong star average while specific categories score lower; that gap is usually where the real story is. Categories with more complaints than praise are the questions worth asking any bidder, not necessarily dealbreakers.

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Where Original Energy builds

County-by-county activity from CPUC records through May 2026.

What this data covers: *Counts on this page, including the totals up top, come from investor-owned-utility interconnection records (SCE, SDG&E, PG&E). Work in municipal-utility territory, such as LADWP or city utilities, and outside California does not appear here, so this company's true totals are higher than shown. Unlike the county rankings, this profile also shows counties below the 250-install ranking floor.

CountyVerified installsRecent 2025-26Active sinceMedian system% leasedCounty rankingLink to the county ranking page. This company's rank on this page is its Solar.com Installer Score rank, shown above.
San Luis Obispo County17620156.1 kW0.0%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)

% leased counts systems recorded as third party owned (lease or power purchase agreement); the remainder are customer owned. Median system size is the middle system this company installed in that county. Star ratings and review counts are from Google.

Original Energy reviews: what customers say

An independent synthesis of published customer feedback across Google and Yelp, updated September 23, 2026. Green marks praise, amber mixed experiences, red complaints.

Sales & proposal integrity

Sales Integrity7.3/10

Reviewers describe the sales experience as knowledgeable and straightforward, with several saying the team answered detailed questions and focused on matching the system to customer needs. The available reviews do not show a complaint pattern in this category, so the feedback reads as consistently favorable.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Knowledgeable guidance. Reviewers say the team explained options clearly and provided advice they found honest and reassuring when comparing project needs and expected service requirements. Representative review excerpt: "Their ability to answer challenging questions about renewable energy and expected service needs was honest and assuring."

Need-focused approach. Several reviewers describe a business approach centered on understanding customer needs rather than pushing a preset package. Representative review excerpt: "What we found was group of men who were knowledgeable, whose business philosophy is to, yes sell energy, but really wanted to find out what their customers truly need."

Helpful proposal advice. One reviewer says the company provided the best advice they had received from a contractor, reinforcing the sense of a clear and useful sales process. Representative review excerpt: "Then they also do solar and offer the best advice I have ever received from a contractor."

Price & financing transparency

Price Transparency7.1/10

Reviewers generally describe pricing as fair and clear, with some noting they felt satisfied with the final cost and service value. The corpus does not show recurring complaints about surprise costs, refunds, or financing disputes in this category.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Fair pricing. Reviewers say the pricing felt fair, and one noted the work came in at less money than expected while getting the system back online the same day. Representative review excerpt: "Rather than replacing the inverter which I believed was broken we were back up and running the same day, for less money than I expected."

Satisfied with cost. Some reviewers explicitly mention being happy with the company’s prices and customer service. Representative review excerpt: "I’m very happy with their customer service and their prices."

Good value outcome. One reviewer said the project reduced their annual true-up burden and described the result as a very fair price. Representative review excerpt: "They took me from a $6000 annual true-up to $0, at a very fair price."

Communication & coordination

Communication7.5/10

Feedback points to responsive communication and smooth coordination from initial contact through project completion. Reviewers describe a team that kept details organized, asked good questions, and stayed engaged as the work moved forward.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Responsive from first call. Reviewers say the team responded quickly and handled scheduling and handoffs efficiently after the initial request. Representative review excerpt: "His team came out, by the way in a days notice, even picked up my equipment and installed within 24-48 hours following my initial call."

Clear project handling. Several reviewers describe the work as well managed from start to finish, with the details handled properly along the way. Representative review excerpt: "They did an amazing job from the beginning all the way to the end."

Careful intake on service calls. One reviewer notes that the company asked pointed questions and took notes before moving ahead with a repair request, suggesting organized coordination. Representative review excerpt: "When I called for a solar repair in Morro Bay, Ryan took asked pointed questions and took notes on our situation."

Timeline reliability

Timeline Reliability7.2/10

Reviews describe timeline execution as a strong point, with several customers noting prompt starts and timely arrivals. The available feedback does not show a recurring complaint pattern about delays, missed appointments, or activation issues.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Fast scheduling. Reviewers mention next-day or very quick installs, including one case where the team came out on short notice and completed the work within a short window. Representative review excerpt: "Ryan set me up for pretty much a next day install for my wall charger."

On-time arrival. Customers say the installation crew arrived when expected and worked efficiently once on site. Representative review excerpt: "The installation crew always arrived right on time, worked quickly, and kept the job site spotless."

Timeline follow-through. One reviewer says the company made sure project timelines were met and handled the details properly throughout the job. Representative review excerpt: "His work has consistently been excellent, and he always goes the extra mile to make sure project timelines are met and all the details are handled properly."

Workmanship & site care

Workmanship8.2/10

Workmanship receives the strongest praise in the review set, with repeated comments about clean installs, professional crews, and careful problem-solving. Reviewers also note that the site was kept tidy and that the company addressed issues thoughtfully when they came up.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Clean, detailed install. Reviewers describe top-notch attention to detail, including neat wiring and a polished final appearance. Representative review excerpt: "The attention to detail on the install was top-notch—the wiring is incredibly clean, the panels look fantastic, and the entire system was set up with zero hassle."

Professional crews. Customers say the installers were professional, provided excellent service, and left a clean job site. Representative review excerpt: "Ivan and partner came out provided excellent and professional service, clean job."

Problem-solving on site. One reviewer says the team identified an installation issue and corrected it after explaining the cause clearly. Representative review excerpt: "He quickly found the problem and explained that the motor had been wired in the wrong direction, which was why the hood wasn't pulling the air properly."

Long-term support & performance

Long-Term Support7.1/10

Post-install feedback is mostly positive, with reviewers describing helpful troubleshooting, quick service, and guidance when systems or apps were not working as expected. There is also one complaint about repeated battery, inverter, and service issues, so this category is more mixed than the others.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Quick post-install help. Reviewers say the company was able to get systems running again quickly and, in one case, for less money than expected. Representative review excerpt: "Rather than replacing the inverter which I believed was broken we were back up and running the same day, for less money than I expected."

Useful troubleshooting. Some reviewers describe helpful support after installation, including assistance with app and inverter questions. Representative review excerpt: "He helped me figure out the my solor app is down but the inverter is still producing electricity from the panels."

Service problems reported. One reviewer reports a difficult post-install experience involving repeated battery and inverter failures and multiple service calls. Representative review excerpt: "This journey has not been an easy path, Battery and invertor failures, and endless service calls."

Bottom line: Original Energy’s review profile is generally positive, with especially strong feedback on workmanship, communication, and scheduling. Pricing and sales feedback is favorable overall, while post-install support is the most mixed area because of one report of repeated equipment and service problems.

How this is built: category scores and summaries weigh the company's full published rating record (37 Google reviews averaging 5.0 stars), the most recent and most relevant review texts, and recurring feedback themes verified acrossGoogle and Yelp. Ratings and review excerpts from published review sources. Refreshed as new feedback is published. No installer can pay to change it.

About Original Energy

Company background from published business information and licensing records.

Products

Solar

Service area

California. Note: the install counts on this page cover California investor-owned-utility records only.

Work for this company or see something out of date? Profiles can be claimed and corrected: contact partners@solar.com. Placement on solar.com is never for sale.

Recorded installs by year

Residential interconnections statewide in PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E records through May 2026.
2
2015
1
'16
1
'20
4
'21
1
'22
3
'23
1
'25
7
'26

Important context: this chart shows investor-owned-utility records only. Companies that shift work toward municipal-utility territory (LADWP and city power departments) or other states will show declining bars here even while building steadily elsewhere, and 2025-26 records also lag real installation dates. Treat this as a partial window, not the company's full trajectory.

FAQ about Original Energy

What do customers say in Original Energy reviews?

We analyzed 39 substantive published customer reviews of Original Energy in full. The company's Solar.com Installer Score is 8.2/10, with category-level detail on this page covering sales integrity, price transparency, communication, timeline reliability, workmanship, and long-term support.

How many solar systems has Original Energy installed?

Original Energy appears as installer of record on 17+ residential systems in California investor-owned-utility interconnection records through May 2026. Work in municipal-utility territory or other states does not appear in those public records.

How can I compare Original Energy's pricing?

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How we built this data

Methodology: Counts are residential PV interconnections in investor-owned-utility territory (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) per CPUC Rule 21 public records through May 2026. Postal and name variants are merged. Municipal utility territory such as LADWP, Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Anaheim, and Riverside Public Utilities is not included in those CPUC counts. Counts show recorded installations, not quality ratings. Reported costs are self-reported on owned-system interconnections. No installer can pay for placement.

Who we are: Solar.com is a solar marketplace — we connect homeowners with installers and earn a fee when projects move forward. These rankings and scores are computed from public installation records and published customer reviews. No installer can pay for placement, and no installer — including those we work with — can pay to change a score.