Best solar companies California Solar Energy Collective

Solar Energy Collective Reviews

California installer. This profile is built from public installation records and published ratings, not paid placement.

185verified installs in California utility records*
0recent installs, 2025-26 records*
2017first year in county records
6.2/10Solar.com Score · 20 reviews analyzed

Solar.com Installer Score for Solar Energy Collective

One score, computed the same way for every installer. We read the full text of all 20 substantive published Solar Energy Collective review texts across every platform and measure what customers actually report. Not a survey. Not a sample. Never for sale.

Solar.com Installer Score

6.2/10

Blends the six category scores (70%) with the recency-weighted star record (30%).

Synthesized from 20 substantive customer review texts.

Yelp 3.2★ · 20 reviews

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

Read what customers actually say ↓
Review star recordRecency-weighted star ratings across platforms, converted to a 0-10 signal before it is blended into the headline Solar.com Score.7.1

recency-weighted star ratings across platforms

Sales IntegrityHow clearly and honestly the company explains the system, contract, savings, and incentives before you sign.6.3

6 reviews speak to this · 3 praise · 3 complaints

Price TransparencyHow well the final price, financing terms, and incentive guidance match what customers were led to expect.6.0

4 reviews speak to this · 1 praise · 3 complaints

CommunicationHow reliably the company keeps customers informed and answers questions across sales, installation, and service.5.0

13 reviews speak to this · 3 praise · 10 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.6.4

3 reviews speak to this · 1 praise · 2 complaints

WorkmanshipThe quality, professionalism, neatness, and property care of the physical installation.6.3

4 reviews speak to this · 2 praise · 2 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.5.0

6 reviews speak to this · 3 praise · 3 complaints

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

How does Solar Energy Collective 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 Solar Energy Collective 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 Joaquin County125020176.3 kW0.0%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)
Contra Costa County34020196.6 kW0.0%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)
Lake County14020208.4 kW0.0%below ranking floor (under 250 installs)
Alameda County12020195.6 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.

Solar Energy Collective reviews: what customers say

An independent synthesis of published customer feedback, updated September 28, 2026. Green marks praise, amber mixed experiences, red complaints.

Sales & proposal integrity

Sales Integrity6.3/10

Reviewers give a mixed-to-positive read on sales and proposal integrity. Some say the company explained the process clearly and did not push unnecessary products, while others report misleading promises, weak follow-through, or system-sizing expectations that did not match the outcome.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Clear, educational proposals. Some reviewers say they felt informed from proposal through start date and appreciated getting context that helped them understand the offering. Representative review excerpt: "From the proposal to the installation to the start date I've been in the loop and been educated every step of the way."

Pressure and promise concerns. Other reviewers describe sales promises that did not hold up, including concerns about inaccurate expectations and follow-through after the sale. Representative review excerpt: "Worst service of all, new sales pp lies all the time, useless to call for service the promise and do not deliver."

Low-pressure sales. Some customers say the company was straightforward and did not try to sell products they did not need. Representative review excerpt: "Their company operates with integrity and I'm truly thankful for companies that do not try to sell you products you do not need."

Price & financing transparency

Price Transparency6.0/10

Feedback on pricing and financing is mixed and leans negative. One reviewer describes the value as strong, but others report billing issues, deposit timing frustrations, or price expectations that did not match their results, including concerns tied to incentive timing and system sizing.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Billing and deposit frustrations. Other reviewers report being stuck waiting after paying a deposit or receiving bills they felt were not resolved to their satisfaction. Representative review excerpt: "I signed and paid the deposit in January and it's June and am still waiting for confirmation of installation date."

Price expectations missed. Some reviewers say the final outcome did not match what they were told, including a promise tied to system performance that did not materialize as expected. Representative review excerpt: "Referred by a family friend was promised a zero true up bill we ended up with one almost 800$ because they sized my system wrong and won't make it right..."

Value described as strong. A few reviewers say the overall quality, price, warranty, and service felt excellent. Representative review excerpt: "The quality, price, warranty n service I received was excellent."

Communication & coordination

Communication5.0/10

Communication and project coordination are a major weak spot in the review set. Reviewers describe helpful updates in some cases, but many more say calls and messages were not returned, staff changed during the project, or support became difficult to reach after the sale.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Hard to reach support. Many reviewers describe missed callbacks, voicemail loops, or messages that never received a response. Representative review excerpt: "good luck getting a hold of a customer service rep, always go to voicemail, left messages and never called back"

Staff turnover and handoff issues. Others report that the people they first dealt with were no longer available and that project management handoffs were unclear. Representative review excerpt: "The sales person isn't there anymore, project managers are all gone, the electrical company they sub-contracted with did a second rate job."

Well-informed customers. Some reviewers say they were kept updated through the process and felt guided step by step. Representative review excerpt: "From the proposal to the installation to the start date I've been in the loop and been educated every step of the way."

Timeline reliability

Timeline Reliability6.4/10

Timeline feedback is somewhat mixed but leans cautious. One reviewer says the project moved along with clear communication, while others describe long waits for scheduling or confusion about how appointments were set up.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Long wait for installation date. Another reviewer says months passed after paying a deposit before getting confirmation of an installation date. Representative review excerpt: "I signed and paid the deposit in January and it's June and am still waiting for confirmation of installation date."

Scheduling confusion. A reviewer also describes confusion around how an appointment was scheduled, suggesting expectations and execution were not aligned. Representative review excerpt: "It was my understanding when it was scheduled that it was in person but okay, whatever."

Smooth start for some. A reviewer says the company kept them informed from proposal through installation and the start date. Representative review excerpt: "From the proposal to the installation to the start date I've been in the loop and been educated every step of the way."

Workmanship & site care

Workmanship6.3/10

Workmanship and site care receive a mixed read. Some reviewers compliment the quality of the work and the professionalism they experienced, but others report roof or tile damage and installation issues that were not addressed to their satisfaction.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Positive installation experiences. Some reviewers describe the quality of the work and overall service as excellent. Representative review excerpt: "The quality, price, warranty n service I received was excellent."

Roof and cleanup damage. Other reviewers report roof tiles being broken or replacement work leaving visible damage behind. Representative review excerpt: "They broke roof tiles, then took tiles from another part of the roof to replace them with, leaving a row of empty tiles on my roof."

Site issues during installation. A reviewer also says the crew did not secure an electrical line correctly and that related concerns were not addressed. Representative review excerpt: "They punctured my new roof, broke my tiles, didn't secure my electrical line, didn't size my main panel upgrade correctly, don't address concerns and keep sending me bills."

Long-term support & performance

Long-Term Support5.0/10

Post-install support and performance are another weak area in the review corpus. Some reviewers report strong system results and helpful guidance, but others say warranty or repair support was slow or ineffective after the system was already operating.Solar.com's composite of published customer feedback, not a customer quote

Good system results for some. A few reviewers say their electric bills dropped substantially after the system went live. Representative review excerpt: "Our PGE bill went down to zero for electricity and all we pay is gas and the 10$$ meter."

Repair follow-through concerns. Some reviewers say replacement parts were sent but the work was not completed in a timely way, leaving them frustrated with service after install. Representative review excerpt: "Six months earlier they sent us a micro inverter to replace an original that burned out, but never came out here to do the work Customer Service is non-existent."

Warranty and output complaints. Other reviewers report concerns about warranty support and system performance not matching what they expected. Representative review excerpt: "If the system or any piece of it stops working they do mot honor the 25 year guarantee they commit to"

Bottom line: Solar Energy Collective’s review profile is mixed overall, with a headline score of 6.2/10. Reviewers most often praise some parts of the sales process and occasional strong system results, but they also describe frequent communication breakdowns, support delays, and some workmanship or post-install concerns.

How this is built: category scores and summaries weigh the company's full published rating record, the most recent and most relevant review texts, and recurring feedback themes verified acrossYelp. Ratings and review excerpts from published review sources. Refreshed as new feedback is published. No installer can pay to change it.

About Solar Energy Collective

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.
1
2017
49
'19
197
'20
4
'21

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 Solar Energy Collective

What do customers say in Solar Energy Collective reviews?

We analyzed 20 substantive published customer reviews of Solar Energy Collective in full. The company's Solar.com Installer Score is 6.2/10, 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 Solar Energy Collective installed?

Solar Energy Collective appears as installer of record on 185+ 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 Solar Energy Collective'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.