I want to start by saying I don't understand all the negative comments. People with solar systems that are years old and complaining about Tru Up bills.. the prices from PGE have gone up dramatically over past few years and you need to still use energy conservation once panels are installed. Lastly, financing anything comes with additional costs. A great way to avoid the finance charges is pay cash or get your own loan under terms that fit your financial needs. It is my understanding that 1st Light Energy does NOT finance solar systems but outsources that for customers who need/want to go that route. After considering these three facts let's move on to my review. Garrett was my point of contact person and he was upfront about the costs versus my savings. He called a month prior to my appointment for installation because he had a cancellation and I was able to get them installed the same day! Any questions I have had he is a email away and has been friendly, honest, and helpful. Fast forward three years I have now installed panels again on my second home. Same great company and customer service. Same situation where the company had a cancellation and I was able to get my panels installed sooner than expected. A year from my second installed panels has past. I never had done a review and realized it was time to do so! Fun fact, this is a small local business that the owner and his brother (co-owner? Idk ) both work at. I highly recommend this company! read more

Do not use. They put panels on my house some that are 370 W and some that are 400 W also the 400 W say only for use in Canada. We have a new company replacing all the panels and all the shotty work that they did... Stay away way!!! over paid for the system to at 31,000 for 25 panels. Also, my panels are made for more of like a school yard or a solar farm is 6 inches off my roof. Definitely not clean and flush for a brand new build. read more

I am filing a complaint against 1st Light Energy for poor service, excessive fees, and lack of accountability. We discovered a roof leak and, not knowing the cause, contacted the company since they installed our panels. Their response was that "if it didn't leak when the panels were installed, then it's not our problem," and they even wanted to charge us to send a technician. We were also told it would cost over $10,000 to remove and reinstall the panels so repairs could be done--an outrageous quote from the original installer. Additionally, they said our system needs to be upgraded from 3G to 5G for monitoring. The panels were originally installed with 3G towers--standard at the time--but now they want $800 to switch to 5G, claiming it's "no one's fault but the government." This is unreasonable; a reputable company should stand by its installations without shifting blame or costs to the customer. Our assigned representative, April Miner (aminer@1stle.com), was rude, unhelpful, and dismissive. Every request for clarification was met with deflection. Instead of offering solutions, 1st Light Energy continually finds new ways to charge customers additional fees. We were promised a 25-year warranty, but it appears to cover nothing. Each step of the process--removal, reinstallation, inspection, and basic upgrades--comes with another charge. It's clear this company's focus is on profit, not service. At this point, we question the point of having solar panels if we're forced to pay thousands just to maintain them. This is not the integrity or support customers expect from a company promoting "sustainability" and "long-term reliability." Homeowners, beware: 1st Light Energy offers poor service, an empty warranty, and constant hidden costs. read more

Could never get ahold of anybody left several messages no response. Need someone to come service our panels. If anyone has a different number we can reach out to besides the ones online please add in a comment. read more

Run away from this company. We were lied to, misrepresented and tricked. Our panels don't cover all my usage to the tune of thousands of dollars each year - from day one. I've been told I should be producing more than using based on what's on my roof. Took 6 months to get them working. Inverter died - took months just to get someone on the phone to get a new one ordered. Absolute nightmare for the past 6 years. Looking into attorney to start a class action suit. read more

Terrible company. They are thieves. Poor service, never answer the phone. excessive fees and lack of accountability.

I purchased a 14 panel solar system from these people 8 yrs ago and was mislead from the start by being told I would have no bill other than a true up (average around $700 a yr so I guess they miscalculated how many I actually needed ) once a yr for using more electricity than my system produces...woops they forgot to mention the MID meter charge that went from $21 a month to $31...OK so I guess I was suppose already know that...I noticed a brown spot on one of my solar panels a few weeks ago so I called them for the first time since I purchased them...I was charged $250 to come out to look at it and also a $10 fee for using a debit card ...seems they try to gouge you every way the can think of... anyhow after a few days of waiting with no response I noticed that the brown spot was disappearing so I came to the conclusion it must be an oily spot from spilled jet fuel flying above no other explanation how it got there...so after looking at my inverter and noticed that the screen was not lit I thought that I could save the $260 if I could get someone to help me troubleshoot the problem at which time I was communicating with Greg the boss and explained the screen issue at which time Greg gave me the most vague instructions on how to turn the screen back on... he was saying that there is a blueish green button below the screen that needed to be pushed to activate the screen and at the position I was standing it was not visible to the eye so instead of further explaining that the button was hidden underneath a 2 inch gap between the screen and bottom part of the inverter (which would have made it too easy to find to the average person who has no knowledge about the inverter ) he had his guy come out at the last minute after he sensed that i was trying to troubleshoot the sceen light myself so the guy come to push the button himself so he could keep the $260 ... what honest customer service right ? So the guy walks through my gate and pushed the hidden button where it was located and looked at the brown spot and he came to the same conclusion as I did that it was so kind of oil spill... he left after 5 minutes and so later I emailed Greg to say that I could have pushed the button myself without his guy coming out to my house and would he consider waiving the $260 fee because of the fact he gave me the most vague directions on where to find the hidden screen display button...he responded with acknowledging yes I know the communication about finding the button was rather vague but he did come out at the last minute to the push the button for me and look at the oily spill spot from the ground level only to have the same guess as I did so he offered to send me back a check for $50... it just seems rather greedy to me to not refund at least half the money after spending 21k to have their company install my solar system so I just said send whatever you think is fair Greg at which point I have yet to receive any kind of refund after 2 wks ... is this the kind of scandalous company controlled staff you want to deal with ? I wish I wouldn't have gave them the business... Even after suggesting to pay off the system last year I found out that you do not get out of paying the interest rate weather you pay in full or make monthly payments for the next 20 yrs they WANT YOUR MONEY !! So it's a costly investment with poor customer service ... I hope this might help someone else avoid choosing to make the same mistake as I did... check out other solar businesses with more honest helpful customer service. read more

1st Light Energy - Obvious an oily spill after drying after a few days - Solar Installation Near Me - Manteca, California

See all

BEWARE!!! They sold me solar 10 years ago with the promise of no more PG&E bill. Well, I've had a true-up bill every year. This year??? $3700.00. Be sure to ask alllll about the true up. I was never told of it. I have had other solar companies come out and tell me we don't have enough panels. lol. Great. What a waste of money. Do your homework. Just not with these scammers. read more

People do not purchase solar panels from First Light Energy and from Solar Mosaic company the are liars, thieves, scammers. Im leasing the solar panels from Solar Mosaic and make monthly payments and First Light Energy services the panels since I had the panels for 5 years they never came to clean them and the the system hasnt been working for a few years and I have reached out to Daniel Hargus from First Light Energy and he is going to charge me to come look at it and charge me again if he has to come back and again if he has to fix it. I am on a fixed income and retired and a disabled senior I don't have money to do that I feel that I'm being taken advantage of and it ain't fair. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on you. read more

Kyle was informative and efficient while inspecting our property for future solar needs.

Avoid 1st light! We got solar panels from them in 2014, had some guards put up to keep the pigeons out in 2017. We had nothing but positive to say, but that has changed! Horrible customer service. One of the guards has fallen off in the last week, I called them right away and was told it wasn't a problem to come out, and they likely wouldn't even charge me. They'd email me an authorization form. The authorization form was a credit card authorization, it was then I find out, they charge $250 to come out, and you must prepay. I question this charge, and they said no matter what they charge this for any visit. They claim they'll schedule right away after processing payment, however days later they hadn't done that. I was able to get refunded and find a different company to do the work. Surprise, another company is also cheaper. Avoid 1st light, they have become a shady company! read more

First off, I have to mention that I never leave reviews so for me to do so things must be pretty bad. If I could give these people negative stars I would. Complete frauds. Sold us on the "BEST" solar panels and service and here we are, 3 months with a non- functioning inverter during the hottest month in history and can't even get a call back. This company should be put out of business as they do nothing but take your money. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to get an attorney involved an will update this post with new info as it comes. Hopefully by doing so, it will detour people from getting taken advantage of. Pretty sad that people could actually run a business like this. read more

First problem, a sales person will sit down at your table and talk about a "call home" feature if your solar stops working, they'll know and notify you. Only that's a lie, because when it stops working and I catch it after a few months, I bring it up to them, and am told "it's my responsibility to monitor. Second problem, I purchase a 40k dollar system that had a hardware failure in less than 5 years, and I have to pay $250 to get them to come out and diagnose it. Once they determine it's a hardware failure, I ask if the service fee is refunded. No, the warranty replacement doesn't cover their time and work. Except I bought a 40k dollar system that isn't good for 5 years, so you should probably stand behind the product you're selling. Bottom line, look elsewhere. They don't stand behind their product or their sales promises. I'm out 3 very expensive months of solar coverage at this point plus $250 to get them to fix it. There are too many companies in this game to put up with this. read more

I bought my home in 2019 with a 1st Light system pre-installed. It had no communication equipment hooked up, Not there fault (Previous Owners). I reached out to 1st light to see how to get it hooked back up. I still to this day in 2022 have not gotten any help or support with my solar system. Despite going through the Service Request hoops that is required by there computer platform... Still no reply. I worked for SolarCity/Tesla & I am very disappointed in the lack of support this company has for customers. I really hope that everyone else has not had the same trouble getting professional service and technical support from 1st Light. Still Waiting 1st Light for you to contact me... Maybe year 3 will have more success for the first call back! Good Luck... Not holding my breath, I may suffocate. read more

Our solar system was not working. We had first light energy come out and assess the unit. Three months later they finally fixed it after the peak solar season ended. I later found out that it took him so long to make the repair because the vendor would not ship them the part because they had not paid their bills to the vendor. Terrible service from this company definitely stay away from them. read more

I initially spoke to Gus back in September regarding animal guard on my solar panels that 1st lite installed and not only have I called him repeatedly but I've also left several voicemails at the company phone number with no success of a returned call. I've finally had to leave a voicemail with Justin Krum , President since no one has helped since early September. Let's see if the President can call me back and answer my questions since apparently no one returns calls. Pretty sad,, read more

1st Light Energy - Emails from Gus in September and now it's November with no call back from anyone. I also copied the Service Dept. - Solar Installation Near Me - Manteca, California

See all

Everything went smoothly until one day I suddenly stopped receiving my SREC payments. Apparently an account was never created and my solar panels were under a different company's name. 1.5 years later and I still haven't received an SREC payment. Every update I get is, "we're still working on it." No one knows anything, no one responds to your emails or phone calls. Totally suspicious. I wouldn't trust them to claim your SRECs. Had I realized at the time it was something that I could easily do myself, I'd never have let them do it for me. If I could give 0 stars, I would read more

My system has been plagued with problems since it was installed 9 months ago. The most recent problem has caused my system to completely stop working and it has been down for SIX weeks! This is a brand-new $20,000 solar system and it's basically a pile of trash on my roof for all the good it does me. Customer service is no help. They tell me they "let the service department know" but I've never seen or heard from anyone. When I follow up, I'm fed the same lines. Avoid this solar installer. With any luck, someone can get a class action law suit going for selling a bunch of people faulty systems. Look at the evidence; check out solarreviews.com for more horror stories. read more

Avoid this company at all costs or you will deeply regret doing business with them. Their installers put so many holes in our roof that we had leaks for years afterwards. The system they installed keeps having issues and whenever we request for someone to come out they say that they will not be able to get to us for over a month. read more

If I could leave one million negative stars I would! Stay away - this is the biggest waste of time and money you will ever spend! They lie! They will request things to support your claims and once you do they will ignore you for months that has turned into years bc they change employees in CT, NJ and the people in CA do not care about and have so far gotten away with I am seeking legal counsel if anyone is interested please contact me also report to your own state's attorney and bbb! These people aren't knowledgeable and lied from day one! This is the biggest farce of a solar company - I cannot stress enough to STAY FAR, FAR AWAY! read more

Service tech was spot on... Officer Manager was a turd. We had a system put in and one of the selling points was a $3,000 rebate check from 1st Light as a sweetener for the deal. Everyone likes money right? Right. We were going to put in a specific sized system and just prior to install, the Manager downsized our system. Sales Rep Matt came out and brought it to our attention that we would still be receiving the rebate. Right on, I thought. When we completed the system, I spoke to the office and was told for 5 MONTHS that our check was working its way through accounting... something is fishy. Then, I called and talked to the manager and he told me we're not getting it. THAT WAS THE ENTIRE REASON WE WENT WITH 1st LIGHT! We could've gone with a bunch of other companies but a look in the eye, a promised $3,000 rebate and a handshake were what sold us. I fell for the bait and switch. The sales reps and install team (who have ALL since left because they weren't being paid adequately as promised) were spot on but don't expect any honesty or attention from the office. Do yourself a favor and DON'T USE 1st Light!!! Here it is Brad. I told you I was going to do this when I was trying to get what you promised us! 6 months later and I'm still pissed. You're a liar and a cheat and you don't care about your customers. read more

1st Light Energy installed our Solar System around five years ago and just over 12 months ago the system stop generating energy. As many have communicated in their reviews, this is the worst service based company I have ever worked with. I have emailed Gus many times requesting a review of our system and they allegedly came out in September 2019 and they stated the system is functioning correctly but they said the monitoring system is not working but yet they have not provided any support or follow up on assisting with getting our system working correctly. They do not answer calls and never call you back to speak with you about resolving your concerns. I spent over 30k on the system and they have been absolutely horrible with supporting their product and customer. Never hire this company for solar work or the install. read more

Worst possible customer service. Its been weeks of attempts via calling, emailing, posting on Facebook, and using the new (contact portal) - and no one returns any messages in two weeks. But if I call to schedule an install, they pick up the phone right away. Stay away from this company. read more

Literally WORST Light Energy. I worked here recently and I can confirm this is the worst of the worst. The sales team is literally trained to lie and say everything they can to ensure a sale. When it comes down to it, the lies come to the surface and it just results in upset and disgruntled customers. They way they trap people in contracts, a lot of people end up paying more and cant even get the panels removed without paying more while voiding a contract. There is literally no winning with this customer. Please shop around before settling with this company and don't get tricked with their witty and charming sales force. Their service department is in shambles and incredibly understaffed and underpaid to and be prepared to make multiple calls and expect visits to eventually fix the problem. Just a horrible service all together. read more

I called one of the owners (Justin) after a recommendation from a friend who had his solar system installed by 1st Light. From the start, no pushy but contrarily very cautious about whether the system would offer enough payback that I was seeking, etc. Local guys did the install of my 3.43KWH/14 panel system were friendly and efficient. The first PG&E bill I got with only 8 days of solar was 54% lower than last January. I had solicited estimates from every solar company in the Stanislaus County area of CA. Only this one was able to offer a system with a 10 year payback. I recommend this business. read more

Great company with great staff. These guys are pros and have been doing this longer than any other company in San Diego. Keep up the good work! read more

I have never been so satisfied with a company as I am with 1st light. We decided we wanted solar and started meeting with multiple companies. 1st light blew us away and it was a no brainier to go with them. However, I was nervous choosing them considering all of the negative yelp reviews but we didn't experience one hiccup with this company. They must have read the reviews and taken them into consideration because we were updated every week. We started the process may 22nd ish and our panels are already installed and ready to go! Fast process! Every person we came in contact with was awesome. They gave us 31 panels when solar city said they could only install 17! And the install was faster than any other company! They have a 12 year loan and a 30 year loan and after that u own the panels. I hope this helps! read more

1st Light Energy - 1st light installing our panels in 100 degree weather! - Solar Installation Near Me - Manteca, California

I want to first say I am not a 1st Light Energy customer. I meet this company when they sponsored the Boys & Girls Club of Lodi soccer tournament today. They were terrific with the parents & children & shared with us great information on how we can save money on our utility bills while saving the earth for future generations. Thank you for being so polite & generous in your donation today! read more

1st Light Energy - 1st Light sponsoring the Boys & Girls Club of Lodi, CA soccer tournament - Solar Installation Near Me - Manteca, California

1st Light Energy was VERY easy to work with. I'd like to comment on three specific areas: 1 - Sales was a no pressure, simple process that clearly outlined my situation a delivered a high value proposition. They made me aware of all my options and made the sign up process very simple. 2 - Installation was a breeze. The analyst took time answering all the questions I had and gave me some tips on care for the system. They were very knowledgable and took time to fully understand the landscape for install. On the day of install, the team was very efficient while maintaining high quality. Every team member answered the questions I had and they were done in about 6 hours. After sign off, I've enjoyed a reduced energy bill and a greener solution. 3 - Support is phenomenal. I've inquired about a few things post install and I get a response in 2-3 business hours. Tammy provides clear responses and is very attentive to my requests. Overall, the service I received reduced my concerns, the product I bought reduced my bill and the post install reduced any potential headaches. They get significant recommendations from me. At the very least, give them a call before buying. read more

1st Light Energy installed a Solar system at our Residential Care Facility in Oakdale. The sales team did what sales teams do, tell you what they need to, to close a sale. The install team showed up unprepared for the installation due to poor, or no, communication from the sales folks. This resulted in them rescheduling the install......more than a week later. When the install guys returned they were only able to complete part of the install, due to poor planning again. The install was finally finished more than 3 weeks after the sales contract was signed. The incredible lack of professionalism shown by this company is only out done by their weak excuse for overall performance, "we're growing so fast & have so much business that we can't keep up". The topper is, the first installment payment is now due on a system that is still not providing any returns. I whole hardheartedly believe in the benefits of solar, but would NEVER deal with this company again. There are just too many other options available and "buyer beware is not acceptable". read more

We signed with 1st Light Energy because the terms and conditions of a few of the other larger vendors turned out to be gross overpromises. That said, 1st Light offered us what we needed, provided us with a solid plan and timeline, and at a the price that was right. That said, when our system was first installed, it was handled by a third-party, EPS, which was a complete and total nightmare. They started to install our panels on August 7, 2017, and by October 30, 2017, the system still wasn't operational and didn't pass inspection. It also wouldn't turn on. Completely EPS' fault. They wouldn't return calls or got back to us late, blew us off, misrepresented the project to 1st Light and basically could care less because they already had some of our money. That all changed with one call to 1st Light. They were in the process of wrestling projects back from EPS and firing them for failing to fulfill their contracts. Once we started working with 1st Light directly, everything changed. The 1st Light team came out, assessed the issues and completely redid our entire panel and wiring system in a day - something EPS said couldn't be done. Klaus and the entire Yorba Linda team from 1st Light completely reworked our system, and within 2 days, had it running at peak performance and all the issues rectified. And they couldn't have been nicer, more communicative or accommodating - something we never got with EPS who showed up when they wanted, did crappy work, and were less than truthful about the install. Now, if you are considering 1st Light and you live in SoCal, know that EPS has since been fired and they are no longer working with 1st Light. In fact, 1st Light is only sending out their own crews on new installs. If you have an existing issue with your install, I'm guaranteeing you are being "handled"by EPS, and you should stop working with them and contact 1st Light to handle your problems. Our solar has been on for a month now and it is working great and we're saving a ton of money. We got our first bill a week ago, and what would have typically have been $150-$200, was $4.75 - a huge improvement since my kids only shut off lights when nagged. And while our project started out rocky, we're grateful to 1st Light Energy for making good on their business promise, reworking our system, and being open and honest once we got the project back with their team. I appreciate their candor and ability to get our project taken care of so quickly - which is why I am recommending them today. They are a business that owns their issue, takes charge, and makes good on their promises. That's the gold standard in my book. read more

Sales rep are eagerly to get You to purchase the product. They tell you how great their product, no other company has their high end equipment, they are professionals... all this great stuff about there company. However, they talk more then what they do! It's been 6 months and we still haven't gotten our solars done. They broke tiles in our roof and have left my roof open, ropes and equipment still on my roof. It's a mess... they have been cited from the city, telling us that their job quality is poor. In other words solar panels did not approve yet... now we wait even longer for them to fix their "professional job." And ya that sales rep, hasn't even given us a call or see how we are doing! Good luck ! read more

I'm satisfied with 1st Light. While getting the service activated did take a few months, it was still within the quoted timeline. I have several neighbors/friends that went solar with other companies and they too had to wait a few months from beginning to end. That seems to be a commonality with each company. We're saving money and it's nice to pay a flat rate (loan amount for purchase) that is less than what our bills were. Can't complain. read more

1st Light Energy - Panel install. - Solar Installation Near Me - Manteca, California

after 2 years of instalation finaly start working you owed me 1311.00 so i can pay loan pal the past month i send them a check for 239.06 and they said no it was 347.00 i will not paid them that so i will need you to cancel everything send someone to take the panels of my roof i will not pay more than i was payin g. i am not that dumb. ratings 0 read more

Here we are three months after my last review, and still no solar. We started this in July 2017, and it was only an addition to our existing solar. We hoped to use it for the hot months of summer. Well, I can safely say, I sure hope we can have solar for summer months of 2018! read more

Local company. Honest, customer friendly, with knowledgeable staff. Ask for Matt Sexton, he will provide you with great service.

From 1st Light's response - "After reviewing your account it does look like we were actively contacting you to move you along your installation process. That being said, the major hold up on your installation was the Homeowner Association which held up the project an additional 4 weeks. If you would like to discuss your project further detail we be glad to give you a call or email. Again, we want to apologize for the frustration that you experienced. " Notice that they are blaming others and taking no responsibility. We knew from the beginning that the HOA would take a while. This was NOT the major hold up. The drawings (required to even start talking to the HOA) were promised in 2-3 weeks. NINE WEEKS later I got the drawings and sent them to the HOA. Luckily, the guy who was my contact with the HOA new something about construction because the drawings were all wrong! They had the roof type wrong and the roof attachment wrong (and 1st Light was told all along that the roof was the most important issue), the equipment was in the wrong place and other errors. I'm not sure why it took 9 weeks to get drawings that were completely wrong. They could have sent over generic drawings and it would have been better. But yes, it must have been the HOA's fault. And I will repeat from previous review - the system was installed and took SIX more weeks to get it turned on (when neighbors had an install the same day by a different company and theirs was on in a week days). 1st Light blamed the holidays and PG&E. Yet, when WE contacted PG&E they had no record of 1st Light submitting the paperwork. 1st Light could not produce any record that they submitted the paperwork. WE had to work the process to get it turned on and then 1st Light turns around and blames others for delays! Our system still might not be on if we didn't work with PG&E directly. They told me the total process would be about 2 months + the HOA process. HOA was right about 1 months. 1st Light has never mentioned what happened to the other 3 months! It would have been nice at ANY point to hear - "Sorry for the delays, we got a bit overloaded and missed out timelines" or "sorry the PG&E paperwork got screwed up" Nope, all I get is a Yelp response saying it was somebody else's fault. read more

Just want to say that I have had the BESTexperience with 1st Light Energy. Since the first day that Darnelle Holcom @ 209-321-5861 reached out to me in regards to Solar everything has been working to the dot. My electricity bill is CHEAPER and I have nothing negative to say only POSITIVE. They are very easy to work with and always available to talk to if you have questions or problems. My family and I can now be in a cool house and not worry if the bill is going to be higher each month as I know that every month I will pay the same no matter how much electricity we use. Overall, the service I received reduced my concerns, the product I bought reduced my bill and the post install reduced any potential headaches. They get significant recommendations from me. At the very least, give them a call before buying. Give Darnelle a call to start a new savings account!!!!!! read more

I had 1st Light Energy installed my equipment 2 years ago, my system has been down 3 times already and now they refuse to come out and service it. I will recommend this company to anybody, they have lousy customer services, they tell they will call you back within 48 hours that a lie, do not get involved with them, I had to call a third party to fix my issues. read more

This is by far the worst company to work with. I had solar panels installed by them and it caused a roof leak. First off they tried to blame it on shingles lifting and I fought them cause the tech who came to look had said at the time they looked at leak that the seal on bolt was issue so resealed. I fought them as I had just replaced the roof when I purchased the home before they installed the panels. Trying to get them to take care of this has been a nightmare. They told me to hire an contractor and send estimate which I did and this was the beginning of October. After numerous calls now they said the a check was mailed to contractor on January 7 it is now the 28 and no check to contractor. All I got is lies and more lies. Maybe time to get legal help as I'm about to have them take them off. Do not do business with this company. read more