This was one of the easiest project/major purchases I'd ever experienced. Working with Gr8 Energy is like buying car through Fleet as opposed to haggling and dealing with the sales games of the regular car sales department. I had solar installed on our house at the same time or a little after a bunch of my friends got solar for their homes (and I would've recommended Gr8 Energy to them if they lived in SoCal), and my experience was so different from theirs that they're jealous. I dealt primarily with Ross as my contact person. We first spent about 2 weeks emailing about what system I should get for my house. His opening suggestion was a smaller system than we'd wanted (I'd forgotten to tell him we want to eventually trade in our ICE cars for EVs), using a string inverter when we wanted the new-fangled microinverters (which cost more and most companies try to upsell to that right away), so I knew right off the bat that Ross was trying to figure out what we NEEDED as opposed to what he could get out of us. He priced the system reasonably, made the changes I requested (bigger panels! more panels! microinverters!), and got me the proposal back within a day. BTW, I know the website states their work hours, but I've gotten quick email responses from Ross late evenings, on weekends, early mornings. Late in the planning stage, I changed my mind and went with his original suggestion of a string inverter based on the fact that all the panels are able to fit on one plane on our roof, string inverters are more market-proven, it has a hefty warranty, it costs less, and the particular system Ross recommended gives us a designated outlet for electricity use even when The Grid goes down in a power outage (our neighborhood had a power outage during the planning stages of our solar project and my husband freaked out about his salt water tank fish dying from the pumps stopping). I told my friends about this feature, and they'd never even heard of it and now they regret some of their decisions. So Ross amended the proposal and modified our system once again, into a beefed-up version of the one he'd recommended to begin with. I felt a little sheepish about that, and he proved himself the expert, but the entire time, he was really, really nice about all my back-and-forths on decisions and didn't give me any problems nor delays whatsoever. So, 2 weeks for me to figure out what I want and commit to a proposal. Then Gr8 Energy did all the permits, got approvals from the City for the project, opened up the net metering request from SoCal Edison (SCE), all of which took maybe a few days, but less than a week. My HOA gave approval to the project based on Gr8 Energy's written plans in a week. Then Gr8 Energy immediately went to work and built and installed my system in TWO DAYS. The third day, someone from Gr8 Energy came by only to meet with the city inspector, who praised their work, signed off on it, and contacted SCE to give them the green light. It took SCE another 4 weeks to give us the permission to operate (PTO). My friends' installers took an average of 1-2 weeks for installation, they had to wait a month or more to schedule the install, after waiting a few weeks to months for the panels to arrive. AND...they paid more than I did for the same products. Whereas for me, I gave Ross my bottom line on pricing, he accepted, and all his proposals have respected that price point, with some proposals (since I made him go through so many re-do's) coming in well under the price point. That's another reason I knew I wasn't going to be ripped off, on top of the fact that all his emails were very clear, thorough, no-nonsense, patiently answering all my questions and concerns. I never felt like I was being schmoozed by a salesman. I had a friend start his solar project a month before we did, and ours was completed a month before his was. (I only gloated a little, since he was already in agony over our price difference for similar systems.) Ross's helpfulness did not end at at the completion of the solar installation. I've emailed him multiple times SINCE his job was done, for little things like, "How long is SCE going to take to give us PTO?" "Is that humming from the inverter unit normal?" "What was the performance warranty on the panels again?" "How come it's been rainy since our solar installation went up?" and he has responded to every single email with the same efficiency, patience and informative nature of his previous emails. Whenever Tesla gets their home battery released on the open market, I'm calling Gr8 Energy back. I would and have recommended Gr8 Energy to anyone and everyone. I think my coworkers have grown tired of hearing about my amazing solar project experience. If you think THIS review is long, you would hate to hear me gush in even more detail in person. read more

Outstanding team and price! I've hired many companies, and Ross and his team are among the best. I shopped 8 different solar venders, and they knew more, had much better equipment and the lowest price (I saw bids $6,000 higher!). They did a great job on our house and the system is exceeding expectations. (SO LONG SCE!!). They were on time, efficient, and left no trace. No one HAD to come into my home, or measure my roof to give me a quote, close me, etc. (Most all other solar companies try to make it real complex and technical so you fall into their sales cycle- truth is, it's more like just buying a light bulb. How many watts can your area produce, and how much do you need. Pay cash, loan or re-fi. That's it). I did all on line. Need I say more? They did a beautiful job. I can check my production online anytime. Ross's depth of knowledge expedited the approval and permitting process. I was up and running months before other companies told me was possible. For knowledge, professionalism, great equipment and service- my research lead me here, and I'm really happy with my system and the value GR8 Energy delivered. You can't go wrong. read more

Solar power is not necessarily for everyone, but for a majority of us it makes perfect sense. The four part process of solar should be determining, comparing, installing and on-line. Determining if you need solar is a process that one has to look at in regards to current electric bills vs. usage, how long you will be at your residence, etc. This initial step should always be referred back to throughout the entire process. The comparing process is ultimately critical. Ever vendor will have a different angle and each interview is a learning process. Do not make a decision in the early stages. This is one time that a minimum of 4 to 5 comparisons are needed. GR8 energy stood out in this category as Ross would promptly answer follow-up questions, yet he would not apply the pressure for a decision. Suggestions and modifications were made along the way and Ross put my needs first. We decided on GR8 energy based on the following areas that they scored the highest in. First the price was the most competitive even though I had decided on TWO SMA inverters and a panel upgrade. Second, time-wise, GR8 was the most flexible in conforming their schedule to my schedule. I wanted to be there for a majority of the install, although it was not necessary. The install process, with Ebert and Enrique actually added value to the project. They were helpful and their installation was top-notch. From the quality of their equipment they brought to the site, cleaning up every day, wearing safety equipment was without question among the best as they had a significant level of experience to bring to the job-site. There were some minor paperwork issues with Edison, but Grace handled those promptly and the PTO (Permission-to-Operate) was issued December 1st. The system so far has worked impeccably. I still haven't tried the emergency plugs that the SMA inverters have, but one should give that option a serious look for at least the ability to charge cell phones, laptops etc in a system wide utility failure. Thank you to the GR8 team; Ross, Grace, Ebert and Enrique for your outstanding efforts in providing a system with this much ease! read more

Where do I begin, this has to be the best experience when hiring a contractor I have ever had. It all started with filling out the Energy Sage profile and I began receiving quotes for the solar panel system for my home. Out of all the quotes I received Gr8 Energy's quote stood out, not only was it the best priced but also it was the most detailed and highest quality materials being used. I was contacted by John from Gr8 Energy and I set my appointment for him to come out and take a look at my property and give me a solid idea and talk about my project. John is extremely professional and easy to talk to, he is on time, returns all phone calls and emails within a timely manner. We decided to go with Gr8 Energy and John set up everything, he was able to draw up all the plans, write up a contract and was patient while we waited through the HOA process of approval. Once we had approval we set a date for the installation and the installers showed up on time and we extremely patient, knowledgeable and friendly to talk to. John explained the installation would take two days and he was right on the money, two days after they started the job was complete. Grace set up the date for the inspector to come and sign off on the permit, once the permit was signed off on within two days we had permission to operate from Southern California Edison and out electric bills we disappearing. John returned a few days after we were granted permission to operate and he explained the whole system and how it worked. After the first month passed I saw my electric bill and was not sure if it was correct, I contacted John and he was able to look up the system and explain exactly how to read the bill and see the system was producing how it should and how SCE breaks it down. John is the ultimate professional and a true asset to the Gr8 Energy company. I want to thank everyone involved with helping my family go solar. It has been a great decision and I could not have picked a better company. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! You won't be disappointed. read more

By far the best customer service, ease, and pleasant home improvement/service I have ever undergone. We only interviewed 3 companies but Ross was the least "pushy" of salesman, explained everything in an easy to understand manner, willing to work with us and our particular situation. We have lots of trees and the other companies immediately said we would have to cut them down, not so with Ross who designed a system that worked without destroying our trees. Once we decided on Gr8 Energy work started in less than 2 weeks. His team was efficient, polite, quiet, quick and put in a very good looking system and left NO mess. They matched some of the piping to our house color etc. I could go on and on about how wonderful this company is. Best part is, everything works great! Even better part was supporting a local company. Thanks Ross and thank your team!! read more

This installer, GR8 Energy, is a 5-star organization in case you didn't notice the ratings. I have problem reading the data generated by the system, nothing wrong with the exceptional installation and the system itself, long after it was up, running and producing generous credit to my electrical billing statement. Ross, the owner, personally reach out and explained to my satisfaction what I was reading and how the data was behaving as it did. The information he provided didn't just explain away the current reading, it further taught me what to expect from the system way into the coming winter. Not only I am happy with the delivery of the solar panels, I am comfortable knowing what to expect from my investment that at this point, looks to be strong, stable and productive for many years to come. Thumb up and highly recommended. read more

Planning on going solar? Don't know where to start? Well, take a look at all these reviews for GR8 Energy. Contact me if you like, too. GR8 Energy was recommended to me by a retired engineer buddy that had carefully researched his system. GR8 Energy installed my system, took care of all the details and hook-ups. I haven't had to pay a $dime for my electricity since, and don't expect to ever have another electric bill for the rest of my lifetime. Don't wait, stop agonizing over what to do. GR8 Energy will handle all the details AND at the best price. Call them today! - btw, I do not work for them, this is a legitimate review and I am the owner of the system I posted about. M read more

I had been putting off going solar for many years until recently, when I learned that the rules for Net Metering are changing on July 1, 2017. I knew it was time to stop procrastinating. I began researching panels, inverters, optimizers, and learned all I could about solar. After that self-study "crash course", I had a pretty good idea about what I wanted/needed from a solar generating system. I understood the "nuts and bolts" about the system itself, but I didn't have a clue as to who to have the system installed by. I started with the "big names" (the ones that advertise on the radio) to get an idea of what a "typical" solar installation consisted of and its cost. None of them had exactly what I was looking for, they had limited offerings, usually a single product or a slight variation. Their prices also seemed a bit high. My search continued. I Googled some more and read lots of Yelp reviews. Then by chance, I came across a website specific to solar--EnergySage.com. Yep, more still on everything solar, including reviews on solar contractors. Their website also made it easy to get competing bids from several solar companies at once. It's similar to using Edmunds or KBB for car shopping. I got 4 or 5 quotes almost immediately. Mostly from smaller solar contractors that I've never heard of. That's how I found GR8 Energy. They had very good reviews on EnergySage and on Yelp, so I responded to them. I'm so glad I did. Unlike the "big radio advertisers" they offered a selection of products instead of just one or two variations of the same thing. GR8 Energy had EXACTLY what I was looking for. John Christ was the man with all the answers. Yes, he was very professional, extremely knowledgeable and helpful; but what mattered to me the most was that he always responded quickly to my MANY questions via phone calls, emails and text messages. He gave me solid advice on how to fine tune the system I'd been "researching". He truly understood what I was looking for. I needed a 6+kWh system. I also wanted high efficiency panels like the ones by SunPower, but the high cost of these premium panels was hard to justify. John recommended the VERY efficient Panasonic HIT 330W panels with a SolarEdge power optimizer / inverter system rated at 6.6kWh. These Panasonic panels are "premium" panels without the "premium" price tag. That was it! I was SOLD. Amazingly, GR8 Energy's price beat ALL of the other bids. Including those that provided "lower end" and (much) less efficient panels that would have required additional panels covering a lot more area, and multiple surfaces on my roof! Remember what motivated me to install solar right now?--imminent Net Metering changes (NEM 2.0). With this in mind, John, Grace, Shelley, Hebert(?) and crew at GR8 Energy worked hard to get the job done ahead of schedule. Every step of the way came together just as planned. Our HOA meets only once a month and the next meeting was less than 2-weeks away from the time I signed the contract to get started. They got all the plans, drawings and everything ready to submit with time to spare. They took care of all the "red tape" like permitting, inspection, and filing documents with my utility company. They meticulously handled every part of the project. We were given "Permission to Operate" from SCE almost exactly 5-weeks from first contact with GR8 Energy. Phenomenal! As for the installation. Hebert(?) and his talented crew really know their stuff. Our installation took the usual two days to complete. At the end of each day, you could not tell that they'd been there. No trash or debris left behind, anywhere. I'm a big DIY guy (from auto repair to woodworking and furniture building). I appreciate quality workmanship. The care they took in the installation is outstanding. Even the way they ran the electrical lines and connections is a thing of beauty! Instead of simply running conduit straight across the exterior wall, they took the time (and extra materials) to run it along the chimney and under the eaves to lessen the visual impact. Very clean. We're now generating power and I just love watching the electric meter "run" backwards! My advice. If you are thinking about going solar, first do your homework. Understand your needs, then compare everything--especially the contractor. If you do this, I think you'll see for yourself, that you simply cannot go wrong with GR8 Energy. They are not the biggest, but as far as I'm concerned, they are absolutely the BEST! Thank you all at GR8 Energy for a job well done!   Jeff W. Foothill Ranch, CA read more

Ross and his team did a fantastic job. They won on price, service, financing, quality of work and materials. Total from start to finished install was just over 3 weeks. Super easy to work with. It could not have gone better. I went into this with 3 quotes, Ross beat all 3 and won the business. Glad I went with GR8 Energy! Highly recommended. read more

I have been contemplating on getting Solar for 6 years now. The main reason why I waited so long was because it was very expense to install solar a few years ago. Now that prices have dropped, it's definitely more affordable and it's practical to have them installed - especially when electricity rates are climbing year after year. After countless hours of research and comparison among 15+ solar companies, I decided to take a chance with GR8 Energy mainly because their pricing is competitive and customer service rating is high. I reached out to John their sales rep to initial the process. He walked me through every aspect of the installation along with the paperwork. He was super nice and helpful. Answered every questions in detail and he was reachable day or night and even weekends. It literally took approx. a month from the time I signed the contract to getting the approval from SCE for PTO. If I can give them 6 STARS, I would have. Special thanks to Grace the owner, John and all their installers. They were all very professional and super nice to work with. I'll definitely send all my referrals to GR8 Energy... Again, thank you everyone at GR8 Energy! You guys are the best! Tim D. Temple City read more

Can you give more than 5 stars? Customer service, price, equipment, employees, and time to complete all A+++ in my book. I am so thrilled to be going solar and I am so happy my neighbor told me about GR8 Energy. I got the system I wanted for the price I wanted to pay. Hands down the best home purchase I have made. I have been shopping for solar for over a year since we purchased our new home. Quotes I have received from other major installers all came in a larger price point and would have created roughly 75% the power output my system that was installed has, I got more power for less $$. I worked with Ross, and he is a great guy. No sales pressure or anything, and he works with you to get you what you want for a fair price. I had seriously priced out what it would cost me to buy safety equipment, solar panels, tools, and everything else to try to attempt the job myself. In the end it just wasn't worth it as GR8 energy offered me a great package and I couldn't say no... I am a do it yourself type of person, I will spend hours fixing something before I call someone, so having someone walk around on my roof and drill holes through it was going to be a nerve wrecking experience. I must say, GR8 energies team did a fantastic job to say the least. I got a picture package showing me everything they did on the roof, they ran the wire conduit exactly like I asked them to run it and they even paint it to match the stucco and the roof etc. It doesnt stick out like some of the other systems I've seen where they have metal tubing running down the side of their nice homes. His employees are awesome, super nice, and extremely meticulous. They measured twice, cut/drilled once, and pulled out their level multiple times. First Class Act all the way! The holes they drill through the roof are sealed, covered, sealed, covered, sealed... I think my microwave will leak water before those spots on the roof will ever leak water. I feel super comfortable with the way they installed everything, and that's not something I say, pretty much ever. He originally designed a system for me using string inverters but I wanted more control and understanding of my system so I went with a solar edge unit with dc optimizers. I can see how each individual panel is operating which in my eyes is great, I'm an engineer and knowing how things work is my business. As we speak I am using my own energy to run the AC, fridge, computer, and everything else in the house and my meter is running backwards =) We talked for about a week, from when I said go, we had the whole thing installed and inspected in about a week! It took SDGE another week to give me permission to operate (PTO) but that's not on GR8 Energy. I've had friends who had taken them almost two months just to get the installation complete. He responded to email/phone calls/ texts/ almost in no time and worked with me and my work schedule to meet and install the system. There wasn't one time we had a disagreement or misunderstanding. Like i said earlier, Ross really is a nice guy, he doesnt try to upsell you anything, it was my own decision to ask for a larger system than I needed (plan on having a family soon and probably a plug-in hybrid) and I want to be ready for it. Having the AC on and not feeling guilty about it is an awesome feeling. We live in Vista and have turned on the AC less than 10 times over the last year (we've dealt with the heat). It's 10 am on a Saturday and my AC is running non stop without an additional dime out of my pocket for the next 30+ years! I don't leave a lot of reviews on yelp, mostly because I'm very picky on who I get to do things for me. They didn't even ask me to write this one, I actually asked them to please let me know where I could write a review. I highly recommend GR8 energy and if you are in San Diego and want to check out the first class job they did on my home, I'd be more than willing to show you. read more

Thinking of going solar, contact GR8 Energy. When I got serious about investing in solar, I found this website, www.energysage.com, where I could get a wealth of information about solar and anonymously get bids until I was ready to connect with the ones I wanted conversation with. They pre-certify these companies and there are site reviews of them. GR8 Energy was one of the first to bid. As with the others that bid, I also went to Yelp for additional reviews that ranked GR8 Energy high. I then made contact with John Christ, who was very responsive, informative and friendly. He was so great through the whole process. Because NEM 1.0 was ending in June, I wanted to get this installed as soon as possible, but it was the end of May. John said it might be possible, but we would have to get started. He was willing to come out to put together a proposal during the Labor Day weekend and was responsive as we went back and forth on questions that whole weekend. Grace in the office and the installation supervisors, Hebert and Enrique, were all wonderful, informative and responsive. As of today, I have solar running and just received the Permission To Operate (PTO) from SoCal Edison. read more

I found GR8 energy through energysage.com, which is a site that offers comparative bids specific to your needs based on energy bills. GR8 was the company that estimated 100% of energy production for the best price. They were very responsive and communicative throughout the process. In addition, they went above and beyond and found a good roofing company as I needed a new roof prior to the solar install. GR8 Energy set me up with SDGE and also pulled permits and passed final inspection. The solar installation itself looks very nice. Conduit was even painted to match the tone of my exterior paint. GR8 Energy also set us up to view energy production online. I highly recommend this solar company. read more

We contracted with GR8 Energy for a end to end Panasonic Solar system with Pika Battery backup. They were through and professional from Ross and Grace, the Principles of the firm, and their sales person Casey Fox. Pricing was fair for the quality of the system. System was installed by a knowledgeable team lead by Hebert, who were very quick. System was finished in Dec 2018. Worked flawlessly for 8 weeks, then had multiple failures of communication and the battery controller. Pika did a quick diagnosis and sent repair parts. Shipping took longer than I would have liked but parts came from east coast, and thanks to GR8, they got the parts on Tuesday night, and by Wed noon we were back on line (less than a week without the battery backup). So in this review we can verify GR8 Supports what they sell and install. We are happy we chose GR8 Energy for the solar system and installation. The Panasonic/Pika System was my choice (the reason we contacted GR8 in the first place), and it works as advertised, very efficient panels, and battery. No regrets. read more

Ross and Grace at GR8 Energy did a great job getting us the system we needed and really helped navigate all the red tape and delays created by LADWP (who are a nightmare to deal with). Price was very fair and installation was pretty quick. I'd definitely use them again! read more

I just read all reviews posted about GR8 Energy and can honestly say our experience was identical to those who have already posted. Simply fantastic! Ross and Grace and their installers are awesome. Like others, we interviewed and got bids from a variety of companies. In the end, though, it was easy to choose the GR8 Energy team. And we were more than pleased. They were polite, clean, efficient and on-time. It was almost shocking how quickly the project moved from inception to completion. We chose an 18 panel micro-inverter system and purchased it outright. This is the company to go with. You won't be disappointed. read more

I spent considerable time interviewing four Solar installers; three in North County and one in San Diego. GR8 presented the best proposal and Ross Fockler did exactly what he said he would do. Furthermore, he did it quickly, efficiently and cleanly. He was able to beat a deadline to preserve my California Incentive. This was a large installation for a residence (14.5 KW) and he guaranteed the first twelve months' production in an amount about equal to my previous twelve months' use. We seem to be on track to meet that objective, with seven months to go. Ross is very knowledgeable and made several suggestions which improved the system. Above all, in Ross you are dealing with the owner of the business (and his wife, Grace, who handles the paperwork), With some other solar outfits you may be dealing with a salesman who does not make the final decisions. At all times I found GR8 to be courteous and responsive and would not hesitate to recommend him to others. read more

After researching extensively online, and getting 2 quotations (Solar City & SunRun), we decided to contract with GR8 Energy. We are so happy we did! We live in Los Angeles and they are located in Vista (San Diego area). A close friend in San Diego County recommended them and suggested we call to see if they worked in LA & were familiar with LADWP. Turns out they do many jobs in LA. GR8 Energy, was the only company that did not rely solely on satellite images for calculating panel locations. Ross, the owner, had one of his crew at our house the day after we spoke to take actual measurements. With the big solar companies, you have no choice of panels or inverters. They get volume discounts from single suppliers so that becomes the only product they offer. We were able to get much higher efficiency panels and micro-inverters with GR8 Energy, and all with the same warranties offered by the big names. After we signed the contract, they submitted all paperwork for permits and LADWP rebates. The installation crew was led by Herbert. Working with him was Marco and Enrique. These are very nice, professional guys that took the time to answer all questions. It was 100 plus degrees the 2 days they did the installation, and no one complained about the weather. They arrived on time, and we were very happy with the quality of their hard work. Ross will take the time to answer your questions as well. I don't do many Yelp reviews, but felt it important to share my experience. read more

My spouse had wanted solar for years. I was reluctant because I wasn't sure it was worth the price and the systems I had seen deminished the look of the house. Inspite of my concerns, we priced solar over the course of about six years. My concerns about price were validated every time. Finally, we found Gr8 Energy. Ross and Grace beat the other vendors' prices by $6000. Additionally, they made purchasing solar easy. Once we agreed to use them, they handled everything. They dealt with the HOA, power company, and everyone else who needed to approve the system. They installed the system in two days, painted the conduit to match the house, and left no mess. Moreover, in the end, the price was less than they originally quoted. Our house did not need an electrical panel upgrade, which saved us an additional $1500. The solar panels look nice on our house and we are producing loads of electricity. After living in SoCal for 26 years, I ran the air conditioning this summer. It was cost prohibitive before, but now we can afford it and rest more comfortably in our home. Because of Gr8 Energy, my skepticism is gone. I'm a complete believer in solar. read more

My husband and I obtained multiple quotes for a solar project for our home. After reviewing eight contractor's bids we selected GR8 Energy. We liked GR8 Energy's profile and they were also the lowest price. My husband contacted Ross, the owner of GR8 Energy to start the process. Ross was great to work with and he took the time to educate us on how the system would work and interface with the electric company and what to expect during each phase of project. Selecting GR8 Energy turned out to be a great decision! It was amazing how fast our solar project was completed with the installation of a 13.23 kW system comprised of 42 solar panels. We signed with GR8 Energy on the 7th of March and had Permission to Operate (PTO) from SDG&E on the 21st of March. GR8 Energy's team was well coordinated and worked quickly to develop the design, generate the drawings and obtain the permit. At the same time, Grace, from GR8 Energy, moved quickly to facilitate our SDG&E Net Metering (NEM) agreement and the installation of an SDG&E Renewable Meter Adapter (RMA). Our dream team installers, Herbert, Marco and Enrique did an expert installation. The installers were very professional and knowledgeable and took the time to answer all questions. Our new solar system looks GREAT, and is performing at a high level as promised. We also love the SolarEdge app to monitor our energy production go up, up, up! My husband and I could not be happier with our experience with this outstanding solar company. If you are looking to install solar, we highly recommend GR8 Energy as a company you can trust to do as they promise. read more