TLDR; if you want a company that is honest, professional, on time, keeps their word, personable, customer focused, organized, communicative, and treats you like they want you as a customer and not just your money.... LOOK ELSEWHERE. No joke. Am I upset? Yes. Am I frustrated? Yes. Do I regret doing business with Semper? Yes. I will post here a summary of my email communications with Semper throughout my solar permitting process alone. This does not even cover all the texts and phone calls and other conversations. Nor does this cover all the broken promises from various people that are at Semper that they would call back, escalate, get someone to reach back out regarding issues, etc. I'll tell you ONE thing Semper is good at. Lip service. That's all you will get. They will spew lines that you want to hear but they have NO ACTIONS to back any of it up. I think this summary will provide enough insight into what I experienced with Semper during the permitting process alone. May 18 - Josh first received info that they are having issues with the city regarding permits June 23 - Josh fwd certified engineer report (hired by Josh) to Sales Rep June 24 - Josh sent in additional documentation from the County regarding my home. June 29 - A week goes by. No update from Semper. Josh emails Semper for updates. Josh get's a reply from Semper that they accepted my documents, and that Semper needs to call the city. July 5 - ANOTHER week goes by with no update from Semper. Josh emails Semper for updates. Semper replies back that they spoke with the city and placed the project in their design queue. July 11 - ANOTHER week goes by with NO update from Semper. Josh contacts the City of Vista and City said that Semper has NOT submitted anything yet. I reach out to Semper with my findings and forward them the checklist that the city provided me. Semper replies that they will submit plans the next morning, July 12. July 15 - Josh emails Semper for update. Semper replies that they resubmitted Tuesday July 12. Josh asks for estimated time that I would have panels producing. NO ANSWER July 20 - FIVE days go by. Josh asks for update pleading for Semper to expedite due to summer heat. NO REPLY from Semper Aug 11 - THREE WEEKS go by and no update. Josh called the city and left a voicemail . Josh reaches out to Semper for update. Semper replies and states that they have contacted city and are waiting for updates. Aug 24 - TWO WEEKs go by. Josh calls the city for an update. City informs Josh that they are waiting for Semper to SUBMIT all the CORRECT documentation that they requested on 8/16. Josh emails Semper with this information. Semper replies that they are working with the city to get the right documentation to them. Semper states that city requested a new correction. Why does Semper not already know the correct documentation required? Have they not done a solar project in the City of Vista before? Isn't the permit department the experts on permits? Aug 25 - Josh emails Semper for updates. Josh contacts the city and the city informs Josh that the city provided information from the beginning regarding ALL the required documentation that Semper needed to submit. This is contrary to what Semper stated. Aug 26 - Semper emails Josh that PERMITS ARE ISSUED. 58 DAYS! TWO MONTHS from the point when Semper submitted the documentation regarding my home's build status to when permits were issued. Don't say that I didn't warn you! ****UPDATE**** So I talked with Constantino, some kind of executive sales or something... someone assigned to deal with the customer sat issue. They offered me the following: $200 off of the $850 cost to install the CT monitoring module and in exchange for me to remove any "disparaging" remarks about Semper. 1. All of my remarks are 100% true and I have all the facts and documentation to back them up. 2. $850 to install a $50 part? Come on. I get it, they need to make money. But $850 for a small part that simply goes into the panel? 1hour of work max? I work as a professional in the IT consulting industry and I am billed out at $240/hr. Even at that rate I would have to have worked 3 hours to charge that much. Geez. 3. My intention was to never remove this review. I would of course have gladly updated it with positive comments on how Semper went out of their way to make things right, how they apologized for all the inconvenience, etc. But nope, They did none of that. So I am here to update my review further. It's a shame that they use the veteran card to promote their business. Veterans would be ashamed. Once they get you to sign and install, you are stuck. I should have known better and just CANCELED the day the installers showed up. It would have been worth it to just cancel and start from scratch with a new provider. I missed all of Summer anyways. read more

My project consisted of installation of a new 8-panel array and LGChem battery, and repair of a 7-panel older system. Five stars for the ultimate quality of the work and for the responsiveness of Mike V, our project manager. Mike was knowledgeable, responded within a day to every question, and was respectful in every interaction. (I especially appreciated this because I have the impression (self-generated) that as an "entitled" engineering professor whose research concerns photovoltaic materials, I was somewhat more annoying than the average customer!) In the end, the system is working as advertised and I am happy with it. However, for a few reasons, my five-star review should really be something more like 4.6 stars, because it wasn't seamless and my project took somewhat more stewardship on my part than I was expecting it to. Estimated completion time - It took quite a lot longer than we were made to believe from signing the contract to when the entirety of the work I discussed with sales was ultimately completed (almost 5 months). Granted much of this is the result of permitting and inspection processes at the city and utility, but some of it was just delay. I felt that sales could do a better job with the accuracy of their projected completion time (I think I was quoted, verbally, something like 6-8 weeks on January 10th, I signed the contract on January 19th, but all the work wasn't done by June 4th). So, I think sales could manage expectations somewhat better. Communication between departments - I had asked sales to include a repair estimate for a broken panel. I have, in writing, from my rep that this repair would be included in the contract. It wasn't in the contract, which I mistakenly signed anyway, because the way the layout was labeled (an arrow pointing near the broken panel on the existing array). So, the project blueprint led me to believe the repair was included, because, I asked for it, and was told it would be there, so why wouldn't it be? This issue was eventually resolved during the course of a problem I experienced after the installation of the new system (see below). Somewhat more communication/awareness of certain issues by the installers - I am a solar nerd. I have something like 40 peer reviewed papers in the scientific literature on photovoltaic materials (https://www.lipomigroup.org/the-attic-loft and http://theconversation.com/designing-a-solar-tarp-a-foldable-packable-way-to-generate-power-from-the-sun-100350), so I have some awareness of how my existing system was performing. After the new array was installed, my old array was no longer working. The inverter was on, but it was fried. Granted, it was 12 years old and may never have been turned off since it was installed in 2007, but what I assumed to have happened was that the inverter was turned off by the installers, and then did not turn back on despite the installers turning it back to the "on" position. So, the inverter either broke on their watch or broke as the result of an *extreme* coincidence. (My utility bills confirm that the old inverter was working up until the new array was installed.) A less attentive customer wouldn't have realized the old system was no longer functioning, because the installers didn't say anything. The net result is that I had to have a second visit by the service department to replace the inverter (for $1900), but Mike was able to get us a replacement panel for the broken one in the array (which I erroneously thought was part of the initial quote) completely for free. The following comment is not specific to Semper, except insofar as Mike V was able to walk us through it - Be aware that shading (from trees, building design elements, etc.) will have a much more significant effect on your power production than you think it will, especially while the battery is charging. My old array has a much better performance when some of the panels are shaded than does the new (Semper) array. This is apparently because for the new array, it takes a certain threshold voltage to charge the battery at the expense of current and thus total power. Mike investigated this issue personally (a certain 60-ft Washingtonia shades the array for about 90 min per day this time of year) and was very patient with me despite my many questions. So, in all, I would do it again. In the end, it is about how you are treated if your project doesn't go 100% smoothly, and the ultimate quality of the work. Cheers! read more

In short, Semper Solaris is a large solar installation company that is efficient and courteous. John Renteria was our project manager, and he did an awesome job explaining all to us and giving us project updates! The crew was on time and did a good job! Only little complaint: they took 5 weeks to submit for the permits; while not violating the contract, i hoped it wouldn't take more than a week. Part 1: Decision to go Solar With a mixture of yelp, google, neighbors and the california solar statistics data (more to that later) I selected about 6 companies and had them over to give me their spiel and the calculations on return of investment. I did this in March 2018, right when DR-SES (SDG&E default solar plan with time of use) was around the corner. Several companies, like ASI Hastings, didn't have the tools to calculate based on this plan. Semper had it right away without asking for it - so that was a plus sign. Part 2: Selection and of Technology As of this writing, it boils down to two options: 1. Panels with SolarEdge Inverter with by panel optimizers 2. Microinverters (turn DC to AC right at panel) both have there pro's and cons (e.g. if a microinverter fails, you have to go to the panel (on the roof), microinverters have smaller footprint, SolarEdge might make it easier for addition of a battery, and more) I decided to go with SolarEdge, mostly because it allows panel-by-panel monitoring and the monitoring software is very good. Part 3: Selection of Panels I have no roof size restrictions, so i can go with any panel size and efficiency. After the first year, i personally doubt that panels will have any defect after that. So for me, the selection was purely on price, performance and degradation rate. Although Sunpower claims it's best, Panasonic right now has the better panel and LG and Hyndai are not far behind. Part 4: Negotiations I was talking with ASI hastings, cosmic solar, sunline, SolarTech, Green Energy, Millholand, solaire and of course Semper Solaris. I would tell the companies you are talking to several other companies but not mention names, that makes it more likely that they will give you a better price up front and -added benefit- the duration of their sales spiel will be shorter. After that it's negotiations (they ALL will come down in their price!). Interestingly, I got the best price with Sunpower Panels and SolarEdge from Semper. Key here is really to get multiple quotes. The deal you will get in the end depends on the time of year and the individual companies schedule. One other thing i did was to download the data from the california solar data base,( https://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/downloads/ ), you need to be pretty data savvy to analyze this but it gives the cost of all previous installation! Even besides size and panel type, all installations are a bit different (e.g. roof access, panel upgrades) but it may give you a good idea of for what price you can push! Part 5: Installation We ended up financing with SD Metropolitan which went through without trouble. 4/2: Signed contract 5/8: submitted permit application to city 5/21: permission recieved 5/25: system installed in 2 days Installation went without troubles. Crew was on time, friendly and did a good job (as far as i can tell). 6/7: Passed city inspection 6/11: permission to operate So, in total that was about 2 months (pretty close to what was stated in the contract). I know that other companies do everything fast track and in san diego county, you can be up and running within 2-3 weeks after signing contract, but likely, will pay a bit more for that. Part 6: operation all looking good so far. monitoring works well and the system produces slightly above what was promised. read more

Semper Solaris is an outstanding company. I highly recommend and endorse for anyone that is looking for a new or replacement solar system and/or roofing project. This is rather a lengthy review that I will break into two parts due to the complexity of the project. Bottom line up front, five of five stars and highly endorse this company. When we purchased the house in 2010, the builder included a solar system using Eagle Solar Roofs with SolarBlend from Suntech. Although this was a smaller system, it worked fine until November of 2024 and stopped working. After receiving several quotes, I decided to go with Semper Solaris with the initial consultation with Rhami Hasenin, their account executive and energy consultant. Rhami is professional, friendly, super responsive and knowledgeable. With Rhami's help during the consultation around energy needs in February, we decided to go with 16 new solar panels, a Tesla Powerwall 3 and replacing an old inverter to get the old system back online. Semper's project team is friendly, communicative, and ensures all aspects of the project move forward in a timely fashion including the design phase, City permits, coordinating with SDG&E, and scheduling the crews for onsite installation. Stephanie is a key member of this team and was always very pleasant during scheduling interactions. The new system was installed in April. The crew was efficient and friendly. Unfortunately, we could not get the old solar tiles working so in the summer decided to move forward with phase 2 of the project. This entailed the removal of the old solar tiles, a complete overhaul of the back roof with Semper's roofing team. I separately provided a review here Semper Home. Semper Solaris Roofing Field Director Christian Jimenez and his entire team are extremely professional, provide superior workmanship, and ensured the entire roofing project was completed to the highest standards. Here's the benefit, the roofing team works hand in hand with the solar team for seamless project execution. Fast forward, the solar team finished phase 2 with seven new additional panels tied to the new inverter in November. A standout during this phase was Alex Balbuena. His knowledge of inverters and seamlessly integrating all the systems was incredible. In addition, Semper worked closely with SDG&E on the permit applications to ensure our home was grandfathered into NEM 1 status per the original agreements in 2010. I am grateful to all parties involved as this was an important part of the overall project plan. Due to the overall complexity of this project, there were times when senior leadership/ownership of Semper Solaris had to be looped in. I can say the ownership team is client centric and strives to "do the right thing" when issues arise. In hindsight, I think Rhami and I would both agree we would not have messed with the old panels in the original project plan. That said, Rhami's patience and professionalism was highly appreciated over the entire project lifecycle in 2025. There were lots of unknowns and variables and Rhami delivered by helping me navigate this from start to finish. We have passed the final City inspection and the project has come to a positive conclusion. Semper Solaris is a fantastic company. A massive Thank You to everyone at Semper Solaris. This is one extremely happy customer! read more

Semper Solaris has recently completed a "lift and lay" contract, including twenty solar panels "remove and replace," on our roof. As a former trainer/coach/observer for hundreds of construction trade companies, I felt compelled to comment on their exemplary work. The very low-key pre-sale discussion with Mr. David Kaul was clear and inclusive of all options, including scheduling and pricing realities and possibilities of unforeseen conditions. This included a detailed pre-inspection, with pictures, of all aspects of our roof. There was no pressure in any direction. Since our tiles are concrete, they were re-usable, so the estimate included removing/storing the solar panels, lifting/stacking the tiles, stripping all the old paper and metal flashing down to bare wood, then passing a city inspection for proper preparation before completing a double layer, 40 weight paper replacement with new flashing throughout. Finally, the solar panels were to be re-installed to their original performance level. Once we committed to the project, we were given a projected start date. Then, the magic began. We were regularly appraised as the date grew near. On the projected start date, the TEAM all arrived early and considerately parked their vehicles in our cul-de-sac so that no neighbors were inconvenienced. There was no loud music or any unnecessary disturbance. Christian Jimenez, the project manager, arrived early and explained very clearly and professionally exactly what to expect. During our brief discussion, the team members INDEPENDENTLY began readying equipment and material. Every team member was friendly, professional, and self-starting. There was no shouting of orders - each person knew what needed and did it as if by telepathy. That continued throughout the project. Christian returned regularly to update me and to ensure that all needed was on hand and that no work stoppages occurred. As a result, the roofing portion of the project was completed a day early! After their jobsite cleanup, I found only a small piece of paper under a bush and a partial nail clip - incredibly clean! At no point in the process did I see any safety infractions! The completed roof looks GREAT! As Solar is a separate function within Semper Solaris, David Kaul and Christian Jimenez coordinated to get our solar panels re-installed promptly by the solar team. Again, the solar team arrived early and quietly. They parked considerately, then introduced themselves, explained their plan, and estimated the schedule. Each team member initiated whatever action was needed and, again, the job was completed ahead of schedule with no mess left behind and a fully functional solar system. There were no hidden costs. The project was completed perfectly! Of the hundreds of construction projects I have observed, this was the most impressive for all the reasons noted above. Thanks to David Kaul, Christian Jimenez, and each member of both teams. This is truly an exceptional TEAM! read more

i first contacted semper solaris in sept 2016. my son, matt, had semper solaris install his solar system approx 2 years ago and was very happy with the results and recommended calling semper solaris. i was contacted by mark albano phone #619 495 1587 within a few days and we set up an appointment, which my son also attended. mark was very informative and viewed the area where i wanted the panels to be set up. i told mark that i did not want the panels on the roof, but rather on a ground frame work. he had no problems with that kind of installation. mark looked at my sdge bills and calculated the kw usage and what he recommended as to how many panels would be needed. mark was good about explaining everything and answering all my questions. if he was not sure he said he would get back to me. i told mark i was going to think about the project and that i would get back to him. then, in i believe oct or nov i learned that mark had fallen and really messed up his back. he was in alot of pain and needed surgery. i called mark periodically to see how he was doing and when surgery was sheduled. i told him i would wait. mark was a very nice, informative person and i wanted him to be my sales person since i felt he was very honest and i trusted him. i believe it was in feb/ march that i contacted mark and gave him the approval to go on the project. the permits were obtained and then the installation (frame, ditches, concrete) start date was set. mark was very good at staying in touch and asking if i had any questions. also trevor, in the office, stayed in touch. the building inspector came to the project and all passed with no issues. the panels were installed on the frame and wiring connected to the electric service panel. the inspector, again came to the project and all passed. on june 22, 2016 the solar application was processed by sdge and several days later i turned on the solar panels. semper solaris, mark albano and trevor were very responsive in making sure that all issues were solved quickly and properly. the only issue that has not been solve yet is the internet connection from the solar control box to the house and semper solaris. they are going to send a techician out to see how to solve the problem, semper solaris was very professional through out the project and i would highly recommend using them if and when you decide to go solar. my system has been operational for only about three weeks, but i am very happy i choose semper over any of the other companies. bob g. read more

BEWARE of Semper Solaris. This is the first review I have ever written. If you are planning to put solar on your house, this is worth reading. My intention is to share my story, so this does not happen to anyone else. I signed a $50K+ contract with Joshua Daguman from Semper Solaris in August to build a patio cover with 20 solar panels and install 2 Tesla Powerwalls. I do not have a good south facing roof, so asked Josh on the feasibility to build a new patio cover with 20 solar panels as the roof. Josh said that it would not be an issue. He presented the pricing and although he wanted us to sign the contract immediately, we signed it a few days later. The communication was a cluster F from that point. We scheduled the on-site assessment and Semper instructed me to change my SDG&E rate structure from the standard rate to time-of-use, in order to qualify for the SGIP program. I was hesitant because the change would essentially double our monthly bill until the solar system and Powerwalls were installed. I clarified the rate increase in writing with Semper and they still pushed for me to change the rate structure. We changed it just before the weekend of 109 degree record setting temps. Later that week I was ready for the site assessment, but nobody showed up. After the "no show", I contacted Semper Solaris to learn that Semper canceled my contract 6 days earlier. I didn't even know that was possible to cancel a contract. I thought that was the whole intention of having a contract. During those 6 days I had communication with Josh about the time-of-use rates and he never told me that Semper was canceling the contract, why they did not want to complete the project, or to propose different options. I tried to contact the owners, but they seem to be untouchable, nobody within Semper can actually contact them. Josh did finally return my call and said they did not want to take the liability. I am still beyond livid. There is no way this would be acceptable in a normal corporate environment. So, now I am stuck with the 2X time-of-use rates and Semper gets to walk away. These solar companies only want to slap panels on a roof and get on to the next job. Maybe when the federal rebate is further reduced they will actually need to think about how they conduct business. If anyone reads this and they are thinking of going to Semper Solaris, stay away. This may happen to you. I hope this helps at least one person. read more

[this posting was removed by YELP for reasons that make sense to themselves"" I'm reposting same...] "Oceanside, CA... This response was written on Feb 8, 2020 but was not posted until now due to my procrastinating nature... You have my apology Semper Solaris... Our experience with Semper Solaris (El Cajon) deserves critical comment. I want to sincerely thank the Semper Solaris organization for a very successful and professional solar project completion. From a technical perspective, the project was successful because everything worked per contractor's delivery schedule. My wife and I both agreed that Semper Solaris performance overall has been exemplary. The actual install of the solar system took only one day from start to finish without a glitch!! Likewise, we were extremely pleased with pricing and the applied discounts. Paying full price for an alternative power capability was not as painful as we expected. Good job Semper Solaris... Moreover, we really liked the way our expectations were managed by all Semper Solaris employees involved with our solar project. Thank you Mark (our initial consultant) for providing the wherewithal that enabled us to better understand the solar solution/technology being applied and how this project was to be completed. Administrative tasks were easily accomplished thanks to your DocuSign tool. The latter made signing of all required documents a breeze. We were especially pleased with the contract since we were able to take our time and read the entire document prior to signing. The contract content reflected exactly what was previously discussed and contained no additional or hidden fees. The permitting process was painless and we thank you for that as well. We were extremely pleased with Semper Solaris's system design and layout. Based on our understanding of the power needed to support our home and living style, Semper Solaris's system design was able to provide the necessary power and more, for the lifestyle style that we were accustomed to. Going Solar was a good decision on our part. Choosing Semper Solaris to get the job done right was a much better decision when it came time to commit. Life is good when you have REAL professionals to help you along the way... Enjoy your day.... Les" read more

This company is pretty competitive in the solar market and their customer service is good for the most part. The sales guy sort of goes hands off after you sign the contract, but if you message them, they will answer. My project was solar panels along with main panel upgrade. They do use subcontractors but you can have the option to not use subcontractors. I didnt do that and there were a few issues. All of them were resolved quickly by their contractors so their response was good. Because of this, i recommend you request to use only their employees. Everytime I come in contact with their employees, they were very respectful, wore mask, and communicative of their work. So there are some key things their subcontractors messed up one. The electricians for the main panel upgrade did a poor job. Got it done but poor quality. They managed to cut into my interior wall from the exterior. Luckily, no one inside or anything of value was against that wall. They didnt put back my rain gutter and the conduit for the main line on the roof was not weather proofed. they just spackled tar around the base plate and hole. I took pictures and showed Semper and it was taken care of within a week. They placed new shingles around and it was quality. The solar installation was done well and i had no issues with their quality of work and that was a sub contractor as well. The only gripe I had was the lady from that company. She was debating what is passable with the city inspector AS I WAS WALKING WITH THEM. The inspector dinged her for a rivet that secured a badge onto the front of the main panel. He passed it because it was small but expected her to come back and apply silicone over the rivet. Semper corrected it. Essentially if I asked for no subcontractors, I might of had a better experience. I gave them 4 stars because Semper fixed the issues that their subcontractors messed up on. Their response was quick and of quality. The solar installation was pretty fluid and deadlines were met besides the issues along the way. At the end if the electrician didn't mess up and the solar installer's liason actually took in the inspectors markings and siliconed that rivet. I would gave them 5 stars. read more

I can't say enough about the crew at Semper Solaris. I received continuous updates as to the status of the project, and return calls to questions and or concerns that I left on voice mail regardless of whether after hours, weekends or holidays. The project consisted of 26 panels and two Tesla battery walls, yes we use a lot of electricity. The panels went up on the new reconstructed roof that grew out to cover the driveway to become a carport. I requested that the conduit be run in the attic to keep the clean lines of the new roof, no problem! The two battery walls and all associated equipment went on the north facing wall by the service panel, they asked me how I wanted that set up. I said you know what has to go up there just make it look nice. What I got was just short of a work of art. Couldn't be happier! Due to issues with underlying projects the solar project didn't get truly started until November, I had a deadline of December 31st for my tax credit. They made it happen in spite of two major holidays. I received PTO From SDG&E December 27th. I will get the full credit for the solar project. It's a rare project that completes absolutely flawless, and this was no exception. While I could have gone with a four star review, I believe it"s not the mistakes that are made, but how they are handled. To this end Garrett is a shining star among so many companies that provide nothing but lip service. When the issues came to light, Garrett stepped up to handle the immediate concern, and made sure that the final resolution was completed to my satisfaction. Thank you Garrett, it is truly nice to run into someone who still practices Customer Service Excellence! While I would love to rave about how well the system is performing; well the fact of the matter is, we are only one month out of the shortest day of the year. So I guess I'll have to save that review for next year, but I can say at this point that I am happy with the performance so far. As for the rest of the staff and crew. I just want to say thank you one and all for your service, whether it be military or company, it has been a pleasure knowing and working with all of you! John F. Clairemont San Diego, Ca read more

Initially I contracted to have SolarWorld panels installed. Subsequently, after greater research, I declined to proceed with contract because the SolarWorld panels (17.3%) were much less efficient that SunPower (22.2%), Panasonic (19.7%), or LG panels (21.1%). Knowing that Semper Solaris only installed American-made panels, and had ceased doing business with SunPower, my only option was American-made Panasonic panels (VBHN330SA17). Semper Solaris does not install LG panels because they were not made in the United States, which disappointed me. Three months after the initial contract, I finalized a new contract including Panasonic panels for a slightly higher price. Kudos to Annie Shalita, for her patience in ensuring that all my concerns were addressed in the new contract, such as final payment upon SDG&E PTO, positioning the panels to maximize exposure to the sun, and out of view of the street. Thanks to Annie Shalita, my concerns regarding the second set of plans were addressed, such as a change in the manufacturer of the inverter (Enphase vs SolarEdge) and positioning of a ladder in view of the street. After a considerable delay for the city to approve the plans, the installation process was very smooth. Another big kudos to Billie Yako for coordinating the installation, inspection by the city of Encinitas, and permission to operate by SDG&E, arranging for personal instruction of the computer monitoring system Enlighten by Enphase, and patiently answering my many questions. Kudos also to Courtney Day for the home visit and to Tony in the office for answering my technically-related questions. During Courtney's visit, I realized there was no consumption monitoring feature in my Enlighten account, which was not brought to my attention previously. The consumption portion of the monitoring system is important to me and I have requested Courtney and Tony to investigate whether this feature is compatible with my electrical panel and it can be added. I will update my review after receiving word from Semper Solaris. read more