My experience with Simply Solar is one of meeting highly competent, communicative, motivated and friendly staff who explained everything in great detail (when I requested detail) and involved me in the design of a solar installation that we wanted to be expandable. Other than that, our configuration is simple. We worked with David Morgan as the salesperson and Ally Basham as our project coordinator. David's estimates were accurate in terms of energy production and cost. He is rather knowledgeable and after my research we discussed at some length why the selected components were picked based on reliability, cost-performance, life, fit and manufacturer considerations. David was honest and right-sized our installation at a time when Sunrun was over-sizing us in their quotes. We eventually went with a slightly larger footprint than the minimum we needed based on our historical data, because we anticipated significant increases in our energy needs in the near future. David enabled us to do the math and reduce our current usage to make everything fit. I am happy to report that, months later, the estimates proved to be in the ballpark. Ally was competent and communicative. She set the right expectations, explaining that any slips to existing jobs or bad weather would affect our schedule, which I took to mean that, like most or all solar installers in the final quarter of 2019, the dates she related to me were not only unbuffered, but they were planning projects pedal-to-the-metal, i.e. over-subscribed and competing for a rapidly moving but finite market through to the end of the year. So the anticipated slips actually happened several times. The bottom line is that Ally was continually planning, regularly updating schedules, reacting to changes, and transparent and honest. Both David and Ally were responsive and accessible on the phone. Ally was friendly and forthcoming whenever she answered my calls even though I knew I was being the anxious customer who should probably just let her do her job. Eventually, Bobby, Gio (sp?) and Filippe (sp?) volunteered to rush the job out on a weekend just before the Christmas break in order to finish our job before the end of the year. This must have been the fastest installation they ever did and I take my hat off for the team. This had been a very busy period with customers racing to meet the end of year deadline for the tax credit and the rains that had begun. We met the deadline thanks to these guys, who bent over backwards to keep their word despite our initial delay. For context: David warned us in the middle of our discussions in September when we were indecisive and hesitating (plus, we later went back and changed our order) that time was not a luxury by then. His predictions were accurate. Later, Scott troubleshot and replaced a faulty optimizer for us in 2020 so we could get it fixed sooner. Again, Scott knew his stuff and came by twice from further out to help the very busy local team out when he might not have needed to. Overall, amazing, amazing people. Not one contractor, all employees. Must be a great place to work. Not the cheapest round the block, but this is about quality people who love what they do and take pride in their work. You can see it in the way they took pains to run the wires the way I would have wanted, so they are more out of sight. David did not disappear but is still communicative after all was said and done. We are grateful that we went with them so we could have the opportunity to meet these people and support their livelihood and way of life. Note that David asked for a review, but I held back and deliberately slept on his request for some time because I don't like to write solicited reviews. Instead, I am writing this review on my own steam after 7 months, because I wanted to observe, experience the post-delivery period and have the data to post a meaningful and accurate review. Note also that our situation is simple and relied on components commonly used by Simply Solar that they have experience with. If you need a complex setup or rely on components they don't order or work with often then perhaps YMMV. This is important, because it influences how much of their experience your installation will leverage, and that will affect the quality of the job. Hopefully this review will be useful to someone else. read more

Over the summer of 2022 I determined it was time to take the plunge into adding solar to my house. The technology has improved over the last numbers of years and there is always a possibility that PGE will be changing their net metering program to be less equitable for solar users. With that I started the process of comparing and contrasting the many solar providers that service the Bay Area. I must have researched a dozen companies and with a few exceptions pricing seems to come in at similar levels. There were certainly a couple of firms with a "if its too good to be true it probably is" in their positioning in the mix. I wanted to find a local firm that would be responsive, provide good product and service, a great warranty and back up the power generation and any possible roof problem that could arise (doubtful this will have but these panels are bolted into your roof). I started working more closely with David at Simply Solar. He guided me through the pros and cons on various system sizes, to get a battery backup or not (which I didn't), all of the aspects of net metering, PGE true ups, permit, and turn on processes etc. He was always available to take my calls or emails and answer my basic or more comprehensive questions. Based on Simply Solar being a local up and coming provider and many others attributes I decided to go with them. The contract process was simple and even with a small change order I requested to expand the system slightly, this was handled quickly and efficiently. Simply Solar took care of all of the permitting processes with my city, and in a few weeks their team of installers came in and put in the entire system including the runs to my panel in what seemed like 4 hours. A tremendous job done professionally. Other than the conduits and new inverter being visible, all clean up handled first rate.. a big tip of the hat to these great individuals who got the system setup. Now came the processes part, getting city permit inspections as well as PGE turn up. Based on one suggestion by the installers it was recommended that I move a improperly placed irrigation siphon that was near my panel, stating this might get in the way of ensuring passing from the permit inspector. I did that small change and the permit passed by the city without issues. The next step was PGE sign off which I was told would take about a month, instead it took about 1 week. I am now monitoring the power generation of the system and look to reap the benefits over time as PGE billing catches up to my use of this system. Again a big shout out to all aspects of Simply Solar - Sales, Installation, Accounting, system design, and project management - they made it easy and straight forward and I would happily recommend them to anyone looking to add solar to their house. read more

We used both Simply Solar and its sister company Rockin' Roofers. It made sense to replace our aging roof at the same time we installed solar. The better coordination of the two made sense and we think paid off. We've never had a major job on our home that didn't have some glitches. This was no exception. But what was different was the responsiveness of the organization. They worked hard and well to resolve our issues. That's a big deal these days. Both the roofers and the solar crew were very capable. For example, we worried about young houseplants near the edge of the house during the roof removal; but the roofers (from the Petaluma side of the operation) managed it with great care. We asked them to be sure to wear masks and they did, after reminders. Likewise the solar crew from San Jose. They kept us informed of their progress and work plan. Excellent communicators and politely responsive to my annoying questions. David Morgan, the regional manager, and John Rojas, production coordinator, were especially notable. David consulted with us on the roof and systems we wanted to install. He gave us great advice. He didn't try to up- or over-sell us. In fact, he advised us to delay some pricey upgrades until the technology improved. In a particularly difficult installation issue, he quickly stepped in to help resolve the issue. John was our more or less daily contact, both for the roofing job and the solar installation. He's a great communicator. He absolutely follows through. He's knowledgeable. And he feels like a good, kind person. Nothing bureaucratic about him. That matters. You choose a smaller company for that: Competence, responsiveness, kindness. If you're planning for solar and/or roofing, you should definitely at least bring them in for a consultation and bid. read more

In May of this year we decided to look into Solar Energy. PGE guidelines advised interviewing at least 3 Solar Companies before making a choice. The three companies we checked were very different and had different attitudes as to customer service. So beware of relying heavily on Internet Reviews Ratings which can be misleading and manipulated. We finally chose Simply Solar, our local Petaluma company. It was a great choice. Simply Solar has given us excellent 5 star service all the way. Initially we hesitated about the practicality of embarking on this project. Fortunately, Ryan Pinkham was our contact person at Simply Solar. He analyzed our needs, organized the installation, guide us thru all the paper work, permits, outlined the different financial approaches. The installation crew under Josh had to make many on site decisions. My roof has many different angles and levels..it was not an easy task to install the 17 panels. The job was done in two days. The two guys were professional, clean, fun plus very cooperative. Later Ryan returned to show us how to monitor the panels using Solar Edge, an application which shows the energy collected in our panels. Ryan checked our PGE bills to ensure PGE billings correctly reflect the Solar change. Now our house utility expenses as well as fueling the Tesla are amazingly low. At the finish of this project, Ryan gave us a USB and folder containing contracts, warranties, permits, manuals. Everything for our records in a neat package. This complex project turned into a relaxed enjoyable experience for us . Lucky us to have done business with Simply Solar. They are among the best in the business for quality of product, honesty and expertise. Working with Simply Solar was stress free. read more

From the first contact with Simply Solar, the experience has been a very positive one. We contacted 5 solar companies servicing San Francisco to handle our project. The Simply Solar salesperson, David, was the only one who came to our house, looked at the project, sat at the dining room table and went on the step by step process of the project in details. He was very knowledgeable about every details. We received his quote promptly after, as promised. We listened to all the suggestions and reviewed to all the information included in their quotes. After selecting the top 3 companies, we asked them to update their quote for the exact same system. Simply Solar came back on time with the most constructive and satisfactory quote for the project. We signed the contract agreement on July 31st as planned. Within a few days, a tech guy was on our roof for hours compiling all the data necessary to draw the plans. Simply Solar sent us the final plans for our review, then sent it to the City for getting the permit. It took the City a couple of weeks to review and approve it. Then 1-1/2 weeks later, the system was installed on our roof and working immediately. When some other companies was charging closed to time and a half the cost, and with a wait of 4 months, the 12 panels plus the PowerWall battery was installed and working perfectly in a little over a month after signing the contract. In addition, all panels + battery are US-made, and the panels & the Simply Solar workmanship are guaranteed for 25 years. We really believe we found the best vendor & installer with Simply Solar. read more

Jerry Shafer 5-Stars! We purchased an off grid system for Simply Solar over a year ago for our new build. This was our first off grid system and being a new build calculating the exact needs from the start was difficult. There is a bit of a learning curve in how to live and utilize an off grid system. That said we had 2 of Simply Solar's best; Sam and Jerry. Sam installed our complete 4.65kwh system with generator; no PG&E outages or monthly bill EVER. Sam's final work product is clean and pleasing to the eyes. As we learned about being off grid we've had several questions. Both Sam and Jerry have been very patient and responsive with our questions/needs, and I have learned a ton. Most recently Jerry has been onsite a few times to install a shunt so that we can monitor the production of the wind turbine we added. Then we had him out to install some new lifepo4 batteries. Each time Jerry has been on time, pleasant, and delivers quality work. Over the past few months I estimate I have text Jerry 30 times with questions, many if not all outside regular business hours. Each time Jerry has responded with the information I was requesting. He's a walking encyclopedia book and better than google (google doesn't have all the answers on off grid solar, I've looked). Jerry has knowledge that is only gained through his many years of experience. He is a true master of his craft. Simply Solar did good in bringing him on! Thanks Jerry, Sam, and the Simply Solar team...glad we choose you and not one of the others. read more

First, would like to state that our solar panels and battery were just installed by Simply Solar, and are still waiting final approvals from the city before going live. Our overall experience has been positive, with responsive customer service, good workmanship, and a reasonable time line. Our salesperson was neighbor Egil, who efficiently explained options and was accommodating to our changing needs. Cristian and crew were professional and placed the conduit in efficient- and more importantly creative ways. The overall workmanship appears good and I will update this review should things change (has not endured time or weather). The panels, flashing, conduit, battery, envoy, and tracks appear sturdily placed. We opted for 10 panels and an Enphase battery - looks sleek and modern. Installation was completed in 2 days (about 22-24 labor hours). TLDR. Pros: professional, knowledgable, and local. Price was reasonable - ballpark 24K. Equipment used is top of the line stuff (did plenty of homework). A great way to have less PG&E in your life, while doing something for then environment. Cons: Getting the crew on site went from mild inconvenience to a hassle (4 reschedules. Communication on changes is an area of opportunity). There's also a PPA contract with a power broker called HDM, to be frank, seems sus - and I cannot recommend signing it. Read the fine print, and pay the full price up front if possible. read more

My experience with Simply Solar has been great. Late last year, I was shopping around for solar systems for my home and ultimately wanted to support a local company. Janet was assigned to my account and had been great at explaining several of my options, details of the solar array, financing, etc. I could feel that she wanted the provide the best solution to my situation and very much appreciated that it didn't feel like a sales call. Having worked for a now-defunct solar company in a past life, I appreciated how effectively they completed all the steps from design, permitting, installation, interconnection and finally PTO - all while keeping me in the loop at all times. The installation crew (forgot their names now) was professional and completed a 13-panel 5.33kW array in 2 days. I installed a conduit inside the walls of my house during a remodel specifically for my solar plans and the crew was able to comply with my request to run the wiring through the existing conduit rather than run a new one outside of the house. I love the clean install Fast forward to today, my PG&E true up bill is forecasted to be $14 so the sizing and performance was spot-on. While they were not the cheapest of all the options, I believe the personal interactions with this company made it all worth it. Now, I'm looking at expanding my solar system and to my surprise, I get to work with Janet again! read more

I have seen some of the negative reviews and was totally floored because that wasn't our experience at all. When we first looked into solar, we went with a well know company (Peterson Dean). Talk about a disappointment. From our initial meeting with Dan our solar consultant, we felt totally comfortable. Dan took the time to draw diagrams on how things worked and as a visual learner, that was very helpful. Our project coordinator Ji was on top of everything. After the site inspection and some discussion, we decided to go with the LG panels and added 2 to the sixteen recommended. Peterson Dean wanted to put 24. Adam, Wyatt and the whole installation team had us up and running in two days and then Covid-19 hit. We were then on hold for the city inspector to approve and PG&E to open our (PTO) permission to operate, which was beyond the control of Simply Solar. We have since been approved by the city and PG&E has turned us on. Sara, the customer relations manager also reached out to us, to not only see how we were doing, but to let us know of a small technical issues that was discovered and took care of it. We even had Ben the owner and VP of sales contact us. All and all, we are very pleased. We have been made to feel like part of a family and want to thank this amazing team that we worked with from start to finish. We would highly recommend Simply Solar/Rockin Roofers. read more

Like some other customer's here, installing a Solar system on my house was a good decision, it's paying off. I vetted six companies in all and chose Simply Solar. My final decision was based on the competitive price and service after the sale including the warranty terms. Based on the location of my house, they drew up a plan and consulted with me on where to install the panels, 19 in-all. Installation took two-days, and the system was producing electricity after final inspections and approvals from PG&E two weeks later. About two 2-1/2 years after the install, the Solar Edge inverter developed a problem, the array stopped producing. I contacted Simply Solar, a truck showed up (2-3 days) and determined the inverter was the source of the problem. They ordered a replacement inverter from Solar Edge; delivery of the inverter was one week. I contacted Simply Solar when the inverter arrived and the technician came the next day, he installed and reset the inverter. My PG&E bill for electricity is $12.15 a month for connection to the system. My January statement says my expected NEM 2 charges (true-up) in February is expected to be $30.00. I have recommended Simply Solar to personal friends and have commented on Next Door as well. My sales representative was Dave Morgan, a good guy to work with. read more

I'd like to give a wholehearted recommendation for Simply Solar. We knew we wanted to get a solar install -but had a negative experience with a pushy salesperson (from a different solar company) who did a cold call knock on our door, so we were feeling a little hesitant to contact any solar company for fear of being talked into some "extras" we didn't need. A friend recommended sales manager David Frank at Simply Solar. David was direct but not pushy, he laid out options clearly, was informative about California's NEM situation, listened to our future plans of going all-electric with our appliances and eventually adding an electric car then recommended changes to the original solar bid to support those plans, he was easy to talk to and promptly responsive when we contacted him with extra questions. The project coordinator John Rojas was also a pleasure to work with - organized and on top of the ins and outs of our project - we were having a new roof installed and he coordinated with that company for the timing of the solar install. After the installation, we had something on-site we wanted to be double-checked - without any pushback, John quickly scheduled the crew to return to do the check and make the simple fix. If you're considering solar I encourage you to give Simply Solar a call. read more

Simply Solar was simply amazing! Best contractors we have ever worked with. First, when we were getting quotes from various companies on the project, David from Simply Solar was able to produce a quote for us on the spot, and we were able to walk through various scenarios (different panels, different system sizes, etc.) and see all the cost implications in real-time. He also was very patient (and clear) in explaining how solar systems worked, some of the differences in the panel types, etc. When it came to the installation, the crew was on-time, professional, and super diligent about making sure every detail was correct. For example, we were concerned that the external conduit would hurt the appearance of our house, so the installers came up with a way to run it down the side of our house that wasn't visible from the curb, and then cut over to the garage. They even offered to paint the conduit so that it would be less visible. They also came up with a strategy for the inspection to help ensure we would pass inspection but also minimize the impact of the system on the appearance of our house. System is up now and working perfectly. They've even followed up with us to make sure we get a solar rebate that we are eligible for from SF. Overall - simply awesome. Highly recommended. read more

We started to look into Solar after installing a heat pump/air conditioner to help offset some of the increased electricity that was being used. We met with three local Solar companies to talk about options and cost. While all three companies we spoke to were very helpful, David Frank at Simply Solar stood out from the others. David met us in our home and spent a considerable amount of time discussing our options and helping to educate us through the process. David answered our many questions and scheduled a follow up meeting to answer our additional questions. He was very low pressure, and we felt very comfortable in dealing with him. We ultimately decided to go with Simply Solar and the process from beginning to end was very smooth. We were assigned John Rojas as our project manager, and he was very helpful as well keeping us updated and what we should expect at various stages of the project. The installation crew was very helpful as well on install day. The total time from initial meeting, plan submission and approval, permit application to install was 10 weeks. Final inspection was completed by PG&E 3 weeks later. We are very happy with our solar panels and Tesla power wall and would not hesitate to reach out to David and Simply Solar for any future solar needs. read more

I chose Simply Solar because I was looking for a solar installer, first, that I could talk to, some of them will not even talk to you, and have my views in the installation. The panel layout was initially proposed by Simply Solar and after one or two iterations we reached agreement. The installation process was temporarily stopped for roughly two months because of the shelter-in-place order issued by the Santa Clara County. As a matter of fact, the panels got installed two days prior to the lockdown began, but as soon as the economy began to open, Simply Solar came back to continue the installation process. These are professional and dependable people that will work with you until everything is functional, even in unprecedented times like these. My house has three floors and I was impressed with the effort put to install the panels on the roof, each panel weighs 42 lb. and there were twelve of them! Even if things don't work out the first time, which is not unusual for an installation of this level of complexity and the diverse requirements from HOA's, Counties, options dictated by owners, etc., they will work with you until everything is cleared and certified by the city and PG&E. I am very happy with them and would recommend them to anyone. read more

Our experience with SIMPLY SOLAR was absolutely incredible. We were totally impressed with how another division of their Firm (ROCKIN' ROOFERS) handled our Roofing needs - that we decided to go with SIMPLY SOLAR. THE Representative (DEAN) they sent to our Home was well informed and described detailed aspects in Layman's terms. My Wife and I were most impressed and decided on their Presidential Roof (50 YEARS WARRANTY) and a well sized PV SYSTEM that is producing Energy Like Crazy !!!!!! Our Project Manager (SARA) was on top of everything in terms of communication & Scheduling. Our On Site SUPERVISOR (THOMAS) was thorough and timely with everything. Their whole crew was a delight to work with on a daily basis. We live in a wonderful neighborhood in SAN RAFAEL and receive compliments on our Presidential Roof on a regular basis. The panels are discretely placed on the backside of our home (BEAUTIFULLY) and can not be easily seen, so I immediately let people know of our PV SYSTEM and of how pleased we are with both Superior Products. If anyone should want to discuss our experience about any details relating to our two (2) Projects - PLEASE email me at leeloretz@icloud.com A TRULY SATISFIED CUSTOMER, LEE LORETZ read more

We had a great overall experience with Simply Solar. David Frank was our sales person and initial contact. He directly answered our questions and concerns in general with installing solar and PGE. Once we signed the contract things moved along pretty efficiently and I think we had a system fully installed and functional within 6 weeks or so. They assigned a project manager who was on top of the process and scheduling. They did have to reschedule once due to weather (storm) which was completely understandable. Rescheduling was quick. We had a slight initial miscommunication of where the battery should be installed, but after clarifying they adjusted the plans and we were good to go. Crew was friendly, was as quiet as can be, and respectful of our property. They handled the permitting process with the city and final inspection sign offs, kept us updated every step of the and provided us with all of our documentation packaged up. Time will tell on ROI, but so far especially now that we are in spring, we have been primarily using solar power to run our house, as we wanted. If I had to install solar again (if we moved house), I'd be giving them a call. Likely one of our smoothest home improvement projects we've ever experienced. read more

It was so impressed by Simply Solar that I am writing my first YELP review. I interviewed or received bids from eight companies, and Simply Solar stood out from the start. Dean Walker was a refreshing change from the other salespeople. For example, he was the only one to ask me to send a picture of our electrical box for giving me a quote. He was also the only one to send me a link to the California Public Utilities Commission's consumer guide to purchasing a solar system. This was an invaluable tool. He never tried to rush me; he never tried to oversell me. He answered multiple questions, some more than once, with patience and élan, over several phone calls. He was more of a guide than a salesperson. Simply Solar's bid was competitive, especially with the extras they offer. The project coordinator, Ally Basham, kept me regularly informed of progress of plans and permits. The installation crew, Logan, Josh, Lucas and Craig were prompt, efficient, and unobtrusive. After installation, the city inspector came to review the work. Roberto arrived ahead of time to set up and answer any questions. After the inspection passed, the city inspector said to me: "They did a good job. They are good company." He should know. read more

I have a mobile home in Marin County and was told for years by representatives for solar panel companies that no-one put them on mobile homes. I noticed some neighbors had them so asked who they had used, and they referred me to Simply Solar. I contacted Jake Hassid, who came to my home and very patiently reviewed exactly what they could do for me, recommended we start with 8 panels (but can go up to 12 if we choose to later), and arranged all of the financing, installation, and monitoring of our solar system. We could not have been happier with the customer service provided by Jake. We did recently have a problem (caused by a change in our internet provider) and I was unable to monitor the system remotely. As soon as I contacted Simply Solar, a rep called me back and arranged to come out promptly and fix the problem. All fixed now and I can once again remotely monitor our system. This company has been professional, courteous, and competent in every interaction. I was especially grateful to Jake for his patience in explaining the system to me, and for the rapid response when we had a monitoring issue. I am 100% satisfied with every aspect of our relationship with Simply Solar. read more

Bruce Ressen was our solar energy consultant and it was a pleasure to work with him throughout the project. He initially addressed all my questions and concerns as we investigated the costs and benefits of a solar system and in particular his company, Simply Solar. I researched and talked with other company's representatives and other solar users. After much consideration I chose Simply Solar. I particularly was impressed by the fact that they were also a skilled roofing company. The fact that they guarantee their work and would dis-assemble and re-assemble the solar unit for no charge if our condo roof needed repair or replacement in a period of 3-15 years from installation. Also impressive was the fact that they did not contract our their installation work and all their staff had multiple years of experience in the solar industry. Best of all, as the installation process unfolded Bruce was always available to answer questions and expedite solutions. I also had an opportunity to get my very specific technical questions regarding solar battery systems answered by James Stewart, Senior Project Manager, who was also terrific to work with. Larry & Sharon E. read more