I am one tough customer. I can be a total pain in the butt with my expectations on a project like this, and even pushed Solarcraft a few times to see if the professional veneer would crack, and it didn't. These guys know what they are doing and are 1000% professional. In my case, I got bids from 3 Marin-based companies, and pricing was relatively similar. I went with Solarcraft because I liked that they have a 30-something year history in Marin doing solar (I think they started with pools), they have their own install/maintenance teams, and they impressed me with their professionalism. I had a personal deadline they were working under and they managed to install my entire system in ONE DAY (their normal is 2-3 days, much faster than the 7-10 the smaller companies were quoting). Email updates were frequent, and calls were returned promptly. I had lots of questions. They answered them all with a smile. I know they hung up the phone several times muttering "Jeez, will this guy ever be satisfied??" and the answer is YES, I am totally satisfied, a very happy customer, and happy to tell the world about Solarcraft. Since this is such a ridiculously effusive / positive review I feel implied to state that I have no connection with them and they had no idea I intended to write a review like this. The other Yelp reviews were true -- this is a quality company that does what they say when they say for how much they say. That right there is a rarity in the service industry I've found. Good luck with your solar project! read more

Let me begin by saying I decided not to get solar panels installed on my home. However, Page Leonard was great to deal with. No high pressure, very infomative, and good listening skills. We had a tentative system mapped out. Then I found out I had a 280 KW/Hr drain on my electricity in my trailer parked in my driveway. This was enough to lower my PG&E cost by about $150 a month. Page took my news without disapointment and with understanding. When mapping my system he found out I had a braided copper wire in my electrical panel. I would not have known this but for his diligence. I have made plans to replace the cable and panel as a result of this. When I do go solar I will call Solarcraft and Page to do the job. read more

We compared three vendors before purchasing a solar system. The criteria we used were: (1) equipment quality, (2) price, and (3) reliability/trustworthiness. We liked the equipment SolarCraft was going to install (Canadian Solar panels and SolarEdge inverter). The price was similar on all three vendors. We liked the idea of doing business with a local company, especially one that has been in business for 20+ years and is employee-owned. The sales rep (Michael Hall) was very straightforward and open. He took the measurements and laid out the plan (whereas the other 2 vendors based their estimates/plans on satellite images and could have changed later on when someone else came out to make actual measurements). He communicated well and responded quickly to any questions we raised. Everyone we dealt with from SolarCraft was friendly and helpful. The installation took 2 days and was very clean with no messes, etc. The paperwork was filed promptly with PG&E. It's been 6 business days and we're still waiting for PG&E to replace the meter and get us fully authorized. We'll see how long that takes. May have to write a separate review on their performance. read more

I called Solarcraft for service on our 5+ year old system because we'd been experiencing decreasing benefit over time (i.e., increasing usage from PG&E). They came out, cleaned the panels and tested the system. They determined that a part in the inverter wasn't functioning properly. They contacted the manufacturer and found out that it was still under warranty, so they ordered and installed the replacement. They really took care of everything. The guys were prompt and courteous. I'm very satisfied with the experience. read more

Zero stars for yet one more telephone solicitor who ignores my outgoing message to put me on their do-not-call list.

SolarCraft in Novato, Ca offers Abysmal service. Do consider using a different company. If you decide to use SolarCraft, check your invoice carefully. SolarCraft is resting on their laurels. We chose SolarCraft for a job to remove our existing solar panels and to reinstall them on top of a new roof. We did this based on our prior excellent experience with SolarCraft a decade ago when they intially installed a solar panel system on our roof. I should have listened to my initial gut instinct that gave me warning signals at the start of this process; however, I overlooked my initial concerns. It was a simple straightforward job. I requested an estimate for the job. I had to request a bid be sent to me--one was not sent to me after the estimator had come-- and was told that the estimator had to come for a return visit in order to do this. The second visit took a great deal of time. The estimator then wanted to give us an estimate that covered a panapoly of things, not just what we'd requested. The estimate came without pertinent and correct information. When confirming the scheduling of the job, which required coordination with the roofing company, the estimator didn't even seem to know when the start of the job was, even though it had been determined a week prior.. When I brought up my concerns with the operations manager I was told that he would be out during our job, but that I could always contact a particular project manager at any time, and that they had both seen hundreds of jobs successfully to conclusion. The solar crew arrived as scheduled, but without all supplies. Midweek during the roofing I was called by SolarCraft to inform me that the solar crew would not be back as scheduled to reinstall the panels. I would have to wait five days for their return. When I called the project manager about this, he told me that it was the right thing to do, for Solar Craft to reschedule me. " Can you imagine," he lectured, "if you were a customer that we'd been working on your job for three days and then told you we had to go off and work on someone else's job?" This he said to me as I looked out my window at the stacks of solar panels on my patio that had been sitting there--for more than three days. And I was told that if they did come as scheduled, they wouldn't finish the job that day in any case. Of course I called the president of the company--who was paying attention to their business?--who assured me that all would be well. So the solar crew arrived as scheduled after all, but didn't finish the job. They didn't have the right tools and there were delays. Also, they hadn't communicated successfully with the roofing company so they had to reinstall some flashing. We noted that the crew consisted of two people, in contrast to four who had originally installed the panels the first time. In the end, we had to wait 2 more days for the solar crew to return and call the roofing company back to patch up the area that had been ripped up. When we received the invoice, it did not account for the initial deposit we had paid. The New Math. Clearly, our job was unimportant to SolarCraft. At what dollar figure does a job have to be for SolarCraft to actually care about the customer and how well they perform the job? read more

We included them in getting estimates because they are employee-owned, which fits our values. We went with them because the presentation was so complete. Everyone was professional throughout, and met their promises regarding our roof panels with battery. The bill was exactly as stated--no surprises. The installation was planned with care and the result is appealing. Each person involved took a lot of time to explain what was going on and how to understand the installation and use of the readouts. The salesman was very helpful in letting us see all the battery options, yet left the decision to us. We didn't feel pressured one way or the other. The final design was clever in view of our special needs, and, wow, the battery is so small. read more

I purchased a 4kw photovoltaic system from Solarcraft in December 2017 and my experience can best be described as very uneven, with real reasons for concern. It started fairly positive with a saleswoman/engineer who was very patient, knowledgeable and straight with me. For example, I was interested in getting a system that included battery storage and backup, but she advised me that the batteries were not ready for prime time and not very economical at this point, which I found to be true from other sources. At least one competitor was ready to sell me a big fancy battery pack despite those concerns. My opinion of Solarcraft took a real downward turn when I received a call from Ted Walsh. The call definitely makes my top five percent in rank in terms of obnoxiousness and clueless pushiness. We were not ready at the time to plunk down the cash to buy the system up front and he very aggressively pushed me to finance the system, making inane arguments about how certain loans were not actually loans because they were secured by a lien on the house and involved no personal recourse. I felt he would say anything, true or not, to push the deal through. I ended the call and told him if they wanted my business they had better arrange for someone else to speak to me as I would not deal with Mr. Walsh again. In fact I emailed my saleswoman, told her that I would not speak to this Mr. Walsh again, and asked her to report him to the company's CEO. I later found out that he WAS the CEO. Strike 1, if you ask me. Despite that dumb move, eventually I contacted my original saleswoman and was ready to move forward, paying cash. I signed the contract and waited for an install date. Then I found out that they had fired the saleswoman. Strike 2, if you ask me. Since most of the sales work was done I did not get a new sales contact - I was put in touch with the install supervisor, Blake, who is a first class guy. He and his crew were responsive and knew their business for sure. They got the system up and running with only minor hitches. The guy who did the paperwork on my behalf with PGE was minimally competent and made errors that made that experience far more difficult than it should have been. He filled out an online form for me with incorrect information and then did not seem to have a clue how to correct it. I must have signed it online and on paper at least five times before he was able to get it accepted by PGE's people. Now, it's about 6 weeks since activation and the system died yesterday. The inverter reports "hardware error." Not a single electron of power generation yesterday or today. Maybe that is not their fault, but they made a big deal about how they monitor the system and come out to fix any problems, and I have not heard a peep from them - I needed to email them to alert them to the problem. Strike 3. How many more strikes before you're out in this ball game? At this point I would not recommend these folks to a friend. read more

I had an energy assessment done by Peter Posert and it was an eye opening and rewarding experience. He spent a great deal of time analyzing my house and the egregious PGand E bills that I have been getting and was able to identify one amazing quick fix and several other long over due improvements that we are going to implement. This energy assessment is a free service which I heartily recommend to everyone and Peter is a delight. read more

When investigating Solar I had 3 estimates done. Only SolarCraft provided detailed proposal in a timely manner and explained everything thoroughly. We have been delighted with the result. We now have a surplus of electricity which this year we can sell back to PG&E. The installation was very well done and almost invisible from the street. To date we have have avoided 503,000 lbs of CO2 production. We also a switched from Natural Gas furnace to a heat pump to further reduce our energy bill. Every month we get our $15 interconnect charge from PGE instead of the whopping 300-400/month we used to get. By financing with Sonoma County Energy Independence we had 0 cash out of pocket and are saving $200/month after paying the finance charges. In 14 years the system will be paid off and we can retire without worrying about the cost of electricity. I would recommend anyone considering Solar start with Solarcraft. read more

Solar Craft recently installed a photovoltaic system in our house in San Rafael and I must say I was very impressed with their knowledge of solar and expertise in installing the system. Both Chet and Avner were great. Our installation was a bit different than usual in that it had to be ground mounted since there wasn't adequate space for a roof mount. Also, they had to join in to a previous system we had installed five years ago. Chet and Avner worked as a team and presented me with several options and advice on how to maximize the system. They met with me several times at my house and were patient in getting me up to speed with the nitty gritty details. In all it was a very pleasant experience and I would highly recommend Solar Craft to anyone thinking of putting in solar. My system is now drawing down sufficient solar power to pretty much run all my home's electrical needs including my swimming pool. It's a good feeling to know I'm no longer captive to PG&E and any future rate increases won't affect me. read more

We met with Chet Stromberg at Solarcraft in October of 2013 and were impressed with his knowledge and thoroughness. Prior to meeting with Solarcraft we met with a well-known, fast growing company but that salesman's lack of knowledge was very apparent. We had two meetings with Chet at Solarcraft. He came prepared with several cash flow statements and payback/return-on-investment scenarios and we eventually decided on a configuration for our roof. We paid our deposit and awaited our installation date. When Avner DaAbul, the Operations Manager, came out, he was very helpful and professional. Without going into too much detail, it quickly became apparent that we might have some problems from P,G&E, problems that were neither our fault, nor Solarcraft's fault, but which might mean significantly higher costs. At this point, I was uncomfortable moving forward on the project because I had no idea what the costs would be. Solarcraft was naturally concerned because the issue was P,G&E's and not theirs. I asked for my $1,000 deposit check back and they sent it back to me even though they had already incurred some expense on my behalf. I agreed to revisit the project within a few months and Solarcraft would see if they could work out a solution that would not put me at risk of unknown costs from a third party. In March we spoke again and Avner and Solarcraft had worked out a solution with P,G&E that did not put us at risk for any potential unknown expenses. We moved forward with the install. It went very well and I am very happy with it. I am also happy with Chet and Avner at Solarcraft and recommend them and Solarcraft highly. read more

It's been over a year and the system performed exactly as I hoped. Basically generated about 10% more than estimated. It was a sunny year. Very happy with that. Zero issues throughout the year. read more

It's been two and a half years since SolarCraft installed the solar system at our home. We haven't had any problem of any kind whatsoever with the system. Our electric bills since the system went online have been below zero (which means we get pay nothing and get a check back from the electric provider every year). We bought an electric car this year, and our system generates enough electricity to charge the car and still keep our electric bills below zero. SolarCraft gave us exactly what we wanted and did a fabulous job. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about Solar Craft. Getting our solar system with them was a pleasure - they're the nicest bunch of people to work with. We have a low pitch, tar and gravel roof that the other companies (Solar City, Sungevity, etc) wouldn't install onto. Solar Craft was happy to find a way to do it, at a fair price. The fact that they're local and employee owned made it feel even better. We're really happy with our new panels. Thanks Solar Craft! read more

They must be one hell of a successful business because they don't seem to want new customers. I called the Sonoma and Novato numbers and got routed to Heather's voice mail box. The mail box told me that it was full and could not take any more messages. Interesting. I tried a few more times over the course of the morning and got the same result. My next move was to subvert the "press 1 for.... " nonsense and called their operator. From the operator I learned that Heather was on the phone and 'overwhelmed' to the point she couldn't talk to me about whatever I needed. But then when I asked how to contact whomever I needed she found that Heather was free. So I explained what I needed to Heather and she assured me that the 'general contractor' (or was it head contractor?) would get back to me when he got back into the office. Apparently they just don't have time... not even enough time to tell me that they don't have time. I didn't get a call for the entire week and my subsequent attempt to reach them were the same as my first tries. Meanwhile, I contacted a local only business and the call was responded to immediately. They were on site within a couple hours and everything was settled and resolved in less than 24 hours. Maybe I'm just old school but that is what I expect from a business. Skip Solarcraft and give some responsive outfit with integrity and enthusiasm a chance. I'm certainly glad I did. read more

Solarcraft and Chet Stromberg did a fabulous job. They made it so easy for me. The system is up and running, looks great (very low profile) and everyone was professional, did what they said they were going to do, arrived for appointments on time and cared about the customer, a rare thing these days. Highly recommend them. I am doing solar more for the environmental benefit than the money savings, but the system was a lot less expensive than I thought it would be, especially with the tax rebate. read more

On 9/6/19 called solarcraft about some leaks in my pool solar panels (3) she said they could have someone stop by in the a/m on 9/7/19,he was here at 0800. He looked at the leaks said the would replace the panels and that the panels were still under warranty (15 year warranty) and we have had the panels for eleven years. He said the office would call me either today 9/7/19 or first thing in the morning then he left. I left and took care of some biz got back early afternoon and found that they had come back and changed out the bad panels with the new. Two days no questions asked,stood behind their warranty and service that was exceptional. I diffidently would recommend this company well done. read more

This company is very professional and knows their pool solar! My salesperson David Berry was super accommodating to my schedule and had amazing follow up after the estimate. The price was very competitive and overall great experience. Call them if you want to add solar to your pool! read more

I just had SolarCraft install my swimming pool solar panels on a hill behind my pool. From Roy Lembi, the initial sales rep to the installers, everything went exactly according to plan. The price was very competitive. Very pleased start to finish. I highly recommend SolarCraft. If you are considering solar panels, call SolarCraft and ask for Roy Lembi for an estimate. read more

These folk are the best!! After about 7 years and one earthquake a "box" on the side of the house malfunctioned. I called and was lucky to make contact with one of the gentlemen who had been involved with the installation. He asked me some questions, said he knew problem and would take care of it and when he received new part would be out and would not even need me to be there. As good as his word. Wouldn't have known he came out, but encountered him coming in--and PG&E bill is back to negative again. Before solar we paid $300+ a month. Last year paid $380 total and that included monthly transmission fee. read more

Got several competitive quotes but was most impressed with the thoroughness of Dave Berry in regards to all of our questions. Installation was completed January 2016 in a timely manner. The quality of the installation was first rate and the installation crew was very easy to work with. We had an issues with the distance to our internet for monitoring which after several weeks was solved by Zach. I strongly recommend SolarCraft and would be please to discuss our experience with future clients. read more

From beginning to end, our experience with Solarcraft has been absolutely terrific! Our system was finished today and we are very, very happy and grateful how professional, knowledgeable, helpful, efficient and timely every part of the process was. Thank you Chet, Nick, Sissy, Karen, Jake, Emanual, Mike, Jim, Brett and Craig (hope I didn't forget anyone)! Adios $3-400/mo. PG&E bills! read more

I wanted to give 2 thumbs up for Jason and Riley for responding so quickly to my call about a leak on my roof under a solar panel. They rushed over before the rain was set to arrive. They did excellent and thorough work. They took time to explain everything and went above and beyond to help. I would give them m ore stars if that was possible:) read more

I don't know much about their solar, but when my identity was just recently stolen by one of their employees, they did nothing to help me. I was informed by my lawyer that one of their employees was using my social security number. When I asked to speak to both the office manager and Trisha in financing, they refused to help me. They refused to address the employee who had stolen my identity, and when I asked for a call back number for the police department to contact after I filed an incident report, they purposely gave me a joke phone number that says "Hello, Hello, Sorry we can't hear you." and then it hangs up on you. They told me they do not do background checks or e-verify on ANY of their employees. Good luck to any/all who use them. read more

The price was fair and a little below other bids. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and just plain nice. Everything was done on time, and they've been prompt in answering any questions I've had since installation. read more

I have an 18 year old system that stopped working. I tried to get the original installer to service it, but they wouldn't return my calls. But Zach from SolarCraft was there in a few days - and was friendly, knowledgeable, and fast. The panels are working again! I'm very happy. read more

I had SolarCraft install solar electric and solar heating for my pool in May. The work was completed in a short time and the solar installers and the electric subcontractors did an excellent job. Everyone was very efficient polite added a great job cleaning up as well. I am already seeing the savings. I prefer to deal with local businesses and I am happy I did in choosing SolarCraft. read more

Solar Craft removed by old solar system for the pool and replaced it with a new one. The old one lasted 22 years but while the roof was being done we did the solar which had leaked. Everyone I dealt with was wonderful: Heather on the phone, Ray, Roy and the two men who took the old system down----all personable and efficient and competent. Joe and Ebin put up the new panels and pipes.....they did a great job as it needed to be placed on a new roof. Picked up the old pipes and helped me understand how to winterize the new system. They were kind and patient. I am pleased with the whole process. I cannot speak highly enough about the company and I am a person who has high standards. read more

We contacted SolarCraft to get a bib on pool heating solar system. Their estimate was $1000 less than our pool service company's estimate. Rob, SolarCraft consultant was a lot more professional and knowledgeable than the other company sales man. We are so happy that we made the decision to use SolarCraft. The experience was smooth from the start to the end. Thank you SolarCraft, Rob, Dennis and the installation team for a nice warm pool! read more

Solarcraft and its rep Chet Stromberg was a wonderful experience in installing solar on my roof. The entire process from design to installation to activation was seamless and worry free. Their monitoring software allows you to see on an hourly basis how much electricity you are producing and saving on your payments to PG&E. Solar is a no brainer. Solarcraft and Chet and his team were professional and made this project as simple as possible for a great experience on improving our home. read more

SolarCraft was highly recommended by a friend. From sales to installation their service and expertise has been excellent and well coordinated. The system is performing as planned. Perfect. read more

Dealing with these folks is a constant struggle. They do not return phone calls and they are very slow to respond to warranty work - and by slow I means 3-5 weeks to get them to come out and then it is usually another 3-5 weeks to repair because they rarely have the correct parts with them and have to order. I don't get charged because it is warranty and presumably they are billing the manufacturer but the aggravation is not worth dealing with them. Maybe that is their objective. read more

We had 8 panels installed on our roof this summer. Solar craft calculated the number of panels needed to pay our annual electric bill, and even perhaps receive an annual check from PG+E on the anniversary of the date our system went active. There were no high pressure sales tactics, installation was timely and clean and representatives were eager to answer any questions. Their price was the lowest of three bids, and we have a lifetime warranty on the panels. read more

I have been SORELY disappointed in this company and their service. They promised me my project would be 8k OUT THE DOOR. Then, after they installed their system by their 'experts', it kept crashing my electrical system. They said that I needed to have a whole new electrical panel installed and it would cost me another 2k by THEIR electrician! But, they assured me, it would work just fine as is after they tweaked it a bit. And then I got my first electric bill - for almost $400!!!! When I called them to sort it out, the sales guy - Rob - told me "I guess I shouldn't promise you an 'OUT THE DOOR' bid like I did"!! Now, I've had to hire an electrician and in the meantime, I got my 2nd $400 _(*^(*^@_#)*#%$!!!! electric bill and what was PROMISED to cost me $8k OUT THE DOOR is now looking like it will cost me about $11k or more. A HUGE disappointment and I would not recommend this company to anyone. Feel free to contact me if any questions! read more

I am surprised by the conflicting reviews on this site. All I can say is, my job was 100% good and I can highly recommend SolarCraft, in fact, I already have to a few local friends. I asked them for proposal for a solar pool hating system and a solar electric system. I live on the side of Christmas Tree Hill in Corte Madera facing the SF Bay, the net result is great morning and mid-day sun but the sun goes behind the mountain at maybe 3-4pm. So limited hours. SolarCraft told me straight up, you have ample sun for solar pool heat and inadequate for solar electric. I feel like they could have sold me solar electric, I was ready to pay for it, but they shot straight and I appreciated that. As for the solar pool heat, I had been spending about $300-400 a month for gas from say April through September. Let's call it $2,100 a year. And my pool was running a 3 HP pump for no good reason. Let's call that another $1,000 a year. SolarCraft advised 3 roof panels (my pool is small in size) and a lighter pump with variable speed for my waterfall. Installed last November, its now May. We fired it up around March 25, and starting from early April the pool, without any gas, has never been below 80 and has several times capped out at 90 (where we have it set to stop heating). I have gotten two PG&E bills and my gas is down to $0 (its never been on for pool use) and by rough justice I think I'm saving $50 a month on the electric for the lighter pump. I expect to save $2,700 per year and that will pay off the system in about 3-3.5 years. And better yet, no guilt about the environment, a longer swim season, constantly warmer. Its just a great result for us. We had some minor problems with some manufacturer-related issues on some parts and needed some extra training to feel like we could "run" our system. I honestly felt bad about begging SolarCraft about this, but they were totally professional and didn't make me feel like I was being a pain for doing so. I have high regard for this company, and recommend them without hesitation. read more

After spending more time that I want to admit researching the confusing array of solar options, I was thrilled to have made the choice of Solarcraft. Initially, I was compelled by the fact that their installers are Solarcraft employees and not contractors, they are local to the North Bay and that they are an employee owned company - everyone has skin in the game and it shows. After the project, I was then impressed with their thoroughness, simple explanations and quality of installation all without feeling that I was buying a used car. Pile on the fact that I have saved the equivalent of ~12k lbs of CO2 emissions and planted over 284 trees in 4 mos. by going solar? Kind of a no brainer. read more

I contacted Solar Craft to come and inspect a solar system that I had installed by a company that had shown me very poor business practices. Jayson came to my house and did a thorough inspection of the system. He found code violations and poor installation practices in the system. Jayson initially sent me a copy of his handwritten report and photographs that he had taken. He called about a week later to check in and confirm that I understood everything. He then typed up the list of violations in terminology that was easier for me to understand. Jayson was knowledgeable and friendly. He showed that he genuinely cared about the problems I was dealing with and went above and beyond. Any future solar needs that I have will definitely be at Solar Craft. read more

We had an excellent experience with Solarcraft. They installed our solar electric system in a timely manner at exactly the cost they quoted (which was also the least expensive of several vendors that supplied bids). They took care of all the paperwork for PG&E and the state rebate. But, by far the most impressive was our experience with the electrician, Reed, that was assigned to troubleshoot a problem with our electrical box that occurred immediately after installation. He was extremely competent, professional, responsive and diligent in trying to determine what was wrong since the problem started at the same time the solar panels were installed. He truly went the 'extra mile' to make sure we were satisfied (and it ended up being an unusual issue that was NOT even a result of the solar installation). I would highly recommend Solarcraft. read more

I have generally used Yelp to post my dissatisfaction with companies I have done business with. However, I have had such a positive experience with SolarCraft I felt compelled to give them a review. I contacted SolarCraft to help troubleshoot a 10 year old solar PV installation that was installed years ago by one of its competitors that are now out of the business. My call was immediately returned by their service manager Riley Riggs who personally came out within days to diagnose the problem, provide me with a solution and get to work fixing it. I deal with dozens of companies on a daily basis and it is rare to find one that exceeds my expectations. Riley Riggs and SolarCraft have exceeded my expectations! I would highly recommend them for your solar electric and solar hot water needs. read more