1st Light Energy

I was promised a lot by the sales person in March. I’m here in June writing this review awaiting my panels to be installed on Friday. The process has been slow. I ended up having to call my utility to ask what was going on because the company wasn’t responsive. From my experience I believe it’s fair to trust the other low reviews about this company. I really didn’t shop around when looking to install solar and I’m regretting my decision to go with 1^st Light Energy.

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

This was the worst investment I’ve EVER MADE. I’ve been lied to since day 1. My unit got installed the first week of April and they promised me it would be on and working in 3 weeks. It took them 3 ½ months for my unit to be working. I was promised to save 105% on my electricity bill and I have yet to see any savings after 8months. Please be careful with all the empty promises.

We had a great experience and are very happy with how everything turned out. There was a problem with the city inspector showing up early before the installation was finished. He said they would have to reschedule the inspection for the following week and we wouldn’t be able to turn our system on. They jumped on the issue quickly and the inspector was out later that same day. Highly recommend.

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

Bad! They installed my system and I have had problems with it. They charge me to come and check it; the panels are bad and the inverter is bad. I was supposed to get a ten year warranty on the inverter and twenty years on the panels; but they charge $ 180 just to come and check what is wrong with it. I bought the system from Home Depot thinking they were a reputable company.

Being new to the area, we excitedly looked to go solar for our (first) new home. We checked out other companies and were very close to going with one of the largest players in the industry until I thought to check out 1^st Light for comparative purposes. I’m truly glad I did. From initial consultation to installment and activation of our solar system, 1^st Light was professional, prompt and most importantly, patient in educating their customer with the inevitable questions that come with switching over to solar. Financing was easy, and we can actually say we enjoyed the process all throughout. Garrett, our rep was involved all throughout and has been friendly, professional and above all, knowledgable. We highly recommend him and 1^st light Energy.

Give them a call for solar

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

Our experience was similar to Nicole N. Sales was good. But throughout the process there was a complete lack of attention to details and follow up on any activity and seemingly little concern from the company (sort of like, we have your money, you’ll just have to deal with it). There were mistakes made through out on paperwork and such that could have delayed the project for many more months.

Our experience with First Light was horrible. We regret purchasing our solar system through them. Our first contacts with the company were great. Once we were in a contract, things changed. We were misled and given the run around any time we asked any questions. Our install took well over the quoted time. We signed in June and were not able to turn on our system until late November. Calls and emails were ignored. They failed to turn in paperwork to the electric company and put us at risk of losing that rebate. The electric company had to call us. Horrible customer service. Run while you can!

In general, they put a good product on my roof, but the process of getting it there was painful.
I, of course, was very anxious to get the system installed and start saving money. The process of getting my plans approved took weeks, and required several modifications to meet the planning dept requirements. Since they have installed many systems (tho all different), I thought the process took much longer than it should have taken. In addition, when the city inspector came onsite, he required them to make additional changes and redo some things. (To be fair, I also thought the city inspector was «not the most professional» and seemed to be always having a bad day.) In their own project planning, they assume that things will go as planned, so when they don’t, their workers have already moved on to the next job and can’t quickly return to make the required changes. They did try to juggle things, but my project was again delayed by a few weeks because of this.
The various people I talked to in the company were nice and wanted to be helpful, but the company seemed very disorganized. If I talked to my main contact (which changed from time to time) about something, it didn’t always get passed on to the person who was supposed to take care of it. For example, we discussed the various rate schedules PGE offered, and I wanted to be on the E6, not the standard E1, since that would be to my advantage. Whoever submitted the paperwork to PGE didn’t get told? and I was placed on the E1. Many months later, I noticed this error and worked with PGE (3 or 4 calls) and they kindly made the change retroactive to the solar start date. That saved me a few hundred dollars.
So, in summary, they did put up a good product and after a year it seems like it was installed well. It did, however, take a long time and a lot of my time during and afterwards to make sure things got done correctly.

We changed our mind during the paperwork process (before they installed our solar panels) and they charged us a $ 1500 cancellation fee for their time processing the paperwork.

Terrible company. I would never recommend. They leave out important information, they had to come out at least two extra times due to installation being incorrect or they just chose to be lazy and not complete it the first time around hoping we wouldn’t notice. Their staff miss several appointments, no call/​no show, while we wait around. They have terrible customer service and don’t seem to know how to answer questions when you ask something about how your system works. If I could go back, I would go with a different company. Extremely disappointed.

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

My experience with 1^st Light Energy has been exceptional. When they first showed up at my door they spoke with my husband and we had some scheduling conflicts that delayed the intial interview several times. Our salesman was Nate and he was very patient and when we finally met for our first meeting I was very impressed by the amount of information that he had about his company and about my energy use. He was excellent in breaking down the process in a way that both my husband and I understood. I would have never thought that I could have solar panels on my home. Not only do we have the solar panels we have seen instant savings in our electric bill. The first month was an $ 80 difference compared to the same month the year before. Each month that I get my bill from PG&E I compare it to that month in the previous year and each time I see how much $$ we are saving. My family is very thankful to 1^st Light. My account manager was Dominic Mason and he kept us up to date every step of the way. I still contact Dominic and refer friends and family who ask us how our solar is working out for us. We tell everyone that the experience has been a great one and we love the fact that we are saving money each month on our electric bill. I have and will keep recommending 1^st Light Energy to anyone who is interested in solar energy. Thanks 1^st Light keep up the good work!
Charlene Lawlor, Stockton Ca.

Great company to work with, The sales man was really helpful and didn’t push us into buying right way, he presented us the with or without scenarios. It was no brainier to pick the right. Why don’t u want to get a solar panel when u r bill stays the same and house value goes up, plus you are going green. 1^st Energy made it possible for they got us the best deal. I have compared the cost with other companies as well but they had the best price in this area. I would recommend them to anyone.

Had them install a 9-​panel system on my home. Communication was very good. When you call them, they will get back with you right away with an answer.
Be prepared however, to be patient. A solar system requires a design process, manufacturing, permit approval and installer availability. From the time we started the purchase until the day my system was up and running, it took approximately 3 months. The total cost of a solar system may shock some, but the credits and tax deductions will chop the total price down significantly. 1^st Light Energy did a good job explaining this and I thought the total cost was reasonable.
Now that my system is installed, I can see my electric meter running backwards on a sunny day! I see that 1^st Light Energy received a few bad reviews from previous customers. I think they’ve corrected these issues as we had a great experience. It’s a fairly big home improvement project and there are bound to be a few glitches along the way. Expect this and allow the company to address any problems. They were very responsive and helpful whenever I called or emailed them.

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

Great company to work with, they kept their schedule of installation, there was always someone ready to answer my questions, and they kept me in the loop as to how long it would take to get all the permits for my solar. Loved the company refer people all the time. Best of all, I pay $ 40 bucks less monthly for my electricity.