San Diego Solar

Skip L.

Worst customer experience I've ever had. DO NOT question your bill with these guys or they go full on Karen and refuse to come back to a job that was only partially finished. Never came back after a six week wait.
Approx 4/28/21 My system went down and I find out my solar provider, Petersen Dean went bankrupt and new company that bought assets refused to honor my warranty. I called around and San Diego Solar said they could be out in a day or two.
4/30/21~ 4 guys show up at my tiny 704 square foot / 10-solar panel house to access my solar problem. The owner (Brad) and I shot the breeze while one guy opened some junction boxes and found the problem in the first few minutes. The other two guys just stood there and watched while the one guy made the temporary repair. The issue was shoddy workmanship with Petersen Dean using faulty boxes and the wrong wire connectors. They did send one of the 'extra' guys to truck to get a junction box and wire connectors which took five minutes.
The guy made the temporary repair which all took place in 40 minutes from the time they arrived.
They said they'd get parts together and be back to change the rest of the boxes within two weeks. I notified the owner (Brad) at this time I was moving on June 7, 2021 and I MUST have the work done before that time so my tenant didn't have to deal with it and Brad said ""NO PROBLEM"". I also offered to pay for that day's work right then and the Brad said ""We'll settle up when the work is complete"". Very cool of them. I also gave the workers some cactus and succulent cuttings that they asked about. Great start I thought.
5/4/21 Got a text that Roberto would be at my house on 5/5/21.
5/6/21 Texted Dirk to say Roberto never showed up. Dirk said they'd be there next week.
5/14/21~ I called and left a message. Got a text back saying they were super busy but they'd get to me before I moved on June 7th.
5/17/21 Waited a few more days and called again and left a voicemail. Got a text saying ""be there in the next couple days'.
5/27/21 Sent a text reminding them I needed the work done as I'm moving. Reply was 'Bear with me, we're finishing up 150 panel job'.
6/3/21 I called again and Dirk said they are just slammed and will get to me in the next couple weeks. He also said ""Since the request was not done via email, it just got overlooked"" Huh? I never even had their email address. And I reminded him for the umpteenth time I was moving June 7. He said they were too busy to make my date. He said he'd send an email with the first invoice and I told him his brother said we could settle up when all work was done and Dirk also agreed to that but he'd still send the invoice. I never got an invoice.
6/6/21~ Finally received the invoice. I emailed again and said my movers come tomorrow and my solar is still not fixed. He said I hadn't paid the invoice that I never received. He had my email address wrong. It showed 3 men 1 hour @ $270. By this time I'm really aggravated as they completely did not hold up their end of the bargain we made on 4/30/21. I wrote an email that said I'd pay the invoice as written but since I will have moved when they finally come back and not able to supervise, I'd like a smaller crew to replace my junction boxes and wire nuts. It's literally a one man job. Apparently this really pissed Dirk off as he snapped back that my roof, (9 degree pitch which is almost flat) was dangerous and that my electric mast was dangerous and a minimum two man crew was needed. I said that's fine. Almost EVERY single family home has an electrical mast and mine is brand new and no different than any other mast.
6/16/21 I'm 2000 miles away now. Still no news on my repair. I receive a second invoice with a late fee on it. The invoice was 10 days old and they put a late fee on it! I paid it but mentioned they can't put a late fee on an invoice that is only 10 days old that the owners had originally agreed to settle up when work was complete. I paid the invoice.
6/22/21~ I receive an email from Dirk that they are not coming back.
As a customer I have every right to question charges on my invoice. Apparently not at San Diego Solar though. They bail out on you half way through the job.
Dirk, (not Brad) provided the worst customer service, follow through and treatment I've ever encountered and I'm 60 years old and rehabbed/flipped 13 houses with 50+ different contractors. All I asked was for my repairs to be made as agreed upon on 4/30/21 and hopefully they could send less than three guys to make my repair. I know my repair was tiny and a nuisance but I was looking for a long term service provider. If you don't want a job, don't take it in the first place. San Diego Solar made me lose a little faith in humanity. It was all unnecessary. Had they done what they said they'd do on 4/30/21, BEFORE I moved 2000 miles away, everything would have worked out fine.

L C.

I cannot say enough great things about this company. Dirk was fantastic with his quick responses to my million and one questions. He dealt with the numerous hurdles SDGE put in the way which helped relieve me of stress. Dirk's brother Brad and the whole team were amazing. They installed my panels very quickly and were just very friendly. I think the price was great and I love being able to see how much electricity I'm using and when. I didn't feel any pressure to buy anything. I did not feel taken advantage of at all. It was a pleasant experience with San Diego Solar from start to finish. Also, one of the day's Dirk was over to meet with an inspector, I happened to be in the middle of cat rescue and I couldn't get the cat into a carrier. Dirk offered to come in and help. I didn't even ask, he just offered. We got the cat in the carrier within 5 minutes...something I had been trying for an hour and a half. Like I said, all around, this was a great experience:)

Annette L.

We had San Diego Solar install our solar panels last Sept after interviewing several other well known companies. Dirk came out and explained the type of panels they use and why.
We asked about battery storage and he explained pros and cons of what is on the market now. No hard sell, just information. No upsell for more panels or battery install, in fact he recommended that we wait on battery as new product is being developed.
This is a small local company owned by 2 brothers. Very low key with years of experience. Installation was efficient.
Once when Burt or Dirk was out we had a question about a patio leak since they are contractors, they climbed up and decided it was an easy fix, then proceeded to fix it! Talk about service!
Whenever I have had questions, I call or email and get a prompt reply.
We highly recommend them.

Gail L.

The owners, Dirk and Brad, were super to work with. They installed a 12 panel system for me: LG panels with Enphase microinverters. I have a 1200 square foot home and recommended a superior system. Their fast turn around for a quote, answering all the questions I had, giving me all the time needed, was wonderful. The technology they have allows you to monitor each panel's production is quite amazing. The two staff members who did the installation were courteous, efficient, and clean up was great. They took only 2 days. The design of my panels on the outside was aesthetically beautiful: you can't see any conduit running from the street. All the permits were placed, and in about 10 days, you are up and running. I can't be any happier. Their prices are very competitive, but they go out of their way to treat you like family and that is priceless!

Bill H.

I could not be more pleased with the work that San Diego Solar did on my roof. I've got a metal tile roof (Decra Shake) which will outlast me, but not many know how to install solar on it. I was referred to Dirk by the manufacturer of my roof and I was pleased to find that they are trained and certified by Decra. Nevertheless, it took longer than expected, but I was not disappointed as the work was done so well. It will not leak! Also, their pricing is very competitive. I got quotes from about 5 contractors and all were pretty competitive and mostly within my budget (except for one large company which advertises too much, IMO.) I've done a lot of research on solar for the last 10 years or so, and back then it was way too expensive. However, now the pricing is much better, at least for me, but your mileage may vary. As I talked with Dirk, my level of trust grew as I could tell he really knew his business and wasn't just trying to impress me. This gave me the confidence that they would do their best to install a system they and I could be proud of. If you are looking for a contractor, I would urge you to give Dirk a call. You won't be disappointed. If have questions, I would be glad to give you more details. Tell Dirk you want to talk to Bill in Bonita. Thanks Dirk and Brad for the great job!

Jerry C.

I always wait awhile before giving a review on Yelp. You always get good service during the ""honeymoon"" phase of projects. I've now had my solar system for a couple of years and the follow-up service (haven't needed much) has been outstanding. Brad and Dirk are very capable, responsive, courteous, (I'm out of adjectives). In short, I highly recommend them for your solar panel needs. I have recommended them to several friends and they share my recommendation of San Diego-Solar.

Waldo W.

Just did ANOTHER solar install with Dirk and his team.

I was remodeling a house and knew to call Dirk and his brother. It is so much more convenient (and less expensive) when your solar installer is ALSO a licensed roofer.

Dirk and his brother Brad coordinated all the electrical, solar, skylights and roofing into one solidly done job. It speaks to their attention to detail and quality when the boss is right up on that roof alongside his workers.

Jenny L.

We're really glad our neighbor recommended San Diego Solar for our new roof! Brad was always very helpful and responsive when we had any questions and concerns. With the holidays and rain season, we really wanted to finish our roof asap, and Brad and his team were so understanding and we really felt that they tried very hard to make sure we had our new roof asap. Everyone came to our house first thing in the morning at the scheduled time and worked hard until after the sun set. They were also very polite and respectful, not only to us but also our neighbors and our property, they cleaned up everything at the end of each day. We are very happy with our finished roof, the price was very reasonable, it looks great, and we feel confident that we can trust it's good quality. We will definitely recommend them to everyone who wants to install roof and solar system!

Alex F.

Was very happy we went with Dirk and Brad! They were referred to us by two different friends who had used them for their solar and roofing work. They were extremely friendly, courteous and also were super competitive on price while installing top quality panels. They did the work right the first time!

Ione S.

We love our solar electricity! Dirk and Brad explained all of our options. They took the time to examine several options and help us design a system that was perfect for us. As a custom residential architect function and aesthetics are both very important to me. They helped us design a system that is practically hidden from view but yet is using the optimal panel locations for generating the most electricity. The crew that installed the panels were thoughtful and patient in answering all of my questions. They kept a clean and organized job site and efficiently installed the system in less than a week. We found them purely by recommendation from an Engineer I work with. I am so glad we used them and will be recommending them to all my clients and friends.