Solar4America

Scott H.

I did a LOT of research on solar options - companies, financing, panels, roofing systems. Took me about 2 years to finally pull the trigger. I compared written estimates from 5 vendors. I chose to purchase (not lease) my system from PetersenDean. I liked their panel and inverter specs, their roofing experience, and their discounts and promotions got me to a price that was competitive. (Note: I found out two things were going to cost more AFTER they preliminary engineering work was done. 1) I had to upgrade my main panel even though it was already 200a because it was an old, recalled panel that was unsafe, and 2) there was a surcharge for working with my specific type of roof tile. Both of those were very unwelcome surprises, but there wasn't a lot I could do about it and I likely would have had the same issues with other vendors anyway.) PD's service was superb. I really like how the project managers stayed in contact with me and were very responsive to any questions I had along the way. They also took care of all the communication and scheduling with my city inspectors and Southern California Edison. The guys on site for each part of the project were really good to work with, always wanting to make things right, even if it took extra effort. The install was very clean and orderly. They carefully routed the conduit right under my eaves and painted it to match the house. For my particular roof tiles, they had to use a rack system that put the panels about 8 inches above the roof. Although the whole system is on the back of my house, I have a single-story home and I could see up under all of the panels at the racking system. Didn't look good. So I asked PD if they could fabricate a ""skirt"" along the front edge to hide all the hardware. Some systems have that option; this one didn't. They sent out a guy with metal fab experience and he created a nice-looking custom skirt. The guys installed it very well, including hand-painting some of the rack edges and mounting screws black to match the skirt. The extra skirt project was done at no extra charge just because I asked and to make me a happy customer. And I am. My 36-panel system is working well, generating up to 50kWh on a clear sunny day. I love the Enphase app for my phone were I can see production data in 15-minute increments at any time.

Greg F.

Peterson Dean did exactly as they said they would do. They kept me informed as to the ongoing process of installing the solar panels. They answered all of my questions on a timely basis. When I had questions as to how the financing would work they took the time to find out for me and provide me with specific answers and details. Scott Gage was a very good representative. Helena Shi also assisted me and she kept me up to speed and up-to-date I emailing me and responding to my inquiries as well.

I handle insurance claims for contractors on a routine basis. This was the best contracting experience I have seen in a long time. The professionalism was excellent. The response time fantastic. Overall a great experience. When I need roofing work I'll be certain to call them as well.

Mike A.

This company does an ok job putting in solar panels but they are EXTREMELY SLOW. They have poor communication and their techs made numerous mistakes.
First, they provided incomplete information about their financing process.
Second on the day of install they forgot to install a major component of the electrical system (grounding rod, OOPS)
The tech had to come back another day because he forgot
Finally, they literally didn't show up for final inspection delaying the system by another week

Clearly they are more focused on selling you to than delivering service in a timely manor.

Go with solar city, they are faster and cheaper

Gill P.

I had a great experience with Peterson dean from start to finish. I'm proud to have purchased an American made system. My sales rep Jason McCormick took the time to answer all my questions and was very patient while I made my decision. After looking at 3 major companies I decided to use PD 2 months later. Here are the reasons why.
1 work crew neat and clean.
2 paint matched the conduit to the color of house.
3 each panel has its own inverter
4 system does not shut down if one panel fails.
5 the my enlighten site is great tells you how much power generated and how much power used along with how much power kicked back to pge. The system also tells you if your system is normal and can identify if any of your solar panels are under performing.
6 the solar breaker box is so much smaller than there competitor.
7 30yr warranty.
8 PD is also a roofing company for major builders and has a warranty against leaks. PD has many years of roof experience. Your solar company will always damage roof tiles but will your solar company tell you and replace them. PD did and also told me how many they replaced.
9 I inspected my roof after they left. Great install and did not find 1 broken tile.
Thanks PD

Vivian H.

We signed up for a solar system and roof replacement with Larry Cohan of Petersen Dean last week. Larry was very friendly and helpful. He didn't try to pressure us or rush us into making quick decisions. He was straightforward and honest. We got a fair price from a company we feel we can trust. We look forward to getting all the work done soon. We'll keep you posted throughout our upcoming construction experience.

Mike And Nina P.

I just purchased a solar electric system for my house from Petersen Dean, and thanks to my sales person Larry Cohan, it was a piece of cake. Prior to selecting Petersen Dean, I spoke with American Solar Direct and SolarCity. Out of the three, Petersen Dean is the only company to offer a system built with microinverters instead of power optimizers with a string inverter, but in my opinion as an engineer, both approaches have their pluses and minuses. Given that there wasn't a big technology difference, for me the decision came down to price, warranty, and service. Petersen Dean was the clear winner on all three counts. One reason I was comfortable going with them is that they are a roofing company, and because of that they are willing to offer a roof penetration warranty for 15 years (25 years if my roof wasn't already more than 10 years old) instead of the 10 years offered by their competitors, not to mention that if my roof ever needs work, they will remove and replace the solar panels for free. And then there's the service. Larry was great. No high pressure sales tactics here. He had no need. It was obvious that he is sincere in his belief that Petersen Dean is a great company, and he was confident that his price would be competitive. Turns out his price was the lowest. Best price, best warranty, and great service. It was an easy decision.

I'll give an update once the system is installed and working...

Erica S.

The rep Larry Cohan was very professional and answered all the questions we had. Looking forward to our new roof.

Denis I.

Got our 18 panels installed in April 2016. We could not be more pleased. Install went great. They actually installed in the rain. Looks great and works even better. Original quote included suggestions on how to lower our interior electric costs with LED lights. With that change we lowered the number of panels from 22 to 18 and our electric bill is less than $10 per month. I highly recommend Petersen Dean. Very professional and great work.

Carrie D.

My husband and I researched 4 other companies before settling with PetersenDean. Our consultant Brian Pease was great and provided excellent service. The contractors installed quickly and we've had our system for 4 months now. It's producing more than anticipated which I'm glad they were conservative with the numbers rather than over promising and not delivering! My last electric bill was $.66 and feel that the process was seamless from start to finish!

J.M. R.

After seeing a commercial for ""All American Solar"" I requested a quote through the P.D. web site. I received a call last Saturday and scheduled an in home appointment I was very disappointed with the hard sell for a $49 deposit for the ""special pricing"". I turned it down and said I was just looking for a quote. About 30 minutes later I received another call and was told my in home appointment was cancelled and that I would be receiving a phone appointment instead. I thought this was odd and unprofessional but I went ahead and scheduled the appointment. The date and time for the phone appointment came and I NEVER RECEIVED A CALL! This cost me $$$ as I left work early to be home for the scheduled time.

From start to finish P.D. failed on all levels of good customer service. Why pay all that money for the commercials??

I will definitely be purchasing a solar system for my house within the next week or two. Because of the horrible service I received, it will not be from Peterson Dean.

Lots of reputable solar companies to choose from. Don't waste your time with these guys.

Nobody else I've talked to put the hard sell on me and requested money during the first phone call.