We decided to put Solar on our home and contacted five different solar companies. One of the companies was from the bay Area, they presented the SUNPOWER solar panel to us and after doing the homework, we decided to go with SUNPOWER Solar Panels because they are the best of the best. The bay area company submitted a bid for our system. We contacted Alternative Energy Systems in Chico, as they install only SUNPOWER Solar Panels., we requested a bid from them "Apples to Apples", for the SUNPOWER Solar Panels. The bid came back totaling more than 15% LOWER than the bid from the bay area company. We signed a contract, and the installation process was unbelievably smooth, they took care of everything from start to finish. The installation crews we're professional, knowledgeable, considerate and friendly. They have the highest qualified electricians working for them, ensuring only the best for their clients. Always checking with us and explaining any concerns that we had. This was an enjoyable experience for us and there is no doubt that we have chosen The Best Solar Company in California for our installation. Alternative Energy Systems. read more

A staff member reached out and was more than agreeable to meet with me at my convenience whether it be during or after business hours so that I would not have to miss work again. He showed up on time and very knowledgeable. read more

This is a gpod company. Very knowledgeable and efficient. They designed for us exactly what we needed and the install guys are a well oiled machine. They were a pleasure to work with and We heartily recommend them. read more

Thus company is committed to customer service & satisfaction. Not only at the time of "sale" but for years afterwards. We had a recall from SunPower (the company from whom AES gets the equipment) 8 years later & AES worked persistently & competently to get it done correctly. Huge shout out to Carmy, Sandro?, Eric!! Than You!! Debbie & Ted read more

So after 8 months and more excuses I would like to say all done and working but that's not the case. We did however get the panels installed. The crew that did the work were a good crew. But now it's electrical. Apparently their electricians are few and far between. It's been over a week and still no idea of when this might happen. Mean while still paying PG&E over 400.00 a month while I wait. This process is more then frustrating as the response says. He said first quarter of 23. Should I believe this? Last promised time was Oct of 22. This thread will continue. read more

My data collection quit working several months ago. I called and offered to replace the hub, but they said it would void the warranty so I made an appointment which they never showed up for. I called twice and got a human who said they said they would get back to me. They never got back to me. Most of my calls go to voice mail and are never returned. They sell a good product, but they are too expensive, and their service is non existent. read more

Three years ago I reached out to AES for a quote on a solar panel system. They said my location was not suitable for the project. I found another company for the same job. Here it is three years later and I have pretty much zeroed out my electricity bill since then. Quit advertising if you don't have time for my business. read more

I entered into a contract for solar at my residence on 3/30/23. As of 3/4/24, almost a year later, I'm still waiting for the system to be finalized for operation. In the case of this company, most of the employees I've interacted with have been very nice and professional. The Sales/Project Reps, Installers and Electricians were all easy to work with and consistently communicated in a courteous and knowledgeable manner. As far, as the quality of work and materials, everything appears to be of good quality and workmanship. The down side of my experience with this company falls squarely on the management and ownership based on my background experience in program management. As indicated my system is still not fully functioning nearly 1 year after signing a contract with this company that had an estimated start and completion date of 9/26/23 and 12/20/23 respectively. My project's actual installation start date wasn't until the middle part of Jan. 2024. Based on communications from sales/project representatives, much of the delay in getting my project going was the availability of a Project Designer due to employee attrition. Having said this, it is understood that the start work and completion dates are estimates and some variance from those are to be expected. But going on 3 months is not acceptable without some sort of reasonable remedy. By now most are aware of supply chain issues and work force retention challenges for companies but these should not be unrealistic burdens placed on the customer. If these are ongoing issues for a company they need to be transparently factored into the contract costs and timelines up front. In the case of this company, I did request an additional discount on my project's cost due to the apparent extended timeframe of completion. To their credit, they did discount me $263 for my Dec. PGE Bill, effectively acknowledging their failure to provide a completed project by their projected 12/20/23 completion date. Of note here, customers will no longer receive a significant monthly bill from PGE once their system is operational and has a Permit to Operate (PTO) from PGE until the annual "True-Up" Bill. To the companies discredit however, they were unwilling to provide me with the requested PGE Bill discount for Jan. - Feb. for an additional $553.65?? According to both the Sales/Project Rep. and Manager, all discounts have to be approved by the manager and finalized by the owner. I had originally requested that I would have been satisfied with them waiving the $592 Final Permit fee in place of compensating these bills but they were unwilling to do this. For prospective solar purchasers, some added tips and things to be aware of in the process. 1) Get at least 2 quotes for your system. Competition is good for both the customer and vender. Weigh your options above and beyond just price alone. Consider period of performance , quality of products and workmanship. Don't be rushed and weigh your options based on your values. Don't be afraid to ask questions and to negotiate the contract variables. In my case, I willingly opted out with another local company who would have highly likely had the system installed by May/June 2023. I'm confident in this because we have friends who went with this other company and had their system completed by early July and we had been in the queue ahead of them. Time = money! The better original price point I had with this company is not as good as originally anticipated given the extended timeframe and having it roll into the next tax year. 2) Be aware that there are 3rd Parties involved with the process and timeline for final completion. The County has to inspect and permit your system. In my case the installation was completed on 2/14/24. The County Inspection didn't take place until 2/22/24. Beyond this, PGE has to issue you a Permit to Operate (PTO) before you are official. According to AES staff, PGE has up to 30 days to do this. I'm currently waiting on this to be completed for my system as of 3/4/24. This is all in the fine print of the contract but was not explicitly spelled out on the front end of the process. The take home is, your system may be installed but it could take up to another 1-2 months for it to be turned on due to this. ** Of note here** My system has effectively been installed since 2/14/24. I found out that it had been on and was feeding power back to the grid (PGE) while I'm currently waiting for the PTO. In effect, PGE has been getting free power from my system while I'm currently not getting any savings waiting for the PTO. There's no incentive for PGE to get the PTO out any sooner than the full 30 day term there! This is all very suspect to my way of reasoning! In short, ensure the solar company has your system turned off after your system is fully installed and you're awaiting the final PTO unless you like donating to PGE. Not all bad but lots of room for improvement with the company. read more

I would like to give a good review for this company, but cannot. The tech who assessed my property and came up with a design was clearly only interested in closing the deal. Not at all good at explaining things. I ended up with a system with which I'll be paying more, each year at the true-up, than I'd be paying without solar. Didn't even know that was possible. When I got the first estimate from PGE, after the panels were active, I called AES to see if this was accurate, as it came as a shock. The person who answered the phone (Marty) was very abusive, and kept saying it was my fault. Bottom line, I deeply regret going with this company. read more

This company is a scam! They took my deposit and then told me they wouldn't do the job and kept my deposit! Don't do business with this company unless you want to get robbed! Worst experience ever! If I could give them lower than one star I would My roof is a 30 year roof and is only 15 years old so your company wanted me to get a new roof 15 years earlier than it needs to!!! Then I told your company I would be willing to pay for the removal and reinstall when I do get a new roof but that wasn't good enough apparently... u could've looked at my roof and told me that before you did any work! So now I'm forced to pay for a survey that I don't need! You are the ones that canceled the contract therefore you should refund my deposit in FULL!!!! You basically charged me $500 for work that is worthless to me! I will be telling anyone that asks me how your company stole $500 from me read more

Alternative energy solutions is the best. Helped through many problems another unscrupulous company left me with. Lauren Guerra service writer is epic. Thank you all for all you've done. read more

We are probably going to pass right now on solar, but I can tell you this that after dealing with Ian, when we decide to go with solar we will not be going with anyone else. Ian an AES is the best. read more

The sales portion of the entire experience was a long one. One thing after another. John my sales guy was great and did most of the follow through and office communication during the initial start. They failed to start my job on time which resulted in my loan canceling since it's only good for six months. Had they shown up to start even for a day (which they were scheduled to do twice but said weather wouldn't allow, even though it only rained for two days during those windows of time) this would have not happened, or touched basis with me to notify me of options. In the end I had to re-do my loan at the last minute not only once but twice more. The office communication was very limited, text mainly... was not ever going to recommend AES. But then the crews showed up and saved the day. They were on time, professional, caring and quick. Workman ship top notch! They made the rest of the process extremely easy. And flipped my opinion of AES. My recommendation would be to make sure that the months leading up to your project they stay in touch you might have to call them but office communication is very limited! read more

They are the best! We have had our panels for close to 3 years and have never regretted leasing the system. Are they perfect? No, there have been times when they were late responding to a call. But they have treated us so well, I can forgive a slow response now and then. They deserve the 5 stars. read more

Beware!!! This company quoted me $27,000 for a system that my friend was quoted $23,000. SAME EXACT SYSTEM DOWN TO THE PANELS, INVERTER, OUTPUT, ECT. When I called them on it (even showed them the printed quote from my friend) they said because he paid cash they gave it to him cheaper. So bottom line is if you don't have an extra $23,000 laying around be prepared to pay $4,000 more for the same product. Also, if you do go with them make sure they give you the "proximity" discount regardless where you live. They failed to let us know about this discount. I just refuse to pay more for something identical that someone else got cheaper just because they paid cash. I know they are free to do business as they please, but I also know I can tell as many people as I can to get their solar elsewhere. With all the solar companies out there please do your research. UPDATE: Please read their comment to my prior post. My friends installation costs were the same as mine (as listed in the breakdown). Only difference was cash vs financing. So their "capital costs associated with financing" equal $4,000? My point exactly. The sales rep said they would not sell me the system at my friends price because he paid cash and I wanted to finance. read more

We recently had quite a large system installed by these guys and I can say we are very pleased. From the very first encounter to the end of the project, they were very professional and conscientious . The guys worked quickly and did an extremely sanitary job on the install. I truly don't have one negative about this company or our experience with them. I am a very critical person when it comes to working on or around my home and property. I highly recommend them if your considering a Solar project. read more

OK, this is actually a review of the sales process from AES. I worked with Ian H (sorry, I've forgotten your last name). I also solicited quotes from 3 other providers. One was located in Sacramento but advertises as though they are local to Chico. They boggled the phone appointment time and were annoyed when I still asked too many questions. End of them. A second company here in Chico was very nice with a young sales rep and a more experienced manager. Nothing wrong with either of them, but I felt as though I had to pull info out of them a bit. Same story with the other local guys--except Ian at AES. He was thorough, did not mind my questions (and I ask a LOT of questions) and did not try to avoid the tough answers. He was smart, sensible and open. There are three issues, to my mind, in trying to decide: money, the quality of the product and the professional installation. As far as I could tell, the panels were about the same from all vendors (I looked up specs online). Ian provided the clearest explanation of the differences by a mile. Only online reviews could tell me about the installation issues, but Ian was up front about how long it takes to get the installation started. (Same answer as everyone else, but the offered the info and the reasons without hesitation or excuse. And the reasons are reasonable.) That left the money. AES was not the cheapest but not hugely different than their competition. Solar is sold on saving you money on your PG&E bill but the estimate of actual cash savings does not take the cost of financing into account. I did the math and, netting the financing costs against the electric bill savings, the cash it would likely cost each year would be pretty much the same unless PG&E raised their prices by about 20-25%. That could happen, of course, but I don't think I will be in the house long enough to see the savings. I'm retired, so pinching the cash is a huge priority. Ian completely understood my concerns. He came back (politely, not aggressively) with an alternative plan to reduce the cost a little, but understood when I still said no. If the rest of the company is half as good as Ian, I would recommend them wholeheartedly. read more

It took me three years to find a solar company that I felt comfortable with, which included passing on a good friend who is in the solar industry. When I finally pulled the trigger it was with SunPower by Alternative Energy Systems in Chico (yes, their name IS too long). I am that PIA customer that all salespersons dread. However, Chad took that in stride and was extremely patient and understanding with all my questions and concerns. He was so easygoing and low key I'm not rightly sure he can be called a salesman but salesman he is and a damn fine one at that. If I thought that professionalism and friendliness would evaporate, once the contract was signed, I was sorely disappointed. The installation crew and electricians exemplified the highest standards of their profession. Not only were they punctual, efficient and quick, but they also cleaned my gutters and helped my wife charge her car battery. My only regret was not having a longer list of chores for them. Because of the construction of my home (log cabin) I didn't want to ruin the aesthetics with a bunch of conduit, junction boxes and other unpleasantness associated with typical solar installation. Not a problem. The boys ran everything through attics and duct chases like little sneaky little ninjas! I don't think the bats or mice even noticed. If there weren't solar panels on the roof you'd never know anything happened and that included wiring in a backup generator. I'd continue gushing with this review but I need to go outside and admire my glorious new solar array while mocking the PG&E trucks driving by. read more

You can tell a lot about a company by the employees, and I have to say, every AES employee I dealt with from the office to the on-site installers were top-notch, dedicated people who genuinely appreciated their jobs and their employers. Between my install being scheduled in March just when the uncertainty and shutdowns of Covid were happening, to the minor challenges of having an older home, everyone I dealt with was super-helpful, communicative, and solution-oriented. Talking with other people who have worked with AES, the same word keeps coming up across the board: integrity. So glad I didn't go with the out-of-town company that first approached me. read more

We heard about AES from a neighbor who had them install a solar system. We have been debating the solar issue for a couple years and decided to go with AES based upon the neighbors review. They installed the Sunpower panels completely on a Friday and the next Tuesday (Monday was a holiday) their electrician came out and finished the installation that day. We heard from PG&E and AES the following day and were up and running that Friday after the City signed off. One week from installation to up and running. Our experience has been excellent and we would recommend them to anyone looking for a quality solar experience. read more

We were very pleased with the team at SunPower throughout the process. From the initial consultation to the final walk through, the entire process was easy and professional. They were incredibly fast with their install too as it allowed us to receive our tax credit on this year's instead of needing to wait until next year. read more

I own a solar company in So Cal. When my wife's best friends, who live in No Cal wanted solar, I referred them to AES. My friend is very particular and had a lot of questions. He called me last night to rave about AES. He is very pleased with the job the installation team did and their attention to detail. read more

Wonderful service. They make sure you know what you bought. Their explanations were very thorough and professional. The installers were equally informative. read more

We just completed our install with AES. The process was great. Like many others, I highly recommend working with Ian.

The solar design center is beautiful and very informative. Everyone is very accommodating, pleasant, and knowledgeable. I like the combination of local talent and big-brand reliability. The pricing is on par with competitors, but the service is what gives them the edge. Highly recommended! read more

Thanks to AES I am making my own power! They were informative and professional about the process. The installation crew was AWESOME ! They were polite, professional, one time and quick with installation. We were kept up to date on each stage of process. Thank you I will recommend them to my family and friends! read more

My brother recently had a system of solar panels installed. He had to work so I volunteered to come over and be at the house while the work was done. I must say, I was very impressed with SunPower! Not only was there NO hollerin', spittin', or cussin' ... these guys are hard-working, knowledgeable about their product and very friendly. They showed up when they said they would, they were respectful of the property and they didn't leave trash behind. Looking forward to seeing how much money my brother will be saving with this worthwhile investment. I highly recommend this company to anyone looking for alternative energy systems! read more

I highly recommend Alternative Energy Systems of Chico. I did a lot of research before I purchased and got a number of competing bids. I purchased a top grade system, installed by a top rate company with an unbeatable warranty at significant savings . I had a lot of questions and the staff at AES was very proffesional and helpful through the entire process. Kurt answered all my many questions and facilitated my making an informed desicion with confidence in my investment. read more

These guys are the best! The whole team is knowledgeable about the solar market and their products. The install guys even asked about our small children's nap time made efforts to be quiet on the roof at that time I think that's really cool that they made that effort! They will treat you right and are readily available throughout the permit and install process to answer questions. Ask for Chad he is great! read more

Start to finish they were kind, informative and helpful. Love that they are locally owned. They were available for my questions but never pressured us to sign or hurry our decision. (unlike the big guys out of Sac) We loved their price and how they handled business. We highly recommend them. read more

We did a lot of research about solar panel construction types by the various manufacturers and after reviewing their track records and warranties we settled on Sun Power panels. Although we are in the Redding area we chose the Sun Power dealer, Alternative Energy Systems, in Chico based on recommendations from friends that have used them. We cannot say enough positive things about our experience with AES from our initial visit to their show-room in Chico to the final walk-through after our system was up and running. Instead of experiencing a sales pitch when we visited the showroom we had a very informative discussion regarding the various options regarding size, configuration, and benefits. If anything we felt their estimate of "time to pay-off" was very conservative based on PG&E's track record of rate increases. Once we decided to proceed we were contacted by a project manager, who explained the entire installation process and time line. Throughout the installation process she kept us updated and shepherded the paperwork through the county for permitting and PG&E for approval. She also set up convenient times for the work crews to install the panels and all electrical connections to our main service panel. The crews that did the work were fantastic; they were prompt and courteous and their work was top notch. I was truly impressed with their attention to detail; something that I have not seen with other company's installs that we looked at. Once the installation was complete AES had a "solar coach" come to our house to explain how to monitor our system in terms of energy production and how to monitor our PG&E account including a discussion of how PG&E's net metering and annual "true-up" process worked. Bottom line AES has great folks that do fantastic work. read more

Took $1000 deposit for simple repair. Canceled service date three times. Showed up once with out proper equipment no can do. Office "coordinator" not returning call. Too "busy" to explain if fourth date canceled or not. (It was). Avoid this firm. Ordered wrong part. Two months wasted. read more

Going solar with AES was easy. We went to the East Ave office without an appointment and the office personnel set us up immediately with the designer. He answered all of our questions and gave us a preliminary design and cost. He explained how we could finance the project as well the tax rebates. There was no pressure at any time. We decided to go ahead with the project and we signed all of the paper work on line. First step was to have a site inspection to make sure everything was as proposed. We were assigned a person to keep us informed with everything that was happening daily. When the construction began it took two workers two days to install the panels, racks, and the conduits. The electriction added the wiring and electronics. And by the end of the week it had been inspected by AES, the city, and PG&E, and was turned on and reversing our power meter. This was a lot easier than I thought it would be. If you ever thought of adding solar to your property I would start here. We did get other propsals, but this was the best deal and they had come highly recommended by some other professionals in the green construction field. read more

Professional through-and-through! They have a different person for each facet of the job, communicate clearly with the customer, and with other. Other businesses would be wise to emulate them. We are very pleased with the whole process and product, too! read more