I'm aware of the fact that it's to-date one of the few negative reviews for Vital Energy, but I'm…read moregoing to share my warning to others, as it could suggest that they may not be of the same quality as before. Vital's quote was higher than most others we received, but given their reviews, we decided it was worth the extra spend for a clean install. Pre-install had delays and miscommunications. I know this is common with projects, so I remained positive.
I was sent engineering plans for my approval. I saw that these revised plans were for a smaller system than what I had originally agreed to. The change would have made it easier for the installers, but would have netted me less energy, with no adjustment to my cost. To the PM's credit, he attempted to draw my attention to these changes when they were sent for my approval, but I nevertheless saw it as a proposed change constructed to benefit Vital with no consideration toward me, and delayed the process even more as I had them change back to the original agreed-upon system size. I remained positive.
On installation day, one of the installers broke my new and expensive inverter. I said no big deal, I'll talk to the PM and we'll figure something out. Even though the system wasn't fully functional due to the broken inverter, but I nevertheless paid everything that was due that day, withholding only a documented amount equivalent to a replacement inverter until we can find a resolution.
The manufacturer would only replace the broken inverter it with a used device under warranty (i.e. one that another customer has returned and has been refurbished) with a shorter warranty window. Rather than demand a new inverter at the company's expense, which I believe I fairly could have, I proposed options which included a partial credit for the downgrade (and the warranty hassle and ~two months lost solar generation). After waiting weeks for a reply, I followed up and their finance specialist accepted responsibility for the damage IN WRITING and agreed to the credit. I spent hours on the warranty process, found an oversized box, and shipped the broken unit.
This is where it unraveled. Right after the resolution, CEO Jason Jackson, got involved for the first time, deflected blame, and said he thinks my equipment was defective (a manufacturing defect somehow caused a piece of hard plastic to snap off?), asked to inspect it and offered to handle the warranty for me. I told him that the package was already shipped, and that I would have very much welcomed his examination and warranty help three weeks ago (rather than the radio silence I received), but the resolution reached, device shipped and warranty in motion. And despite his self-proclaimed "30 years in the industry," didn't appear to have a grasp of the situation as he incorrectly called the inverter a "battery," and required correction. He also accused me of breach of contract for temporarily withholding a small amount due to the breakage.
Meanwhile, I noticed flickering lights in several rooms. Nothing suggested a solar connection, so we called an electrician... three visits and $1,300+ later, he traced it to loose connections and a stripped lug in equipment the installers had just worked in, attributing it to the install with a high degree of likelihood. I had been willing to absorb that bill just to move on. Instead, as the CEO kept trying to walk back the written agreement, I was told my warranty might now be partially void because a licensed electrician had worked in the same area, and the Vital threatened a lien on my home while I was withholding the remaining balance awaiting a corrected ledger and the heat detectors their own permit plans required.
Five employees of Vital were copied in to the email thread which created an audience, so I eventually decide to email Jason directly to remove the risk of humiliation for him (I detected a hefty ego), and gave him a generous compromise offer. I made major concessions to just get this over with and we finally put it to bed. I was pleasantly surprised that he did not ask me to sign an NDA as part of a compromise, because now it allows me to share my experience here.
The field crews were likable and professional, and even the installer who broke the inverter seemed like a knowledgeable, decent guy. Leadership is what failed here, at real cost in time and stress. Do your due diligence, and weigh the ownership of any company you hire. There are plenty of reputable solar companies out there...
