Run on Sun recently completed my solar installation. They are a well managed professional company. I was very happy with the work, the communication and the final solar installation. It was a seamless process and it was completed in sufficient time for me to take advantage of the expiring solar tax credit. read more

Jim was great! We are in the Pasadena area and reached out to Run on Sun to get our solar panels uninstalled and subsequently reinstalled in order to fix a leak in our roof. We had quotes from a few companies but we ended up sticking with Run on Sun because of the time Jim spent out here to not only look at the work that needed to be completed but to also explain everything that needed to be done. In addition, he made recs on how to avoid future leaks in the roof in the future. It was a little pricier than expected, but we ended up with new racks and new equipment which is where the additional cost came in. Overall, very happy with our experience with Run on Sun and Jim, and we will go back to them with any future solar needs! Thanks, Jim. read more

Another 5 Star Review. After getting tired of slick selling solar salespeople we asked two of our friends who they used and if they were happy with their experiences. Both used Run on Sun Solar and I got in touch to set up a consultation. Jim, the owner came to our house and gave a very straight forward package suggestion that didn't include anything that we did not need. He certainly knows the business and science of solar and only offers top notch equipment. Jim and his assistant, Amanda, took care of everything including the somewhat tedious permitting process that our city is known for. Both were always quick to respond to any questions we had and provided regular updates of where they were in the process including almost daily pictures of the installation. Their crew of installers were a pleasure to have at our house and always left the job site immaculate at the end of the day. If you're confused and tired with your solar decisions call Run On Sun, you will be thankful you did. read more

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Run on Sun installed a full solar system, including battery backup, at my home. Their work was outstanding. From start to finish, they took a measured engineering approach to the project. As a result, the solar system is properly designed and working flawlessly. Working with Jim Jenal and Amanda Watson was a great experience. They always kept me informed. They were especially helpful in working through the local jurisdiction permitting process. All in all, I could not be happier with my new solar system. I wholeheartedly recommend Run on Sun. read more

Run On Sun - Battery Backup - Solar Installation Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We loved working with Run On Sun. Frankly, it's a bit shocking to see, and incomprehensible to imagine, 1-star reviews for them. Jim and his team are kind, passionate, dedicated climate advocates and solar experts. We've loved our panels for the last five years, which we installed when we moved into our home. Recently, I had a small issue with hooking my new wifi system up to the Envoy panel, and Jim came out personally to fix it. I've always felt they were attentive and caring. I suppose bad luck happens to everyone at some point, but I recommend Run On Sun to anyone who ever asks me about solar panels. read more

To respond to the owner's response to my negative review: the records will reflect the inquiry was under my husband's name, Lauren Y. You came to our home, sat in our kitchen and had a lengthy discussion with us. After giving us a quote you completely ghosted us. I did not mistake the company, otherwise I would have taken down my review. read more

You should definitely consider Run on Sun if you're considering solar power. My family have been benefiting from solar power for our house (installed by Run on Sun) for nearly a year now. Working with Jim was great because he really put effort into creating the best solar system for our needs. I like supporting local businesses and working with a professional who has been supporting clean energy with his business. I am happy to see all the electrical power our system is providing which really offsets our electricity bills. The system has been functioning flawlessly this past year and I know Jim will stand by us if anything unexpected were to happen. read more

I reached out to Run on Sun, even though I live a bit outside of the area they provide service. The owner, Jim, quickly gave me the names of two providers they could recommend in my area. Very helpful -- Thanks guys! read more

Run from Run On Sun Project was four months late to complete (how does a two month project miss by four months?) and now I'm filing in small claims court to collect on the damages the company did to my roof. Solar is a great idea. Using Run On Sun is a bad idea. read more

Jim, Amanda and the entire team at Run on Sun are amazing. They are deeply fluent in their products and phasing, communicative, and fastidious. We are very pleased with the installation of both the panels and battery system. I whole heartedly recommend Run on Sun. read more

Jim and Amanda were great to work with. They answered my initial questions over the phone and were very up front about the process and price. Arrived on time, seemed very knowledgeable of my older solar system and got it fixed quickly. Recommended. read more

We can't say enough positive things about Run on Sun. From the moment we first met with Jim and Sara about the potential of installing solar panels, to the day we received our first monthly summary showing how much energy our panels had generated, the time has been well-spent. When hiring Run on Sun you will find professionalism, thoughtfulness and fairness. Jim sat with us and explained how the process worked, when we could expect the different stages to take place, and what the costs would be. Some other companies will give you a less expensive quote up front without even visiting your home and without doing the proper amount of research first and then when it comes to the installation, they see "problems" and that's when the extra, surprise fees come in, you don't have to worry about that with Run on Sun. They also handle all of the paperwork and trust me, dealing with LADWP in order to make sure you get the tax credit coming to you, is no small feat. Knowing that these panels are saving us money on energy bills and helping the environment, make us feel great about our purchase and knowing that over time we might have questions about our panels and that Run on Sun will be there, makes us feel secure in our purchase as well. The best part is that Jim is passionate about what he does. He's not a roofer who happens to also install solar panels. Solar and doing his part to help the environment are what he's all about. read more

Jim Jenal, Run On Sun, recently completed installing a solar system at my house. I have only great things to share about Run On Sun. Thorough and patient explanation of the entire solar installation process. Quickly responsive to all communications. Expedient with resolving any issues that surfaced during the installation. Meticulous and clean with the installation process. Easy to work with. Ensure that all necessary permits and inspections are done through the City of Pasadena. I highly recommend Run On Sun for your future solar system. read more

If you are thinking on going solar, you should give this guys a call and talk to Jim. Background... Like any sensible homeowner with an interest in reducing energy costs and saving some cash, I decided to go solar. I was convinced my house would be a good candidate based on my less-than-scientific observations. Once I made the decision, I started looking into solar companies. I spent the next several months meeting with many of these companies. I met with Gen110 - a SolarUniverse company, Home Performance Matters, Sunrun, Building Doctors, and RunOnSun. I was glad I did! Results... The results were astonishing. I was guaranteed anywhere from 5,000 kWh/Year to 8,100 kWh/Year based on their "Sun Shade" (Suneye) reports. Their estimates for the installation where fairly close, all within the $25K range (I was not interested on leasing - if you are a home owner, purchasing is the best option). These guarantees would drop my energy usage down to Tier 2, I'm currently on Tier 4. My investment would be returned within 8 years. After 25 years, I would see savings of over $32K. All made phenomenal guarantees, except RunOnSun. Why RunOnSun... After contacting RunOnSun, sending them a year's worth of data from my local energy supplier, Jim came to my house and did the unexpected, he was frank and honest about my property and advised against going solar. He turned down what could have been $25K in business from someone very eager to go solar. How does he stay in business? I asked him to explain and then he proceeded to share the Holy Grail of online resources (http://solarmap.lacounty.gov/). I've never heard of this resource. None of the other companies ever brought it up. After I mentioned it to them, they proceeded to say, "For the record I have never used that site as a solar installer. I have never even heard of anyone using that. A solar company should be using solmetrics shade readings which are the industry standard." This maybe true, but it speaks of reckless incompetence. From the LA County Solar Map site... "A major step forward in solar mapping, the LA County Solar Map offers more than 100 million points for solar potential on LA County rooftops and calculates solar radiation every five feet. The database contains 250 million individual measurements, including shading from trees, roof features, roof pitch, nearby buildings, and mountains. Each cell grid has been converted to a dot that represents the amount of solar potential for 25 square feet." If you are planning on going solar, make sure to visit this website first. If you find your property a good candidate, your next stop should be RunOnSun. Call Jim and make an appointment. Let him know I sent you. We only talked for a short while, but he is welcome to family BBQs anytime he wants, Jim, if you read this, you have an open invitation and thanks for saving me from a making an awful and costly mistake. read more

Stellar in all aspects! Having reached out to several other solar companies and realizing that they were just sales people with no real technical or field experience; I decided to contact the City Engineer for advice and direction. Jim and Sara are 100% competent, reliable and professional. They guided me through their proposal and justified each aspect confidently; such as how they were going to attach the panels to my roof to avoid any potential leaks. They also addressed aesthetics along with performance in locating the system. They provided timely updates and feedback throughout the process so that you are never left in the dark, and you always knew what the next step in the installation and permitting process was, ie no surprises. Everything was on schedule and on budget. Overall it was an absolute pleasure working with Jim and Sara, and I would unequivocally recommend them as the go to company for your solar needs. Run on Sun is the template of how the industry should perform! read more

I first spoke to Jim after researching several companies for my residential solar project. After much consideration I decided to go with Run On Sun, however Jim was to busy and decided to pass on the project. I ended up going with my second choice and it has been an absolute disaster. It took them over 1 year to complete the 9.6KW system. This other company (Candelaria Electric) took my money right away and then tied me up with their contract until they had enough time (which could have been never, but that's another story). After Candelaria Solar was about halfway through the project, and were starting to lag on progress again I finally got fed up and called Jim from Run On Sun to see if he could finish it. Jim came to my house, looked at what the other contractor had done, found all the problems with the current installation in progress, and pointed out everything that needed to be changed. This allowed me to confront my current contractor with the information Jim gave me, and they finally agreed to finish and redo everything the correct way. I wish I had waited and gone with Run On Sun to begin with. Jim is detail oriented to a fault, and runs a good and fair business (very rare in this industry). I never write Yelp reviews, but felt that Jim deserved a shout out for his help. If it weren't for Jim I'd probably have a shoddy if not dangerous installation. If you are thinking about hiring a Solar Contractor, learn from my mistake and go with Jim/Run On Sun. read more

We contacted Jim about installing a solar service at our home. Jim provided a contract and a bid price for a design that included an installation on our garage roof - who knew it could be that easy? The work was quickly done and we developed a good working relationship with Amanda, Jim's employee who coordinated details and put in long hour waiting for inspectors to show up. We are enjoying our air conditioning guilt free. Thanks! read more

Jim installed residential solar panels on our house in 2012. He is exceptionally knowledgeable about not only solar instillation and product, but about the global idea of sustainable energy and cost effectiveness. He counseled us on the best approach to solar and provided a long term projection of performance data and cost savings over time. Prior to signing any contracts, Jim walked us through every step of the process, time line, and itemized costs. After instillation was completed, he presented us with a comprehensive, personalized binder containing pictures and all information regarding our project. Jim knows his business so well, he was even able to show one of our city permit inspectors the benefits of his instillation plan compared to the city's plan. The inspector then happily approved Run on Sun's plan over their own! Run on Sun monitors the performance of each panel remotely and contacts me if anything is amiss. We are able to follow the same tracking on our home computer as well.We have been up and running for almost two years without any problems. The savings on our electricity bill has been substantial and has made the investment well worth the initial costs. During instillation, Jim and his crew were prompt, professional and cleaned up completely at the end of each day (which I really appreciated). I would highly recommend Run On Sun Solar. From residential houses to big businesses, Run On Sun will provide reliable, quality solar energy. read more

Run on Sun is the best solar energy provider there is. I have had my residential system since September, 2015, when owner Jim Jenal provided me with my Owner's Manual of anything I need to know. Jim is a real expert on Solar, and an exquisitely smart nerd. He is honest, reliable, communicative and a pleasure to speak with. He teaches as he goes. His spreadsheets are so accurate that after 3 years I don't worry about a thing. He is responsive to a phone call or a text and will drop by if needed to take a look at the meter. His staff is terrific, skilled, and reflect the attitudes that Jim's leadership provides. This company is personable, rooted in the Pasadena community and I would recommend them with absolutely no reservation. You can count on superior service all the way around. I'd be happy to speak with anyone who wishes, just call Run on Sun and ask for my phone. Refer to Pat G on So. Arroyo Blvd. read more

I worked with Jim and Laurel from Run on Sun to install a 5.58kw system on my home in Pasadena. From start to finish, Jim and Laurel were a delight to work with and learn from. They are knowledgeable, stay on schedule, stay on budget, and present the material in an easy-to -understand format. I bid out 5 different companies and chose Run on Sun because or their dedication to the work. Jim and Laurel do the work themselves. I told them I wanted to purchase materials made in the USA, and they worked with me to keep materials they purchased as local as possible. They informed me that the panels we ordered ended up going on sale, and asked if I would like to take advantage of the sale to get the more expensive panels for the original price they quoted me. I appreciate this honesty, getting me the best deal for the original agreed upon price. When installation was complete, Jim provided a helpful binder with information on the PV system and has followed up to ensure that I'm happy with the system thus far. Run on Sun made going solar fun and educational. I can't recommend this company enough and will work with them again in a heartbeat. read more

Jim and the Run on Sun team were great. Very candid about what could and could not be done. Showed up when they said they would, and did the work very well with minimum of interruption at home. They have also been prompt in responding to question before and after the installation. The solar business has a lot of hype attached and pressured sales. Run on Sun is none of that . read more

Run on Sun is an honest company that prioritizes the experience of their customers above all else, even at the expense of their own profit. When I contacted Jim Jenal from Run on Sun to see if solar panel installation would be a good option for my home, Jim immediately responded to my inquiries and scheduled a site visit. He spent an hour inspecting my home, reviewing my electricity usage, and explaining the technology behind solar. In the end, he recommended that I NOT install solar panels due to my energy consumption and other factors. While other solar companies made bids and tried to convince me to install solar, Run on Sun cared more about whether or not I was truly a good candidate for solar. Jim Jenal is honest, responsive, and generous with his time and knowledge. His company truly cares about their clients, and they will not convince you to purchase something that is not right for you. Without a doubt, I recommend Run on Sun for anyone interested in installing solar panels! read more

I chose Run on Sun due to the stellar reviews online, however, I am not satisfied with their service. Jim initially responded quick but then no response with follow up emails regarding site evaluation. I had to email him again to see if he was still interested to come to my house for a site evaluation. Not sure if he is too busy or not. After coming for the site evaluation, there was nothing afterward. I emailed Jim to find out what is going on to no avail. After contact Victoria, I was told Jim will not take my job due to my roof condition although I already informed him my re roofing plan during his site eval. I reminded Victoria my plan and was promised to get a response from Jim until the end of day, but nothing. It seems to me Jim has his own mind of doing the "right project" other than meeting what customers desire. Fortunately, there are plenty of good solar companies there and eager to service. read more

Jim and the team at ROS did an excellent job in replacing my wind damaged solar panels. It was a fairly simple job, but they did what they said they were going to do and on schedule. Their proposal was professional and complete, including a clear explanation of all the caveats of replacing a 5 year old system. One of the key things that sold me on the ROS proposal was the use of Enphase micro-inverters. My location is shaded by large trees part of the time and this technology really improves the overall performance. Immediately after signing the contract, ROS team arrived to remove the damaged panels to avoid any further damage to the roof. The subsequent installation was completed in a timely, professional manner. Jim did struggle with connection of the micro-inverters to my wi-fi network, but didn't give up until it worked! Also, the as-built documentation ROS provided was very thorough, with all the relevant documents and manuals in a nice binder. Another indication of ROS attention to detail. Highly recommended! read more

Run on Sun installed a solar system at our Pasadena home a little more than a year ago. They did a great job that looks good and has functioned perfectly. I just got my annual electric bill summary and was happy to have a credit! I have referred Run on Sun to others. They advised one friend to not install solar because he did not use enough electricity. Need I say more. read more

We have been researching putting solar on our home for a couple of years. I met with many solar companies from small solar firms to the very large one you see on TV. Jim was the one with which I felt most confident. He is local in Pasadena, he has installed solar on local schools and businesses as well as several of my neighbor's homes. My only problem is that the tile on my roof is so junky (Cal Tile) that I need to reroof my whole house before installing solar. Ouch. But when that happens, Jim will be the man installing my solar panels. read more

Our older home presented unusual challenges for a solar installation. Jim and his crew were extraordinarily patient with the time and effort it took to satisfy all the requirements for the installation. When the time came for work to begin it was quick, clean, and best of all it worked. Highly recommend. read more

Great company, great people. Run on Sun did a terrific job for me and I could not be happier with my solar installation. The installation was surprisingly quick by a highly professional crew. Jim really knows his stuff! I highly recommend Run on Sun. read more

There is no one better at bringing you to solar than Jim and his crew of dedicated engineers, technicians and just plain clever folk. You are going to go solar at some point so why wait? read more

I spent about a month researching various solar companies and whether or not going solar was a viable move for us. Using Yelp, Nextdoor, and other rating sites, I narrowed my choice of solar companies down to four and received bids from each. The first two were large companies. They were extremely nice, but were definitely pushing their preferred products, offering price incentives to choose their panels, inverters, pushing their in-house finance options, etc. The last two companies were Mom & Pop-size companies, local to the Pasadena area. Both of these provided on-site surveys, each spending at least an hour and a half at the house taking measurements and answering my questions. I ultimately decided to go with Run On Sun. Jim Jenal, the owner of Run On Sun, came to the house and did all the measurements and answered all my questions. Jim struck me as someone who is brutally honest and who puts his integrity above making a sale. Jim's first bid on the house only included 18 panels, covering approximately 70% of our annual usage. He advised that there were several obstructions (sewer vent pipes) on the roof that limited the number of panels he could fit. The other companies seemed unconcerned about the obstructions. One said they would just figure out a way around them once they got on-site. Another said they could trim them down to fit under the panels and/or mount the panels higher to accommodate the pipes, not to worry about them. Jim advised that a sewer exhaust pipe under a solar panel was against code. And if I ever needed to access that pipe in the future (to clear a stoppage, for example), having to deal with removing a solar panel would be a costly expense. I paid my handyman $375 to re-route all the pipes in the attic up to the ridge and out the roof. Jim is pretty set on using top-quality materials. He likes LG panels and Enphase microinverters. He was willing to consider installing other gear, but I couldn't argue with his logic on preferring LG and Enphase: LG is a top, well-known brand that doesn't have all their eggs in one basket (solar panels) so if, for whatever reason, their solar business goes south down the road, LG will still be on the hook to honor the 25-year warranty of their panels. Enphase is widely used in commercial systems and is the leader in microinverter technology (a microinverter for each panel, as opposed to using a string inverter for multiple panels). Enphase also carries a 25-year warranty. String inverters generally only go as high as 10-year warranties. I'd mentioned that other contractors' pushing of their preferred products turned me off--they were "no-name" products that hadn't established a solid track record. But Jim's inclinations toward LG and Enphase didn't seem as much a way to make a few extra bucks as it was to insure he's giving his customers the best and most reliable system available on the market. Once I gave Jim the green light, he immediately started dealing with the city and pulling the required permits. There was about a month of down-time waiting for the permit approval to run it's course. But after that, Jim and his highly skilled crew were on the roof getting everything installed. The standoffs and flashing took an entire day, followed by the racking, electrical, and PV panels. Jim's electrician, Velvet, does amazingly clean wiring. Project Coordinator Laurel Hamilton always responded immediately to my calls and requests for more information. As I recall, everything was done in about 4 days. Other contractors had told me they would knock it out in 1-2 days. Personally, I'd rather the installer take their time and do a complete and thorough job. Jim's work did not interfere with our lives--he asked that the garage be left unlocked, that was it. They did a remarkably clean job installing an attractive PV solar system. Several months after I was on-line, Jim contacted me and advised that one of my inverters was malfunctioning. Enphase inverters are linked to a server that is accessible by the owner and installer. Thus, I'm able to log into a website and get a very detailed status of my system's operation. I'd checked it out a few times, but frankly, grew bored with it. Not Jim. He was on the problem immediately and was quickly onsite to swap out the faulty unit with a new one. He also advised that Enphase was eager to get the bad unit and determine what went wrong because they have so few failures. Of course, with the Enphase 25-year warranty, as well as Run On Sun's own 10-year warranty on installation, there was no cost for the repair. Jim's continued service after the sale really impressed, but hardly surprised me. My 9.5kW system has been online seven months. My electric bill has gone to zero and I currently have a $225 credit. I learned a lot from reading Jim's no-nonsense blog and website: runonsun.com I highly recommend Run On Sun! read more

When Jim came to discuss my solar system he came equipped to do the shade assesment himself right there and then - all other companies send a sales rep who will later schedule a technician to do it. Jim is the guy who not only designs the system, he will be hands-on fitting the thing and he is the guy who will deal with any problems. He is VERY thorough and ready to discuss every detail to your complete satisfaction. Run on Sun aren't the cheapest, but they are super-reliable and were happy to come out and make a minor adjustment the arrangement of my panels when I extressed some unhappiness about the line-up after the installation. I have had the system for a year now and am very satisfied with the results. I recommend these guys without reservation! read more

We had been considering installing a solar system for over a year and had been researching different contractors. We ended up interviewing and getting bids from 4 contractors. Jim and Laurel from Run On Sun stood out as very knowledgeable regarding the local building codes and working with LADWP for rebates. They were also extremely organized, easy to work with, efficient, honest, and put up with all of my many questions. I was impressed with how quickly and neatly the work was completed. As a woman engineer, I especially appreciated the egalitarian attitudes of this company and being treated fairly. read more

Unfortunately I was unable to use Run on Sun due to my proximity, however Jim was extremely helpful and informative to me. He spent many hours on the phone explaining and consulting different system types and products knowing I would not be one of his customers. He even looked at different proposals for me. I have a friend who used Jim for their solar and they are extremely happy with the service and products received. If I lived in the Pasadena area, I would without a doubt be using Run on Sun for my solar needs! read more

We are very happy with Jim and his team at Run on Sun. They were very helpful in getting our system designed and permitted under a tight schedule. The craftsmanship is excellent. They were very responsive to our, sometimes, very picky requests. Highly recommended by us. read more

Run on Sun installed solar panels on our home in Pasadena several years ago and we could not be more pleased. They were professional, the job was completed quickly and they did all the interfacing with the city and did the paperwork for our rebates. They are very responsive if you have any questions before, during or after installation. We would highly recommend them (and we love our low electric bills!) read more

We spoke with 3 other solar panel installers before we decided to use Run on Sun. Jim looked at our utility bills and quickly figured out the best system and configuration to suit our needs. Jim and his crew were easy to work with, knowledgeable, and dependable. There were no hidden costs and he stuck to his original quote. We are very pleased with our solar panels and would happily refer others to Run on Sun. read more

Jim installed solar panels on our house and did a fabulous job. He was efficient and trustworthy. He effectively dealt with the LA legal system, despite their inefficiencies. I'd definitely recommend him to anyone looking for some panels! read more

Wow. This is an unbelievably competent, professional, honest, and plain-old *nice* group of people. If you are on the fence about whether or not to go solar, either for financial, aesthetic, or logistical/construction reasons, all of your questions will be answered rigorously and honestly, with---honestly!---a complete lack of pressure to go forward with an actual installation. From the moment I met them, I was impressed by how carefully Jim, Laurel, and Velvet listened to my needs and concerns; how they went through a rigorous on-site investigation process and stunningly sophisticated financial analysis (my husband works in private equity, and he was super-impressed), all at no cost; and how honest they were, to the point of being openly skeptical, initially, about whether or not the small number of panels that our roof can accommodate would end up being a financially sound investment (their subsequent financial analysis gave us an objective and definitive answer to this question: it actually would have been a sound investment). We ended up deciding not to do an installation due to some construction issues raised by our particular house. But what a great experience. I also found them to be totally respectful and supportive of our goals (it was clear that they would support you whether you are trying to save money OR save the environment or both; that they would support you whether you want to plunge into a big construction project and radically change your life OR you want to spend as little time and money and change your life as little as possible). If our house circumstances ever changed, we would definitely call on them again. read more