SolarMax has fixed the problem! It took them awhile but my system is now reporting as it should. I have upgraded my review to 4 stars.

This is the company you need to go with for your solar system! We suffered though the same roaming salesman, going through the neighborhood trying to sell solar systems that you are dealing with. The constant door knocking and aggressive sales tactics from sales people that don't really know how solar works or how to ensure that the system you choose will meet your needs. I went though the process of getting quotes from 13 different companies from all over SoCal. I was able to narrow the list to two companies and chose SolarMax Technologies. They are local and build everything here and support American manufacturing. Look up the facility they have in Riverside that used to be a military manufacturing warehouse, then spend your money here instead of sending it to China! Our system has been running for about a month and my electric bill has been eliminated! I am powering a huge house with two 4 ton AC systems, a swimming pool and a tesla so our lowest electric bill was over $350 and the highest was over $750 for one month! So far we have produced over 1.1MWh of energy from the system, averaging around 50KWh per day !!!! Now we have over 40 panels installed (380W each) with a new load center. They installed the combiner box inside the garage so the system would look better and not be a detractor to the clean lines of the house from the street. All of the conduit going from the roof to the combiner box was routed in the best way to hide it from view and was painted to match the house color. Special shoutouts need to go to the salesman, Dan Cooley and the technicians that performed the work. Sorry I don't remember all the names of everyone involved, but I remember a few of them: Noe Lopez was the project manager. Joe, Armando and Shane were the electricians. Everything went great with the entire process from the system design (including the changes I wanted) to the install and system activation. Communication from Noe and Dan was always ahead of the curve! We had one delay due to rain, but things happen that no one can control. The continuation of the install was scheduled and communicated to me before the end of the day and everything went exactly to plan. Now I check the enphase app on my iPhone everyday and am so happy with the decision we made. Watching the electric bill from SCE sitting at $0 is the best feeling! You can monitor the production and use near real time. My system data updates every 15 minutes so you always know how everything is working. Anyone looking for a solar system rest assured, your search is over. Call SolarMax and get the ball rolling. read more

I've had nothing but the best experience with this company. I started shopping for Solar in July 2022. This industry is extremely competitive so I had to do a lot of research and self education to find the best deal overall. Factors were company stability, customer service, response time with inquiries, quality of product, manufacturer stability, warranty, price and financing options. This company has hit it out of the park in all factors compared to their competitors. My salesperson Mario educated me very well and was very prompt with answering every possible question I had. I had a great experience with every person who represented this company throughout the entire process. Everyone was very kind, knowledgeable and professional! I have already referred them to friends and family. I committed to the contract in August and the Solar was up and running on November 8th! They were fantastic!! read more

When I first started looking for a solar company to add on to my system I called over a dozen companies. The one that stuck out was Solarmax and the inside sales manager Jacob Richardson. He answered all of my many questions and "what if" scenarios. He was particularly knowledgeable on the various manufacturers and types of systems. He did not push and encouraged me to shop around knowing I would eventually end up back speaking to him. He guided me in adding the perfect amount of panels for my needs. I have since had my system installed and I the install went on without a hitch and is producing a lot more that I thought I would. Definitely give them a call. read more

After some scheduling delays Solar Max returned and repaired two panels on our roof. One device that allows the customer to stay in contact with the power company had been removed by the previous owner (we think, or stolen). At the time we purchased the property we did not know there was anything missing. A new device was quoted as $400 and $400 to install. That seemed unreasonable so we did not buy. The servicemen were very helpful, worked hard for a couple of hours and hopefully everything is now working. We had left a negative response a few weeks a go so wanted to let the public know they did finally response to our request . Unfortunately it took a public comment to Yelp to get help. The Solar is a Godsend in terms of Edison bills. I would never buy another home that did not have solar if I continue to live in So. Calif. or similar climate. Art Toney read more

I contacted 6 Solar Companies. By far this one stood out. Reason, they make their panels and install. Many of the companies were "fly by nights." The fact that they were local also impressed me. Many of the companies I talked to were based in Texas with subcontractors here. Big concern for me. The sales rep, Simon was great. He was punctual, knowledgeable, friendly and responsive. Their pricing was also very competitive. Based on these factors, I went with them. It was a great decision. Solar just went live. Took 1 day to install 20 panels. Took about 2 weeks to get inspection and permission to operate. Only thing that took an inordinate amount of time was securing the permits. Typical government red tape. I highly recommend them. They have my highest recommendation. read more

I went solar back in 2014. It has been working great and I just got my annual money from Edison. My solar has been working great. Andrea is my sales rep. She was very knowledgeable, thorough, and professional to work with. Andrea continues to always check in on me and answer any questions I have to this day. Solarmax is a great company to work with and I highly recommend. read more

I'm very happy with my decision to go with solarmax. My salesman Brandon was amazing. Walked me through step by step.I would and have recommended solarmax. read more

I have had my solar service since July 2021, I did hours worth of research and met with about eight different representatives from different solar companies. I finally settled on SolarMax. My salesman Simon Chen was the last person I met with, and by then I felt I had a pretty good understanding of solar power, and he really knew his stuff with an outstanding presentation of what SolarMax had to offer. He answered all my questions had a great understanding of all the kilowatt workings, whether it was hours, we were talking, and I had just purchased an electric car and he was able to give me insight on kilowatt Miles and charging. Throughout the Solar installation process, and even after, Simon checked in regularly and was always available for my questions getting right back to me quickly and with the information I needed. I highly recommend simon and SolarMax. read more

I can't say how happy I am with Solar Max and John. He gave me his cell and answers and has answered every single question I have in a matter of minutes.Everything has been smooth and has been done when they said it would be done. I would recommend this company and John to anyone. read more

My project started Jan 23 till now about 4 months I can't even use the system and unfortunately I have to start paying loan. Their installation failed the city roof installation inspection, it's been waiting so long to pass and now the city request to have further inspection on the wiring and panel but SolarMax don't want to open the wall and let city check it ?! The only thing I heard from My project manager is "I will let you know" but I never heard any positive thing. This company is keep breaking their promises and never thing of customers' time and money. That was a totally bad idea of using this company. read more

While I had to wait a while to get some of the needed approvals, once they were installed, they were immediately making electricity for me. I was told it might take a month to get it hooked to the grid but it was within a couple of days. I am super pleased. They kept me informed along the way and the installers did a great job and did not leave any mess at all. read more

I worked with Dan Cooley for my solar installation. He directed me through the whole process start to finish to install a solar panel system that is appropriate for my home. Even after installation was completed, I call Dan with questions regarding Edison and he is always available to clarify my billing. I'm saving SO MUCH $$$ with this solar system! I highly recommend working with Dan to get a great system as well as add to your home's value. read more

I am very happy I chose SolarMax for my solar panels. They were very professional and courteous. I had a very small problem with my electrical panel upgrade. SolarMax took care of the problem right away. Even the stucco repair person did a good job. read more

We had an OUTSTANDING experience working with the SolarMax Team. I interviewed multiple solar companies prior to going with SolarMax. Our SolarMax Representative was Dan Cooley. He was amazing to work with. He never put a "hard sell" on us or presssured us at all. I must have asked him 100+ questions about solar and he was always available and extremely knowlegable and patient with me! I have "top shelf" respect for him. We put our system in 4.5 years ago and I still call him (like I did last week) to ask a quick question. The guy is so solid. If you are seriously looking at installing a solar system right now, I would absolutely recommend speaking with Dan Cooley and SolarMax Technology. read more

Loved the service, accessible and reliable. We passed inspection with no problem. John was helpful every step of the process. Highly recommend! read more

Very poor customer service. My panels needed to be removed and since I am a customer who had already paid off their panels, I wasn't much of an importance. I called and then was told they tried to contact me back but only once and after that was not contacted again. My construction was being delayed and with the hurricane coming in California, I had to move forward and use third party vendors to remove the panels and when I called back that I needed them reinstalled, they said now you have no warranty. Done with Solar Max, taking my business elsewhere and its there loss because I just added a whole lot more roofing that they will not be able to capitalize on and put more panels. read more

We recently used SolarMax for our solar. Brandon Mezzanatto was our sales rep and I have to say he was a great sales rep. He answered all of my questions and he is still there to answer questions. SolarMax's installed and got my solar system running very quickly. Very professional team and did a very clean install. Very happy with the whole process with them. I didn't even have to worry about a thing. They communicated through the whole process. Brandon Continued to check up on our install through the whole install. I recommend them to all my friends. read more

I posted this earlier bit it seemed to have been removed... Sandy Messel of Solar Max Riverside did the right thing and arranged for Solar max to reimburse me $500 for bird proofing. If you have this problem with Solar max, contact Sandy. read more

I used Solarmax to install my system in May 2022. Simon Chen assisted me from start to finish. He's knowledgeable on all aspects of the installation process as well as the technical aspects. When I decided I wanted to expand my system this year I called Simon and he has been instrumental in helping me decide what best fits my needs. I'm very happy with the service I've received from Simon and Solarmax and would recommend contacting them if your thinking about solar for your home. read more

Bought Solar Max panels with a backup battery 2 years+ ago. Great job had an issue with backup battery not running my refrigerator during blackout. A service man sent out within 2 days. Love my savings. read more

I chose to go with SolarMax even though they were not the cheapest but had a good mix of the things I wanted. I'm half way through the process (design phase) and feel I made a huge mistake. I thought that by going with a smaller company I would receive, at a minimum, good customer service. I've sent over 3 emails to the project manager and sales rep in the span of around 2 weeks asking for a status update and they don't even have the courtesy to respond. Run away from this company. Choose a smaller local company or even Tesla which is cheaper than everyone and they have amazing customer service. FYI, Im in San Diego County. read more

Solarmax has failed to take responsibility for creating a pigeon safe haven on my roof. Luckily I found a great affordable service for pigeon proofing my solar panels. If you're solar company refuses to get the job done and their customer service sucks like Solarmax drop me a message and I will gladly share info for this great birdproofing service. read more

SolarMax Technology - Solar Installation Near Me - Riverside, California

Great service. Especially with personal customer service. Thanks to JoJo which in this case provided a lot of useful information and helped our family with everything until our solar system got approved from SCE and started powering. read more

This was our 2nd solar experience and night and day from our last. Our last experience with a huge name company was a nightmare from day one and ended with our panel upgrade catching fire and our solar production being far below what we were promised. SolarMax was COMPLETELY the opposite! From the first meeting we were put at ease, and believe me we were not easy customers after our last experience. We wanted to know every step and when it would be completed and if it was going to be behind schedule we wanted a full explanation. Well, everything was on schedule and performed top notch! The only hold up was SDG&E which we were warned about day 1 because we needed a main panel upgrade, we were also given updates as to their schedule throughout. We honestly do not have enough nice things to say about SolarMax and the entire team. Even late night and weekend texts were answered within minutes with questions throughout the process. We were floored. Sarah guided us through a process we dreaded but so desperately needed as we watched our SDG&E bills climb over a thousand dollars last summer with no end in sight. We have only been on a month and we are already putting back into the grid and our anxiety going into the summer is released. THANK YOU SolarMax! Now we really can enjoy our new home. read more

They came out a day late (3/25) and fixed the issue. Still had to follow-up myself to make sure they rescheduled the appointment. But glad the system is finally working!! read more

I would like to Congratulate Jacob Richardson and John Brookshier, Clearly the dream team of Solarmax my experience was absolutely wonderful. I own a mobile home and it's very difficult to find Solar Installers. Jacob and John went above and beyond my expectations. They kindly explained the process start to finish. If you're thinking about getting Solar for your home, Jacob Richardson the sales manager and John Brookshier your sales consultant . Were instrumental in getting me the perfect system for my home . And when I receive my monthly statement from SDGE I smile because I owe them Zero. read more

We just had SolarMax at our home to install solar. We used them a year ago to install on another home we own. Both installations have gone very smoothly. Their crew is professional and communicates as they move through the install process. This past week during our install a very large vine was in the way of where some of the piping needed to go. The crew was really trying not to disturb any of our landscaping. I told them to go ahead and pull down whatever part of the vine was a problem. They made sure I was ok with each part they removed. Then they cleaned it all up and put in all in my green bin! I was so impressed. It was a lot of extra work for them but they did it and made sure I was happy. This is a good company. We interviewed another company before and they made me nervous and unsure of solar. We love our very low energy bill and that we can run our AC without fearing a huge bill! read more

Worked John Brookmeier. He is excellent. Quickly responds to calls and answers all your questions and concerns. I got 3 different quotes on the project. Sunrun, Sunpower, and solarmax. Sunrun was most expensive decent service. Sunpower was in the ball park, but bad service. Solarmax had the best price and service. Easy decision to make. read more

I've been a customer of Solarmax since 2009. Sales representative at that time was Ralph. You may ask why the 1 star if you've been a customer for so long. To be fair, Solarmax as far as installation and product is a good company, but what they lack on is their customer service and management. Since 2009 Solarmax has had the incentive program to refer a friend or family to them and they would give a referral check to the person referring. Don't believe them, I've referred several friends and family since 2009 and never once have a received my check. I've called several times to follow up with them and they always say someone in management will follow up with me and I've yet to hear from anyone in management. This last time they asked me for a list of my friend s and addresses, to prove that I referred them. Once I gave them the list, they said they would have to call all of them to verify that they know me and that I was the one to refer them. How would I even know that they have solar for one, two they bought from Solarmax and three that how would I know these peoples addresses. They are just looking for anyway not to pay on their referral program. Like I said, installation and product is great, just watch out for management. read more

I was referred to SolarMax from a coworker. I contacted the sales person on 5/31/2018 and got the ball rolling. On 7/10/2018 they came by to do the install. I was told someone had to be home because they needed to get access to our garage and after they are done, will want to show someone how the system works. My husband worked from home and I texted them to tell them hes home but no one rang the bell to get access to the garage or show him how to use the system after. I found out after work so I called the technician who advised they will be back the following day to ground the wire. My husband had to ask for permission to work from home again the following day since they needed to get in the garage. That weekend on Saturday we go to do the wash and discover the electrical plug we use for the washer/dryer wasn't working when it was working fine before the solar installation. My husband told me they were doing stuff in that area in the garage so I contact the solar technician and he says someone will c/b within 5 min. 30 min later no call. I contact the technician again and he said sorry i'm still trying to reach someone but someone will c/b within the hr. Long story short, I texted the sales person, and several diff phone numbers I had of technicians with no response. I had to keep calling the one person that would answer until he said finally that someone will come out at 1:30pm. The time comes and goes and no one shows up. I call again and they said oh the guy had to drop someone off at the airport and will be there shortly. He showed up at 4ish and fixed our plug so we can finally get our laundry done. Next issue, they shouldn't have closed up the hole they cut to install the solar because the inspector needed to see inside so they had to send someone else out to cut a hole again. Inspector came out to inspect and then we had to call them to ask them to send someone out to patch up the hole they cut. Finally its done! All installed and ready to go. Technician tells us someone will be calling to schedule a final inspection and to connect our system to our internet so we can see our production online. I wait and wait and no call. I had to call customer service and scheduled them to come out for the final inspection. But wait, they can only come out Mon - Fri from 8am to 2pm so if you work full time, someone has to take time off work to be at home for this. Again, my husband works from home so they can come out. In the meantime, we notice the system keeps saying "waking up" but we don't know what that means since no one told us anything. Technicians come out and tell my husband the system keeps rebooting because it can only see 17 of our 20 panels. Huh? So they climb on the roof and discover the connection for 3 of the panels are not working and the inverter is also not working. They had to shut off the solar and it will take a week or two before they get new parts to replace. Supposedly when they get the part, someone will call me to schedule a time to come out to fix. The technician also told us someone should have showed us what the numbers in the box meant when they first installed the solar and what error codes might occur and what they mean. They should have left us some sort of manual to show us how everything works. We should have called and told them when the system kept "waking up". Well we wouldn't know its a problem since no one told us anything. Earlier in the day, when my husband first told me the parts were defective and our solar has to be turned off, I emailed customer service cc the salesman to share my bad experience and did not get any response. Again I had to call customer service to ask them what the next steps are. I was told you don't get an instruction manual for how the system works. There was nothing offered for all the issues we have encountered so far and I have a feeling I'll probably have to call to find out when we will get our solar fixed. I feel like throughout this whole process, I've had to be the one to call customer service to schedule appointments and ask questions. The salesman, once he got us to sign on, he was done. He never addressed any of the texts or emails I sent regarding our issues. Based on the level of customer service or I should say lack of customer service we have received, unless you like chasing things down, this isn't the company for you. I have a whole bunch of family and friends waiting to see how our experience goes before signing up, its too bad I wouldn't be able to refer them to SolarMax. read more

I was skeptical of many solar companies as I struggled to understand the pay structure. In come Pete with solarmax. He explained everything in detail. He wasn't pushy or tried the old "this offer expires tonight " tactics. Everything was delivered on time. Everything was explained and it occurred just as it was explained. He did not push anything that we didn't need and was always a phone call away. I would recommend giving Solarmax a call even if you already spoke with another provider. At least you will have a second opinion just to make sure you are not being taken advantage of. On top of everything the company manufactures everything in Southern California and supports many local jobs and charities in the area and that closed the deal for us read more

After purchasing a property and dealing with employees and contractors that continually let us down, it was an incredible experience working with SolarMax and Brandon. We chose SolarMax, after I interviewed eight other solar companies. The fact that they are American made, right here in Riverside, California meant a lot to us. They handled all the permits and secured our roof in advance to putting the solar panels on. There were a number of cracked tiles on my roof, that I was unaware of that they fixed for me in advance to installing the solar panels. After they put the panels on, they gave me more photos to assure everything was perfect. When they put the new electrical panel in, I had a few electrical issues that they took care of too. Dealing with SolarMax was like dealing with the "Nordstrom's" of solar companies! Brandon did everything he said he was going to do and more. I personally don't remember the last time a company had this much pride in what they do. Thank you, Brandon and thank you SolarMax. Five stars is not nearly enough of a rating to give this company. read more

After four bids I selected SolarMax. The deciding points where, price, equipment, in-house financing and local company. Price. Highly competitive, open, willing to negotiate. Equipment. The best warranty found, brand new SMX panels and Enphase microinverters. In-house financing. SolarMAx has their own financing. I didn't have to use HERO or take a second out on the house. Varies with credit score but I got 2.99% for 5 years. Now based in Riverside in very large facility. They're not in some strip mall or tilt up. They're here to stay in my eyes. From first visit I felt like SolarMax knew what they were doing. Paperwork was clean and straight forward. Permitting with the HOA and City were flawless. paperwork with SCE was perfect. The small issues encountered during install (wrong breaker, Enphase saw 23 of 24 panels) were all resolved quickly. You can expect small issues from every company. It's how the company responds to the issues that sets them above the rest. Bo my salesman is great. Garrett in customer service answered all my questions. My 6.0 kw system is made up of 24 250W SolarMax SMX panels and Enphase microinverters. The system was ready for operation before SCE issued my PTO (permission to operate) My Go-live-date was November 2, 2013. It's now June 2014 and I've had nothing by (-) statements from SCE. It feels great not having to buy a single KW from SCE. Shop around but considder SolarMax. That's my recommendation. They're fair and bring a ton of experience and options. read more

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In 2019, I had asked for two quotes: first, installation of the system on the roof and second, building a carport and installation on the carport. Sales agent brushed off my request on the carport and diverted any questions I had about it. Seems like he didn't care to do any homework before arriving. I wanted to give this California business that may or may not make their own solar panel a chance, but was turned off by their commission-lusting sales agent. read more

Brandon Mezzanatto is amazing. We met with four different solar companies and Brandon impressed my husband and I the most. He is extremely knowledgeable, patient, consultative, and really has a passion for what he does. I've reached out after our solar was installed and his level of service never wavered. I loved how he provided the timeliness and explained exactly what to look for during the process. Truly grateful for Brandon and I highly recommend without any reservations. You definitely want someone who knows what they are doing. I'm already seeing credits on my bill! read more

Miscommunication? How about complete lack there of. Your statements are false. City signed off 2/3/20. I didn't hear anything for a month and when I followed up with you guys you sent me the form you forgot to send originally and i signed it that day 3/4/20. I did not miss any emails or communication. Then on 3/16/20 because I lost trust with your company when I called the city the said they never received the forms. I sorted it out and that day it got approved. This is only one example of all the problems with customer service I have had with your company which are too numerous to list here (like losing photos of my property and not being able to come back to take them again for weeks). So many delays, I can't even take the energy to go into it. I have been calling and emailing several different people from the company since March about my rebate without response. To the point I thought your company was shut down. Sad it takes a bad review to get any communication. read more

I couldn't be more pleased- from start to finish this was a first class experience. Our sales rep (Pete) guided through the entire process and it really could not have been easier. From the initial consultation, to the measurement, to the installation and follow up. They were on time and they delivered exactly what they promised. But the thing that really made a positive impression with me was Pete. He was with us the whole way- any questions, any concerns, he was just a text away. I have not hesitated to recommend SolarMax (and Pete) to family, friends and neighbors. read more

Brandon Menzenatto and his team did an excellent job installing 25 solar panels on my home and working with my roof situation which was a tricky and delicate one but they successfully installed great panels for me. read more

I have my solar installed, everything is cool; and my sales is very responsive. But when I ask about referral bonus for my friend, seems like they try everything not to pay you!! It is only $500 bucks; they said I did not mention it in the welcome call, what the hell? I never received a call except the one for my credit card information. Besides I mentioned it in the first time when they came giving me the presentation. Trust and honesty are the first things to a company, how can I trust you guys anymore? For this reason i will not refer or recommend anyone to Solarmax. Good luck to anyone who is having business with them. read more