Our gas water heater went out in January and I went down the rabbit hole in researching water heaters and installers. I also considered the DIY route, but there a lot of incentives that are for contractors only. Many contractors don't share these incentive discounts at all with the customers, or share only half begrudgingly if you inquire. While there a lot of incentives for heat pump water heaters, most installers just jacked up the prices so the end cost to the consumer is about the same cost as prior to the incentives being available. Fortunately, SunWork passes along all the incentives which made it cheaper to go with SunWork instead of DIY (and a lot less stress). SunWork came highly recommended in my internet sleuthing. Reuben contacted me and we got some quotes and a date penciled in 6 weeks out (the earliest available, so book early!). There were other vendors available right away but I'm glad we waited it out for SunWork. Aside from their mission as a nonprofit for making climate action more financially feasible, Reuben is extremely knowledgeable and skilled, great at explaining options, patient and open to (although wary) when I was initially thinking of trying a new water heater that just entered the market a couple months ago instead of going with his recommendation (I did end up deferring to his recommended brand), and they did an A+ clean job on install! The invoice was nicely itemized and transparent, and Reuben was great about getting all the incentive applications and programs set up. I regretfully was out of town but my partner was on-site for the install and sat in as Reuben led and walked through the install with the volunteers. Can't thank Reuben and SunWork for enough for this exceptional experience. Hope they expand to Heat Pump A/C sometime in the future? read more

I hired SunWork a few years ago to install solar panels, and in 2025 to put in a heat pump water heater. In both cases I have been very happy with their work, and the prices were very affordable (helps that they are a non-profit). The HPWH ended up costing less after incentives than a gas WH twenty years ago. They also promptly replaced a microinverter when it failed. They take time to explain things and answer questions. And they were thorough about details, unlike some contractors who do the bare minimum, demand payment, and disappear. The only minor negative- they *only* do solar and heat pump water heaters at this point. I had to do a little carpentry on my own to reinforce the roof before they put up panels. Even then, they explained clearly what was needed and basically how to do it. In conclusion- I would strongly recommend SunWork for either of these kind of projects. read more

Key attributes of Sunwork: 1) Transparent, Fair and Accurate Pricing upfront. 2) The only installer who subtracts rebates from their charges and deals with the various authorities to get the rebates. 4) Excellent Quality installation. I got heat pump water heater installed in May with the help of Sunworks and the overall experience was amazing from start to finish. The entire installation was completed in less than a day and as you can see from the photo its a clean install. It took us less than 2 minutes to get the inspection cleared and Reuben was helpful and communicating throughout the whole process. I wish that Sunwork provides more variety of services in future so that Sunwork will be my go to installer for everything that my home needs. The only downside is that they are busy and getting on their calendar is tough but once you are on their calendar everything is handled very smoothly and transparently. read more

SunWork Renewable Energy Projects - Heat Pump Water Heater Installed - Solar Installation Near Me - Milpitas, California

Sunworks was spectacular in my heat pump water heater install Reuben worked overtime to get our incentive applications in on time, and did a really clean and impressive install Sunworks is a non-profit volunteer driven org, and I hope to work with them in the future as well read more

SunWork did the HPWH for us. The project leader, Reuben, is very knowledgeable and professional. The whole process of converting the gas water heater to HP water heater was very smoothly. With their help of applying rebates the actual cost to us is very attractive. Since we have solar panel already, the HPWH uses less fossil fuel and also saves us a lot of money too. I'll highly recommend SunWork for your HPWH installation. read more

SunWork Renewable Energy Projects - Solar Installation Near Me - Milpitas, California

We just finished the installation of a Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) in our home. We started the process in August of last year, trying to work with the company that Palo Alto partners with for HPWH installations. Their quote was higher than I expected even after applying all the rebates. I friend suggested we contact SunWork. Our situation was somewhat complicated in that we needed to bring electrical power from the circuit breaker on one side of the house to the garage where the HPWH was to be installed which is on the opposite side of the house. SunWork suggested we contact an electrician to do the electrical work and they would then do the HPWH installation. Their prices were very reasonable and, once we were in direct contact with Reuben, he was able to answer our many questions about both the electrical power constraints and the fact we had a jacuzzi tub in our master bath and were concerned that the HPWH would not be able to generate enough hot water to fill it up. We also wanted to continue using our recirculation pump. His communication was always very clear and Reuben has a genuine can-do attitude to problem solving. Alas, the quotes from the electricians came higher than what we were prepared to pay so we put the whole project on ice late last year. Early this year (2025) Reuben contacted me with great news: there was an additional rebate available to Palo Alto residents that would cover part of the electrical work and SunWork could take on the job of bringing power from the circuit breaker to the garage. A few weeks later we scheduled the work and the whole installation, including extensive electrical work, took only two days. We passed inspection on the first try a couple of days later. Reuben was fantastic to deal with! He was very diligent and did his utmost to come up with solutions that addressed all of our concerns, from installing a condensate pump that did not require a discharge outside the garage to working with our existing recirculation pump. We are super happy with the HPWH installation. It was done very cleanly and very professionally. Everything in its place, no loose ends. I highly recommend SunWork, and Reuben in particular, for any HPWH installation you might need. read more

Great communication and follow up! Project & installation went very smoothly. People were professional and efficient. We were very impressed with the care & quality of their work and would highly recommend. They did a fantastic job! read more

Reuben installed my HPWH in one day and was able to work around an existing duct. He's very knowledgeable and explained if I had questions. Sunwork also installed my solar 6 years ago for a ridiculously low price. $1000's in rebates were subtracted from the total before I had to pay anything. Great customer service! Sunwork.org the best deal you will find. read more

Got my hp water heater installed by Reuben. He was the nicest guy, the install was clean, and everything went smoothly. Can't recommend these SunWork enough read more

SunWork installed a heat pump water heater for me about a year ago now. I am very happy. The installation was very professional; passed inspection with the city no problem. Reuben was the main installer and he is super knowledgeable and friendly. It's been working great. I recommend them highly. read more

They did a great job on my solar installation. I've also provided great follow up services.

I'm so happy I found SunWork for my heat pump water heater. They set clear expectations on what services they do/don't provide and how I could contribute to reduce the installation time and cost. The switch to a HPWH was simple and only took half a day because I followed their prep work instructions. I feel like I was part of the process the whole way. My 1978 house had room in the circuit panel for the 240v breaker. Rueben was great at getting the wiring and installation done while being careful of existing stuff in the garage. The paperwork was more than expected, but SunWork helped guide me through it to make it fairly painless. It's been 5 months and I don't notice any difference in hot water delivery. My gas bill has went down more than my electric bill has increased, so I'm saving money. A surprising benefit is the garage is much cooler now, which definitely makes working on projects easier in the summer. read more

Out with the old, in with the new! Had a terrific experience working with SunWork to change out my water heater to a heat pump-based smart Rheem ProTerra. One employee/supervisor, one grateful prior customer, and me. Took all day. Tired but feel elated. It'll save 80% of our water heating costs, and also helps us be energy independent thanks to our solar panels. Reuben's attention to detail is fantastic. He's a fantastic teacher and supervisor as well and he ensured the volunteer's work and mine was done right. There are about $4000 in rebates in California right now if you put in one of these. I will be paying it forward volunteering with SunWork. Many thanks to the team! read more

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Reuben and his team did a great job installing our HPWH. He helped us find incentives available and assisted with the application process. I highly recommend SunWork. read more

I recently requested a quote from them to get a heat pump water heater installed. To my surprise the process was very rigid this time around. Before providing measurements, I enquired with them about installing a 120v heat pump which is newer and has less annual cost of usage. The response was that I need to follow process and provide photos, measurements, data, etc. When I did, I simply received a rude response that I need to get a 240v line installed. Years ago (2017) I had solar panels installed by SunWork. I spoke to Mike over the phone and chose to go with them because they seemed passionate about getting more homes to energy efficient. Bryan completed our install with volunteers. The installation went smoothly. The inspector found 1 instance where the wrong wire was used. So that had to be replaced and the second inspection passed. When I spoke to Mike, I had asked them if they installed heat pump water heaters. He had only heard about them at that time and recommended an installer. I did not go with that installer because of bad yelp reviews. read more

SunWork installed my solar panels in December 2022 and I had a fantastic experience with them. They specifically do smaller solar installs or for non-profits. I worked with Marc for my solar sizing consultation and quote and Ernest did my installation. Both were great but Ernest especially did an excellent job of walking me through the process and explained everything I need to know. I'd highly recommend these guys if you qualify based on their size limitations. read more

I had my gas water heater replaced to a heat pump based water heater by sun work. Reuben and Mark are phenomenal guys and very professional. They replaced my water heater with utmost care and very detail oriented. I was very impressed by the quality of work they did. Two days later I called them for a small issue and Reuben rushed to my home immediately and took care of it. So far till date(touch wood) I had no issues with my water heater installation. Its more a year since the installation. I saved atleast $50 per month on my gas bill. I am very happy with the installation. Highly recommend their work and professionalism. read more

SunWork is pretty amazing. Dramatically more affordable installation of electric water heater than any other provider I contacted, very responsive, and excellent work. read more

Yelp needs a bazillion star rating for these people, 5 doesn't do them justice. They replaced my gas water heater with a heat pump water heater some months ago. In addition to being the right thing to do, it was wonderful to see my PG&E gas bill go down to ZERO. SunWork made it very easy, and got all the discounts and tax info for me. I wound up paying very little for such a wonderful piece of equipment. Reuben and his crew were great - people you'd like to have over for dinner! Use them! read more

SunWork installed 4 new panels in 2018 and also replaced 2 microinverters for me. I was very pleased with the work. Then in June, 2023, another microinverter failed and Marc from SunWork told me in August that they could not get to it until September. I subsequently sent them 4 reminders in September and October, but they did not respond to any of them. So I have given up on SunWork and switched to a different installer. I would have accepted a response from them saying that they declined to do the work. But instead, they left me hanging for 2 months, and that is not acceptable. read more

SunWork just installed our 23 panel, 8 KW system. We had a great experience with them from beginning to end. Elyssa Edwards was responsive and helpful during the planning stage. We were very pleased with our communications with Elyssa, as we are with the layout design, which is attractive. Our lead installer, Travis Moe, was a great communicator, clearly very knowledgeable, an efficient installer, and really nice to talk with. The volunteers were a great help; they were such hard workers, and interesting people. The entire crew showed up on time, put their all into the job, and left the site tidy. Two days after the panels were installed our project passed inspection easily. SunWork took care of scheduling the inspection, and taking care of the paperwork with PG&E. We purchased our equipment. The price was extremely reasonable. We could not recommend SunWork more highly. We are so pleased to have our solar panels up and running! We could not recommend SunWork more highly! You can reach them at: sunwork.org (650) 520-9918 read more

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Just had our natural gas water heater replaced with a hybrid electric heat pump. Reuben was prompt and communicative, handling the somewhat byzantine rebate and certification process with aplomb and ease (at least on my part). The county inspector was so impressed with the quality of the work that he asked for his card to do his own family's house: you can't get better than that! read more

SunWork is an amazing organization and 501c3 nonprofit. I'm so glad to finally have solar panels through them! Many years ago, I wanted to get solar but it was originally too cost prohibitive for me. I'm still a very low waste and low power usage person, so it has never been as financially lucrative to switch. However, with the low cost of SunWork's services coupled with the decrease in cost of solar panels, I was finally able to make solar happen! Electricity from PG&E comes from a lot of dirty and unhealthy sources and they raise their prices every year. Not to mention PG&E has a lot of ethical issues as a company and contributed to deaths as well as wildfires in the area... so I'm so glad to have been able to switch to a renewable option. I'm still connected to their grid however, but as little of their power I can use, the better. I am also trained at SunWork as a volunteer so I am able to help install panels for other people and it's quite fun to get outside and build. read more

This review is long overdue. I got my system installed in fall of 2020 and the system has been going strong. Working with the team was excellent and the volunteers were awesome. I even got to volunteer and help out on someone else's roof and it was very cool! Travis and Elyssa kindly and respectfully answered all of my questions and made the experience enjoyable. Because they are a non-profit, the final cost was actually LESS than the quote!!! They itemized every screw and piece of material to let you know where your money is going. I really appreciated that! When my water heater needs replacing, there's no question where I'll go. read more

Amazing customer service! Quick responses and helpful people. I'll recommend to my friends - and here.

SunWork is a not for profit organization, which has very few employees and rest of the (wo)man power comes as volunteers (like you and me), who get trained both in classroom/zoom and on-the-job. Great guys to work with and very friendly at every step of the process. Everyone I had a chance to work with are highly professional, flexible, spend time to explain all the questions I had. They are not only nice to the owners, they are also very nice to the volunteers. It's a Win-Win-Win. read more

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We had a great experience working with SunWork. Bryan Noel was our project lead and we are very happy with our 7.3 kW system (23 panels). It went online on Dec 9th and despite minimal sunlight this time of year we are producing ~23 kWh on sunny days. My husband is a do-it-yourself person and really enjoyed being involved in the installation. The attention to detail was very good and no corners were cut. After the Santa Clara rebate and Federal Tax credit, we figure it will take less than 6 years to break even. This is significantly better than the other solar bids we received. Santa Clara has a very good municipal electric company that has much lower rates than PG&E, so the payback period is longer. We recommend SunWork! read more

SunWork Renewable Energy Projects - Bryan working on mounting points for rails. - Solar Installation Near Me - Milpitas, California

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As contractor experiences go, SunWork was among my best ever. In January they completed installation of our system, and virtually everything went without a hitch. Highlights of the experience included: Flawlessly prompt and informative communication from Elyssa about roof requirements, potential system size, qualification requirements, etc. Coordination with my roofer to install stand-offs after tear-off of old roof and before the new roof went on (in early November). Long story here, but Travis went the extra mile to ensure that the stand-offs would be only six inches tall instead of the nine inches the roofer erroneously claimed were needed. Whew. Aesthetically pleasing panel layout, even though only my neighbor can see it from their second floor! But it will eventually look great in the Google satellite view. Clear and conservative schedules that were always met or beaten. Unbeatable price! (Seriously.) I'd recommend that anyone interested in solar give them a call to see if you qualify for their program. It could easily make the difference between being able to justify the investment or not. read more

We had an amazing experience before, during and after the installation! We spent a lot of time emailing John, the project manager a lot of questions before making the decision and he was so patient with answering all my questions. Once we had finalized our decision, he was very good at keeping us in the loop on potential issues we should be aware of, helping us weigh all the pros and cons. During the actual installation, we had four people total for each of the two installation days, John plus three other volunteers. All very professional and you could tell they took pride in what they did and the purpose they were supporting. After the installation, John arranged everything to get the inspection with the city and ultimately to get us connected to the grid. Would definitely recommend SunWork if you are able to qualify and John in particular as the project lead! read more

I been researching the solar installation costs and companies. Every solar company claimed and gave the presentation to impress us on how great they are for such a cheap price, I got quotes from 9K to 28K (all without batteries). At last a SunWork didn't try to sell us anything but gave me crisp quote and gave enough time to decide. I am greatful to John for adjusting on installation timings as well as being patient for my questions. It was great experience yet functional system without headache. read more

I was able to install a heat pump water heater at my house with them. They were on time and informative about what and how everything was going to fit. I'd love to work with them again, but I only have one water heater. read more

Excellent customer service, installation, and permit process from start to finish! Leave the paperwork to them; just sit back and relax. Very happy with John Beard and his volunteer. They knew exactly what they are doing. By the way if you are shopping around to own instead of lease, they are the least expensive option. read more

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My wife and I were introduced to Sunwork at a presentation in San Luis Obispo on March 30. We worked with Project Lead, Bryan Noel, regarding the feasibility and size of a solar energy system for our home. As we met the first criteria of an electric bill of under $100 per month, we scheduled a site inspection by Bryan. He patiently offered various configurations of the panels to take advantage of sun exposure and followed with recommendations regarding panels' efficiency, pros/cons of the various inverters, and equipment warranties. After deciding on the number of panels, Bryan selected an optimal layout on the garage roof which took advantage of the proximity to the main (PGE) service panel and minimized the use of conduit for wiring. A major hurdle was scheduling the installation of the panel support mounts after the tear off and before the installation of a new composition roof on the house and garage. Bryan and his volunteer crew worked well and there were no conflicts with the roofers. Brackets and panels went up after the new roof was finished, followed by the installation of the solar breaker box and connection to the main electric service panel. Bryan handled the scheduling of the SLO County inspection and assisted with the application to PGE for their Permission To Operate (PTO) the system and access the grid. Sunwork's invoice was detailed and came slightly under the estimate for which we had contracted. We highly recommend Sunwork Renewable Energy Projects as a capable and reliable installer of a solar energy system. Ron S. Cambria, CA read more

SunWork did a great job meeting our needs for a price much lower than other companies. Their nonprofit, volunteer model does an amazing job bringing renewable energy to the people. Because they were busy they were sometimes slow to respond, but once they booked the date of installation everything went smoothly. read more

I was fortunate to connect with Reuben and his team to get the heat pump water heater installed. Quote and communication were thorough, installation was smooth, the app worked as intended. Overall, it's a 5 star experience. Thank you Reuben and Team for the work and the mission. read more

They did my solar panel installation. It was a wonderful work by them. They showed up on time, started the work as planned and finished it as expected. They got the permit without any difficulties. The price was very affordable and less than other quotes that I received from other companies. At the end, they charged me even less than the original estimate. I highly recommend them. read more

I have been exploring the option of going solar for a few years but on each occasion my low electricity consumption made the ROI of such a project unjustifiable given the installation costs. This was until I came across Sunwork and the glowing recommendations of their work on Yelp and Nextdoor. That combined with the expiring solar tax credits led me to get in touch with them in early July. I quickly heard back from Marc who confirmed that I would be eligible for their program and set up an on-site appointment in a couple of weeks for an onsite survey with Al. Everything went very smoothly with the survey and I was excited about finally getting solar panels installed on my home. However from that point on (July 20th), there was no follow through from the Sunwork team. They informed me that during the on-site visit that I would hear back in a couple of weeks with their availability to do the installation but despite several persistent follow up emails that I sent to Al and Mark, it's been crickets for the past 3 months. I recognize Sunworks is a non-profit and their volunteers might be overwhelmed with too many projects going on but I really feel let down by their lack of communication and proper expectation setting. read more

SunWork did a brilliant job installing the 28kw system on the roof of our parish hall. Friendly, competent, and cost savings are hallmarks of this wonderful community! Reuben expertly and with great patience, lead our team of volunteers installing the panels. It was a joy for all involved. In addition, being a former tradesperson​, I can not remember when I have seen such a beautiful and efficient install of conduit and wiring. Reuben is not only a great leader and motivator, and he is also​ a real artisan of his craft. SunWork took care of all the inspections and paperwork with PG&E, the administration​​ of our new system was effortless​​s on our part. SunWork has been responsive to our questions and assistance​ with our new system--SunWork is not an install it and forget​ company​! We offer here our highest recommendation​ for SunWork Solar! read more

Get three bids, but use these guys! As a homeowner on any project, you can find good contractors and bad ones. This has been the gem in my experience. I used SunWork to install at 5kW system on my home. These guys are a non-profit that utilize a paid project leader and volunteer labor to help install solar on home that otherwise wouldn't be financially viable. Marc Fontana was the project lead on my system and walked me through all the different options that were available on my house. Of the three bids I got, he was the only one that came out and examined the roof to do the bid. This was important in my case because I have a very small roof and wanted enough solar energy to offset my home use and my electric car usage. The entire installation process was as promised and because I volunteered to help install my system, I have a much better understanding on how to troubleshoot if needed. The permitting and inspection process went flawlessly. Marc even taught the inspector something the day he came out to sign off! read more

I'm very glad that I found out about SunWork. SunWork is a nonprofit that only does solar installations for customers whose electric bills are less than $100/month. They use a combination of paid workers and volunteers. Two of the big solar companies refused to even give me a quote (one because I live in a townhouse, and the other because my electric bill is only $30/month). Two other big solar companies gave me quotes that were much higher than SunWork's price. Marc Fontana of SunWork came to my house to give me a quote, then returned to lead the installation, and then returned for the inspection (which we passed). He was very nice, he answered all of my questions thoroughly, and he made sure that the system was installed properly. My 3 kW system has been up and running for 2 weeks and is working well. read more