Our system was installed in December of 2020. So, this review has some value in reviewing the multi-year relationship between the supplier (XERO) and the consumer (me). It is not straightforward to review solar companies because, well, these are big $ projects and I don't get solar installed every month or every year. So, this review does not compare Xero to other solar companies. I would be writing a fairytale if I were to review them, say, against Tesla. Having that cleared up, let me start the review.
First come the sales people. Did they take the time to understand what my wife and I were really wanting our solar system to do for us? Did they propose a system that would meet our needs? George B. was 'our' sales person. He is still with Xero 6 years later, albeit in a larger role. This is a very positive sign. Before you sign with a solar company, ask about turnover and who your contact will be as the project progresses. Xero gave us 'one stop shopping' and that has real value. George fielded all our questions, informed us of status and kept us informed about anything that impacted our project (everything from municipal permits, Southern Edison approvals, project progress, to Solar rebates. Xero continues to be stable. We had one 'sales' meeting where George worked with us to configure a system and set up a timescale and pricing. One funny thing did happen that I should tell you about. George assumed we were looking for a minimum cost system that would lower our electric bill. We had to explain that what we wanted was a system that would give the maximum backup power (battery plus solar) in case the grid went down. That type of system would then also have the property of giving us there lowest SCE bill. Our final system was: 40 panels, 4 Tesla Powerwalls, and all the support infrastructure needed. The price was in line with expectations, so we signed up.
The project moved quickly. XERO produced the plans that would be submitted to SCE and the City for permitting. They also created all the paperwork that was needed to take advantage of the government rebates. We were having our roof redone at the same time as we were replacing a much older solar system with the Xero system. George coordinated Xero's work to put hardware in place to hold the panels so the roofers could seal the hardware against leaks. The installation of the solar system went quickly and according to the original schedule. We were up and running 'on schedule'.
We have had a few problems since the 2020 installation. One of the LG panels died. Xero replaced the panel, but we also learned that LG is getting out of the solar panel business. If other panels die Xero said they would 'take care of it'. I trust them. Then, one of the Tesla Powerwalls kept tripping the first breaker between it and the rest of the system. That turned out to be due to the screw that fixes a (large) wire to a breaker loosening. Xero repaired that immediately. Probably the most concerning failure we had was that the main breaker, the Backfeed Breaker, that connects the solar/Battery Backup system to the grid, melted and disconnected us from the grid. We were running on battery and solar only for a few days. The good news is that the system as implemented can deliver enough power to run our home and charge our car from the sun alone. One of the very senior Xero folks saw the 'call for service ticket' and rushed right over on a Sunday afternoon. Then one of their very senior engineers came out and diagnosed and repaired the damaged system. This failure was also caused by a screw that fixes a wire to the breaker loosening. The installation crew used calibrated torque wrenches to torque every screw to its specifications. So, faulty installation was not to be blamed. Heating/cooling can cause this type of failure as the wire and screw are subject to expansion and contraction.
Overall, Xero is great company. They are stable, have excellent leadership, proudly stand behind their brand, they don't leave you 'hanging', they are easy to deal with, they've been in business for quite a long time, they have a stable workforce. I recommend them highly.
"But", you say "aren't you concerned about the failures? Especially the 'loose set screw' issue." Short answer: NO. These failures are bound to happen in electrical equipment that carries large currents (have a chat with one of the AIs about this). There are many issues that can cause such failures: heating/cooling caused by large currents that are not steady; for example switching Powerwalls from charging to discharging. Both loose connections were in high current areas where current direction changed frequently. The solution to these problems is 'maintenance'. Xero now offers annual maintenance contracts which will prevent the type of failure we have seen. That is the theory. We shall see how this works out in practice over time. read more