Sun First Solar

The single star is for the installation crew, who were committed and professional.
Sun First acted as the sub contractor to install Sunpower panels and they were supposed to install an upgraded electrical panel required to work with the system. And, upgrading an electrical panel requires coordination with PG&E.
If you are this kind of solar installation and not in Marin County, Sun First will treat you as unimportant and as a low priority. As it happened, they installed my system in a haphazard, piecemeal fashion over two months, long after they were contracted to do so. Here’s some true facts about Sun First:
–Kim will never accommodate your scheduling requests, lying that PG&E is to blame even though you are in direct contact with PG&E.
–She will never apologize for lying even when you send her the email proof.
–You will get a single phone message, late in the day, telling you that a crew is arriving the next morning and needs access to the inside of your house.
–Kim will schedule PG&E to arrive when no crew are scheduled to show up and no work can be done.
–Weeks later, when the crew does arrive, you will all wait around for PG&E who will never show up because of Kim.
–If their electrician has health problems and cannot work, Sun First will not tell you this but slyly suggest you use a local electrician that they won’t help you to locate or set up.
–The local electrician will end up costing you significantly more and Sun First will not cover the difference
–The will sell the equipment to the local electrician without telling you even though it was included in the cost of your system. (For extra profit!!!)
–They will cause you so much stress and frustration, you will lose any confidence in the system you just bought and will expect more problems.

Brilliant every step of the way! I waited 6 years to find a solar company whose integrity was absolute, who designed the only system that met all of my energy needs, and also had the best looking panels and installation system on the market. Most important to me, it was their own staff that installed it, handled permits and electricity issues, resolved existing thermal solar relocation AND each and every person that came to my home was open, kind, expert, going above and beyond expectations to be sure I was satisfied. There may be cheaper ways to install some less efficient solar, but for a comprehensive solution with the longest warranty, I don’t think you’ll find a better value, kilowatt for kilowatt than Sun First! This is a solar company you can trust.

SunFirst! patiently waited for our new home to be built before they could install a solar panels on our garage roof. They were very quick and professional. Watching our electric meter run backwards is really a trip plus it’s really great knowing that the solar panels are helping us reduce our carbon footprint

SunFirst! arrived when promised, and the team quickly got to work. By the end of the day, our 20-​panel array, inverter, and emergency disconnect were in place and fully-​functional. Not only this, the installation looks great — everything from the panel fit to the conduit. They even painted (or perhaps it’s already color-​matched) the exposed rooftop conduit run to match the color of our shingles.
The team was courteous, tidy and highly qualified. I’d give them 10 stars if I could…

I did my research about solar panels and interviewed 3 other companies before I got to Sun First. The comparison made my choice easy. Sun First gave me the most comprehensive information, explained clearly how they had arrived at a plan for my home, offered a panel product that has advantages over those offered by other companies, and they provided an inclusive cost estimate lower than the others. They described the process of installation, payments, and gave me a schedule for the work. The installation team was very professional, courteous, and things went smoothly. The system is integrated with my home computer so I can see each day how much energy I’m producing. The system is monitored electronically, and they can determine if each individual panel in my system is operating properly. This is an excellent company. I’m delighted with the whole experience!

My Sun First Solar install was fantastic from start to finish. Kim was awesome coordinating and walking me through the process. Aran, the president, even came out to do the shade calcs himself, talking us through all the options. Then the SunFirst Solar team arrived onsite, Kipp Shaw their master electrician was the best and a true customer focused professional. Rewired an old system from nearly scratch and installed all wiring and commissioned the panels. He provided clear description of the work he was doing and was very patient with my questions (and my excitement). Garvin, Louis and Brandon worked through the day and did a phenomenal job on SunPower’s new X21−335 black ACPV panels. Also, very patient to my many questions and picture taking.
That night when I turned on the MBR lights I noticed some flicker and my printer reset. I called Kipp and he was back the next day, a Saturday, with a great attitude, he determined an issue with the neutral & ground causing a voltage drop and rewired the circuit. He then went through and checked every circuit in the house, inside and out to ensure safety and correct service.
SunPower was equally fantastic, from James Swinger closing the deal, Casey Burns coordinating, Chris Fox & Benjamin Wong onsite at install day. Fantastic partnerships all around. When the new house goes in I will welcome them back to expand the system more.

First rate. Sun First has responded quickly & efficiently to our inquiries and has fulfilled all promises. No complaints whatsoever.

I just wrote a very long and detailed review about how Sun First Solar saved me. I somehow did not save it so I have to start over but I will make this one a lot shorter. The last review had every detail of their outstanding customer service, knowledge of solar systems and the industry. I have an existing solar system that stopped working and the company that installed in 2008 went out of business. They went over and above to investigate my problem, solve it, work with the manufacturer so that I did not have to pay anything for the new inverter $ 2000.00 plus and nothing for their labor to install the equipment. They had to spend their time on the phone waiting 25 minutes to get through to the manufacturer. Tayfun kept me updated on everything until all was installed and working again. He is an exceptional asset to Sun First. If I knew anyone looking for a new system I would tell them go with these guys they were a great team to work with.

We installed our panels 8 years ago and hired Sun First. The whole process was very straightforward and we’ve been thrilled with our tiny utility bill ever since!
Now moving forward 8 years, we just installed a new roof. As part of the process, we had to remove and reinstall our panels. Kim was our project coordinator and she was terrific in tracking the progress of our re-​roofing to ensure that we could get our panels reinstalled as soon as possible.
I was also impressed with the fellow who was the lead remover and installer for our job. We ran into a complication in that one of the other contractors took or recycled some of the conduit left by Sun First. I fully expected to pay for this missing material because I’ve been conditioned by so many other contractors that it is never their fault, but not Sun First. How ethical AND refreshing. I really wish other businesses would value customer service and professionalism as much as Sun First. Bravo!

After trying to get quotes from other firms, I contacted SunFirst Solar and worked with a salesman by the name of Stephen Dobbie who understood exactly what I wanted and then delivered it without any hassles and at a very good price. I’d say that SunFirst and Stephen went above and beyond by installing an extra conduit and external junction box for a future car charger I hope to install at some point soon.
I work in the industry and knew exactly what I wanted which was high efficiency SunPower modules to make best use of the limited roof space I have and an inverter/​system that stays live during power outages. I want to use my system as a backup during an earthquake.
After we signed a contract, SunFirst leaped into action and got the system installed very quickly and even managed all the permitting and dealings with PG&E.
Highly recommend these guys and particular, Stephen Dobbie as he just «gets it» and will deliver on exactly what you are looking for. Stephen is also quite knowledgeable about hardware and finance choices and can help the uniformed through the various options to be made.

I cannot rate the service that I’ve received to date with Sun First Solar highly enough, and if I could give them six stars, I would.
I am a very detail oriented person and have very high standards. I can honestly say that I spoke to 9 providers before selecting Sun First. There’s a lot of margin built into the solar panel industry, and Sun First came highly recommended from a friend of mine. Sun First was able to offer the most competitive price while not compromising on quality. I’m also very happy to support a local business in Marin County.
From selecting Sun First as my solar provider in late-​September, the great team at Sun First (Kim Fink and Stephen Dobbie) told me that my panels would be up by mid-​October. As soon as my panels came in, they were at my house to install them the next day and kept to their promised deadlines.
From the sales team, to operations, electricians, installers, and technicians, everyone has been incredibly polite and the service has been second to none.
As soon as my system went up, I also noticed that one panel wasn’t performing as efficiently as the others. The Sun First team quickly investigated the problem and offered to replace a vent that was causing some shading on one of the panels with a vent that had a lower profile. They could have told me to deal with it, but their excellent customer service has no limit.
I will gladly refer anyone to Sun First Solar directly and ensure that you receive the same amazing service that I’ve received. Please message me directly, and I will put you in touch with this excellent team.

They installed our solar electric panels 4.5 years ago. Our monthly power bill has been $ 0 since then. Everything is still working well. Whenever I have questions, they got answers. AND… we hired them to install our solar pool system. That was 2 years ago. No leak. A+. I would do biz with Sun First again.
Sorry, it took me a long time to write this review.

Sun First handled our solar installation with great professionalism from start to finish. The initial discussion and proposal from Stephen was very complete and understandable. The installation team with Garvin and Julio worked extra hours to make sure it was completed on schedule. Paul and his associates went above and beyond to handle the electrical work. And Kim was always accessible and had the answers to our questions, making sure the project went smoothly. A totally satisfactory experience for us. Thanks Sun First!

I have tried for years to get solar but my roof is not ideal and it was not until Sun First came along with the latest more powerful panels and inverter that made this happen. From the very beginning Peter came by and with the help of the entire Sun First Team helped design and install the state of the art system that is producing enough power to reduce my electric bill to nothing and I will never have to worry about electric bill increases again. I interviewed several other companies before picking Sun First not because of price but because of their expert response and ultimate follow through. Garvin lead the installation team and they had my 20+ panels installed and operational in less than two days. Kim Fink coordinated the paperwork and from getting through the approval process to integration with PG&E…it was a breeze. Thank you Sun First and I would HIGHLY recommend them!

In 2003, our electric bill for the year was about $ 900. Sun First installed our electric solar in April of that year. Since then, we have paid only taxes and fees, less than six dollars a month. Our annual surplus has been approximately $ 200. Sun First measured and told us exactly when our trees would cast shadows on the collectors. They monitored their installation from the attic as well as the roof when placing their fasteners. The panels are still solid on the roof and have performed perfectly. Sun First has been there for us when we have had questions. We couldn’t be happier.

Sun First just finished our PV system and did an excellent job.
Stephen did a great job of evaluating our setting and buildings and advising where and what to do for us to get the «biggest bang» for our buck.
Paul, Garvin, Julio and the rest of the guys did a professional and workmanlike installation, Kim in the office was a delight to work with as she coordinated the project from start to finish, and they completed the entire project on time.
Sun First delivered exactly what was promised to us and we are very pleased with the installation and the professionalism of the entire staff that made it happen.

If I could give sunfirst 10 stars, I would because that’s what they deserve. As a first time homeowner and a non-​technical person, I was totally lost and stressed when we discovered the sellers failed to disclose existing issues in our home which included the solar system. Kim at sunfirst went above and beyond in terms of making sure that my issues were taken care of by her knowledgable and nice technicians (paul and garvin) and also investigating the solar history of my home. They are completely PRO active in their service in every way. I can’t recommend sunfirst enough!!! Thank you so much!

At the beginning of February 2014, we had Sun First install a 43 panel /​43 micro inverter system for us in the East Bay. I will echo the positive sentiments of other reviewers and say that we were very pleased with the experience and outcome.
We worked most closely with Stephen Dobbie, who we found both genuine and committed to getting it right. Their on-​site person was Garvey, who has a pleasant disposition and great work ethic. They got the panels hung straight and solid, absolute requirements in my mind. We also worked with Kim to administer the project, she was professional and thorough.
A week before we submitted plans, Contra Costa County changed its rules regarding setbacks. Stephen Dobbie & team came up with a plan that kept us happy and satisfied the County. We appreciated the efforts at going the last mile.
I’ll close by saying that Sun First beat out the other 5 bids we had with the best combination of price and features. We are very satisfied.

This company offered the best price and customer service hands down. Even after I paid they worked tirelessly to explain the installed system, answer any remaining questions and help with inspections, rebates etc. They held our hand through the whole process. We highly recommend this company.

We got several bids and Sun First! was professional, offered a great price, was pleasant to discuss pro-​con issues with different placements, and worked hard to get the job done. They also advised on a tree service to do some trimming to allow more light. The system is performing great. We would highly recommend this team.