Cobalt Power Systems

Mountain View, United States

4.8

17 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

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Telephone:
+1 650-938-9574
Website:
www.cobaltpower.com
Address:
2557 Wyandotte St, Mountain View, CA, 94043
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Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
By Appointment Only
No

Today

Today –
Local time (Mountain View) –

Business hours

Monday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Cobalt Power Systems designs, sells and installs complete photovoltaic (PV) energy solutions for your residence or business.

We’ve installed over 1,000 PV systems in the Bay Area and across Northern California. Whether your system is roof-​mounted, ground-​mounted, battery-​powered, or grid-​tied, we can find the perfect solar system for you. Our installers are the best in the business, and we never subcontract our installations in order to ensure the highest quality. Every system we install is compliant with the National Electric Code as well as local building codes, and we are a licensed electrical contractor in the state of California.

Let our team bring you the best in modern PV technology and enhance your residence or business with clean, reliable energy from the sun.

History

Established in 2003.

Cobalt Power’s number one goal is to design and install systems that our customers are delighted with. Our business is built on referrals. Managed by seasoned Silicon Valley executives, we partner with the most reputable names in the business to bring you the best quality and most current technologies.

Meet the Business Owner

Mark B.

Business Owner

Mark is a member of that dying breed called an analog hardware engineer. Mark received a degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1974. After 2 years at Computer Curriculum Corporation designing computers, Mark missed his inductors and capacitors, and joined Farinon Corporation to design microwave radios.

In 1984, Mark joined a new startup called Digital Microwave Corporation as their first employee. He spent the next 12 years designing state of the art microwave radios, and was VP of Engineering from 1991 to 1995. Over the next 6 years Mark served as VP of Marketing at Netro Corporation, VP of Engineering at WaveSpan, and COO at Wireless Inc.

In 2001, Mark decided to step off the treadmill for a year and focus on his three young children as a single dad. This didn’t last long, and in 2003 he founded Cobalt Power Systems, and has been enjoying being a part of the solar industry ever since.

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17 reviews of Cobalt Power Systems

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Place rating: 5
Cupertino, CA
Cobalt knows solar! I spoke with several Solar companies before engaging with Cobalt. But once I spoke with Kurt Newick from Solar I knew that Cobalt was the only company I would engage with for my solar installation. The other companies were looking at google maps and providing a proposal. Kurt came home and went to the roof and did a very thorough analysis. He then provided three proposals. He was patient and always willing to share information. The installation team, led by Blair Fox were simply awesome. Our home has a curved tile roof. Cobalt brought in a professional roofing company to do all the flashing work after the posts that hold the panels were installed. The conduit work done by Blair and team is exemplary. Everything is painted to color match (yes the conduit on the roof matches the color of the tiles). The Cobalt team took care of everything, City inspections, PG&E approvals, NEM, etc. I am very happy with Cobalt and recommend them without hesitation.
Place rating: 5
Sunnyvale, CA
We just had Cobalt install solar panels on our house. We are very happy with all aspects of the installation. Ron, our salesperson was very knowledgeable and helpful. We really appreciate John, Vince and Kris for coordinating everything and all the electricians and installers who were so professional. We were very impressed with the fact that Cobalt had the most efficient panels, so we didn’t use as many as we would have with other companies. Since we don’t go up on our own roof, we didn’t even know that we had several dozen nails sticking out of it until the Cobalt guys went up to inspect the roof! It didn’t affect installation, but they told us right away and took pictures for us so we could have the problem addressed. We were so lucky that the roof hadn’t leaked. Our panels went operational right before the August/​September heat blast — great timing!
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Cobalt is the best! We installed our system in 2009. They handled everything, waited for inspectors etc. they designed a system perfect for our remodel and not some cookie cutter one size fits all deal. So recently our original Sunny Boy inverter signaled it had a fault. I called Cobalt that night and they sent their technician out the next morning. The inverter needed to be replaced– but it was still under warranty. They replaced it with a brand new Sunny Boy no charge! No refurbished old model, No installation fees!
I called Mark Byington regarding any upgrades that would allow us to check our new inverter/​system online –no problem. Installed within 72 hrs. We had. A network issue – their IT tech came out the next day and fixed it-​no additional charges.
Loved Cobalt in 2009 and still love their great customer service and response –6 years later. Four of my friends also used Cobalt after I installed my Solar – nothing but praise and satisfaction with their experiences. I HIGHLY recommend this company for any of your Solar needs!
Place rating: 5
Los Gatos, CA
I can’t say enough good things about this company. We ended up having a very difficult installation and Cobalt worked with us through the entire process and stood by their workmanship and their word. Their sales people seem much more knowledgeable than many of the other companies we interviewed and the installation was seamless. We met the owner of the company who personally oversaw the tricky aspects of our job and he had a lot of integrity. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to go solar.
Place rating: 1
Los Altos, CA
so far a terrible experience. Got one of their «system designer» guys to my house. Wasted 2+ hours talking and selling his expertise to later tell me that he will «work in the proposal». 3 weeks later and nothing, still getting emails with excuses. They must think that there is only one solar panel company in CA.
Place rating: 5
Los Gatos, CA
After a neighbor’s excellent recommendation, I chose Cobalt Power Systems as the contractor to install my solar panels. From the very beginning through the end, Kurt Newark, the system designer, oversaw all phases of the job professionally and considerately, always keeping me closely informed of the progress. Kurt went beyond expectations in designing my system. He is an expert in the field and enjoys explaining the technicalities of solar. He answered any email questions or concerns right away. When there was a minor misunderstanding about what model of SonPower panels would be installed, he took care of it without any problem.
The installation itself was done professionally and efficiently. It went live in December 2014; and ever since then I’ve closely followed my net energy production on line through SolarEdge’s easy-​to-​understand on-​line monitoring portal. My panels are a ground installation, easily visible from my deck; so I chose SunPower’s all-​black panels for aesthetics. The entire installation looks like a modern sculpture and has performed perfectly without a hitch. (A great thing about solar is that there’s only one moving part to fail: The earth revolving on its axis and around the sun! Pretty safe bet.)
Seeing my energy production rise online as the days get longer has made each day feel like Christmas and I’m winning the lottery. And the real celebration will be this fall during the TrueUp, when I see how little I’ll owe PG&E…if anything.
I can’t thank Cobalt Power Systems enough for this great investment. Without hesitation, I recommend them along with SunPower and SolarEdge.
Lois Manning
Los Gatos, CA
Place rating: 5
Palo Alto, CA
We had a 7.7 kW system installed recently by Cobalt. I did my research and contacted 6 companies. 2 flat out refused to even come out to estimate saying they wouldn’t work with the city of Palo Alto. I got 4 bids.
Cobalt was not the cheapest bid, but they were by far the most thorough and walked the roof first while some only used satellite images.
I called references and it was clear everyone loved Cobalt. Everything was taken care of. From planning to city permits to installation to utility company inspection it was all done. Never had to do a thing. Just signed some papers and that was it.
Even better they painted the solar conduit to match the roof, the house and the trim. They go above and beyond. Other solar installs aren’t the same. I’ve looked.
I can’t recommend them enough. Ron Lykins was my system designer and the install leads were Paul and Ricardo. The install team was punctual, responsive, clean and very respectful.
My advice w solar: it’s your house. Get it done right. It’s not about the cheapest bid. Your long term plan is for these panels and your ROOF to last 20+ years. Go with Cobalt. They’ve done tons of systems in the Bay Area. They know how to deal with the city governments. They go above and beyond. And they stand by their work after it’s done.
Place rating: 5
Palo Alto, CA
Cobalt Power Systems recently designed and installed solar panels and systems for our house. Kurt was the designer and our main contact. He was very knowledgeable and explained different options to us in great details. He then surveyed our roofs and came up with detailed analysis of panel placement that would maximize the outputs and efficiencies of the system. The permit application went smoothly because Cobalt has done many great jobs in the valley. The installation was done on time and with great quality. We are very impressed and happy with Cobalt. We would recommend them to anyone who needs a solar system.
Place rating: 5
Sunnyvale, CA
Cobalt Power Systems installed a solar system on my home in May 2014. The salesperson, design team, and installation crew were wonderful. They were very professional. I felt very comfortable with the staff and was kept fully informed every step of the way. The system is working as promised. I would highly recommend Cobalt Power Systems.
I researched several solar installation companies and various configurations, and Cobalt rose above the rest in terms of service, trustworthiness, and price. I have no doubt that I chose the right company.
Great job!
Place rating: 5
Davis, CA
We just had a PV system installed on our home and I can’t rave enough about how professional and knowledgeable they are, not to mention everyone we dealt with was really nice.
They developed their proposal after looking at our home’s location via satellite imagery and a year’s worth of electric bills. When we expressed possible plans to get an electric car they scaled the proposal appropriately.
Once we gave the go-​ahead they came out for a site visit and used cool technology to determine how much sun our roof would get all year round. A deposit was required at that point.
Cobalt handled obtaining permits from the city.
They worked with our schedule for the installation. The bulk of the costs were then due for materials. They arrived right on time. It was of course noisy as they were drilling on the roof but installation was completed in just three days. They then scheduled an inspection with the city and once that was approved immediately contacted PG&E so that we would be able to turn on the switch as soon as possible. We had been warned that it could take up to a month for PG&E to approve the system. We received our approval to turn it on in one week.
A neighbor just had a PV system installed by a major HVAC company in Sacramento. If you had a house built in the last couple of decades, your A/​C was probably installed by them. Her panels went up a week before ours and she’s still waiting for the company to come out to turn it on. Too bad she didn’t use Cobalt, she’d have been generating power weeks ago.
My husband went to high school with the owner but that didn’t stop me from doing research beforehand to make sure the company was reputable. I checked with the BBB and CSLB and other sites and Cobalt System is well deserving of its stellar reputation. If you live the in bay area you should use Cobalt for photovoltaic systems. They know solar.
Place rating: 5
Mountain View, CA
As a General Contractor, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Cobalt Power Systems as a subcontractor on our projects and also as a client, when they installed a 4.4kW system on my roof in November of 2012.
Ron, the system designer did a great job evaluating our current and future needs (we were in the process of getting an electric vehicle) and analyzing the best approach for installing the system. The permitting process went very smoothly and they provided great advice for working through some issues with PG&E. Their installation team was knowledgeable, courteous, fast and neat, and the installation is really clean and professional.
A few months after completing the installation, the inverter started misbehaving. They came out and replaced it immediately and everything has been working flawlessly ever since. It generates over 91% our our power (by kWH), but with the time of use metering that they recommended, our PG&E bill is less than $ 5 a month — just the administration fees. I highly recommend them.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Our neighborhood was inundated with companies wanting to install solar power. A friend suggested we call Cobalt Power before committing to anything. Wow, do I thank her for that advice. Our contact person, Kurt Newick, arrived, reviewed our electricity usage and talked about suitable options (he had a very different attitude from previous sales persons in that he wanted us to be informed before making a choice). We had some unique issues as we had to move some previously installed solar thermal panels for our pool to allow the PV panels in that area, and Kurt even helped us coordinate with a roofer so we could update it during the many jobs taking place. Kurt was with us through the entire process, checking in regularly in person, via email and via phone to give us updates on the timeline for installation, city inspectors, PG & E transition and general hand-​holding through the process. We just switched on our system and are seeing ourselves generating more electricity than we are using, even during these short December days. I would recommend Cobalt Power Systems to anyone considering a Photo-​Voltaic system.
Place rating: 5
Palo Alto, CA
We are very pleased with our experience with Cobalt Power Systems and the installation of our PV system.
During every step, from our initial meeting with the sales representative through the installation process, and finally getting the system signed off with our city’s inspectors was done quickly, efficiently and courteously.
We had a 5.9kW Suniva system installed by mid September, and have just had our first electricity bill arrive showing the welcome results.
The sales representative was extremely knowledgeable and able to give us information on various options, and then she was available to us each step of the way to answer whatever questions arose.
The installation team was exemplary in all respects. They both asked our preferences and let us know when and where they would be working. They were friendly and respectful and were careful to clean up thoroughly as they went along.
Our city has a reputation for being difficult to work with in the approval process, but this was accomplished more quickly than promised, and without a wrinkle.
We highly recommend this company and are very very pleased with their work and the result.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
We had a 5.8KW PV system installed by Cobalt. Their prices were competitive and the level of service was very high. We picked Cobalt due to the far higher level of measurement and analysis that they did before proposing a system. The system was installed in the quoted time for the quoted cost. We are very happy with the system and with Cobalt Power
Place rating: 5
Palo Alto, CA
I had a 5.9 kW SunPower solar system installed on my home by Cobalt Power in November, 2012. I was extremely pleased with the entire process and the results.
The sales person did a very nice job understanding my family’s electricity usage and future needs, and explaining the product options, design options, and financing options. It was really a very simple and painless process all the way through.
The installation team was great. They worked very well with my roofer (I installed a new roof at the same time) and installed the system as promised. The crew was very friendly and did careful and detailed work. They were very nice (even when I had some last minute change requests), left no marks or damage, and cleaned up thoroughly when they were finished.
My SunPower panels look great on my house (even my wife agrees!), and so far it has been over producing their original production estimates by ~10%, even during the winter months.
Going solar has been great for our family, is already saving us money on our electric bill, and Cobalt was a great contractor for the project. I highly recommend them.
Place rating: 5
Redwood City, CA
Cobalt finished an install in late Oct. PG&E just let it go live. Very happy with the price, service, and install work. The team installed a 6KW system on our roof in 5 days. It looks great, and even in Dec, we’re net positive on electricity in the morning. We’re very happy we made the switch to solar, and happy we did it with Cobalt Power.
Place rating: 5
Cupertino, CA
Getting a solar PV system can be a tough experience. First, you’ve got to navigate the economics, understand the tax issues, calculate the size of the system, etc. Then, you’ve got to be comfortable that the people doing the physical work won’t damage your roof or mess-​up your home electrical system. Finally, you’ve got to be sure that you’re buying high-​quality equipment that won’t fail.
Cobalt excels in all these areas. In particular, Mark Byington is superb. He truly knows his stuff and takes the time to explain it all (he clearly enjoys educating his customers). He also delivers exactly what he promises. Our system was installed on-​time, on-​budget and with zero problems. At the end of the process, he gave me a comprehensive 3-​ring binder with everything I could possibly want (from instruction manuals to copies of regulatory approvals) and personal instruction on how to use the system.
This is «white glove» service. I wish every construction project around my home was as easy and satisfying.
I’ve referred several friends to Cobalt and they’ve been delighted as well.