Run On Sun

We have been researching putting solar on our home for a couple of years. I met with many solar companies from small solar firms to the very large one you see on TV. Jim was the one with which I felt most confident. He is local in Pasadena, he has installed solar on local schools and businesses as well as several of my neighbor’s homes. My only problem is that the tile on my roof is so junky (Cal Tile) that I need to reroof my whole house before installing solar. Ouch. But when that happens, Jim will be the man installing my solar panels.

If you are thinking on going solar, you should give this guys a call and talk to Jim.
Background…
Like any sensible homeowner with an interest in reducing energy costs and saving some cash, I decided to go solar. I was convinced my house would be a good candidate based on my less-​than-​scientific observations. Once I made the decision, I started looking into solar companies. I spent the next several months meeting with many of these companies. I met with Gen110 — a SolarUniverse company, Home Performance Matters, Sunrun, Building Doctors, and RunOnSun. I was glad I did!
Results…
The results were astonishing. I was guaranteed anywhere from 5,000 kWh/​Year to 8,100 kWh/​Year based on their «Sun Shade» (Suneye) reports. Their estimates for the installation where fairly close, all within the $ 25K range (I was not interested on leasing — if you are a home owner, purchasing is the best option). These guarantees would drop my energy usage down to Tier 2, I’m currently on Tier 4. My investment would be returned within 8 years. After 25 years, I would see savings of over $ 32K. All made phenomenal guarantees, except RunOnSun.
Why RunOnSun…
After contacting RunOnSun, sending them a year’s worth of data from my local energy supplier, Jim came to my house and did the unexpected, he was frank and honest about my property and advised against going solar. He turned down what could have been $ 25K in business from someone very eager to go solar. How does he stay in business?
I asked him to explain and then he proceeded to share the Holy Grail of online resources (
). I’ve never heard of this resource. None of the other companies ever brought it up. After I mentioned it to them, they proceeded to say, «For the record I have never used that site as a solar installer. I have never even heard of anyone using that. A solar company should be using solmetrics shade readings which are the industry standard.» This maybe true, but it speaks of reckless incompetence.
From the LA County Solar Map site…
«A major step forward in solar mapping, the LA County Solar Map offers more than 100 million points for solar potential on LA County rooftops and calculates solar radiation every five feet. The database contains 250 million individual measurements, including shading from trees, roof features, roof pitch, nearby buildings, and mountains. Each cell grid has been converted to a dot that represents the amount of solar potential for 25 square feet.»
If you are planning on going solar, make sure to visit this website first. If you find your property a good candidate, your next stop should be RunOnSun. Call Jim and make an appointment. Let him know I sent you. We only talked for a short while, but he is welcome to family BBQs anytime he wants, Jim, if you read this, you have an open invitation and thanks for saving me from a making an awful and costly mistake.

Jim installed solar panels on our house and did a fabulous job. He was efficient and trustworthy. He effectively dealt with the LA legal system, despite their inefficiencies. I’d definitely recommend him to anyone looking for some panels!

Unfortunately I was unable to use Run on Sun due to my proximity, however Jim was extremely helpful and informative to me. He spent many hours on the phone explaining and consulting different system types and products knowing I would not be one of his customers. He even looked at different proposals for me. I have a friend who used Jim for their solar and they are extremely happy with the service and products received. If I lived in the Pasadena area, I would without a doubt be using Run on Sun for my solar needs!

We are very happy with Jim and his team at Run on Sun. They were very helpful in getting our system designed and permitted under a tight schedule. The craftsmanship is excellent. They were very responsive to our, sometimes, very picky requests. Highly recommended by us.

Jim and the team at ROS did an excellent job in replacing my wind damaged solar panels. It was a fairly simple job, but they did what they said they were going to do and on schedule.
Their proposal was professional and complete, including a clear explanation of all the caveats of replacing a 5 year old system. One of the key things that sold me on the ROS proposal was the use of Enphase micro-​inverters. My location is shaded by large trees part of the time and this technology really improves the overall performance.
Immediately after signing the contract, ROS team arrived to remove the damaged panels to avoid any further damage to the roof. The subsequent installation was completed in a timely, professional manner. Jim did struggle with connection of the micro-​inverters to my wi-​fi network, but didn’t give up until it worked!
Also, the as-​built documentation ROS provided was very thorough, with all the relevant documents and manuals in a nice binder. Another indication of ROS attention to detail. Highly recommended!