Your Energy Solutions

Your energy solutions recently installed a 5.3 kW PV system with a 14 – 50 plug for an electric vehicle charger at our house. I was very impressed by the whole pre-​sale experience as our sales consultant Daniel Sisca exchanged countless emails and phone calls with me to discuss all the various options for system sizes, solar panels, and inverters. He offered his recommendations, But didn’t push back too hard when I chose a different option than he initially recommended (e.g., choosing SolarEdge over Enphase).
Once we signed a contract the whole installation process went smoothly overall. There were a couple communication hiccups, but nothing major and in fact one of them involved the workers showing up to start installation a week earlier than we were expecting because our project coordinator was on vacation and no one else called in his place to let us know about a schedule change. This turned out to be a good thing since otherwise our installation probably would’ve been delayed by rain.
The installation took two days and the crew was very professional and cleaned up well when it was done. The foreman was back two days later to meet the city inspector and we received our permit without issue. PGE granted their permission to operate just over a week later. We’re now about 19 days since the installation and the new system has generated just over 200 kWh of electricity. So far, so good!
I’d absolutely recommend your energy solutions to anyone considering the installation of a residential solar system.

YES is a great company. When I started to look for solar, I shopped around for the best rate and YES had it. I got LG panels with Enphase micro inverters and am very happy with them. Through the whole process, I spoke with Daniel and everything worked as we discussed on the phone.
During the course of the project, we ran into an issue and it would have been very easy for YES to deny any culpability leaving us to deal with a big mess. I’m extremely pleased to say that both Daniel & Lou were extremely professional and put us completely at ease by taking full responsibility and going over and beyond what was expected just to ensure our complete satisfaction.
We would HIGHLY recommend YES to anyone looking for solar installation.

I give my highest recommendations to Energy Solutions. Gary the sales rep. explained everything in detail in a way that was easy to understand., he also answered all of my questions with great clarity. Their customer service is FIVE STAR!
They run their business ethically and honestly! I am completely satisfied with this company.
Kathy L.

I was skeptical do to so many five star reviews, it just doesn’t seem possible. But I am writing one now. I called numerous companies for quotes with a caveat, the install would be performed on the flat roof section of an eichler with a foam roof. They would have to arrange and coordinate with a qualified roofer and break out the roofing estimate separately. Three companies agreed but only one came prepared, that was John Darling working for you guessed it Your Energy Solutions. The other two guys didn’t even know what I was talking about until they arrived, unprepared. They gave solar quotes that were higher in one case and about the same in the other case. But, I would need to call and coordinate with foam roofer. Needless to say I didn’t go with them. Shout out to Abril Roofing, they came out with me and John Darling. Everything worked out great and the solar panels are working great, no electric bills for months now.

11÷7÷2015: Follow up on installing the SPS, Secure Power Supply
on 10/​16, Tech #1 installed 2 optional units. He gave me a cable, which was 8-​inch too short, and told me to finish installing the remote monitor, gave me verbal instruction on the SPS, and left.
* Tech #2 came to correct his mistake. But he lacked knowledge on SPS. He started taking everything apart. He called someone and finally made the SPS system working. I verbally repeated the steps he did to him. He left. His steps were totally different then tech #1. Now I am confused.
* Amit came to help. But his missing information wasted his trip.
* Tech #3 showed up. One of them boasted his knowledge but did NOT realize the cable was from the factory. Now I could not trust him. I would not let them go until I tested the unit successfully.
* I put together the test steps, and we tried. It turned out tech #1 missed 2 critical steps. He had NOT tested the SPS!
WHY test: SPS is a good tool, but it has NO indicator. Testing is the ONLY way to tell it is working.
WHY after-​sale support is a failure:
* Other then tech #1, rest lacked knowledge of SPS unit. But tech #1 DID NOT test anything before he left. That is –0.5 Unilocal-​star.
* The SPS user manual has missing steps.
WHAT I believe.
* YES is a good company. The managers did care, but they are responsible for mistakes. The follow-​up was stressful for me.
* I still recommend YES to everybody.

A follow up… It’s been 3 years since our solar system was installed by YES and went live. So far not a single problem! Our electric bill is effectively $ 0 per month. We love it! Great job!

Helped me design a system to meet my needs without the sales pressure to purchase.
Installation was quick, clean, and flawless.
Highly recommend at least contacting them for a quote.

Well I did a lot of research on solar panels to find the best fit for my application. Being my house has trees in different areas that shade part of the roof I decided to go with a system designed by YES solar. I had 4 other bids and none of the other companies were as professional as the employees of YES. Paul the sales rep explained the system needed and the quote was given. I gave the required deposit and from then on I received updates as to the progress. The day of the install their truck with 4 men started the install. I talked to the lead installer Flavio (Lead Tech), Dave, and Moises & Jorge. It took 2 days and everything went as planned. Thanks to all the crew for making the install perfect

UPDATE:
We were finally contacted by management and they were quick to work everything out. They apologized for the lack of communication within their business and sent someone out on a Saturday to install our fan.
The technician who came to do the install was very professional and quick — he had everything done in a matter of just a few hours — he covered all the furniture and cleaned up after he was done. He showed us how the fan worked and explained everything he did.
After all the confusion got worked out, we were very happy with the actual installation and the price!
The model fan that they installed has been working perfectly and we are very satisfied!

We got bids from several larger solar companies and then got a bid from YES. What I found was that YES could quote the same configurations others were using but at a lower net cost. Ultimately YES put LG panels in with Enphase MicroInverters and it was easier for me to purchase and gain all the benefit. It’s the same material bigger national companies bid but at lower cost through YES. That means my ROI takes a shorter time to crossover break even and be net positive. The install team lead by Lawrence was exceptional, they did great work and the City inspector indicated he had been pleased with installations done by YES.
I now enjoy seeing that my meter runs backwards and we are comfortably producing more than using so I expect to eliminate my PG&E electrical portion of the bill.

Sales process was great, but the communication afterwards was absolutely pitiful. There were a few follow-​up emails and then everything went to pot.
I had Y.E.S. do Solar panels, service panel upgrade, whole house fan, solar attic fans and radiant barrier. No one ever explained to me that some of these tasks were going to sub-​contractors. So when people started calling to schedule appointments, it was awhile before I realized I was talking to different companies.
The first appointment for the installation of the fans was scheduled for a Monday, and then they called and said they couldn’t do Monday but they could do that Sunday, so I left a voicemail saying that would be fine. I came back from vacation early to be there for the Sunday install and no one showed up. I had another appointment for a solar panels for that Tuesday, come Tuesday no-​one ever showed up for that. Turns out these were all miscommunications.
So, now I’m furious. Everyone I’ve talked to has been accommodating and apologetic, I was told the CEO would call me and try to make things right. I also asked questions and learned how the whole process was going to work, which parts of the job subcontractors were working on and how the whole service panel upgrade would work between the electrician, the city and PG&E. There should have been one project manager who explained all this to me from the beginning.
Later I get an email from another employee saying she has notes in the file to make sure I am notified of all scheduling activities. A week later I replied to that email, asking if there were any updates to my scheduling. No response.
The following morning my power goes off. I go outside and see the PG&E guy and an electrician. I asked them if this was a scheduled outage, they said yes. I asked them if it was an outage for my service panel upgrade, they said yes. SO, my service panel upgrade, which ended up being nearly a 7 hour power outage thanks to the city inspector. Was scheduled and I was never informed. NOT a happy camper. I called and complained again. A day or so later I did get a call from someone higher up in the company, who offered to upgrade my solar panels at no additional cost. This was a decent attempt to placate me, but I declined because what they were offering was from a different manufacturer, and I had been sold on the panels I chose because they were designed better, and was told they had better output.
My solar install was scheduled for 2 days. The first day went without a hitch. The second day, the guys ran some wire and then waited for word on the solar panels. Turns out my panels and some other equipment got sent to the wrong location. So the rest of that install will need to be rescheduled.
The next day my whole house fan, radiant barrier, and attic fan installation was scheduled. When the contractor shows up I find out he doesn’t install radiant barrier and isn’t sure why that was on his list. Then he comes back from a trip to my attic and tells me the fan I was sold will not fit because of the way my attic is designed.
As I am writing this review, my installations have not been completed. Anyone I talk to at this company is nice enough, but all of these screw ups and poor communication is absolutely unbelievable. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. This just is my experience and maybe I’m that one super unlucky customer, but considering all that has gone wrong so far, I cannot recommend this company. It’s just not worth the headaches. If it is possible I will update this review after everything is completed. There’s still time for them to make me a happier customer.

YES just completed getting 2.75kW of micro inverted power on my roof. The process was seamless and I am now operating my home as a near zero energy building. With a few of their other products I intend to have my home as an energy plus building. Considering my home is a 2087 sq/​ft two story with a 40k gallon pool and the home is kept in a very comfortable temperature range we are doing exceptionally well.
The outside rep, office staff and field installers provided excellent communication and I was left needing for not. Scheduling was clear and everyone involved was on time, actually a few minutes early which I thoroughly appreciate.
I interviewed and received bids from 4 other companies for my project, took other Unilocal reviews into consideration, checked BBB as well as CSLB and Your Energy Solutions came in as the winner of my job.
I am quite happy with the product and the process.

We had our solar panel system installed about 3 years ago. It is a Grape Solar panel system with Enphase microinverters sold by Costco. Your Energy Solutions did the installation. At that time, there was some delay in getting the system drawings and the final city permit, but once they started the installation, it went very quickly. The installers did a great job on our steel tile roof. The local building inspector commented to me that we had a very good installation.
The system had performed at least as good as expected, until a few weeks ago. I turned off the system breakers, as we had an un-​related electrical circuit problem in the house. I turned on the breakers and thought that everything was normal. I noticed a couple weeks later on the Enphase monitoring system that the solar panels were no longer supplying power to the grid. After checking the breakers again, I contacted Jim Gitas and he replied to me very quickly with some troubleshooting tips. When those didn’t work, he then scheduled a technician to come to the house. The tech did a system check and tightened up the breaker connections. The system is back on-​line and generating power again. I was very pleased with the follow-​up service, even after having no communication with them for three years.

For my review I will only mention the name of the company I went with for my solar system because I am not looking for a debate with the reps or owners of competing companies.
I will start off by saying I am a very demanding customer. It was not easy working with me because I am very picky about every element that goes in to the entire process. From how the contracts are written to how the employees are treated.
I began my search for a solar installation company for my home eight months ago. The first decision is whether to purchase or lease your system. I started the process by speaking with my CPA to analyze the cost of leasing versus purchasing. We quickly eliminated the solar companies that are in the leasing business as they are making a lot of money as they benefit from receiving the federal taxes rebate the homeowner receives only if they purchase the system outright.
Furthermore you do not recoup the full savings of Solar by leasing. The other downside with solar companies that lease comes if decide to sell your house at some point. The new homeowner would be obligated to take over the lease d that adds to the cost of purchasing the home.
The process of selecting the right Solar Company is not easy. It’s not like buying a car you can test drive. There is the jargon used by these companies which can be confusing and if you really want to understand the process you have to take the time to read up on solar on your own.
Then there is the selection of the panels, a very important decision. Based on my conversation with the solar installation companies I Interviewed they said most consumers prefer the least expensive panels. Once you do your research and then start running the numbers in some cases the more expensive panels can provide you with a much quicker return on your investment. More on that later.
One of the companies I met with never bothered to talk with me about the options that are available with other panels. The company is highly recommended and well reviewed on Unilocal and my brother loved the work they did for his house. When I started this process I had pretty much made up mind to go with them and was using Your Energy Solutions to get a quote to make sure I was receiving a good deal. Even though they too where highly rated.
The other company are experts as well and they do good work but they are locked in to selling SolarWorld panels. Even though they sell the brand of panels I ultimately chose, SunPower they did not want to quote them. When I asked them why they said most people don’t want to spend the extra dollars as they expensive panels. More on this later.
When I called Your Energy Solutions it was a Saturday. My plan was to leave a voicemail and wait until they called me on Monday. I was surprised when the owner Jim picked up. He was helpful right off the bat. He said he would have one if salesman named John Darling call me on Monday.
When I met with team from the other company it was a team of young very smart guys. They all looked like they worked for a technology company. When John showed up he was a funny but older gentleman.
As I got to know John I quickly learned not only did he know everything about Solar. But unlike the other companies team he spoke to me so I could understand what the heck all of these new words I had not heard previously actually meant. By the time John left I had changed my mind about awarding my business to the other company. John actually took the time to explain to me why I might want to consider the higher prices but more efficient panels made by SunPower. One of the advantage to more efficient panels is you don’t need as many panels. And the system can produce more energy than other panels. I also called both panel companies and was so impressed with SunPower It quickly became as easy decision.
John and his team created a system for me that resulted in a return on my investment in under 7 years. The other companies system would have added a few more years to the ROI because of the efficiency of the panels. Another cost benefit was the reduction in the total panels needed due to the efficiency of the SunPower panels versus the other solar panels.
Even before I made my decision on SunPower John showed me three other solar panel companies they represent so I had many options. I was also invited to Your Energy Solution’s Danville Showroom where I saw the systems I was looking at and met Jim the owner. I was impressed.
The installation process was a breeze. The installation team and one of their tech guys Amit is second to none. He spent all of the time I needed to understand how to use the SolarEdge system to track my energy which was very easy. Your Energy Solution is the best company in the East Bay when it comes to solar installation and sales. I am so happy with my decision to go with them and PG&E finally did their job today. Now I am saving a ton of money on my electric bill and you gotta love that.

7÷3÷15 — We ordered 3 solar attic fans with remotes from Jim Gitas, who was very knowledgeable about the attic fans. He also told us about the tax credit, which was an added incentive to install them now. (We needed more fans so that our whole house fan could
circulate the air better.) The installers were scheduled to be here within a week, came one week later at 9am on Saturday morning and promptly got to work. They were courteous, informative, and did a great job in a short time. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this comany.
Now for the roof and solar panels!

I had a very good experience with YES. Jim Gitas, the president, was excellent at communicating through email and answering any questions I had. He provided useful documentation from the beginning on the different solar panel options, what their expected output was given our roof size and direction, and what the price was for a given system. He was also knowledgeable about the net metering agreement I would have with PG&E and how I would get a credit if I generated more electricity over a 12-​month period than I used. Jim was also generous about providing a 4% discount and free NEST thermostat (which is really cool and easy to install), even though I took a while to commit to purchasing the panels and missed the seasonal promotion. I had the panels installed about two months ago and they are performing beyond the estimates Jim provided. The average annual estimate he provided for my 3.975 kwdc system was around 19 kwh per day, but they’ve been producing around 25 kWh daily. However, given that the days are long now, I’m sure the daily output will go down in the fall and winter. In any case, my decision to purchase solar panels was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Now, I can live in comfort with the AC on all day and evening during the summer and I don’t even think twice about leaving the lights on in the house. Since I only use about 12 kWh on a normal day and I use about 41 kWh with significant AC use, I can basically have a heavy AC use day for every 1 – 2 normal use days since I’m banking around 12 kWh daily. As hot as it gets in Livermore, I’m certain I’ll still end up with a nice credit at the end of the 12-​month cycle. I should also say that the pricing for the panels was very reasonable and much less expensive than the quotes I were getting from the door-​to-​door folks. One recommendation I would give to anyone thinking about purchasing a system is that given the output of these panels, there’s no reason to oversize your system. The best value you will get from these panels is to use all their output, since PG&E only pays 3.7 cents per kWh for any net energy you generate over the 12-​month cycle. So you get the best bang for your buck by sizing the system just enough to allow you to end with a net zero energy balance.
The only somewhat frustrating part of the experience was that once i signed the contract, it took about 3 months to get them installed. This, however, was consistent with the contract, which stated that they would be installed within 90 days, so I don’t count that against them. Another frustration was that the other YES employees I was communicating with did not seem to be aware of the payment details in the contract and on several occasions, requested a payment schedule that was inconsistent with the contract. I corrected 3 different people on 4 different occasions (yes, the same person had to be corrected twice!) and finally asked Jim to intervene, which he did.
Overall, I highly recommend YES. All the workers who surveyed our roof and installed the system were professional and courteous. There were no surprises and everything was done as stated and even exceeded our expectations in terms of energy output.

YES installed our system 2 years ago. The work was very clean, and their staff was very prompt and professional — the kind of folks that give you high confidence. The sales process was stress free. I would use these guys again, and have recommended to friends. They do pride themselves on customer service.
As others said, you need to pay attention to the PGE net metering process. After delays, I called PGE and they had detailed records stating they responded to YES within a couple days with followup questions and there it set with YES for many weeks. Very minor headache. Once I notified YES they dropped the ball, it was resolved immediately and my meter started spinning backwards. And YES did warn me during the sales process that sometimes the PGE process can be difficult for them– I have to believe that 2 years later it is figured out between to two.
The system is producing more power than estimated (290LG and 32 panels), with no degradation. I haven’t had to clean them. There has been no notable problems.
I had a slight issue where one of the devices that send the data to Enphase wasn’t working. YES jumped on it immediately, sending me emails late last evening that directed me how to diagnose and fix — apparently, it can be temperamental if plugged into a surge protector. Once again, prompt and professional service.

We got solar system installed on our home in summer 2013. We are very happy and satisfied with YES. I highly recommend them. They are extremely friendly, professional and helpful.
Two years back, while we were analyzing various solar providers and comparing between leased vs. installed, YES were very professional and responsible in educating us to make an informed decision. They never tried to sell or force us towards install. We are very happy now that we chose install and YES was the front runner among the compared.
Lately, our system had challenges in reporting to Enphase Enlighten website. With their excellent customer service and attitude to ensure customer first, today they fixed the issue and the best part is at no charge.
Hope you guys give them a chance to prove their expertise!

Your Energy Solutions continues to save us money with a Whole House Fan. We got the AirScape fan which is extremely quite and has 5 speeds to cool down the upstairs so we don’t have to use the AC much.
Francis, the installer came promptly as scheduled, professional and mess free. He easily taped into the power and installed a switch. Recently, we had a heat wave and tried the unit for the first time. I could barely hear it and it cooled down the upstairs in about 10 – 20 min.
Thank you Your Energy Solutions!

When I contacted YES a few months ago, I was glad that they didn’t turn me away. I was only looking to install a small PV System (3.14 KW) and they didn’t try to pressure me into buying something larger.
Paul was a very knowledgeable salesperson and was incredibly responsive. No matter what time it was, he always seemed available to answer the questions that I had. In the end, he was able to match bids I received from other solar companies, which I was pleased about.
Lou was the project manager. He was incredibly cordial over the phone and always followed up regarding any concerns that I might have had. If you E-​Mail him, he’ll likely respond with a phone call, which is what you want from someone running such an important project.
It’s been a month and a half since the system was installed, but is still running flawlessly! I’m excited to see my numbers during peak summer hours next year.