SunBug Solar

Receiving our $ 12 electric bill reminded me that I had been meaning to write a review of SunBug. I have never written a review of a restaurant or other business, but I was inspired to review SunBug because the whole experience was exceptional. Each individual we had contact with – from the rep, to the office staff, to the installers – was professional, friendly, and helpful. No sales pressure here – as we experienced with another company we explored. Our rep, Chris, patiently explained a multitude of options. Once we decided to proceed, it was originally going to be about six months until installation. It turned out they had an opening earlier and squeezed us in. So we were up and running much faster than we’d expected. With the federal tax rebate, I was anxious about keeping track of receipts, and then it turned out they gave them all to us, printed out, in our final packet. What a nice touch. I can’t think of another home-​improvement experience I’ve had that has been easier or more pleasant.

They did a great job on the design and installation. Very professional, no disruption my life at all… and now I have a terrific power-​generating system in Jamaica Plain. Call them!

My system had some problems when it was first started up, but SunBug stayed on top of it, and kept me updated with what they were doing to diagnose and fix, as well as plan B and C. Fortunately, it was fairly easily resolved, and my system is up and running smoothly.

SunBug was a great company to work with. They came back with several different proposals and discussed different options. They seemed more than happy to get the right capacity vs cost that I was looking for. After installation I ran into one issue with a faulty component and they were there the next day to replace it. They handled the whole process from design to permitting to application to installation to service. I found the team to be very responsive. The system has functioned better than I thought it would (installed in June 2015).

Installed my rooftop photovoltaic system in a in a matter of days and the work was high quality.

I solicited three bids to have solar panels installed on our house. SolarCity, SunBug and one other, whose name escapes me. I guess the name of the last one doesn’t matter, since they never followed through beyond our initial contact.
I quickly started to realize that home solar panels are a bit of a racket right now, with many large, national companies vying to install solar panels anywhere they can, mostly to harvest the federal and state tax credits, as well as power generated, and then offer the home owner «free» panels, and a modest discount on their electrical power for some set period of time. For example, SolarCity stated they could install 20 solar panels after looking at Google Earth images where part of roof is clearly obscured by trees.
SunBug, by contrast, came to our house and spent an hour on our roof taking readings and measurements, and determined that 14 panels would be the maximum. I went with SunBug not because they were the lowest bidder, but because I had the greatest confidence that they would go a good job. A work colleague also strongly recommended them. You can read his blog here
We chose the US made system (forget the name, there is only one), since it had higher output, a 20 year onsite warranty, and was cosmetically nicer looking.
SunBug was great, the whole staff were amazing. Everything happened exactly when and as they said it would. The electrical work was particularly amazing. The installation took two days. We turned the system on March 29^th, 2015 in the middle of a snow shower. It started producing power immediately, even under those conditions, which really surprised me.
We had been spending about $ 200-​$ 250 a month for power. Our April electric bill was $ 60, and then under $ 20 for May-​July. We learned to run «expensive» appliances during the day, like washer/​dryer, dishwasher, etc, and I think that helps a lot. There is a three-​month waiting period to sell SREC’s, so we just got our first check, so basically have had free power since we turned the system on.
The only other observation I would provide, is that it is much better to buy the panels and own them than to go with the «free» option. That way you own the power, you get the big tax credits, and they add to the value of your home should you ever decide to sell.

Impressed how quickly and efficiently they got our solar installation up and running! Plus they were super clear and prompt in their communication. My wife and I are so excited to have solar and this past month a zero balance on our electric bill.

From start to finish Sunbug was by far the best of the solar installers I researched. Their pricing was FAR better than the competitors that I contacted and their customer service was excellent as well. All questions were explained thoroughly via phone as I prefer to speak to a human being, but they also quelled any doubts I had by providing everything we spoke about in writing via e-​mail.
From the gentleman who came out and initially spoke to me, to the site inspector, down to the install crew who were there early and knocked out the large install within a few days — every aspect of the install was seamless and very professional.

I’ve been trying to connect with these folks for weeks as part of the Solarize Cambridge campaign. They said my mansard roof is not a good match for solar. I told them that their estimate that a solar panel installation would meet 50% of my total electricity needs was worth exploring. Despite several outrages to them there has been no response not reply. The program ends tomorrow. Very disappointing.

These people are absolutely horrible. They promise you the sky and the stars and then after you’ve written them a huge check (which they demand in advance, of course), they refuse to do the work they’ve promised.
If you are a woman, expect them to regularly ask to speak with your husband, because they are unwilling to do business with women.
If you prefer to speak by phone instead of email, you are similarly out of luck, becasue they won’t do it. Be prepared to be tied to your email night and day, and plan to cancel all travel that might bring you away from 24×7 network access — because they will send time-​sensitive panicked emails late at night on a weekend, and if you don’t respond fast enough for their liking, they will cancel crucial inspections and delay the completion of your installation.
You can expect them to run roughshod over your house, and nail 2x4s in random locations, then claim they «can’t fix it» because it’s «already done.» If you have them do any work for you, you MUST take all of the time off of work, and watch them like a hawk a tall times. You will need at least 2 – 3 people to do this, because they will simultaneously be in a position to damage your roof, basement, and attic.
They have been completely unwilling to keep us apprised of the process or estimated completion times, and because of this, they sabotaged our home refinance — the appraiser asked when our panels would go live, and I had to tell him «I have no idea» because the Sunbug people were completely unwilling to tell us what the next steps would be. An accurate estimate (or indeed, any estimate at all) could have a *huge* impact on our home’s value, but Sunbug was unwilling to give us one.

SunBug Solar recently installed a 6 kw system on our rooftop in Marshfield, MA. The entire process – from initial consultation, through design, installation and start-​up was flawless. Our technical sales rep, Dan Covey, gave us carefully thought out advice on system specifications and component options. Director of Operations Andrea Mitter-​Burke kept the entire administrative process moving forward, and handled the flurry of forms and permits so well we barely were aware of them. The design work was considerate of our overall house architecture. The installation went smoothly, and the resulting system is aesthetically pleasing, and operates/​produces as promised. At start-​up, Dan Covey walked us through Federal and State tax credits and rebates, as well as the SREC reporting system. The entire experience was amazingly positive. In a world where you get what you pay for, you get your money’s worth, and more, from SunBug.

Well, all I can say is AWESOME !!! The installation was the best ever !!! The installers were professional and the pros at Sunbug help with paperwork, financials and everything in-​between !!!
5 stars to Sunbug !!!

My solar panels were installed last spring. I’ve been impressed from the start with the professionalism of everyone I’ve dealt with at SunBug. They walked me through the whole process and took care of all the details. I would recommend them to anyone who is interested in solar.

I am glad I chose SunBug instead Astrum, which I looked at first. SunBug offered me a better ROI and was willing to listen to my desires for something that would fit in with my house and not stick out like a sore thumb. They cleaned up after the installation, and then came back to install a snow guard so I wouldn’t get bombed with sliding snow. I was even more surprised when they came to fix something in the middle of a major snow storm. I was told that the weather did not bother them, but I think shoveling 10 inches of snow off of our walk to get to where they were working was well beyond my expectation. Yes, I recommend SunBug to everybody.

We got our panels in Fall 2013, after consulting with a number of companies in spring. Sunbug was the only one that spent time checking out our roof and taking measurements and then sitting down to explain all the options, from types of panels to own/​lease. They suggested a roofing contractor, which worked out great. Their installation process went 98% as planned and was quick and within the budget. When we ran into a hiccup with getting the online monitoring system to work, they put in the extra time to get it done right. And also, they are a local company.
I would recommend to anyone in the greater Boston area without hesitation.