Sungate Energy Solutions

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Now Steve had warned us at the beginning that because DWP was our utility provider that the connect of the system would take up to 3 months. 
However, at the end of three months my husband called Sungate to see what the status was.  He left a message.  He never received a call back.  So the next week my husband called the DWP to see if he could find out the status. 
When the representative from DWP called back and gave us the low down.  It seems that not all the paperwork required by the DWP had been filled out completely.  DWP had informed Sungate that they needed to complete the paperwork by July 9th, or the paperwork would need to be totally resubmitted if that time elapsed.  Sungate never turned in the corrected/completed paperwork so I was told, so now we were not even in the queue to get connected.  He did say that if all the paperwork was completed they could rush us to the front of the queue and get us connected.  Very nice man.  The only phone number they had on the paperwork didn't work he informed me. 
So I was mad and started researching and found that Sungate changed their name to Fidelity Home Energy and the original phone number we were given no longer worked.  I found phone numbers on line . 
I couldn't believe it.  I then called the rep. Steve.  Then his boss, Jack.  Then the woman in customer service we had been directed to call.  I then emailed all of them.  I told them all that what I had heard from the DWP and requested that they contact us to resolve the issue. 
Two days later I got an email from the customer service woman, Amber.    No other response.  She said they were working on it.  It is now at the end of August, 2014.   We still haven't heard anything from Sungate.  I called and left a very angry message saying I was going to write a bad review, report them to BBB and do whatever I could to let others know that once Sungate has their money they are gone. 
The rep. Steve called back and left a message saying the entire thing was DWP fault.  He had gotten our connection rush ordered,  and it should be connected by next Thursday.  This was just what the DWP guy had told me would happen if they got the paperwork in.  Of course, that was almost four weeks ago. 
Now I am really upset, because he didn't take any responsiblility for what they didn't do, and just blamed DWP for everything.  That is just not professional to blame some else for your mistakes, to not return calls, and keep customers posted on the status.  I don't recommend going with Sungate at all. We do have other solar panels on another house that we lease and that experience was very positive. So we do know there are good solar companies out there. Note: Since the system is not working yet we can't evaluate the quality.


------------------------------Updated review on 12/1/14------------------------------------------

We were finally connected in November. The complaint to Sungate was resolved by Sungate admitting mismanagement and giving us $1100 toward our electric bill and $100 giftcard. The giftcard came from the customer service lady, who was very nice.

They would have been an excellent choice. However we decided that, because we don't plan to keep our house more than 5 to 7 more years, the purchase of solar panels (cost versus overall savings) was not recommended.

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The installers were great. Their customer service representatives were dreadful, however. They are not helpful, they do not follow up, and I was told that I was told that I paid way to high of a price. I have contacted them about the price and they have been unresponsive. I have about 8 pages of notes that I typed out just to know what is going on.

The sales person was fine. He did the best to answer my questions. However, when it came to the cost of the system his price was 20,000 more than other companies I was interviewing. Not only that but the initial quote was 90,0000. With the tax credit and other promotional discounts he gave me it brought the price down to $54,000.

My spouse is not willing to get involved with decisions concerning the major house systems. The scheduler stated that they require both spouses to be present for a 2-hour in-home analysis appointment. When I told them that my wife was not interested and that they'd be dealing only with me (and that I am the sole decision-maker for these types of home improvements), they refused to meet! So I guess their discriminating policies make them only willing to do business with married people who are willing to sit together for their 2-hour appointment. That's pretty stupid. I recently made an individual decision to spend $9,000 for new windows and doors. That company didn't require a dinner party!

Met with  Sungate rep at my home and  discussed filling out an area with panels to zero my electric bill. Adding these 3 to my existing 12 Sungate installed panels will likely have PG&E paying me. Sungate took care of plans & permits and their installer would notify me of completion of each permit step. The installer set up an  install time with me and gave me an estimate on the time required for installation which turned out to be very accurate. I watched the work and am very satisfied with the neatness and workmenship. After completion,county inspection & PG&E approval went smooth . I originally calculated,  with 12 panels,  that my payback period would be within 12 years. After 1 full year of use,it appeared payback would be about 9 years! I was still paying a little for electricity on average so I had 3 more panels added. That means they will, on average, be paying me now!!!

great , i was sick ,but when i checked they had gone into over time to try and complete the job,but still had to return next day for 1 hour and only 3 men. they were a happy bunch of worker and very careful not to break or destroy my plants or other things . we trusted them and they proved themselves to be worthy of our opinion.

This transaction and installation was by far one of the most problem free experiences that we have had. We have been looking at solar panels for over 2 years and have interviewed 5 other companies. We chose Sungate based on their down to earth presentation, (no heavy sales pitch or pressure, just the facts) the pricing, and the timeframe with which they were able to provide the service. They used quality panels that were high graded and they were installed within three days. Sungate worked with our city to obtain the permits and schedule the inspection. The installer, Mark, was very professional. He was present during the inspection from the city and also taught us about our panels and the operation set up. When he left we felt that we understood what we were to do. Other important issues are the warranty. Sungate monitors the panels (this is built into the panel) and will provide all the maintenance needed. If a panel is not working, the monitor will alarm the company and they will be responsible to fix it. This was a great burden of relief for us. The panels will last 25 years plus. We will receive our ROI within 5-7 years. The other aspect that we truly liked about this company was the presentation and education that our representative Sergio gave us. He had information we had not seen before. It wasn't just an analysis of our electric bill. The follow up from customer service was excellent. We felt informed every step of the process. We were contacted by email and phone by the customer service representatives to make sure everything was proceeding as planned. They also outlined the time frame and answer any questions that we had during the process. We are so happy we made the decision to go with this company and now we are on our way to a lower electrical bill and feeling good about our part in renewable energy.

Salesman did not offer his recommendation of system required based on our power usage. Instead, wanted to know what other companies had proposed

They did a fantastic job. Their prices are very good. The best part is the way they follow up on each and every detail. It seems they really want to make you feel that they care about you and your business.

Everything went as planned and as scheduled.
Only hiccup was that there was also an inspection required by SDGE that I was not aware of and this delayed the turn-on by a couple of days - no biggie.

Looking to reduce the monthly electric bill we invited a representative of Sungate Energy Solutions to our home to discuss if a solar system might be the right direction for us to go. The sales rep was thorough, professional and friendly. He found a finance plan that would suit us and we decided that Sungate's product was for us. The process from start to finish went exactly as first described. Sungate did all the legwork for city permits and San Diego Gas and Electric inspections to contacting our homeowners association. The timescale for each step in the process went exactly as promised. The gentleman who first went up on the roof to map the layout of the solar array discovered some broken roof tiles and showed me some pictures he took while up there. He even told us that Sungate would repair the roof while the solar panels were being installed at no cost.
The installers arrived right on schedule and on time, they were friendly, professional and most of all clean. They got right to work and in no time the solar panels and all accompanying electrical connections were accomplished. Installation took one day, as was first discussed. Upon completion they left no trace of all the work done and sent pictures to my phone of the roof repairs that was promised. The final city and SDGE inspections were set up and attended by Sungate personnel and went flawlessly. Financing and billing also held no surprises. The best came last when we received our next electric bill and did indeed realize the cost savings that was discussed during the very first meeting with the Sungate representative. In summary, we our extremely pleased with the professionalism and integrity of all the Sungate Energy Solutions personnel we dealt with and would enthusiastically recommend this company to anyone considering a home solar system.

This is our story. We contacted several solar companies and experienced high pressure sales tactics as they tried to talk us into leasing a system at higher rate then our monthly electric bill. That didn't make sense to us. We continued to look and found Sungate Energy Solutions. The staff was professional and knowledgeable. A well-dressed representative came to our home and with no high-pressure sales routine, thoroughly explained their system. He knew he had a good product and portrayed it well. They use the highest quality and most efficient panels and inverters available. Sungate obtains all the necessary permits. They provide a great warranty for their product and installation. They have financing options, discounts for cash purchases, and a low down payment. It was money well spent.
The service was quick with lots of support. They came out with a hand-held Solmetric SunEye device to determine the angle of the panels for optimal sun exposure. Installation took one day! To make everything better the installers were here to prepare for the inspector and show the unit. This is very important because a family member recently had a poor experience with a solar leasing company.The final hook-up and inspection processprolonged the powering of the unit almost four months. Sungate coordinated with the power company for installation of the net meter. We are very pleased. I can't begin to explain the great experience we had. Never during the process did we have a regret or feeling that we shouldn't have purchased it.
They planned out the customer experience from start to finish handling all the details and making it possible to turn on the system in less than two weeks. To top it off, our system is barely visible from the street. It doesn't spoil the look of our home all.

After the sale, my rep followed up making sure scheduling contacted me. The installation group obtained a permit and scheduled installation on a Saturday for me. They showed up timely, introduced themselves explained what they would be doing. Walked the property with me and then did their thing. They worked a good part of the day, were very clean and cleaned up any debris they created. They showed the completed work to me and trained me how to use the controls and read the control panel.

They told me they would return Monday to install new circuit breakers and meet with the City inspector, which they did and City inspector passed the installation. Then Sungate submitted documentation to San Diego Gas and Electric for their approval and I received calls on Friday 4/26 that I could turn on the system.

My very first electric bill has been reduced to half of what it was the prior year! I'm very happy.

They were perfect. They came in and told us exactly what they would do and how much it would cost. Everything was put in perfectly.

Overall cit went very well, it is working great

Sungate came out to tell us about there product and how much it would cost. They also where able to look into the best option for financing for use. They said it would take about 3 to 4 weeks to be done, but it was actually done sooner. They did all the plans. Follow through with all the financing. All the people we work with through Sungate have been very helpful and pleasant. They installed 7 solar panels on are roof and the converter on are house to go back to SCE. We are very pleased with the work and product.

The man came out and gave us the information and an
estimate for the installation. We decided it was a good idea and a good
price and signed the contract. They called us a few days later to set
up the installation date and arrived VERY promptly to start the installation.
They gave us a 2 hour window of when they would arrive to start work and
arrived right at the beginning of that window of time. They were efficient
and clean and very unobtrusive. They did their work and even went
and color matched the paint color of our house to paint the lines that had to
go along the side of the house to match. The area for the solar panels
was predetermined on a previous visit based on the sun and where they would
be able to gather the most energy. The lines from the panels to the solar
inverter were routed in such a way that you almost can't see them from the
front of the house so the entire system in no way takes away from the curb
appeal of the house. The man who gave us the estimate has followed up
with us since and has been very easy to get a hold of when needed. We
had 1 very minor issue from a sign placed on our electrical box. A rivet from
the sign meant we couldn't open the electrical box but they came out 1st thing
the next morning and removed the rivet and corrected the problem.

Sales staff was wonderful. Install staff did leave items behind , however were polite and informative. I would purchase from them in the future

The sales person estimated that the installation of the solar cells as well as all the electric work would be within 2 weeks, but they did it very quickly in less than 2 weeks. This was a pleasant surprise.

I got a good presentation and decided to go with the system.  Everything went smoothly except they didn't notice I had the wrong meter form SDG&E so there was a week lost there.  The system works as advertised and the warranty (though I have not used it as yet) covers all the major components for a longer life than I was expecting.