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About us
RGS Energy (formerly Real Goods Solar) has been bringing clean energy solutions to homeowners, businesses, schools, governments, and utilities of all sizes since 1978, when it sold some of the first retail solar panels in the U.S. With eight offices from coast to coast and over 22,500 solar energy systems totaling more than 235 MW installed, RGS Energy is one of the oldest, largest, and most trusted clean energy EPC providers in the country.
Business highlights
47 years of experience
Services we offer
Take control of your electricity bills with a low, fixed rate on clean power from RGS Energy (formerly Real Goods Solar). We offer easy, affordable renewable energy solutions including solar power system design, installation, rebate acquisition, and more – all tailored to your energy needs and goals. With purchase, lease, and financing options available, there’s a great chance we can reduce your bills with the kind of clean energy you’ll feel great about using.
Services we don't offer
Off-grid solar energy systems, battery backup solar energy systems, solar hot water systems, wind turbines.
Amenities
Eco Friendly Accreditations
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Warranties
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- American Express
- Financing Available
- Check
- Visa
- Discover
- MasterCard
Our recent projects
- 6
Assorted photos uploaded by RGS Energy
Reviews
4.526 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 65% | ||
| 23% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 0% |
Filter reviews by service
Showing 1-25 of 26 reviews
Kathy B.
Nov 2016
Fair. Couldn't seem to get a straight story from them. Project took well over a year to start and then, I came home from work one day and my backyard was dug up to place panels that were not approved. I currently have a router to report how the panels are functioning that has not worked since February. The company says they will come out to fix it for $200. It only worked for 9 months. I would not recommend this company.
Jerry M.
Mar 2015
I requested for a solar PV sytem quote from RGS. I got prompt reply and was scheduled for in home visit. the person arrived on time. He was not well prepared for the visit. he was unaware of all the incentives available to me. Also didn't know about the NYC fire department rule of leaving some space in the roof from the edges. So the design he had was not following all these rules and regulations. Also he didn't collect enough information over the phone prior to his visit which he needed for the design. so in effect, the first visit was basically waste of his and my time. i ended up not picking them.
Madeleine B.
Jan 2015
unknown
Eugene T.
Jan 2015
unknown
P C.
Jun 2014
unknown
Joseph B.
May 2014
unknown
Noreen L.
May 2014
This went well. The salesperson gathered information from us and from aerial photos. The company then created a design and an estimate of the amount of power that the system would generate, given our location (trees, orientation, etc.). They also prepared a spread sheet projecting our costs over time and the savings, year by year for 25 years. There was never any pressure or manipulation during the sales process. Even though the actual installation only took a week or so, the entire process takes several months because of the various permits and inspections required by the town and the utility. Our installation took place in March, with snow on the ground and on the roof. The installers managed, clearing the roof and ground area below. It would have gone a little quicker at another time of year -- but weather can have an impact at any time. The finished installation looks very professional, and it works as promised and anticipated. The cost reported below is the total cost. The net cost to us will be reduced by more than half by the various rebates, incentives and tax credits that apply. Be sure to understand how these will apply in your situation. Some of these incentives are in the form of tax credits, which will depend on your tax situation. The incentives situation is always changing, so work with current information.
Andrew E.
May 2014
Pricing was fair. Negotiated in good faith. Walked me through the process and helped me to understand the sizing of the system. I like the materials and workmanship. They install quality products with solid warranties.
Gabe H.
Mar 2014
I called them for a consolation in October. They promptly sent a salesman out that talked to me about what potential of Solar in my home. Within a week or so they emailed me a plan. We did some minor tweaks. I put a deposit down and then waited for months for my Town to approve the permits. For me the worst part of this was my Town. Every chance they got they took their sweet time to get things done. RGS was on top of the job when things got approved.
The install took 2.5 days. The install crew was great. There were on time and worked with me about scheduling since we were still trying to nap my daughter at that time.
Once the system was installed I had to wait almost a month for the final inspection due to my lazy local town inspectors.
I am very happy with the system and the service that RGS provided. I had 3 companies come out and give me bids. RGS was the lowest. Normally I am worried about the lowest bid because usually you get what you pay for in that respect but RGS did a great job. I would recommend them,
The install took 2.5 days. The install crew was great. There were on time and worked with me about scheduling since we were still trying to nap my daughter at that time.
Once the system was installed I had to wait almost a month for the final inspection due to my lazy local town inspectors.
I am very happy with the system and the service that RGS provided. I had 3 companies come out and give me bids. RGS was the lowest. Normally I am worried about the lowest bid because usually you get what you pay for in that respect but RGS did a great job. I would recommend them,
Patricia A.
Feb 2014
Outstanding job of the whole team from sales to installing. Also very good and reliable after-sale service.
Ann T.
Jan 2014
They were on time, worked in difficult weather with no complaints, answered all questions professionally and kindly and it looks great. Too new to evaluate if there any performance issues.
George S.
Apr 2013
I requested a site visit via their website.
A woman named Victoria Werckle called me within a day to ask me some questions regarding the type of system we needed, our energy usage etc.
She told me available time slots for a visit in the next 7 days. We found a time at 5pm on a Friday 3/22.
Early that day - Len Armer, who was coming to visit our house - sent an email saying that their was an emergency and that he would be unable to come to the appointment. I emailed back saying that I understood and that of course we could reschedule.
I emailed Victoria to ask for another appointment time. She emailed me back for Saturday 3/30 at 9:30am.
So far - so good. I arrange my life to be ready at 9:30am on that Saturday.
By 9:45am when Len hadn't arrived, I called Victoria and got her voicemail.
I then took a look at my email, and saw that at 1am Len had emailed me to say that he would not be coming. He attached two incoherent plans for solar systems, and added that he had come to my house the previous Wednesday to look at it and make assessments.
WHY oh why didn't he just tell me he would be at my house on that Wednesday? Why did he email me at 1am to say he wouldn't be there in 8 hours? How about a telephone call?
I sent emails to both Len and Victoria - asking these questions. And also saying that I was a member of Angie's List and I wouldn't be able to give them a good review - at the moment.
To date - 4/3 - I have not received a reply from either of them - or from any representative of the company.
If that is indicative of their customer service - I don't want to deal with this company.
A woman named Victoria Werckle called me within a day to ask me some questions regarding the type of system we needed, our energy usage etc.
She told me available time slots for a visit in the next 7 days. We found a time at 5pm on a Friday 3/22.
Early that day - Len Armer, who was coming to visit our house - sent an email saying that their was an emergency and that he would be unable to come to the appointment. I emailed back saying that I understood and that of course we could reschedule.
I emailed Victoria to ask for another appointment time. She emailed me back for Saturday 3/30 at 9:30am.
So far - so good. I arrange my life to be ready at 9:30am on that Saturday.
By 9:45am when Len hadn't arrived, I called Victoria and got her voicemail.
I then took a look at my email, and saw that at 1am Len had emailed me to say that he would not be coming. He attached two incoherent plans for solar systems, and added that he had come to my house the previous Wednesday to look at it and make assessments.
WHY oh why didn't he just tell me he would be at my house on that Wednesday? Why did he email me at 1am to say he wouldn't be there in 8 hours? How about a telephone call?
I sent emails to both Len and Victoria - asking these questions. And also saying that I was a member of Angie's List and I wouldn't be able to give them a good review - at the moment.
To date - 4/3 - I have not received a reply from either of them - or from any representative of the company.
If that is indicative of their customer service - I don't want to deal with this company.
Charles B.
Apr 2013
I have always been interested in having solar installed and was very impressed with Real Goods Solar. Len the sales rep was very knowledgeable and took the time to answer each and everyone one of our questions. Jenny the project manager was very polite and always followed up promptly if I left her a message. James"Chris" the project foreman and his crew were extremely friendly, polite and professional. Easily the most professional company I have ever worked with. Excellent customer service top to bottom. The work they did on my house looks great. I'm waiting now on a private inspector and national grid to swap out my meter so it will still be a few weeks before I can get the system turned and running but I'm excited and can't wait. The whole process took several months due to planning, designing the system, waiting on the tax credits from NY and the Feds but they did all the work in getting building permits from the town of glenville so there was very little I needed to do. They kept me updated on how everything was progessing so there were no surprises which I really appreciated. Very happy with the entire experience. Thank you! Also I put $0 in the amount paid as I don't start paying my solar lease until the system is turned on. So far I have not had to pay anything out of pocket.
Mark O.
Dec 2012
Very good service from start to finish. Stuck to their quote even when extra visits and work was required. Local inspector commented "best electrical work by a solar company he has seen"' . Very pleasant and professional. No matter what contractor you use, make sure they let you know if and which trees need to come down. Shadows from trees, even without leaves, severely impacts production. I had to have more than trees taken down than anticipated, fortunately they were on my property.
Response from RGS Energy
"Thank you for the wonderful review."
David H.
Aug 2012
Satisfactory - we asked for a quote, and were pleased with the response
Response from RGS Energy
"We strive to respond to every customer inquiry within 24 hours and I will look into your original request to see what in our process can be improved. I'm sorry to hear that solar was not an option for you. With more financing options and incremental technology improvements, we hope that it will be a more viable alternative for you in the future."
Susanne K.
Jul 2012
They had to come back twice for leaks in the roof and the install was provided by Alteris Renewables. They were very pleasant, punctual, and they explained everything that they were doing. Aside from the leaks, I have a very positive opinion of them. The solar panels have been great as well.
Response from RGS Energy
"While I am sorry you had some issues, I am glad that they were resolved to your satisfaction and you still had a great experience. Customer satisfaction and service are very important to us."
P. C.
Jul 2012
It turned out very well. They were excellent to work with. I cannot say enough good things about them.
Response from RGS Energy
"Thank you for the wonderful feedback on your solar installation."
Bill O.
Jul 2012
Solar Works was very good when doing the work. They took care of everything. The guy who I worked with on the project did a very professional job and everything is working flawlessly. Having this work provided is very beneficial to the homeowner and the world at large.
KarolAnne M.
Jul 2012
They did very well. They were very conscientious and did the work in a timely manner. This company is under new management and the old company which was Alteris Renewables did a great job with the work. I know nothing about the new management but the prior experience was a good one.
Response from RGS Energy
"Thank you for sharing your positive experience.The same folks that worked at Alteris Renewables now work at Real Goods, so you can be confident that your experience will be shared by others going solar with us in the future."
Jane S.
Jul 2012
Some of the guys that we worked with were absolutely wonderful. A couple of the guys on the team however we had trouble communicating with them. One of the issues that we had was they were not great at communicating with the vendor who did the concrete and the trenching work. The contractor we hired for the concrete and trenching work had to work 12 hour days to get the work completed as Real Goods Solar did not communicate well. I thought they would have taken more initiative on the project but they did not with the preparation of the build. After that trouble the guys who came to do the install really knew what they were doing and if they had any questions they would check and get the correct answers. They were very neat with the work and they answered any questions that we had. Overall we were pleased but it could have started out better.
Response from RGS Energy
"I am sorry that things did not go as smoothly as you had hoped. We are continuously working on our processes and procedures to improve communication with our customers, suppliers and vendors. We have shared your feedback internally to help with this effort. We are really pleased that our installation team met your expectations. The vast majority of our crews have been installing solar systems for more than 5 years, making them some of the most experienced on the east coast and we are thrilled that translated through to your installation."
Anthony L.
Jul 2012
They were really good. The company was competitive with price. They were very professional and did a great job. They took care of everything with the electric company. They had very good follow up and maintained a relationship after the work was completed. They were clean with the work as well.
Response from RGS Energy
"Thank you for the great review!"
PHILIP S.
Jul 2012
The installation was good. They do however owe me $247.50 and they have not reimbursed that at this time. The system is working fine. It took three months for them to get the change order for the price. It has been another four months and I still have not received the refund.
Response from RGS Energy
"Member - I am sorry to hear that our communications did not live up to your expectations. I believe you spoke with Tonya Morgan earlier this week and you should be receiving another phone call today to update you on the status of your payment. I hope, at the very least, the solar system is producing power for you and helping you save on your electric bills."
Deborah C.
Jul 2012
We are very happy with the product and the insulation. They have changed the company name a few times since the work was done. The crew that provided the work were very tidy and did a very nice job with the work. Any delays were due to the arrival of the products for our roof. It has definitely cut down on our electric bill. The equipment is gauranteed for 20 years. The product is well worth the investment as it a great money saver.
John B.
Jul 2012
The work was done fine. There were a couple of issues afterwards that we called them on and they have not responded to that. They were not accurate on the tax rebates so we paid more than we thought we would as the rebates were taxed. They packed the electrical wires tightly and we were concerned about that as well. Overall the job was done well. They did the work when they said they would and they were timely as well.
Response from RGS Energy
"We are sorry your experience thus far has not been up to par. We have shared your feedback internally, and I believe you have already received a call from a local contact to try to resolve both the tax and wiring concerns. We hope to get your issues taken care of as quickly as possible."
RICHARD L.
Jul 2012
It turned out excellent. It was very good. They cleaned up everything and it has been very beneficial. It reduced our electricity bill. We had a big snow storm one month and they were covered up so that was not a month where it saved but other than that it has been great.
Response from RGS Energy
"Glad to hear you are saving with solar! Thank you for the positive review."
Licensing
Bonded
Insured
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
All skilled traders and home improvement contractors operating in the State of Connecticut are required to be licensed or registered by the State Department of Consumer Protection. License or registration identification is required to be on all advertising, business cards, signage, and contracts. You can check to see if a contractor or tradesperson is licensed or registered by going to: State of Connecticut licensing
FAQ
RGS Energy is currently rated 4.5 overall out of 5.
Monday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
RGS Energy accepts the following forms of payment: American Express, Financing Available, Check, Visa, Discover, MasterCard
Yes, RGS Energy offers free project estimates.
Yes, RGS Energy offers eco-friendly accreditations.
No, RGS Energy does not offer a senior discount.
No, RGS Energy does not offer emergency services.
Yes, RGS Energy offers warranties.
RGS Energy offers the following services: Take control of your electricity bills with a low, fixed rate on clean power from RGS Energy (formerly Real Goods Solar). We offer easy, affordable renewable energy solutions including solar power system design, installation, rebate acquisition, and more – all tailored to your energy needs and goals. With purchase, lease, and financing options available, there’s a great chance we can reduce your bills with the kind of clean energy you’ll feel great about using.
Off-grid solar energy systems, battery backup solar energy systems, solar hot water systems, wind turbines.