Review for Smart Solar Energy

Office location: 10940 SW Barnes Road Suite 250, Portland OR, 97225

04/10/2024
Chris K Lincoln City, OR

Great Partner in the Solar Journey

Let's start with this: solar power is a journey. Everyone wants solar power, but two immediate questions come into play: - can I afford it? (i.e., whether I borrow or pay out of pocket, does solar power make sense from a return on investment perspective?) - can I trust the company? (i.e., will the company that is drilling holes in my roof and attaching thousands of dollars worth of equipment be around in 10 years to pick up the phone?) Armed with these not-so-profound concerns, I did my due dilegence in researching solar installers, and many seemed to be able to do the job. However, my home builder was super impressed with a company called Smart Solar Energy. Why? Because they did what they said they were going to do within the budget and schedule they agreed to. No BS, just getting the work done as promised. That kind of thinking resonates with me--just do what you promised to do. So I gave Smart Solar Energy a shout in November 2023. From our first emails I was impressed. No fluff, just focused on the task, addressing the concerns I had, setting expectations, more than anything helping me understand if and why solar power might make sense for me because, as it turns out, solar power is not for everyone. From that point forward we steadily marched toward an understanding of the need and what meeting that need would entail in terms of cost and schedule; basic project management ideas. But the difference was that Smart Solar Energy took care of literally everything from unscrewing the local city hall bureaucracy to permits to scheduling the work. This kind of hand-holding was awesome and I appreciated it very much. We were scheduled to get our system installed in May 2024 and somehow got it actually installed in March 2024. That's pretty cool. I won't go into detail about how awesome the installers were (great folks, great communicators, and getting on a roof in a steady rain with a stiff wind still amazes me) but Smart Solar Energy did their part flawlessly and stayed in touch the entire time. In fact, the only part of the process that was frustrating was dealing with the power company, something Smart Solar Energy can't control but helped with from an expectations point of view. My system went on-line just within the past week, so I have no comments on Smart Solar Energy's long-term viability, and I do hope they can maintain their high standards and "produce to promise" ethos. From what I've seen so far, they have their stuff together, and when considering the two questions addressed at the beginning of this review, they are on the right track. Last thought: generating power is its own addiction, so be forewarned. You'll spend time watching the dashboard, trust me.