Solar Installer Reviews

PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC

PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC Review

5.00

33 Reviews

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Company Information

Headquarters:
5808 Northiemer Rd Narvon, PA 17555 United States

All Reviews


jreyno01 | USA
Mar 22, 2023

We've had the system almost a year and are completely satisfied. It was sized correctly to eliminate our electric bill with some extra for EV charging. No buyers remorse, no wishing we went with another company, no finding out down the road that we should have done something different. Their recommendations were spot on. Aesthetically we've had numerous compliments on the deep black panels and the clean, rectangular install lines. The attention to detail can be seen on all the conduit runs and was even called out as "very nice work" from the utility inspector. Even after a few monsoon-like storms there were no signs of dampness or water leaks on the underside of the roof. The permitting and planning process took about 5 months, install was only a few days, then a few weeks of waiting for the utility to deliver a meter. I would follow-up a lot with the municipality, inspector, and utility for status to make sure things kept moving. I wouldn't say that it was needed but it definitely helped and saved time. Stay in the loop on your project, know where it's at, who you're waiting on, and what's the next step. That is true for any installer. enphase app and online access is working flawlessly. No big project is without its glitches. There were some last minute unforeseen costs from the electric utility but they suggested ways to minimize and passed them through directly without mark-up even though it required extra time/visits on their end. And there was a minor issue identified during the install which they corrected immediately without question.

davehe | USA
Dec 17, 2022

Using EnergySage, I was able to get prices from 5-6 companies. Powerstream had the best price. 2 other quotes were competitive, but Powerstream quote included better rated equipment and a better warranty. I don't know if they offer financing. I chose to use a real estate equity loan. Satchel was my initial contact, and he was very helpful with getting a layout that worked for what I was looking for. Took quite a bit of planning to get a panel layout that met the newer access codes and gave me enough panels to match 100% of my needs. I ended up adding 2 additional panels, above the original quote. The change order price was reasonable. I had questions throughout the design/permit process. Satchel and Jonas did a great job of answering my questions quickly and accurately. I did have an issue getting the project started, but no fault of Powerstream. The local township's engineer was very slow issuing the permit. Due to the permit delay, after it was finally issued Powerstream put my project in high priority. 9 days after receiving the permit construction started. The onsite work crew did a good job with the installation. Pride was taken in installing everything plumb, level, & square. They were very courteous and cleaned up well after the project was complete. The foreman reviewed my options for the inverter location, conduit routing, & wired internet routing. A total of 2 days for installation and inspection to be completed. Both the township inspector and the PPL serviceman commented on the quality installation. I have read numerous reports of long wait times to get the service activated. The same day that the installation was complete PPL was notified. 3 weeks later a PPL serviceman was onsite to install a monitoring/control device on the inverter. The next day Powerstream was notified by PPL that the system was ready to be activated, and they took care of this remotely. I was sent an email the same day from SolarEdge (the inverter manufacturer) with a link to complete my registration. This gave me access to download an app which shows detailed info on the system, and tracks the electricity generated. Everything is working well. The whole process was painless. The price was very good, especially compared to pricing I got from solar "salesmen" that came by. The installation looks much better than some of the other installations in my neighborhood. No unsightly silver conduit running across the roof. And it's working as expected. Very early since the system was turned on, but with the quality of equipment that was used, I have very little concern that the system will not continue to perform. From all info I have found on Powerstream, if there is an issue down the road, they will make sure it is taken care of.

justin.a.duvall | USA
Jul 20, 2022

Outstanding customer service from Satchel and the entire PowerStream team. Their project quote was lower than other competitive offers, and they provided multiple solar options for our home. For all prospective solar power customers, you should strongly consider this company. They will exceed your expectations, and the entire experience will be pleasant and satisfying!!

s m | USA
Apr 30, 2022

NOTE: I am not a customer of PowerStream, I just wanted to share that they provided a high quality, competitive quote. They did not start making my quote until other companies had started contacting me a week or two earlier, which put them too far behind. But the quote itself used good parts at a good price with a great warranty.

buyman3375 | USA
Mar 25, 2022

I have only the best to say about the rep I worked with. Satchel was very engaging, supportive and his response time was unmatched in comparison with many different customer services I experienced in my life. Thank you!

rpertusio | USA
Mar 21, 2022

A little bit about my project & pre-sales: * I looked at SunRun, Tesla, and also EnergySage (which gave me 3-4 suppliers to choose from, including PowerStream (PS) who I had never heard of. * That's where Satchel and I became introduced-- EnergySage 'messages' back-and-forth. What was different about Satchel? LONG paragraphs of information/explanations that I wasn't getting from 'the other guys'. I had done my own research on specific panels. I changed my mind at least 3 times during pre-sales of which manufacturer I wanted to use. Satchel was not 'pushing' any particular brand, but was able to articulate several Pros/Cons to compliment my own research. (We started with LG, moved to a different LG panel, and ultimately ended up with SilFab.) I was pleased with his continued 'long responses', running down several 'rabbit holes' I had wanted to dive into. * It's not that I was indecisive, I just wanted to ensure I wouldn't regret my decision 10 years down the road. Satchel was there along the way and made every attempt to get me the right setup, with no pressure towards any particular 'top seller'. He even offered to look through their inventory for the 'cheapest' model in case they had something in stock for me. * Satchel came out and did a Site Survey. He went onto the roof and took measurements, went into my attic and took measurements. A downside is that somehow the measurements weren’t correct, so I had to open up my attic a 2nd time for another person to take measurements. A minor (30 min) time waste, but I wouldn't consider it a 'complaint'. * Overall? I chose PowerStream for their (1) local presence over being 'customer #7258' on a big company's list, (2) the pricing was 2nd lowest of everyone that quoted me a system, and (3) Satchel chased down every rabbit hole I wanted without complaint or any indication that he was tired of my endless emails/questions :) Purchase & Install: * I met with Satchel to review the 'final' draft layout in March of 2021 and eventually put down the deposit. He estimated "June", knowing the township approvals, engineering approvals, sourcing of equipment, and utility approvals. * I received a 'welcome' email with CC'd members from PowerStream (PS) indicating my "project manager" (Jonas) and my scheduler (Abner) and billing/payments person that detailed a little bit about what was to come. * Within a short time frame (~2-3 weeks) I started to receive emails from Jonas (my project manager). He had already contacted my township & submitted his roof plans (panel layout) to engineering (3rd party I presume). They had made changes to the layout, and I gave my "Please proceed" approval in email * By mid-April, I was contacted by my utility (PPL) to sign the first (of several) electronic papers required for the 'interconnect agreement' (to join a 'generating' system to their grid). I was told explicitly by Jonas that I probably wouldn't hear from anyone for about 4 weeks while permits were being processed. * By mid-May (about 4 weeks passing) I emailed them, anxious to see where I was. I was told I was #5 on the install schedule (about 4 weeks left) which would put my install in the 'June' timeframe. (Notably, this was exactly the time Satchel had estimated.) * Sidenote: They were planning to move circuits into a new 'Critical Loads' panel. No worries here. I had some 'special requests' though... Since they were electricians I had several related requests. I wanted to put 'circuit level monitoring' (a product called "Emporia Vue 2" that I purchased from Amazon) on my circuits, and also install another circuit in my basement to a sump pump recently installed. (To be clear, this was NOT part of the solar install.. just something I wanted them to take care of while they were on-site and messing in the panel with circuits.) * Abner (their scheduler) reached out May 19th to ask for an install date of June 7th or 14th. I told them the 7th was fine. They notified me on June 4th that they'd need to push it back 1 day due to delays on a job that was running long * Install day! Installers showed up about 7:30am with a truck full of solar panels. I showed them where they could store the panels (in my garage) while they worked on all the electrical/wiring. Gideon (the on-site project manager) was soft-spoken, but worked thoroughly, asking and interrupting me cautiously (for fear not to disturb my family/kids.) * The install team was courteous, never interrupting us for anything (other than essential needs such as bathroom break, or to access the panel in the basement). * A downside: No one told me the battery (which I had ordered) was not being installed. Apparently, there was (and still is) an industry-wide shortage of batteries-- even from Tesla. (Mine was an LG battery.) When they said they wanted to do the 'solar install', I assumed the entire system was being installed. But, it wasn't. Everything but the batteries. It would have been nice to know, but I think it was assumed I had known, or miscommunication between the install team & the ordering team. Resolution: Needless to say, I asked and was apologized to, and was shown a letter from LG stating the shortage industry-wide due to COVID. I had the battery installed in November. PowerStream did NOT invoice the 'final payment' of the project until after the battery was installed. So, I was happy they weren't pushing me to pay for something not yet complete. * The install team was diligent about keeping my lawn/garage cleaned. The install took 3 days (if I recall) and they swept the garage from debris at the end of each day. Guess what happened on 1 of those days? They were on the roof when a rainstorm came! And did they huddle inside the garage or their truck? No! They kept working *through* the rain! That moment stuck with me... I was struck by their dedication to get the job done, even in the rain. I watched hardworking men carry (huge) solar panels on their shoulders without any assistance as if it was 'just' a picture frame. * Other than laying parts & pieces (wires, conduit, trash) on my lawn temporarily, the end of each day there was a clean lawn with no grass uprooted, no trash, and no sign anyone had been there (other than the new roof-top solar system). * Overall: The install went very well. Within 3 days, there were 52 panels on my roof, 2 'inverters' in the garage, the prep for a battery (later), service disconnects, a new 'critical loads' panel in the basement. * Special note: I had a chat with the inspector about the work. He told me something interesting: "They always do great work, I rarely have any problems with their work". Other than missing 10 cents of caulking around 1 conduit which was non-electrical in nature, he found absolutely no flaws. He also commended them for wiring the 'critical loads' panel properly... as he said it was a common mistake to wire the system wrong. Post-Install & Battery: * SRECs: A very pain-free process, Jonas helped me sign up for SolSystems SRECs. (In short, I get paid for every 1,000 KW generated by my system.) * Warranty: Of course, the inverter 'failed' within 1 week of being "Live". It seemed a manufacturer defect had made an appearance. Keep in mind, this was the peak of summer, when the panels & inverters were operating at their maximum output. (So, I was operating at 1/2 output.) PS called in the part and had it replaced within 3 days. (No charge to me at all, nor would I have expected any.) Things have been operating smoothly ever since. * And now, the shining star (other than Satchel)... Jonas! I am a detail-oriented person. I am an IT person in my 'day job', so it's my job to tinker & tweak. I must have sent 50 emails to Jonas about my setup... how to tweak X, tweak Y, and tweak Z in the settings. I read over the internet that "X config runs best for Y situation", and I bugged Jonas to set the settings on my system. He obliged, and was even willing to give me access to change more things in my system. We had MANY back and forth conversations (about 'Time of Use' profiles, how the Battery should discharge on Monday-Friday, and not on Weekends or Holidays... how the charts/graphs showed up to me for the solar production... the optional features that most other customers never care to ask about.) Jonas was there the entire time... learning with me some new tricks/features, and not once brushing me off. By this point, I had paid my final invoice and they had no reason to keep me around, but Jonas was clearly invested in making me 100% happy. I think his words were... "It's no problem. For the investment you've made into this system, we are here to get it right." Summary: PowerStream Solar and Electric is worthy of using! They left a 'yard sign' when they left. Normally I tear those down quickly... but for them, I left the sign up for about 1 month and mowed around it in the summer. They have a few things I wished they could do better (communication of the battery backorder), but by FAR the process was quite painless. I made out 'ahead' cost-wise, and my solar system is working superbly... producing more power than Satchel had conservatively estimated. Would I use them again? Absolutely! Ask Satchel all the questions you want. Ask your project manager/schedule all you want. They are working 'for you'! I mentioned several 'problems' along the way, but all of them were solved to my satisfaction. Please make the best choice for your home (whether it is PowerStream or not), as you'll be "stuck" with your choice for decades!

States Served

PA

What To Look For In A Solar Installer?

When looking for a solar installer, it's essential to consider various factors to ensure you choose a reputable and competent company that meets your needs.

When selecting an installer like PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC consider:

Experience and Reputation:

Look for a company with a solid track record and years of experience in the solar industry. Read the latest PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC solar reviews from past customers to gauge their reputation.

Certifications and Licenses:

Ensure the installer holds the necessary licenses and certifications required in your area. Look for certifications from organizations like the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) to verify their expertise.

Quality Products and Technology:

Inquire about the types and brands of solar panels, inverters, and other equipment they use. Quality matters for long-term performance. Ask if they offer the latest solar technologies, such as high-efficiency panels or energy storage solutions.

Learn more: Best Solar Panels for Homes | Top Solar Batteries

Warranty Information:

Understand the warranties they offer for equipment and workmanship. A reputable installer should provide comprehensive warranties. The majority of modern solar panels are equipped with a warranty spanning 20 to 30 years, encompassing both the product's integrity and its energy output. An ordinary workmanship warranty offered by a certified company typically provides coverage for solar panels for an average period of 10 years.

Transparent Pricing and Contracts:

Get detailed solar quotes that include all costs, from equipment and labor to permits and inspections. Review the contract carefully to ensure it's clear and transparent, with no hidden fees or surprises.

Local Knowledge:

Choose a company familiar with local building codes, regulations, and permitting processes. This can expedite the installation and ensure compliance.

Customized Design:

Look for companies who provide custom solar system designs tailored to your specific energy needs and property characteristics.

Energy Production Estimates:

The installer should provide accurate estimates of how much energy the system will generate, factoring in local climate conditions and other key influences. If your estimated solar savings are much higher with one solar company, you'll want to inquire further to ensure their savings projections aren't skewed to close the sale. Connect with us for a free estimate.

Financing Options:

Inquire about solar financing options, including purchase, lease, or power purchase agreements (PPAs). Ensure you know the pros and cons of each option.

Customer Service:

Assess their responsiveness and willingness to answer your questions and concerns and consider the installer's commitment to your project satisfaction. Throughout your solar process we’ll advocate for you, ensuring your solar project is done right.

References and Recommendations:

Seek recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues who have installed solar panels. Ask the installer for references from past clients who can share their experiences. You can also read the latest reviews on PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC.

Multiple Quotes:

Don't hesitate to obtain quotes from multiple installers to compare pricing, services, and warranties. Hint: We can help!

Financing and Incentive Knowledge:

Ensure the installer is knowledgeable about available incentives, tax credits, rebates and financing options. At EnergyPal, we’ll help maximize your savings.

Safety Practices:

Confirm that the installer adheres to safety protocols during installation to protect both workers and your property.

By researching and considering these factors, you can select a reputable solar installer who will provide a quality solar energy system and a positive experience throughout the installation process. Connect with us to learn more about the best solar installers in your area.

How Do I Compare Solar Installation Options?

To make an informed decision when comparing solar installation options, start by determining your energy needs and seeking multiple quotes from reputable installers. Examine the quality of equipment, evaluate proposed system designs, and consider financing options, factoring in total costs and long-term savings. Assess warranties, support, and the installer's experience while also checking for customer feedback and references. Gauge their responsiveness and customer service, ensuring they educate you about the process. Consider an installer's licensing, and certifications. Request accurate energy production estimates and review contracts for transparency. By evaluating these factors, you can confidently choose the solar installation option that aligns with your energy goals and budget. Connect with us for a free quote.

Steps for Installing Solar Panels

  • Qualification: Contact solar companies through web forms, referrals, or flyers. Answer questions to determine eligibility.
  • System Design: Receive initial solar system design in a proposal. Review the design and consider panel placement, avoiding “under-sizing“ or “oversizing.“
  • Compare Quotes: Evaluate quotes, considering factors like monthly payments, power output, and system details. Seek guidance to simplify the comparison.
  • Contract Signing: Select a company and panel design, understand and sign the contract.
  • Site Survey: Technician assesses the site for solar panel installation, checking roof orientation and structural integrity.
  • Engineering: Behind-the-scenes process finalizes system layout, electrical configuration, and structural safety for permit submission.
  • Permitting: The company obtains necessary permits and approvals, ensuring compliance with regulations.
  • Installation: Expert team mounts panels, installs wiring and inverters, connects the system to the grid.
  • System Activation: Request final inspections, obtain permission to operate (PTO) from the utility, and turn on the system. Monitoring apps track power generation. From a signed contract to installation and system activation this process can take two to six months to complete. Check out our article for a more indepth look into the solar installation process.

Local Installers, Tax Credits, And Rebates In Your State

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PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC Solar Review Conclusion

Prior to making a decision to work with PowerStream Solar & Electric LLC, homeowners should thoroughly review multiple solar installation providers and quotes. This ensures they can secure the most suitable choices, advantages, and cost-effectiveness that align with their specific requirements.

Our impartial advisors are here with your best interests in mind. We listen, educate, and guide you to ensure you find the energy solution that's the perfect fit for your home.

We provide free custom designs tailored precisely to your home's unique requirements, allowing you to compare programs side by side.

Get a free custom quote on your solar system

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