Sun Badger Solar Logo

Sun Badger Solar

star star star star star_half

7.1

Overall Score

error This company may not service all states.
See states serviced
LAST UPDATED: February 20th, 2023

Headquartered in Wisconsin since 2018, Sun Badger Solar is a full-service company providing both commercial and residential solar installation services to home and business owners in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Despite being in business for a relatively short amount of time, the company has already made a name for itself, making Solar Power World Magazine’s “Top 500 Solar Contractor” list every year since its founding (2018–2020 to date).

Top Ranked Companies

thumb_up

The Good

  • Tier-One Equipment
  • NABCEP Certified

Tier-One Equipment

Sun Badger Solar carries inverters from Enphase, which supplies a proprietary consumption monitoring system that syncs with the Sun Badger Solar mobile app.

On top of its impressive array of solar panel and inverter selections, Sun Badger Solar also installs solar backup battery solutions through its partnership with Tesla Solar. The Tesla Powerwall is one of the most efficient solar batteries available today, and can harness and store enough energy to keep the lights on at night or in the event of a power outage or other grid mishap.

NABCEP Certified

Sun Badger Solar employs electricians and technicians who have been certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). The NABCEP is an industry-recognized organization that has authored numerous and rigorous certification programs aimed at raising the standard in solar. The organization actively educates companies on best installation standards and solar technology. Companies with this certification distinguish themselves and experts in their field, so Sun Badger Solar customers can rest easy knowing their installation will be done right.

thumb_down

The Bad

  • Utilizies Electrical Partnerships for FL
  • No Lease or PPA Options

Utilizies Electrical Partnerships for FL

Sun Badger Solar’s team of certified solar technicians are present at every solar panel installation in Illinois and Wisconsin; however, the company does contract out its installation services to qualified partners in Florida. While the difference in quality may be negligible, Sun Badger Solar customers living in these locales should be aware of these partnerships that may or may not maintain NABCEP-certified status the way that Sun Badger Solar does.

No Lease or PPA Options

Like many companies in the solar industry, Sun Badger Solar readily offers customers direct purchase of its solar energy systems, or financing through a third-party lender in the form of low interest, long term loans, zero-down, zero-interest for up to 12 months solar loans or home-equity lines of credit (HELOC). However, the company does not appear to offer customers the option to lease its solar energy systems, or pay for solar power through a power purchase agreement (PPA).

Both of these options can be incredibly cost-effective for customers on a fixed income who want to get involved with solar power. They both charge monthly fees that are often lower than utility bill payments, and place the burden of ownership (along with installation and maintenance fees) solely on the company.

gavel

The Bottom Line

Overall, Sun Badger Solar checks several boxes for what a competent, quality solar installation company should have. Its technicians are NABCEP certified, and are authorized to install some of the best and most energy-efficient solar equipment on the market.

Florida customers should note that the company contracts its solar project installations to partners local to those states, and Sun Badger Solar customers everywhere will have to choose between purchase and loan financing. With all that in mind, customers are encouraged to obtain a free quote with the company to see if Sun Badger Solar is the best solar company for their needs.

View Best Solar Companies

Was this content helpful?
thumb_up Yes thumb_down No

Star Rating

info

4.4

star star star star star_half

216 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

68%

4 grade

16%

3 grade

7%

2 grade

4%

1 grade

6%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

star star star star star_half

Quality

star star star star star_half

Service

star star star star star_half

Trustworthiness

star star star star star_half
cancel

Filter by:

arrow_drop_down

Sort by:

arrow_drop_down
info
check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

Jill Kulick Watertown, WI

We experienced poor customer service. The only experience that went smoothly was our interaction with the sales agent that sold us the system. The installation team left trash and screws in our yard both times they were here. We were told that one of the panels would have to be moved from how the original layout showed because the engineer didn't show a roof vent pipe on his drawings. The electrician left insulation on the floor of our house and made black rub marks on our attic access panel from his ladder. Then after paying for 90% of our solar system, we were informed that there was a production delay and we had to wait almost 5 months for our system to be onboarded. We were given a VERY small credit for the delay. We FINALLY have our system online and it seems to be working, but I'm not sure it was worth all the extra headaches.

1 year ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Thank you for your feedback Jill. We sincerely apologize for any trash that may have been left behind. With this being a construction project, it is always our goal to clean up and leave the property as it was upon arrival. We are always more than willing to return to pick up pieces that may have been left behind on accident. Our team is very detail oriented and understands the importance of cleaning up small pieces that may have fallen during installation. In regards to the delay, this is an industry wide issue we have been working through due to the national supply chain shortage. Sun Badger is committed to our customers and is unique in that we do offer credits due to these delays that are out of our control. Your system is producing wonderfully and for years to come will be producing energy for your own use! Congratulations on going solar!

Apr. 29th, 2022

check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

JESSE DOIRON Milwaukee, WI

The planning process was efficient, everyone was easy to work with but then communication broke down. There was a supply chain issue (which I do not blame them for) and we had to change the type of inverter. This actually should have saved me money, however they never sent over a change of work order which reflected the price difference. They went along with the installation but did not give me much notice and I had to move my schedule around to accommodate. The installers were great and everyone was professional. At the end of the process I again inquired about the change of work order which never went out. After multiple emails they got back to me and said I should receive a refund in 4-6 weeks. It has been 14 weeks and I have followed up consistently but am yet to receive my promised refund. I would imagine there are other solar companies in SE Wisconsin you could work with and I would encourage you to look into them. Sun Badger comes off as cool and everyone is very nice, but I do not believe they are good stewards of their customers money. This is important as these systems are expensive.

2 years ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Thank you for your feedback Jesse. We sincerely apologize for the delay on the change order with your project. Sun Badger stands by our customers and understands that this has affected your, otherwise, great experience with us! We have implemented a new process to avoid similar over sights like this in the future. I understand that you have received this refund now and hope that going forward you will experience our wonderful customer service and the high quality solar system that you have installed with us! We look forward to many sunny years ahead for you!

Feb. 4th, 2022

check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

Ryan Lake Villa, IL

Lackluster communication, imperfect execution, several changes from original plans with very limited and inconsistent communication. I had read several good reviews so maybe me experience was an outlier.

2 years ago Edited January 10, 2024

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Thank you for your feedback Ryan. Sun Badger takes pride in ensuring our customers are satisfied with their solar project. We apologize that we did not meet these standards for you. We strive to communicate each step along the way of your project, and that starts with our onboarding process. I hope that your high quality system will continue to show you that Sun Badger Solar was the right choice, and if you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Aug. 25th, 2021

star star star_border star_border star_border

Ben A. Minneapolis, MN

We have mixed feelings about our experience with Sun Badger Solar. In short, the equipment itself is great and the sales and installation teams were outstanding. However, a simple miscalculation on Sun Badger’s part, and refusal to own up to the mistake from upper level leadership, including the president, Trevor S., really soured our experience, so unfortunately we cannot recommend Sun Badger. In our experience, it appears that Sun Badger put profit over customer commitment. Here’s our experience in more detail, for those to whom it’d be helpful. The positives: Everything about our experience with our salesperson, Jake H., was outstanding. He helped us understand all our options and was very attentive to our questions, thoroughly addressing all of them to ensure that we were making the best possible decision for our needs and our property. Even after the initial consultation and throughout the process, Jake and the others on the project management team were available and responsive if we ever had any questions or wanted to touch base. About a week before the installation was scheduled, we found out that the panels we had planned on were not available, but that a similar higher-producing panel in the same size was. Sun Badger offered to swap these in, like for like, which we very much appreciated. The panels themselves are high quality and performing as they should be. The negatives: Our most significant negative experience in the process was that on the day of the install the installation crew informed us that the number of panels Sun Badger had laid out in their design would not fit. Our roof surface is a simple rectangle, so calculating the number of panels should be simple math. The installation crew rearranged the panels in such a way that they could fit as many as possible on our roof, but we were still left with 2 fewer panels, which translates to a system that produces 7% less energy than expected. This may sound like a small percentage, but when our goal was to max out our production to get as close as possible to the 120%-offset limit (as set out by our utility, Xcel Energy), 7% makes a big difference, especially considering how that multiplies over the 30-year life of solar panels. Had we known the original panels wouldn’t fit when we should have known—right after the engineering site visit—we would have re-designed, with different panels that would get us closer to our energy production goals. Instead, we were faced with a day-of-install decision of either delaying our project until the following year to accommodate a redesign (and therefore accept a lower federal rebate rate), or opt for a lower-producing system. We went with the latter. This caused another issue on the financing side since we had signed the financing documents at the beginning of the process, and could not now change those documents with our lender. Sun Badger did credit us for the panels that were not installed, so we could apply those funds to the principal on our loan, and they have assured us that they’ve changed the loan process so that this won’t happen to future customers. With regards to the miscalculation, Sun Badger says they’ve made system changes to avoid this error in the future. However, when we approached Sun Badger for any sort of good-faith gesture of compensation to help make this right for us, the best they could do was an Amazon or restaurant gift card. In fact, Sun Badger largely avoided owning responsibility for the error and the long-term negative impact it will cause us over the life of the panels. Sun Badger also avoided apologies by saying things like, “at the end of the day, you still have a great system and are getting thousands back in rebates.” True, but we are not getting our planned return on investment. The empty words and platitudes don’t address the problem. Sun Badger’s leadership’s lack of responsibility is the most disappointing part of this whole experience. We don’t question that the panels themselves and the installation are great, and our experience with our salesperson, Jake, was great. But if the best that we can say is that the product itself, installation, and the salesperson were great, you’d be better off finding another solar company that can accurately design a panel layout and will do the right thing for their customers.

3 years ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Mr. Alle thank you for your comments. Sun Badger takes care to install the highest quality and newest technology products, and we ensure the best possible customer experience. We apologize that you found our efforts did not meet your expectations. As you noted, Sun Badger took responsibility for providing you a no-charge upgrade to the original panels selected for your design, and we also refunded you for any panels that were not installed and any financing fees related to the slight change in your design. As explained, you are receiving the maximum production possible out of the solar array we installed on your home, given the physical space available on your roof. We explained changes to our design procedures to prevent future situations like yours from occurring. And we offered you gift card compensation, which you declined because you demanded something of a higher value in exchange for not writing a review. You have an excellent, well designed solar array which we are very proud of, and which will save you thousands of dollars on your electric bill over its life. We stand by our work and believe Sun Badger has treated you more than fairly. But of course, we are disappointed you didn’t feel our efforts and offers were sufficient. We are confident you will enjoy your solar energy system for many years.

Mar. 17th, 2021

check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

DDB Chicago, IL

It took SunBadger more than a year to get my solar panels installed and producing from the time I first paid them

3 years ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Sun Badger takes pride in ensuring our customers are satisfied with their solar project. We apologize that we did not meet these standards for you. I hope to be able to connect with you to see if we can look further into what occurred during your project .

Feb. 11th, 2021

check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

Bill M Westmont, IL

Sales 5, Install not organized, Repair misleading, Rewards program lots of work to collect

3 years ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Sun Badger takes pride in ensuring our customers are satisfied with their solar project. We apologize that we did not meet these standards for you. I hope to be able to connect with you to see if we can look further into what occurred during your project .

Feb. 11th, 2021

check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

Bob Kohlndorfer Park Ridge, IL

It took longer then promised to get up and running and still waiting for REC money

3 years ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Thank you for your feedback Bob, and we are very sorry to hear of your frustrations. As with any home project, there can be unexpected delays that occur. We do our best to manage those and are continuing to improve our process of how to best communicate and push along those delays that involve other parties.
Unfortunately, Sun Badger has no control over the process of the IL SREC incentives once filed. They typically do take a few months to send out the checks. You can follow up directly with Carbon Solutions Group to see when you can expect that.

Feb. 3rd, 2021

check_circle

Verified Customer

check_circle

Review Source

star star star_border star_border star_border

Ben J Peake Saint Paul, MN

Significant delays in installation. Overpromised and underdelivered.

2 years ago

Sun Badger Solar Logo

Reply from Sun Badger Solar

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback! We are hopeful that you were able to share your comments with our Solar Success Manager as well. Hearing this feedback is important to our company so that we can continue to improve. Our Minnesota location is currently growing at rapid speeds which allows for us to bring installations in house, which we are very excited about! We are confident this will correct some of the delays that may have occurred during your project. We appreciate your patience and are confident your high quality solar system will produce the energy your home needs for years to come!

Mar. 17th, 2022