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Sungevity

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7.5

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: November 18th, 2024
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Sungevity is now part of the Pineapple Energy family.

Sungevity was acquired by residential solar provider Pineapple Energy in November of 2020. As such, all information in the following Sungevity review remains accurate and up-to-date. Check out our full Pineapple Energy review for more information.

With so many solar energy companies out there, it can be difficult to know which one provides the most value for you as a consumer. That's why we've done the hard research—so you don't have to.

We've weighed the pros and the cons and found Sungevity to be one of the top solar installers in the industry. Read on to discover The Good, The Bad, and The Bottom Line about Sungevity, as well as view Sungevity reviews from real customers. 

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The Good

  • Several Financing Options
  • Helpful Remote Solar Design Tool
  • Customized Solar Solutions
  • Lengthy Warranties
  • Informative Mobile App
  • Highly Rated Customer Service

Several Financing Options

Sungevity offers several solar financing options, which means that taking advantage of renewable energy and obtaining a home solar system through Sungevity is possible for customers of all budgets.

With Sungevity's solar lease, solar loan, and PPA payment options, solar homeowners can begin saving on their electricity bill for zero to little down. Each of these options comes with 24/7 system monitoring, a 20-year manufacturer warranty on the panels, and a 20-year system warranty that encompasses the solar inverter and workmanship.

For customers who are looking for the solar power plan with the most long-term savings, buying the system outright is probably the best option. Customers cover the cost of the system and solar panel installation upfront, but then they own the system and reap the long-term rewards.

Helpful Remote Solar Design Tool

Sungevity's proprietary Remote Solar Design tool allows customers to get a personalized quote quickly without having to crawl around on the roof.

After answering a few questions over the phone with a Sungevity rep, the Remote Solar Design tool can view the roof of the customer's home, track the amount of sunlight that hits their house, and give them an accurate picture of how their solar panels will look and function.

Remote Solar Design can also show customers how much they are going to save with each payment option the solar company offers.

Customized Solar Solutions

As a solar panel installer, Sungevity doesn't believe in cookie-cutter solar solutions. As a result, the company's professional advisors custom design every solar power system to meet the needs and budget of the customer.

Sungevity uses sleek black-on-black solar panels and low-impact mounting hardware, and each of its solar energy systems is designed to accommodate multiple storage options and other functionalities, such as EV chargers, so customers can add those features now or in the future.
Lengthy Warranties

Sungevity offers a number of different warranties to ensure that its customers and their solar energy systems are taken care of.

The solar company provides a 20-year equipment warranty, which covers the panels, inverter, and other equipment; a 25-year performance warranty, which guarantees a certain level of energy output; and a 20-year workmanship warranty, which covers the labor and installation.

Informative Mobile App

With the Sungevity mobile app, customers have information about their solar system at their fingertips. Whether customers have an Android or an iOS device, the Sungevity app allows them to track how much energy their solar panels are producing and how much power they are using from anywhere in the world.

In addition to giving customers the ability to monitor their solar systems, the Sungevity app lets users contact customer service and earn rewards by referring friends and family through the app.

Highly Rated Customer Service

The Sungevity reviews on our site, which have been submitted by real customers, shed some light on the company's business practices and praise the solar provider for its customer service. Consumers are saying that Sungevity's customer service team is professional, helpful, and quick to reply to questions and requests.

Sungevity also offers helpful options for clients who need to move before the contract terms have expired, including assigning the energy plan to the new homeowner; prepaying the remaining payments and assigning the non-financial obligations to the new homeowner; and purchasing the remaining time on the lease, terminating the lease, and asking the company to remove the system.

Considering switching to clean energy with Sungevity?

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The Bad

  • Embattled History
  • Lack of Site Information
  • Limited Availability

Embattled History

By summer of 2016, Sungevity had become the fifth-largest residential solar installer in the U.S., but the company's history since that point has proven chaotic. Sungevity experienced widespread layoffs along with a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2017 before selling its America-based assets to private equity firm Northern Pacific Group. The company later rebranded as Solar Spectrum, and in concert with residential installer Horizon Solar Power, effectively relaunched as Sungevity.

Following multiple acquisitions, the company returned to acclaim as the seventh-largest residential solar installer in 2018; however, subsequent reporting revealed that both of Sungevity's subsidiaries (Solar Spectrum and Horizon Solar Power) subcontracted all installation work, while Sungevity itself was operating on an expired solar installer license.

By late 2020, Sungevity experienced its final round of layoffs, leaving several rooftop contractors without work or recompense, as well as many more customers with incomplete solar panel systems on their roofs. By December of 2020, many of Sungevity's US assets were bought at auction by Pineapple Energy, a residential solar provider also owned by Northern Pacific Group.

Lack of Site Information

Sungevity has a lack of solar system information available on its website. While a basic explanation of each system component is provided, more technical specifications of the system are nowhere to be found.

Sungevity's FAQ section is sparse and does little to fully educate consumers on the value the company has to offer, and its website lacks a live chat option, which could provide quick and easy access to important company information.

Limited Availability

Sungevity is currently only available in California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Colorado. This limits the number of customers who have the opportunity to receive a solar installation from Sungevity.

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The Bottom Line

Sungevity, which is one of the top installers in the solar industry, is a highly recommended option for consumers who are considering a rooftop solar system to look into. If you live in one the states it covers, Sungevity's multiple financing options, proprietary Remote Solar Design tool, insightful Sungevity app, and top-notch customer service are hard to beat.

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