Urban Solar Group
Author: Kaitlyn Short
Urban Solar Group is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, and is a full-service solar company that specializes in providing turnkey residential and commercial solutions. The company started out as Key Power Services Inc. in 2001 and changed its name to Urban Solar, Inc. in 2014.
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The Good
- Company Longevity
- Equipment Options
- Mounting Solutions
- Zero-Down Financing
- HOA Advocacy
- System Monitoring
- Online Resources
Company Longevity
Even though it had a different name, the roots of Urban Solar go back to 2001. With that much industry experience, Urban Solar claims to have a proven process that is tested and that works. Urban Solar's project management and installation crews work hard to deliver fast results.
Equipment Options
Urban Solar has had time to establish direct relationships with manufacturers and has a track record of sourcing high-quality equipment for solar projects. The company prioritizes warranty terms, financial backing, technology, cost, and research and development.
The company uses Qcells solar panels, Enphase microinverters, and Tesla Powerwall solar batteries.
Mounting Solutions
Every solar system installed by Urban Solar is engineered to withstand wind speeds up to 170+ mph, which is a Florida Building Code requirement. Solar panel mounting hardware is attached directly to the roof trusses to ensure a secure attachment of your solar panels.
Urban Solar also offers a Tile Replacement Mount to install solar on tile roofs effectively while protecting against water leakages. The water sealing technology is guaranteed to be waterproof.
Zero-Down Financing
Urban Solar is somewhat vague about financing particulars but is clear about offering $0 down financing options, including PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing.
HOA Advocacy
Urban Solar is vocal about communicating directly with HOAs for project approval on behalf of the customer. A state statute in Florida states that HOAs can’t restrict you from installing solar based on how they look or where they’re installed. Nonetheless, sometimes lack of HOA approval can cause project delays.
If you go with Urban Solar, you can be confident that this area of communication will be taken care of. Each solar system is installed with adherence to strict building codes and guidelines with neighborhood aesthetics front of mind.
System Monitoring
Solar installation comes with solar production monitoring with online performance monitoring software. If there is ever an issue with your panel production, Urban Solar will be notified by your monitoring system and can dispatch a technician to resolve the issue.
Online Resources
The company provides a gallery full of photos from past Residential and Commercial Solar installations. Prospective customers can peruse this gallery to get a feel for what completed installations look like before committing to solar.
Urban Solar also has a helpful blog with articles on various solar system topics including roof repair, bifacial solar modules, solar monitoring, and solar energy storage.
The Bad
- Short Workmanship Warranty
- Unclear Customer Reputation
Short Workmanship Warranty
It is helpful that Urban Solar is transparent with its warranties since some companies in the industry are not. That being said, the workmanship warranty is only 5 years, unlike leading companies that offer a 25-year workmanship warranty.
All solar panels come with a 25-year performance warranty and a 10-25-year inverter warranty, consistent with leading manufacturer and performance warranties offered in the industry.
Unclear Customer Reputation
Solar reviews provide essential insight into a company’s quality of customer service among other factors. Of the reviews we have on Urban Solar, there is an inconclusive mix of satisfied and unsatisfied customers. Even the best companies get negative reviews, but we like to see a substantial repository of positive reviews and, where applicable, responsive company replies to negative reviews.
To accurately assess customer satisfaction with Urban Solar against the competition, we need more verified customer reviews. If Urban Solar has completed a solar project for you, please consider leaving a review below.
As for a presence on social media, the company has a sizeable following on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with more than 2,000 followers on Twitter.
The Bottom Line
Highlights for Urban Solar include zero-down financing, company longevity, and HOA advocacy. We also appreciate the company’s informative website which contains a helpful solar learning center as well as photo galleries to browse past projects.
However, Urban Solar offers a shorter-than-average workmanship warranty and we can’t yet assess the company’s overall review profile.
While this company may not stand out in every aspect, it is worth looking into for Florida residents.
