Nelnet Renewable Energy - Palatine, Illinois

Art Slowinski

I do not often leave reviews unless I have had an exceptional experience, value or both as in this case. After re-reading some reviews for GRNE Solar, I was determined to leave a positive review. I am convinced that many solar shoppers that leave unfavorable reviews have not done enough homework or had unrealistic expectations to the timing and complexity of such a project. I wanted to make sure to leave my detailed approval for a company that provided me a Ritz Carlton type experience by anticipating needs and exceeding expectations. I was specifically looking at REC panels, so I contacted many of the listed installers on the website. Some vendors did not call back, some stopped communication if I did not immediately purchase because of the pressure of special incentives or ending loan offers, some tried to force me to trust their knowledge and discouraged questions. I narrowed it down to 3 vendors and were very professional, fair in pricing and took the time to provide a proposal with an ideal layout (hint – no northern exposure – Yes, some proposals had ½ of the panels on the north face to make installation easy for them). I highly encourage anyone making an investment that costs as much as a car and lasts 25 years or longer to do the same legwork. But if not, then take my weeks of research and rest assured you are dealing with the right company. I took in consideration years of experience, proximity to my location, realistic SREC calculations (some were drastically overinflated), other positive reviews (on multiple sites) and the fact a national corporation backs the company. If you are into minor details like I am for a sleek, clean installation, things like hidden rails, sleek all black leak proof mounting systems, minimally visible conduit, super clean inverter installs, and Wi-Fi software access, then that is just the icing on the cake that enhances the value of your investment. I should also mention. although they did not have the lowest cost, they did have the lowest net cost in terms of kilowatt hours produced! My journey started with Ryan, the sales consultant who was exceptionally knowledgeable and responsive to all my questions and never pushy or rushing me to close the deal. I challenged him with many questions with invertor types, EV chargers, batteries, layout to maximizing the complexity of my unique roof lines while anticipating future usage. Ryan acknowledged my level of detail to make sure there were no surprises or issues left untouched. Therefore, the rest of the process was easy as at that point all my expectations were clear in terms of steps and timing. Nick as the project manager oversaw the plans permits and helped coordinate my install. It helps to expedite things like calling your city to help make sure your permit does not get overlooked as every day counts, and there are numerous things out of GRNEs control. Once the permit was approved, Nick knew I worked form home and offered an earlier installation date due to my permit being ahead of the typical allotted schedule, saving us another week in the process. Coby, Mike, and a few other installers came to provide a well-organized, install with a challenging attic conduit run. I actively participated to learn and appreciate the extra effort the crew put in during some hot days in a tight space. During the process, the installers kept me abreast of the progress and any unanticipated challenges or barriers. The final city inspection occurred within 5 days of completion of install and ComEd provided interconnect approval the same day. As a reference, I contacted GRNE April 20th and from contract to activation was 84 days. This may not be typical in every city, but make sure to do your part if you can expedite any steps along the way. I highly suggest giving GRNE Solar a call. But please, do your homework, have reasonable expectations, and realize you may have to pivot at some point, but I guarantee it will be hard to find the experience, value, and professionalism that I had experienced with my install from GRNE Solar in Elmhurst, IL.

Kristy Yanez

I am absolutely happy with my solar panels. Sam and Kurt were so helpful and informative during the whole process. I had delays only due to my roof needing repairs. Finally got roof replaced and the whole process was fast and easy after that. Everyone was super efficient and installers on time. I had them installed in Oct. February was the first month I saw a lot of power on my solar app. Received a $25 Comed bill (only 59kwh billed for) and was so shocked and happy. Can't wait to see how much i save throughout the summer and how much i can bank for winter months. I did have other companies give me a hard time and in the end, Nelnet was the best option. I am more than happy ? Love the app to show me how much power they are generating. DONT SECOND GUESS, CALL THEM!!!

Jason Georgacakis

This fall I had purchased solar panels for my home. The process to purchase was very easy and informative. I had a number of companies come out and it seemed like GRNE was the best deal. Coupled with their 5 star review I felt like they were the best option. After paying my deposits, getting permits and everything else that goes into a project, they came out in mid October to do the install. It took them about two days to get the panels up, however it appeared they did not order all of the parts to complete the project (skirting to go around panels). They came out again a few weeks later to install the skirting, but did not have enough to finish. So a few weeks later they came out again to finish the project. In all it took them over a month to finish the install. Now some of this long duration was because of weather issues but it seemed to be primarily because of miscommunications within the company. I will say that every time I called I did feel like my issues were being addressed when they could be. The staff was always quick to respond. Other than the delays, it was a company I would work with again and recommend.

Rick T

We had a large 53kw ground mount system installed by GRNE. Everything went smooth and was professionally done, haven't had any problems after 3 years. Being a large system we did some research and found there was an alternative mounting method that would save a lot of money on the installation. GRNE was one of the few who were capable of using this method which is one of the reasons we went with them.

Sebastian Cyran

GRNE was great to work with! I received a lot of quotes from other providers. There were some a little less expensive and some more expensive. I chose GRNE because of the communication and the fact that they really worked with me and listened to what I wanted. Everyone from the sales/account team, install team, and support are professional and really easy to get a hold of for an inquiries I had.
I would recommend them for everyone. Remember do not lease Solar Panels, definitely buy them. If you can, use GRNE to make the process go smooth.

Dan knotter

GRNE Solar installed my 4.2kW 15 panel array on my Naperville home on July 7th, 2017.
I emailed out a quote request to four local solar installers and the very next day Eric from GRNE Solar was at my house with three proposals that perfectly bracketed my requirements. Eric responded to all my questions with clear answers usually within hours. All permitting, net metering setup, SREC credits and final city inspection scheduling was taken care of by GRNE. My special request for All-Black panels, racking, flashing and street facing skirt was easily handled by his installation team. I highly recommend the GRNE Solar team.

Mario Peralta

Id go through another company. The project management on this was subpar. It took 3x as long as quoted.

1. It took over 9 months to get from signing a contract to getting it installed. I'm sure they would have forgotten about it if I hadn't requested updates.

2. The installers also hid their trash (e.g., disposable vapes) outside the house while the installation was going on.

3. The conduit installation was hideous, and one of the installers had the nerve to tell my parents they would paint it for a fee.... I'm not paying for their botch up.

4. Their price looks "lower", but that's because they take money off the illinois solar incentive. Price becomes the same as others when that's taken into account.

Patricia Lloyd

We had such a great experience with GRNE Solar. Not only was their pricing competitive, but their customer service was amazing. They were knowledgable and informative. They have been an invaluable resource for us, as first time solar owners. I have and will continue to recommend them to any and all friends and colleagues interested in a solar installation for their home or business. GREAT EXPERIENCE!