Sun Badger Solar 2024 Review (Costs, Quality, Services & More

What Can You Expect With Sun Badger’s Solar Services and Installation?

Sun Badger provides solar power systems for both homeowners and business owners. It also designs and installs battery storage systems and EV charging units. Aside from the above, it offers maintenance and repair services, regardless of whether the system was originally installed by Sun Badger.

Solar Panel Installation Experience

Let’s take a look at how a typical solar installation experience with Sun Badger would go.

Step 1 (Consultation): The entire process of hiring Sun Badger for a home solar system installation begins with a free quote. During the process, you’ll enter information like your average electric bill, home size and phone number. If you have the optimum roof orientation with no shading on it, Sun Badger will analyze your electricity pricing and a salesperson will call you with a system proposal.

If you are happy with the information provided and, more importantly, the cost quoted, you move to the next step.

Step 2 (Onboarding): This is the interesting part. Sun Badger has a smartphone app, which customers can use to track installation progress. You can get the Sun Badger Solar app even before signing a contract.

Then, once you sign, you are assigned to a project manager.

Step 3 (Site Survey): Your initial design and estimate will be based on some approximations, since the company cannot send a survey team to every house that wants a free quote. At this stage, the Sun Badger team will actually visit your property and survey it, deciding where the solar array will fit best and how the wiring and other components will look.

The design team uses this information to prepare a final design.

Step 4 (Permitting): The actual installation of a system can be done in a day, but that is not how it usually works. Unless you are installing a fully off-grid system away from civilization, your system will be interconnected to the grid. It will hence require several permits, including but not limited to a net metering agreement.

This step often takes the largest portion of the total time required. The good part is that the installer will handle all of this for you. In this stage, Sun Badger will also help apply for any solar incentives, rebates or tax credits available in your area.

Step 5 (Installation): Once you have all the necessary permits, Sun Badger’s truck finally arrives at your location with the panels and other system components. Weather permitting, the company’s NABCEP certified electricians and technicians complete the installation and commissioning in two to three days. This is followed by switching on your solar system, at which point you finally start using solar energy.

You can track the whole process in the Sun Badger Solar app. This entire process takes anywhere between three and six months, but Sun Badger claims to take not more than four months for any installations.

Sun Badger Solar Customer Service

Most independent reviews by customers seem to laud Sun Badger for several things, including customer service. However, a few customers also seemed to face a problem with communication, with negative feedback citing a few issues with the responsiveness of the company’s team members.

As a customer, you can hope that your service experience is similar to the majority.

Outstanding Regional Installer

4/5

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Regional Service

How Much Do Sun Badger Solar Systems Cost?

Arguably the most decisive factor in the purchase of solar panels is their cost. The pricing of a system varies based on factors such as your location, equipment used, the complexity of installation, etc. In the case of Sun Badger, the company uses some of the best equipment on the market. And yet, the pricing is mid-tier.

The company’s website makes somewhat of a bold claim by saying that “you will get the best price out there.” But the claim stands true to a large extent. For the high-quality equipment offered, Sun Badger quotes prices that are lower than the average prices in the states it operates in.

The company also has a referral program through which you can earn cash for referring your friends and neighbors to go solar with Sun Badger.

Financing Options Through Sun Badger Solar

A strong selling point of Sun Badger is its industry-leading financing option with an attractive 0.99% interest rate. You can even purchase a solar system with a $0-down financing option, wherein you will have to pay nothing upfront. A sizable number of homeowners and business owners seem to prefer this option.

When it comes to purchasing options, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to buying your system. If you want to understand all the options in detail in order to make a choice that is perfect for you, you can refer to our solar financing guide.

Sun Badger Solar Panel Warranty

Being a system installer, Sun Badger does not produce its own solar panels but uses panels manufactured by reputed companies like Trina or Longi. Once you get a system installed, you will have two different warranties.

1. System warranty: Sun Badger provides a warranty on the entire system’s workmanship, which lasts an admirable 10 years from the date of installation. This covers any issues that pop up due to faulty installation.
2. Component warranty: As mentioned before, Sun Badger installs components from various manufacturers. Naturally, it passes on the warranties provided by the original equipment seller. Most important among these are the solar panel, battery and inverter warranties.

Sun Badger mentions that it always uses panels that have a 25-year linear production warranty. The Enphase inverters it installs also come with a 25-year warranty. The batteries offered (Tesla, Enphase) come with the standard 10-year warranty. These are some of the best warranties in the solar industry.

Outstanding Regional Installer

4/5

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Regional Service

What Type of Reviews Do Sun Badger Solar Customers Give?

Sun Badger calls itself a company with ethics, and most customer reviews seem to validate that claim. However, fast growth brings some challenges with it, and a number of reviews have brought up issues with communication — mainly the fact that experience with the installation team was different from that with the sales representative. Although Sun Badger’s reviews are largely positive, it is important to look at both.

Positive Sun Badger Solar Reviews

Satisfied customers highlight a smooth installation process (often referring to it as “top notch”), lower-than-average prices and quick installations. Check out a couple of examples below:

“They were easy to work with, quick to respond to any questions or concerns, and kept us in the loop through each step. I was a bit hesitant to go with solar in the Chicago area, especially right before winter, but our system is performing well and we’re already saving money, even in January! We’re very happy with our system and would highly recommend Sun Badger.”

-Mandy S via Yelp.

“It seemed like many of the companies selling installations were based in California, and we wanted to deal with a company based in the Midwest… [Sun Badger] responded promptly and talked us through the process thoroughly. The other installers didn’t seem as diligent about the details of the installation and their prices were higher (at least their first estimates were). We followed through with Sun Badger and have been pleased with every step of the process.”

– Sleepy Hollow Customer via Best Company

Negative Sun Badger Solar Reviews

As stated before, a recurring theme in negative Sun Badger reviews is a lack of communication. Here are some customers pointing out the same:

“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… It has been 14 weeks and I have followed up consistently but am yet to receive my promised refund.”

– Jesse D. via Best Company

“After agreeing on a price and signing a contract to hire them for our solar installation, they said there was an internal “miscommunication” and they would have to charge me an additional $3,600 for the already agreed upon service. They canceled our contract and refused to do any of the agreed-upon work unless the additional money was paid.”

– Alex B. via Yelp

Outstanding Regional Installer

4/5

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Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

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How Does Sun Badger Compare to Other Solar Installation Companies?

A great way to understand where Sun Badger stands is to compare it with some of its competitors. Take a look at the table below that puts Sun Badger head-to-head with two other similar-sized companies serving the same areas.

Before choosing Sun Badger, be sure to check out some of the other noteworthy solar companies that provide coverage in the same states.

• Illinois’ Top Solar Providers
• Wisconsin’s Top Solar Providers
• Minnesota’s Top Solar Providers
• Florida’s Top Solar Providers

You can also connect with one of the best solar companies in your area and get a free, no-obligation quote by simply filling out the form below.

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