- Business-leading 40-year guarantee
- Worth match
- Robust gear choice
- Solely providers two states
- Some destructive critiques
- No leasing choices
NRG Clear Energy brings one of many photo voltaic business’s most assured approaches to its work, providing a worth match and 40-year guarantee. This helped push NRG to one among CNET’s highest scores we have seen from the photo voltaic corporations we have reviewed thus far.
One huge caveat: In case you do not dwell in California or Texas, you may have to maintain buying. In case you do dwell in one among these two states, NRG is price contemplating.
NRG Clear Energy has its origins in a California-based heating and air-con firm that has been round for 3 many years. Twelve years in the past the corporate cut up, with NRG Clear Energy focusing solely on solar energy as “kind of its personal entity,” in accordance with gross sales director Andrew Cohen.
Considerably confusingly, the corporate has no relation to worldwide power behemoth NRG Power, which has dabbled in photo voltaic and different renewables over time.
NRG Clear Energy focuses on residential photo voltaic installations throughout California, and more and more in elements of Texas.
In recent times there’s been a little bit of a rush so as to add solar energy to many a roof or residence. It simply appears to make sense with a brand new spherical of monetary and tax incentives that may pay for a considerable quantity of a brand new system. (Regardless of inflation and different financial turbulence, the residential photo voltaic market broke its report for installations once more in 2022.) And with the ravages of local weather change within the type of unprecedented wildfires, warmth waves and highly effective storms making headlines, including extra renewables to our power combine can also be a socially accountable funding.
This has created one thing of a increase, with quite a few photo voltaic installers popping as much as provide all that demand. This may make it a bit bewildering to navigate the business. NRG Clear Energy seems to reassure owners by standing behind its work longer than some other firm we’re conscious of, with a guaranty that extends throughout the lifetime of your system or roughly half of yours (40 years), whichever comes first.
Take into account we do not immediately overview gear or providers (you possibly can study extra about our methodology beneath) and it is essential to do your individual due diligence and acquire a number of quotes from native installers earlier than signing a contract.
What do I get from NRG Clear Energy?
NRG Clear Energy gives photo voltaic system installations for buy and is prepared to assist owners discover financing via a photo voltaic mortgage. NRG Clear Energy has additionally began providing photo voltaic leasing or energy buy agreements.
Not like many photo voltaic corporations, NRG additionally does roofing. This implies it could possibly substitute or improve a house owner’s roof earlier than putting in photo voltaic to spice up effectivity and ensure that an important basis of any rooftop photo voltaic system goes to final at some point of its lifetime.
One other non-standard service supplied is photo voltaic panel cleansing, an essential upkeep service the corporate says can increase house power manufacturing by as a lot as 25%. Although to achieve that mark, these would seemingly be some soiled panels.
What photo voltaic gear does NRG Clear Energy set up?
NRG installs various identify model photo voltaic panels, batteries and inverters, together with quite a lot of photo voltaic modules from REC, Panasonic and Qcells in addition to “just about something that is going to make the design optimum for that specific home-owner,” Cohen mentioned.
He notes that NRG is a licensed installer for a lot of producers, which might typically imply longer warranties.
Enphase, SolarEdge and Tesla are the corporate’s hottest decisions for batteries in addition to inverters, together with both microinverters or string inverters.
What warranties does NRG Clear Energy supply?
NRG Clear Energy usually depends on producers’ warranties for gear. Business requirements are round 25 years for panels and inverters and 10 years for batteries. Cohen says as a result of the corporate is a licensed installer with REC, it is potential to get an extended, 30-year guarantee on their elements.
What actually units NRG aside is its 40-year or lifetime workmanship guarantee. The corporate ensures its set up work towards leaks, unsatisfactory power manufacturing or different efficiency points for 40 years or the lifetime of the system, whichever comes first.
On the time this was written, this guarantee is by far the longest workmanship guarantee we have come throughout within the residential photo voltaic business thus far.
Does NRG Clear Energy supply monitoring providers?
The NRG Clear Energy app means that you can examine the standing of venture approval and set up earlier than the system is activated for the primary time. The app is comparatively new and has not but been reviewed on Google or Apple app shops.
For system monitoring, Cohen mentioned it is normally finest to depend on apps offered by the inverter producer, such because the Tesla or Enphase Enlighten app.
He added that NRG itself does not monitor individuals’s power manufacturing, however recommends you make weekly checks and reap the benefits of a photo voltaic panel cleansing service a few times a yr.
“It is actually essential that owners are monitoring their programs constantly,” Cohen mentioned.
Does NRG Clear Energy use subcontractors?
NRG covers all of California and most of Texas utilizing all-remote, digital power advisors and a listing of installers, together with subcontractors.
“We discover that it is the finest enterprise mannequin for us to have the ability to leverage native execs in addition to our personal,” Cohen defined.
Whereas the corporate employs some in-house installers, it is prone to contract out work in additional distant areas.
Cohen mentioned NRG has a strict onboarding course of for subcontractors and needs to see a portfolio of labor from all of its potential installers.
We all the time take into account it a bonus to see extra worker installers on an organization’s roster, however it’s not an element that counts in our scoring system. NRG’s strategy just isn’t uncommon for the business.
How a lot do NRG Clear Energy panels value?
Like almost all photo voltaic corporations we communicate with, NRG Clear Energy didn’t supply particular pricing data. This is not stunning, given how a lot owners’ wants and challenges can range from one state of affairs to the subsequent and market to market.
After I requested about photo voltaic pricing, the very first thing Cohen talked about was the corporate coverage of offering a worth match, which is unquestionably not an business customary.
“In case you can present an apples-to-apples quote that has premium supplies, most likely the identical inverter, identical photo voltaic module or at the least identical wattage with an identical effectivity, we’ll worth match that quote so long as it is a laborious quote,” he was fast to elucidate.
He added that he considers NRG usually “aggressive” on pricing.
“We’re extra of a excessive quantity installer and we’re in a position to maintain our charges low by leveraging native installers.”
This is a take a look at the nationwide common costs from three completely different knowledge sources together with: Lawrence Berkeley Nationwide Laboratory, FindEnergy and the power consulting agency Wooden Mackenzie.
To get an thought of what photo voltaic prices appear to be in every state throughout the US, this is a take a look at the typical complete value, system dimension and price per watt of photo voltaic panels, in accordance with knowledge from FindEnergy.com.
What financing choices does NRG Clear Energy supply?
NRG works with various credit score unions and monetary establishments, together with Mosaic Federal Credit score Union and the Power Mortgage Community to assist owners discover photo voltaic loans and financing for a brand new system.
Moreover, Cohen mentioned the corporate can also be prepared to work with different credit score unions or loans that owners safe on their very own.
“If you will get a greater mortgage than one thing we provide, no downside,” Cohen mentioned.
The corporate gives leases and energy buy agreements in addition to loans and financing, Cohen mentioned.
Does NRG Clear Energy function in my state? How do I order?
NRG Clear Energy gives photo voltaic installations throughout the overwhelming majority of California and elements of Texas, together with the Dallas and Houston areas.
Ordering from the corporate begins with offering latest utility payments and primary details about your own home earlier than a digital session that is normally a Google Meet lasting 30 to 60 minutes. NRG’s power consultants use Aurora design software program to create a 3D mannequin of the property utilizing lidar and satellite tv for pc imagery. The dialog additionally contains dialogue of financing, if desired.
To maneuver ahead, a deposit (normally about $1,000) is collected adopted by an in-person web site analysis the place a technician and drone are despatched to examine the property and home completely. Cohen mentioned it is also potential to request an categorical web site analysis for a house owner that may present their very own images.
Subsequent comes a extra detailed design for approval by each side. The corporate then collects a second “progress cost” and strikes ahead to the allowing course of. Lastly, the system is put in, and as soon as an inspection is accomplished and there may be permission to activate the system, all the things is completed. Cohen estimated it is usually a two- to three-month course of from begin to end.
NRG Clear Energy critiques: What are clients saying?
General, there aren’t that many on-line critiques of NRG Clear Energy, in comparison with among the bigger corporations on the market. It was a mixture of destructive and optimistic critiques. The corporate is accredited with the Higher Enterprise Bureau, however has a rating of “B,” which is decrease than most accredited photo voltaic corporations.
5-star NRG Clear Energy critiques
“I used to be referred to NRG by a neighbor, and am glad I took the advice! Put in in simply a few months and no issues to report. Good communication.” — Paul R, March 3, 2023
1-star NRG Clear Energy critiques
“Run, do not stroll away from this firm!! We ordered photo voltaic panels in April, 2022 and did not get them put in till October, 2022. They’re nonetheless unusable and the set up crew has no thought why or the best way to repair it. Now we have NEVER been in a position to communicate to anybody at NRG except they had been wanting cash.” — Jackie D. Jan. 1, 2023
Is NRG Clear Energy the only option?
One of the vital essential issues to do when selecting an organization to put in a photo voltaic system on your house is to get a number of laborious quotes on your particular person state of affairs. Opinions like this could solely inform you a lot. Additionally, understand that CNET doesn’t immediately overview any of the gear or providers described right here.
We don’t undergo the ordering course of with NRG Clear Energy, however as a substitute depend on our personal analysis, conversations with the corporate and information of the business to place collectively this overview.
That mentioned, NRG might be a compelling possibility, particularly given its spectacular workmanship guarantee and emphasis on its worth match assure.
There’s some trigger for concern in critiques and complaints in regards to the firm submitted to the Higher Enterprise Bureau. Usually talking, although, we do not suggest making a choice based mostly solely on on-line critiques. You may take into account asking an organization consultant about among the patterns you see in destructive critiques to learn the way they have been addressed.
NRG Clear Energy execs and cons
Professionals
- Business-leading workmanship guarantee
- Worth match assure
- Big range of manufacturers and elements supplied
Cons
- Higher Enterprise Bureau grade is decrease than many opponents
- Operates in solely two states
How we consider photo voltaic corporations
Reviewing photo voltaic corporations in a hands-on means is tough. Accounting for all of the variations venture to venture is inconceivable. To offer a useful overview, we targeted on what we will measure and meaningfully examine amongst corporations.
We concentrate on three buckets of standards: gear, warranties and repair.
Throughout the gear class, corporations obtain scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they set up. Warranties embody the ensures on the panels, workmanship and weatherization towards leaks. Firms earn factors for service if they provide a worth match, a significant stage of worth transparency and a well-rated app for monitoring photo voltaic manufacturing. They lose factors if there are main points pertaining to customer support (lawsuits, investigations or clear reputations for shoddy service). These points will all the time be detailed within the overview.
You possibly can learn an in depth take a look at how the scoring breaks down.
We do not take into account the typical worth of an organization’s installations of their rating. This data is tough to seek out and laborious to check throughout service areas (and even roof to roof). Firms are sometimes gradual to reveal it, too. We additionally omit simply discovered however not helpful data such because the variety of states an organization operates in.
FAQs
Who’s the proprietor of NRG Clear Energy?
NRG Clear Energy is a privately held firm. It lists Oren Tamir as CEO. It isn’t associated to the bigger NRG, an power retail supplier.
How lengthy has NRG Clear Energy been in enterprise?
NRG Clear Energy, the photo voltaic firm — to not be confused with the NRG power retail supplier — has been in enterprise for over 30 years.