Best System Maintenance in Phoenix AZ

We purchased (vs leased) a fairly large 14.28kW system (51 x 280Watt panels) installed by Argent Solar in the summer of 2015.  We shopped around a LOT, comparing purchase vs lease, installers, panel manufacturers and configuration options (normal string inverters vs the power optimizers).  Argent was up front with us (our rep was Charlie, but he might be retired by now), well-priced and timely in everything they did.  No problems getting it approved by APS & turned on.  Our power production this last 3.5 years has been exactly as forecasted (clouds are the biggest variable, but that averages out over time).
We've been very happy with Argent.

While I know the up-front cost to own your system is scary or undoable for most, it is really the better option in the long run if you can swing it.  If you do lease, make sure to read the fine print.  For example, a lease installation by SolarCity would have saved $ up front, but the price we paid for electricity from the solar panels was automatically going to increase by 3.5% per year.  That's insane!  You go solar to get AWAY from price increases!  3.5%/year over the 20-year lease means you're paying almost DOUBLE by the end.  In countries like Germany that have pushed solar & wind power very hard, the cost of electricity has dropped dramatically, and likely that will happen here, too, once we get enough adoption here down the road.  You don't want to be paying a ton MORE down the road while everyone else is paying LESS.  Neither will people potentially buying your house when you move.  Most leases are a 20-year commitment, regardless of the owner.  The wrong solar lease is a liability, not an asset.

We ended up getting panels that had black metal edges instead of silver/aluminum, so the panels are black-on-black, which looks very sharp!  I did a lot of research on panel manufacturers, to include calling a guy I know in CA that runs a solar install company and settled on SolarWorld panels.  There are plenty of other great options (LG, Sunpower, Kyocera) but SolarWorld had the best cost at the time and we wanted to make sure to stay away from cheap Chinese makes for peace of mind.

We also went with SolarEdge power optimizers & inverter rather than the more normal string inverters.  It's a little more cost up front, but having a power optimizer at each solar panel means each panel will produce as much as it can.  Despite being the exact same panel, the power rating is a minimum, as slight manufacturing differences can enable some panels to produce several % higher.  (Looking at my current totals for the week, my best panel has produced 8.42kWh (kiloWatt hours) and my worst panel only 7.80kWh.  That's almost an 8% difference between best & worst.  The average difference is probably 3-4%.)  For a normal string inverter setup, a bunch of panels are all connected to the same inverter and all panels are limited by the worst performer on the string, so you'd never get that extra production.  If you have a shadow from a tree or something on your panels part of the day, then the panels in the shade are going to limit your production over all.  Is it enough of a difference to make up for the extra cost?  I don't know, probably.  If you have a shade problem, though, I think it DEFINTELY would.

Several of the SolarEdge power optimizers have gone bad during the last 3.5 years.  I'm not sure if I got a bad lot or what.  You have a graphic depiction of your system to monitor via a web page, though, so as soon as you see a "black hole" in your system, you just call your installer and they replace it free of charge.  Those power optimizers come with a 20-year warranty, so SolarEdge ships a replacement part and pays the install charge.  Argent Solar has been great for this, replacing the part within a couple days usually, as they have replacement parts on hand already.

Anyway, I've been thrilled with our setup.  When I first ran the numbers, the payback was going to take just short of 8 years (including the state & federal rebates).  Then APS put through not one, but two, price increases of nearly 8% each, so that shortened my payback period closer to 7 years (due to the extra cost of electricity that I'm NOT paying).  And when you think that the value of my house has surely increased (due to owning the system; not true for a leased system), there's a good chance the system has already completely paid for itself at just 3.5 years.  Your numbers will be different, maybe better or worse, but probably an excellent investment if you're going to stay in your house for even just a few years.

Great service from Nick and his company, I literally texted him nextdoor this morning, he responded very fast, and was at my house in 2 hours to fix our AC unit, now it starts and operates much better, much quieter. Thank you very much, wish you and your company all the best...Vince (U.S. Navy (retired))

Very prompt and pleasant. Called in the morning had someone there by 1 pm. Had an unexpected appointment while he was working. He was very agreeable to leaving and coming back. My issue was a Ethernet outlet which was dead.  Opened up the wall unit and it was a tangled mess, plus our outlet itself was wired incorrectly.

Got it working.

$74/hour

Very pleasant

Thank you so much for assisting us with going solar. We'd always wanted to, but we couldn't find a reliable partner  to make the switch with. Your knowledge and expertise made the process much easier, and we really appreciate it. We are so glad we chose you and are looking forward to seeing the environmental and financial benefits of going solar. Thank you again for helping us make the switch to solar. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.

Chris and his crew did a fabulous job upgrading our electric service, we upgraded from 100 amp service to 200 amp service and they installed a new power pole and electric fuse panel box and everything went very smoothly. I would like to thank the Jack Armstrong the owner for all his help and expertise. I would highly recommend this company if you want any electrical services taken care of.

Called Pro Solutions after hours.  Technician quickly found issue with one of my units at a cost of $341.  Few days later my other unit went out.  I called a leading competitor to find the issues were identical, however I was charged only $141....$200 less.  

Needless to say I won't go with Pro Solutions in the future due to their prices.  I will say the technician was friendly and knowledgeable, however, so was the technician from Chas Roberts.

I was very impressed with the quality of service I received from Green Muscle Solar.  The sales person, Chad, was very knowledgeable and friendly.  What I liked the most was after I received the information about the panels from Chad, he didn't call me repeatedly to find out my decision to go with them or not - unlike most the other solar companies who would call me multiple times a week.  After the panels were installed, Jamal kept me informed of the next steps - he was also very responsive if I had a question.  

Overall, I appreciated their customer service and their quick responses. I referred them to a family member.

Emergent is a sales company for solar.  Another company (Harmon Solar) does the installation.

After signing up, having a credit check, having a roof inspection, having holes cut in my ceiling, and holes patched, and changing my APS electric to a regular plan from a savings plan....Emergent has been silent for months.

No response from the salesman or anyone else at the company.  Learned they just sent my contract over to the installer (Harmon Solar),  3 months later.

Guess they are spreading out the contracts to get steady pay, and to hell with the customer.

Meanwhile, I received THE HIGHEST FALL ELECTRIC BILLS from APS I've ever had.

Not reliable, please do not go via them. Go directly via the actual solar company. He sold my Dad many promises, once I signed the agreement and bought it.
After that many emails, several texts and calls, no response.
Expert in fooling people. There are many caveats to it from load controller to plans, and other things which I sorted out and for One year I was paying the mortgage/lease payments as well as higher electricity bills, kept asking him for customer care, he would also not respond to texts and emails.

For really bad experience I wouldn't recommend.