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Kota Solar reviews
• updated APR 10, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
KOTA Energy Group has a problem finishing what they start. Reviews describe systems installed in 2022 or 2023 that still aren't working right in 2024, with homeowners paying thousands to their utility while fielding excuses about fluctuating energy output. One Berkeley customer paid in full six months before the job was done, then spent another five months chasing the company for repairs while only half the panels generated power. Communication collapses after installation. We found 92 reviews describing unanswered calls, missed inspection appointments, and permit failures that stretched timelines past two years. The pattern is consistent: the sales pitch is smooth, the install crew is professional, then support vanishes. One homeowner discovered roof damage from the installation only when rain created a grapefruit-sized hole in their ceiling. When the inspector confirmed KOTA was at fault, the company sent a second crew who blamed the customer's mortar instead. (At least they showed up unannounced at 7:30 AM, so there's that.) Work quality scores reflect this split: sales conduct rates a 3.8 out of 5, but post-sale support drops to 3.0, and value scores just 2.9. If you want solar panels that turn on when promised and a company that answers the phone after cashing your check, keep looking.
If you're willing to gamble on whether your system will work a year from now, KOTA's install crews do solid work. But with 101 reviews describing delays, failed inspections, and systems that don't produce promised energy while you're still paying the loan, the odds aren't in your favor.
3 Stories That Stood Out
In February 2023 Eve S. signed a contract with Kota to install solar panels on her duplex in Berkeley. She waited about six months for the work to be scheduled, and when crews finally showed up the job never got finished. Her loan was activated before completion, and Kota accepted payment while the system remained inoperable — effectively leaving her paying for a system she could not use. City inspectors could not sign off because the installation was incomplete, and repeated assurances that repairs would happen “immediately” gave way to another five weeks of silence. After she threatened a BBB complaint, Kota put her in touch with Chance Bender, a senior project manager, who promised a one-week turnaround that stretched into a month. On December 5, 2023 — roughly four months after the installation began — the system received permission to operate, but the commissioning was botched: only half the panels produced power and the monitoring accounts were not set up correctly. After that, Kota stopped communicating altogether, including through the BBB. More than 13 months after signing the contract and over six months after paying in full, she has spent many hours trying to get the job
Telma C. discovered a $4,000 PGE True Up bill a year after getting solar panels that were supposed to cover her household usage plus home EV charging. She had signed on after a friendly door-to-door rep, Tyler, walked her through the process and promised a system sized from 12 months of PGE statements with room for the EV she planned to charge at home. The panels went live in June 2022, but by about August her monitoring app and the estimated True Up showed almost no production. Tyler first shrugged it off as normal seasonal fluctuation and told her the numbers would even out by year’s end; trusting him—she didn’t know how to read energy metrics—she waited. When the next month’s estimate doubled and looked as if she had no solar at all, she pushed again. Tyler then acknowledged a problem, eventually sent a technician, and the array was repaired. Even after that fix, the system still failed to supply the energy she’d been promised: the official True Up a year after installation landed at $4,000. She contacted multiple reps, demanded a manager callback, and never got a return call. The standout detail in her experience is the gap between the sales promise—panels sized for 12 months +
Ariel P. had KOTA install roof-mounted solar on a home with a finished office, and what started as a routine install turned into a months-long fight over a leak. After a heavy rain she discovered a grapefruit-sized hole in her office ceiling; an inspector who eventually showed up after several calls concluded the leak came from KOTA’s work — a strut or rod had lifted and allowed water into the attic. The inspector photographed the damage, confirmed KOTA was at fault, and made a temporary roof repair on December 9 so the house wouldn’t leak, but told Ariel the interior would need a separate visit to fix the ceiling. There were no more leaks after that visit, but scheduling the interior repairs became a struggle. Ariel finally booked a January 4 appointment on December 28, then woke on December 30 at 7:30 a.m. to KOTA contractors at her door, unannounced. When she let them reinspect the roof, they reversed course — blamed damaged mortar and denied responsibility — even though KOTA had been the last crew on the roof and had inspected it before installation. Ariel points out the house had shown no prior leaks, even during an earlier storm when she closed on the property, and now faces廷
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 45
No Red Flags
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 8 years
BBB Rating: D-
Poor BBB standing. Significant complaints.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
What You Can Expect
Brenda reached out in 2022 after an inverter on her solar setup stopped working properly, and the response she got turned a frustrating equipment issue into a standout service moment. Tripper Gawan, the company’s vice president, stepped in personally and handled the problem with unusual attention, kindness, and professionalism, even going beyond what she expected to get things sorted. What stayed with her wasn’t just that the inverter issue got addressed, but that someone in a leadership role took the time to make it feel urgent and personal.
Melissa Seymour’s experience with Kota Solar centered on Chris Garcia, who handled the sale with a calm, professional touch that stood out because he never pushed. When she told him she wanted time to research the information, he simply told her to call back when she was ready, and he kept that promise by waiting until she reached out. That low-pressure approach helped her feel comfortable moving forward with a system that fit both her needs and budget. More than a year later, the results were hard to miss: after their true-up with SDG&E, the family ended up with a $300 credit instead of a bill. Even with heaters and air conditioning running when needed, their monthly electric cost dropped from nearly $250 and climbing to under $140, and they stopped sending money to SDG&E altogether, aside from living on propane where they are. What stuck with her most was the combination of real savings and no surprises — no hidden fees, no unexpected bills, and a system that has kept performing well enough that they’re already considering battery storage to hold onto more of the power they generate.
Elizabeth signed a contract for a solar installation on her home and then spent the next year and a half chasing the company. After the agreement, the firm essentially ghosted her: she was shuffled from one contact to another over months, with repeated calls and emails going unanswered. She eventually gave up, concluded they’d likely gone out of business, and was relieved she never handed over any money. She remains stunned that the company still maintains a website and a Yelp page and calls the whole experience a scam. What lingers is the lost 18 months and the fact that a signed contract produced no work and no payment exchanged.
Dick had Kota install a solar system on his home and, after a year of trouble-free operation, a post‑storm snag made one string of panels fall short of full output when a circuit breaker tripped after Hurricane Hilda. Kota proactively reached out and set up remote monitoring; the fault cleared itself, but he asked for a visual inspection just to be sure. The crew responded right away and sent a technician to the property to check everything in person. He walked away impressed by the hands-on follow‑through — the combination of proactive monitoring after the storm and an immediate on‑site visit is the detail that stuck with him.
Andrea H. chose Kota Solar to install panels on her home and, even with the air conditioning and jacuzzi running every day, she noticed a drastic drop in her SDG&E bill. She found the installation crew professional, punctual, and tidy on the jobsite. The part that stood out most was her sales rep, McKay Hyde: he walked her through the process in plain language, avoided pushing extra panels she didn't need, and kept following up after the sale. McKay checked in several times and even came back a year after the install to go over the utility charges line by line and show exactly where the savings were coming from. She appreciated that level of honesty and follow-through, and has referred McKay and Kota Solar to several clients and neighbors who have been similarly impressed.
Michael A. had a solar array installed on his house, and two years after installation he discovered the roof beneath the panels needed a full replacement. He believes the installer should have identified and warned him about the roof’s poor condition before mounting equipment; instead he ended up covering the cost of a new roof after the panels were already in place. He now worries the company may have put panels on other homes without disclosing similar roof problems.
Elizabeth ended up with a new roof and solar installed by Kota in 2021, and two years later the big payoff was still showing up in the form of $0 PG&E bills. The system and the roof both held up beautifully, giving the house a solid upgrade rather than just a quick install. What made the experience stand out was Pablo A., the salesman who guided the project and made the process feel easy and worthwhile. He left her especially impressed with how well the whole setup has continued to perform.
Marco E. gave the company "0 stars" after a five-year relationship that ended with him owing $10,000 to Edison and no help from the installer. He discovered the salesperson, Kristen Nissen — identified as a regional sales manager — collected her commission and then stopped responding. He reached out repeatedly for assistance but received no callbacks, and neither the company nor their partner SolarEdge stepped in to resolve the problem. He felt ignored and concluded the business didn’t stand by its customers. The image that stuck with him was simple and stark: a large utility bill and no post-sale support after the salesperson vanished.
Marco Escobar gave the company one star—explaining he would have given zero if Google allowed it—after a five-year ordeal that left him owing $10,000 to Edison and feeling abandoned. He moved forward with a system sold by Kristen Nissen; she collected her commission, and he never received a follow-up phone call or meaningful help afterward. Frustrated and without support for years, he walked away from the relationship convinced the service was severely lacking, and the unresolved $10,000 balance with Edison is the detail that lingers.
Long-term Satisfaction
Long-term satisfaction for Kota Solar drops to 2.3 ★ compared to early reviews. This decline is worse than 75% of installers we looked at.
Long-term reviews carry the most weight in our methodology because they are most representative of what you should be paying for: a system that will perform for years.