Altair Solar Review 2024 - A Local Choice?

Installer
Installing solar since 2014
8.0
(Expert Rating Score)

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Updated on 2023-05-26

Altair Solar Overview

Altair Solar is a solar installation and maintenance company based in Irvine, California. The company states that they are ‘green people’ with a ‘vision to put solar on every house in California at an affordable rate to save money and the environment.’

The company boasts impressive headline figures which includes over 72,500 solar panels installed across more than 2,500 projects. The company offers solar services to residential homes, commercial properties, new construction developments, non-profits, and schools throughout Southern California. 

It prides itself on responding within 24 hours after customers get in touch to inquire about its solar services.

Altair Solar also provides long-term maintenance services for those who have pre-existing solar panels or those who have had newly installed panels through Altair themselves.

There are several financial incentives to make going solar more affordable for homeowners and businesses. Altair Solar has several blogs on its website to provide helpful information and resources for those considering getting solar panels on their building.

 

Altair Solar Services and Features

Altair Solar Services and Specifics

Altair Solar aims to make switching to solar energy a feasible option for everyone in California and has a wide range of solar services for any application.

 

Specific Solar Panels Offered

LG Solar Panels

LG Solar panels are developed using some of the most advanced and cutting-edge technologies available in the solar industry. The award winning “NeON” range is the company’s most popular line, and comes backed with an incredible warranty that promises unmatched product performance. 

 

EnPhase Solar Panels

EnPhase Energy is an energy technology company and one of the world’s largest suppliers of micro-inverter based solar systems. The Enphase Energy IQ systems is the company’s most popular line, providing users with an all-in-one solar, battery, and software solution that can be controlled via their state of the art mobile application, which has been deployed in over 130 countries worldwide. 

 

SolarEdge Solar Panels

SolarEdge solar panels are equipped with the company’s own Power Optimizers that are specifically designed for maximum energy production, easy installation, and easier servicing over the lifetime of the system. The company combines its industry leading DC optimization technology with enhanced module performance to ensure that users receive maximum module output.  

 

SMA Solar Panels 

SMA has installed over 50 gigawatts of solar products globally and is ranked as a top-three inverter company worldwide. These panels carry the title of “German Engineered” and are designed according to strict specification to ensure optimal performance and durability. 

 

REC Solar Panels 

REC Solar panels pack cutting-edge technology to deliver a blend of higher performance, improved aesthetics, and minimal environmental impact. Renowned for their Pure and Twinpeak models, REC has built a strong name for itself as a trusted solar manufacturer globally. 

 

Specific Types of Solar Offered

Residential Solar: Residents in California who want to reduce their utility bills, taxes, and carbon footprint, while increasing the value of their homes.

Commercial Solar: Businesses and construction companies that want to switch to a clean, reliable energy source, save on overhead costs, reduce tax burdens, and promote sustainability in the community.

Non-profits: Helps government facilities and schools, to cut costs by using cleaner energy, set an example to the community, and use solar energy as an educational tool.

 

Installation costs and process

Costs

The average cost of solar panels in California is between $3.00 and $5.00 per watt. This means that a solar system that is 5 kilowatts in size would generally cost between $15,000 – $25,000 to install. Altair Solar does not advertise a specific cost for its solar installation since its system’s costs vary depending on factors such as the design, size, and materials used.

The team at Altair Solar uses sophisticated satellite imagery to estimate the feasibility of each customer’s solar design. After this point, they will provide a quote based on the customer’s unique requests and the proposed materials for the design. This is a no-obligation quote, and no customer is expected to agree to any contracts if they don’t want to proceed.

A few customer reviews stated that their quote from Altair Solar was lower than the quotes they had received from competing companies. Here is an example:

“After comparing 7 companies I pick Altair for both the price and professionalism. Unlike others that just want me to sign the contract Khaled actually came and make sure that there won’t be any surprises later on. i would recommend Altair to anyone looking to install solar.”
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Altair offers several financing options for its customers to improve the affordability of going solar. The expert team can guide customers through each solar incentive to find the most suitable one for their needs.

The financial incentives available include:

  • 26% Federal Tax Credit
  • State Rebates
  • Local Rebates
  • $0 Upfront Financing
  • $0 Upfront Leasing
  • Referral Program

 

Legitimacy

Altair Solar appears to be legitimate.

Altair Solar has been registered in the state of California since 2014.
The company is BBB accredited with an A+ rating.
Altair Solar has completed over 2,000 with 22.5 GW power capacity.
The company holds a NABCEP Certification.
The company is owned by Khaled Elsheref, a solar professional with over 15 years industry experience.
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Awards and accreditation: 

Platinum Installer – EnPhase

Certified Solar Professional – REC

Manufacturer Certifications – LG, Solaria, SolarEdge

With an array of notable awards and accreditations, our experts view Altair Solar as a highly legitimate service provider. 

 

Maintenance

Altair Solar offers a solid set of warranties to back its service, which includes 25-year warranties to cover all products, system performance, as well as workmanship. It should be noted that the company’s workmanship warranty is much longer than most of its competitors that tend to offer between 10-12 years of cover.

While most customer reviews were positive, there were a few who mentioned that there was no follow-up after installation or response following an initial quote. This is something that potential customers should bear in mind and ensure to clarify with the company beforehand.

The company offers long-term maintenance services to help its customers to keep their solar panels in the best shape for years after installation. The Altair Solar maintenance contracts ensure every customer continues to save money on their energy bills by keeping the solar panels running at optimal levels.

Key Points
Solar Panel Warranty 25 Years
Workmanship Warranty 25 Years
Power Production Guarantee 25 Years
In-house contractors Yes
Free Consultation Yes
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The SolarEmpower View

Altair Solar has established itself as a legitimate company that offers quality solar panel installation and maintenance across California. The company also provides some of the most attractive warranties in the industry which is another key factor which earns them consideration among their competitors. The only minor concern we have is that there are a handful of customers that have expressed similar concerns over the company’s contactability post installation, which we urge potential customers to keep in mind during their decision making.

💲Cost: 8/10 ✅Legitimacy: 9/10
⭐️Quality: 8/10 📞Customer Service: 7/10
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Industry Certifications

ASES – American Solar Energy Society
ASES – American Solar Energy Society

Service Types

Solar Panel Installation

FAQ

What forms of payments are accepted at Altair Solar?

The company accepts cash and credit card payments

How many employees does Altair Solar have?

The company has between 10 -25 employees.

What are Altair Solar’s operating hours?

Altair Solar is open from 08:00 - 18:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 - 16:00 on Saturdays.

Altair Solar Solar Details

Established
2014
Contact
Headquarters
12 Mauchly Ste B
Irvine, CA
92618
(949)-502-8565
4.7

Altair Solar User Reviews

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A S
A S
April 13, 2023
Excellent experience of working with…
Excellent experience of working with the team to customize a system that perfectly suited my household's current and future energy needs. Throughout the process, they were transparent, providing regular updates and answering all of my questions along the way. The installation was completed in a day, and the system has been performing very well ever since. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking to install a solar system in Orange County.
tk
tk
April 8, 2023
Although my install was a…
Although my install was a good experience I would rate it at a 5/5. Something changed at this company lately and has been embarrassing for me. I have referred 4 neighbors and had theirs in contract or installed already. I did not receive the incentive/referral.

In addition, my neighbors cannot get in touch with any one to complete their install with the app or city inspection. All my neighbors asked was a timeline and someone told them to wait in line. I have emailed and called with no answer

I would recommend Altair right away, but until they fix their customer service I’ll hold off for now. Try a different place until these guys get their management back to normal
Abdelrahman Sakr
Abdelrahman Sakr
March 13, 2023
I had a great experience…
I had a great experience with Altair Solar! Their installation was done on time and, and their prices were reasonable compared to others I found anywhere for such high-quality products and service. Their crew installed my solar panels safely and efficiently. I'm now able to enjoy both cheap electric bills and the satisfaction of living a green lifestyle. Thank you so much, Altair Solar team!
T Hull
T Hull
January 14, 2023
****Buyer Beware**** ZERO STARS !!!! Our…
****Buyer Beware**** ZERO STARS !!!!
Our system was installed in 2016 and within 2 yrs our roof started leaking and every year they would send out someone and they would tell us they can not find any leaks. Even though everytime it rains it leaks. A few days ago we cut open our ceiling and not only is there evidence of a unresolved leak but now we have black mold! We reached out again and have zero response.
John S
John S
November 3, 2022
Good luck if you have…
Good luck if you have issues with the system after install. I’ve left two messages and an email. Their “service” team never calls back.
June Jiang
June Jiang
November 1, 2022
I started search for a…
I started search for a solar panel installer in March and finalized with Altair in May based on their excellent reviews and their initial proposal of being installing all 15 panels on our south facing roof. But the result was very unsatisfactory. After their roof inspection in June, they provided a design with only 12 panels on the south facing roof and 3 on the west facing roof, which is already quite a bit of degradation from their initial proposal. At this stage, they are actually slightly worse than some of the other vendors I have had proposal from. But since I have already engaged with them, I decided to just move forward with them. During the installation process, they rescheduled installation once which delayed the process by 1 month, had one no shows with scheduled inspection, then failed the 1st inspection, only to pass the 2nd inspection one month later. After the service turn on, which is in October, 5 month after I signed the contract, I noticed that they had installed 11 panels on the south facing roof, 4 panels on the west facing roof, which is a significant deviation from the approved design. No one has communicated such a change to me. After I contact them multiple times, they finally responded that they were not able to fit the last panel on the south facing roof (Duh? what happened to the roof survey and the design?), thus move it to the west facing panel. They also say there isn't much degradation due to this change. Well, I monitor the energy production for 2 weeks, the 4th panel on the west facing roof is consistently producing only 50% - 60% of the energy of the worse south facing panel. 40% to 50% degradation is not much difference??? When I confronted them about this through emails and phone calls, first there was no response at all. After I rejected to pay the final payment, someone responded. But they refused to compensate for this mistake, stating that their engineer says it should only have about 1% difference in a year. Well, I guess if Southern California is 90% rainy or cloudy days, then the difference might be only a few percent. But Southern California is 90% sunny days. I really do not know how their claimed "engineer" can justify 1% difference when I consistently see over 40% degradation in a typical October California day.
May Yacoob
May Yacoob
October 30, 2022
Four years ago Altair installed…
Four years ago Altair installed the inverter from an older solar system and added a cell. As of November 11 2021 the system installed has not produced. I called their office 4 to med with promises that I will be connected- nothing happened. I sent a text to the company and the contact person called karim promised that I’ll be contacted. This was four e mails. Still no response. Y s they were responsive until they got the money in 2019. A guy called Charlie was always responsive but apparently they fired him.
Bryan Ruiz
Bryan Ruiz
August 30, 2022
Worst experience of my life!!!…
Worst experience of my life!!! I started the process with Altair beginning of March ‘22 and gave them a deposit on April 26, 2022. They sent out their roof inspector and when I asked if I needed any roofing fixed and he stated no, only to find out 3 months later that I needed to fix a section of my roof, setting me back further from installation. ZERO communication. Everytime I called, the person who answered acted as if I was calling their cell phone and made it seem like I was calling the wrong number. I sent multiple emails attempting to get updates and received zero responses. I didn't get an email back until I started asking for the owner. Once I was finally able to get my solar scheduled the installer came and left trash/cardboard all over the front lawn. It was embarrassing that my neighbors had to tell me that the installers left a mess. The company became very good at communicating once they installed the solar panels and were asking for payment. It wasn’t until they were able to finally fix their payment portal was I able to pay. I haven't heard from them about coming to fix the holes left in my wall, and a little over 2 weeks into having solar they turned it off even though I paid for it in full. I don't have access to turning it back on. Apparently, I passed all my city inspections (that I had to schedule because every time I would not hear from Altair I would call the city to see if they scheduled any inspection and I would be informed that they have not been contacted by them) yet I don't have any solar and have a hole in the side of my house.
Sana Kalia
Sana Kalia
August 10, 2022
Worst experience that we have…
Worst experience that we have ever had with any kind of installation.
Ours olar panels were installed in nov 2021 and are still not operational, we have been lied to about the city not being responsive and all(we called the city and got all correct info)and now since 3 weeks, no one is answering our calls neither responding to our emails/voicemails.
Terrible,just terrible
Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson
June 26, 2022
Altair took 6 months to…
Altair took 6 months to complete our solar roof. It took 3 city inspections to finally get passed as the subcontractors would arrive the day of inspection not prepared. The communications with the project manager was poor until right at the end of the project. I understand there was a management change and we were not notified as all our email requests were not answered. My advice, don't go to Altair!!

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