DCS Energy Review 2024 - CT Residential View

DCS Energy Overview

DCS Energy is a solar installations company located in Manchester, Connecticut. Operating since 2006, the company’s solar services have been recognized by several organizations, such as Solar Power World. DCS Energy is registered with Solar Connecticut and Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). They are also partnered with reputable institutions and companies such as Connecticut Green Bank and Sungage Financial.

DCS Energy specializes in serving commercial and residential clients. They handle high-cost and low-cost projects and offer services such as energy evaluation, solar design, installation, backup battery systems, and solar financing.

DCS Energy Services and Specifics

DCS Energy provides the following services;

• Energy Evaluation: DCS Energy offers energy audit and site analysis for clients who wish to go solar. The analysis is usually followed by a solar design that is customized to the energy needs of the client.
• Solar Design: DCS Energy experts design solar systems that are configured for a property’s energy needs. The company’s solar experts help the client choose the best solar panel, inverters, etc. depending on the client’s budget or energy preferences.
• Solar Installations: DCS Energy provides solar panel installations based on a solar design for residential, commercial, and non-profit clients.
• Battery Backup & Storage: For customers who wish to go off the grid, DCS Energy also provides standalone solar systems that are powered by backup batteries.
• Solar Financing: DCS Energy also offers solar financing options in the form of solar loans or leases.
• Solar Repair and Maintenance: DCS Energy also provides repairs and maintenance services after a customer’s warranty period has expired.

DCS Energy services have not received enough reviews from clients to enable us to give a complete analysis of the company’s services, but in the few reviews available, customers commended the company, particularly for their:

• Knowledge in the field
• Installation and product quality

Solar Panels and Services offered by DCS Energy

DCS Energy offers solar products from the following solar manufacturers:

Enphase – This is an American energy technology company that develops and manufactures solar micro-inverters, battery energy storage, and EV charging stations primarily for residential customers. 

SolarEdge Technologies – SolarEdge is an Israeli company that develops and sells solar inverters for photovoltaic arrays, energy generation monitoring software, battery energy storage products, as well as other related products and services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

LG – LG Chem batteries can hold between 9.6 and 16 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, depending on the size you choose. The newer LG Chem RESU 10H Prime and 16H Prime batteries are made to work with many different kinds of inverters from top solar brands such as SMA, SolarEdge, Sungrow, GoodWe, and Solis.

SMA – They are producers and manufacturers of solar inverters for photovoltaic systems with grid connection, off-grid power supply, and backup operations. The best SMA inverter for residential PV systems is the Sunny Boy series, having a power output range of 1.5 KW to 2.5 KW and maximum efficiency of 97.2%.

Specific Solar Panels Offered

DCS Energy installs solar panels from the following solar manufacturers;

Canadian Solar

They produce panels with a CEC efficiency of 18 to 19% and a temperature coefficient of 0.36, which is good for a standard solar panel. There are Canadian Solar panels ranging in output from 200Wp to 670Wp.

SolarWorld

The SolarWorld Sunmodule solar panels have a rated output of 300 watts and an efficiency of 18%, which is good for a standard solar panel.

AXITEC

Axitec is a German manufacturer of solar modules, energy storage, and EV-chargers. One of the most popular products is the AXIpremium XXL HC BLK (390 – 415 Wp) series, having a module conversion efficiency range of 19.97% to 21.25%.

Other reputable solar brands used by DCS Energy include:

• Solectria
• Hyundai Green Energy

Specific Types of Solar Offered

DCS Energy offers grid-tied and off-grid installations. They handle the following types of solar projects;

• Residential Solar: With this service, DCS Energy installs a complete solar energy kit customized to the electricity needs of a resident’s home.
• Commercial Solar: DCS Energy also provides schools, public organizations and private businesses with strategic solar energy solutions.

Installation costs and process

Costs

The cost of going solar with DCS Energy is estimated to be about $2.86 per watt before any solar incentive. That’s lower than the national average of $3.00 per watt. Several solar incentives available could cut these costs to very affordable levels. Incentives such as:

• Federal Solar Tax Credit (ITC): With this solar incentive, every solar customer in the US is eligible for a 26% tax credit for solar systems installed in the years 2020 to 2022; then, it comes down to 22% in 2023.
• Net Metering Program: Connecticut has mandated all electric utilities to offer “true net metering” to customers with solar PV systems.

Some of the solar incentives available for DCS Energy customers include: 

• Connecticut Green Bank Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP)
• Connecticut Green Bank Solar for All Program
• Connecticut Solar Tax Exemption

DCS Energy offers the following financing options:

• Lease 
• Loans
• PACE 

Legitimacy

• DCS Energy is registered and licensed to operate as a solar contractor in the state of Connecticut.
• The company is BBB accredited.
• DCS Energy is registered with Solar Connecticut and Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA).
• The company’s contact details are publicly available. These include their street address, email, phone number, and operating hours.

Based on our findings, DCS Energy is a fully registered and legitimate solar contractor in the state of Connecticut.

Maintenance

DCS Energy provides after-sales support and maintenance. They offer solar products with 10 years workmanship warranty.

There is an extreme lack of customer reviews to use and analyze DCS Energy’s maintenance team. We will update this review as DCS Energy receives more feedback over time.

Customer service

Like the maintenance service, there is an extreme lack of reviews about DCS Energy’s customer service, but based on the few we could find, customers rated them positively.

The SolarEmpower View

DCS Energy is a solar installation contractor located in Manchester, Connecticut.

DCS Energy is a 16-year-old company, which means they have good experience in the field. Based on their portfolio, DCS Energy seems like an excellent company to work with if you want to go solar in Connecticut. They are BBB accredited, which boosts our confidence in their level of competence in the field. And they are also members of reputable solar organizations (Solar Connecticut and NESEA).

However, the biggest letdown comes from the extreme lack of customer reviews compared to the number of years DCS Energy has been in business. This greatly reduces our confidence in recommending the company as a solar installer.

We would advise any reader interested in doing business with DCS Energy to ask for references from previous customers. This should be enough to clear any doubts with regard to their services.

The table below is a summarized review of DCS Energy: