SAVE A LOT SOLAR is SF Bay's Top Rated Residential Solar and Battery Installer. We install photovoltaic solar panel systems and battery backup systems in East Bay including Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda County. We also serve Contra Costa County, San Francisco, Marin County, and San Mateo County. WE MAKE GOING SOLAR EASY.
From Rooftop PV to Energy Storage Systems, Save a Lot Solar will take care of your renewable energy needs while treating you like family. We'll guide you through the solar panel and home battery backup installation process and answer all your questions. All our solar panels and inverters are from top tier manufacturers and include 25 year equipment warranties, standard!
We are the Bay Area leaders in whole-house backup power energy storage systems. Keep your lights on during PG&E planned shutdowns with a combined solar and home energy storage installation. Your house will be able to stay powered off grid indefinitely using your self-generated photovoltaic energy and battery.
From Rooftop PV to Energy Storage Systems, Save a Lot Solar will take care of your renewable energy needs while treating you like family. We'll guide you through the solar panel and home battery backup installation process and answer all your questions. All our solar panels and inverters are from top tier manufacturers and include 25 year equipment warranties, standard!
We are the Bay Area leaders in whole-house backup power energy storage systems. Keep your lights on during PG&E planned shutdowns with a combined solar and home energy storage installation. Your house will be able to stay powered off grid indefinitely using your self-generated photovoltaic energy and battery.
Services
We offer qualified homeowners who want to install solar and/or energy storage systems 4.99% financing for 12 years. We do not lease solar equipment like some companies. All renewable energy solar panels systems and battery storage systems are qualified for the 26% federal income tax credit. You will receive the tax credit on your alternative energy installation when you file your taxes for the year the system was installed.
California is a great state for solar homeowners. California requires that PG&E gives credit at the rate of 1:1 for all surplus solar energy that is sent back to the grid. What this means is that during the day when the sun is shining and your solar panels are making tons of electricity, your house energy needs will be totally covered by solar, and any surplus will be exported to the grid for credit towards your electric bill.
Save a Lot Solar wants your business to thrive and save money while being environmentally friendly. We work with businesses and commercial property owners to reduce energy costs through conservation and energy production. We analyze electric consumption and make recommendations on energy saving techniques and show how going solar can benefit your business.
Reviews (29)
Lan L.
Dec 17, 2021
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We are very pleased with our solar installation with Save a Lot Solar. The team was communicative and professional.
The install took 1 day - 9 panels plus all the electrical connections, attachment to roof, grounding, etc.
Passed inspection on the 1st try.
The team made everything very clear and were patient with questions.
I highly recommend Save a Lot Solar.
The install took 1 day - 9 panels plus all the electrical connections, attachment to roof, grounding, etc.
Passed inspection on the 1st try.
The team made everything very clear and were patient with questions.
I highly recommend Save a Lot Solar.
Sunny L.
Dec 08, 2021
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My husband likes to do a lot of research whenever we need to do work on the house. Save A Lot Solar provided the best price. But more than that, they were easy to work with and communicative once the date was scheduled. The install was completed in one day. Another staff person came a week later to handle the inspection. They took care of all the permitting and communication with PG&E. Less than 1 month after the installation, everything is set up with PG&E and we hope to start seeing the lower bills.
William Godwin
Dec 08, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
From the owner to all the people involved, Save a Lot Solar is awesome. Fair price on a great product. On time for everything through installation. Lived up to all promises throughout. I highly recommend them for your Bay Area solar needs!
From the owner to all the people involved, Save a Lot Solar is awesome. Fair price on a great product. On time for everything through installation. Lived up to all promises throughout. I highly recommend them for your Bay Area solar needs!
Patrick S.
Nov 29, 2021
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We are really happy with our solar array installed by Save a Lot Solar. The installers came early, staged the area and installed the panels, hardware and electrical to our existing panel- ALL IN 1 DAY! The guys were polite and left the work are spotless. We are getting the full potential from the sun now!
We did have a small electrical issue a few days later that popped up- our site manager, Joe and their electrician came out to see what the issue we were having- It wasn't even related to the scope of their work, but they investigated, narrowed down the issue and replaced a GCFI that faulted
We did have a small electrical issue a few days later that popped up- our site manager, Joe and their electrician came out to see what the issue we were having- It wasn't even related to the scope of their work, but they investigated, narrowed down the issue and replaced a GCFI that faulted
MaryLou Clarke
Nov 17, 2021
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We checked several other businesses and felt that Save a Lot Solar gave us the clearest explanation of how things would work, what they could do for us and their timetable also worked for us too. The installation was professionally done within the time schedule promised. We were very impressed with how they safely handled our 3 story house without the expense of scaffolding. Additionally their crews were very personable and gave clear explanations of what they were doing. The follow up service answered all our questions and we are now happily using and feeding solar power to the utility. We never
Jihwi K.
Nov 12, 2021
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James Tracy
Nov 07, 2021
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James T.
Oct 18, 2021
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Joshua Marsh
Oct 16, 2021
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Nothing but good things to say about Save a Lot Solar! They installed a 6-panel system on my small bungalow this fall and did a wonderful job. Their initial sales contact was informative and patient, their pricing was shockingly affordable, and they took care of all the hassles with PG&E without needing to get me involved at all. Will definitely be going back to them for a battery system in the near future. Overall just a really helpful, knowledgeable, professional company.
Ed S.
Sep 22, 2021
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I'm very happy with our solar installation. Joe, the project manager, quickly dealt with a couple of small issues and made them right. Save-a- Lot Solar took care of all the permitting and inspections and made the process painless. I like the Enphase app which provides real-time status of the system.
Steven B.
Jun 08, 2021
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Mark F.
May 21, 2021
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Save A Lot Solar installed a backup battery system into our existing solar system.
(they also installed two more solar panels - we found we could use the extra generation for our house)
They were very communicative and knowledgeable.
It was refreshing to have contractors that were willing to take the time to explain the installation process; discuss options for where the equipment could be located; and how the system works and what the different switches are for; etc.
There were responsive to follow up questions, etc.
Along with their competitive pricing, it makes it very easy to recommend them
(they also installed two more solar panels - we found we could use the extra generation for our house)
They were very communicative and knowledgeable.
It was refreshing to have contractors that were willing to take the time to explain the installation process; discuss options for where the equipment could be located; and how the system works and what the different switches are for; etc.
There were responsive to follow up questions, etc.
Along with their competitive pricing, it makes it very easy to recommend them
Gregg McGlinn
Apr 26, 2021
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Timothy M.
Dec 29, 2020
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Joe Sepharin helped to install 6 extra panels on my roof. I originally had 15, 345 Watt Panels installed in 2015, but this wasn't close to enough to match my energy usage (3200 sq ft multi-story home in San Mateo, CA that runs natural gas on everything possible, and I've switched ALL lights to LED. I do have a 4-ton AC that I use sparingly.) Joe very quickly responded to my request for this little project. It was difficult to find a contractor who would do a panel addition project but joe was happy to help. Joe got on the project ASAP and did it right the first time. He gets high grades
Lina Voong
Dec 05, 2020
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We waited a few months before writing our review. Everything was great with John and his team. Thank you Save a Lot Solar for making everything so easy. It was great working with the whole team. John and his team completed our solar installation at the end of February. The initial meeting with John was great. He was well prepared with the data for our home and had a "no sales" pitch. He gave us a lot of information and told us to do our research as well. He left the meeting telling us he will not call us and we can call him when we are ready. After reviewing our options, we signed with Save A Lot
Adrian S.
Oct 21, 2020
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T. Englehart
Oct 14, 2020
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Ryan W.
Sep 18, 2020
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I have been shopping around for solar for several years now.
There seems to be a lot of shady stuff going on in the solar world...
High pressure sales
Shell companies that are basically just salesmen who farm out your contract to god knows who,
Larger multi city general contracting firms with little local experience and rotating staff that are looking to capitalize on the solar market through some clever business model.
Then you have what I would consider the legitimate options:
A local, well managed and reputable solar shop.
Or one of the Big Name players like Sunrun or Tesla etc.
I chose
There seems to be a lot of shady stuff going on in the solar world...
High pressure sales
Shell companies that are basically just salesmen who farm out your contract to god knows who,
Larger multi city general contracting firms with little local experience and rotating staff that are looking to capitalize on the solar market through some clever business model.
Then you have what I would consider the legitimate options:
A local, well managed and reputable solar shop.
Or one of the Big Name players like Sunrun or Tesla etc.
I chose
Neda N.
Aug 08, 2020
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Update: Aug 8, 2020
3 years after John and his team successfully installed our solar panels, they came back last week to install the Enphase batteries. Another efficient project implemented by John, Joe and Save A Lot Solar team.
The thought of having a functioning home with a working refrigerator, internet and WiFi during the planned and unplanned power outages seems unreal. And all on solar power!!!
We got proposals from 5 other solar companies before meeting John Orfali from Save A Lot Solar. His proposal was reasonable given the quality of panels (SolarWorld Model: SW 285 Mono) and the micro
3 years after John and his team successfully installed our solar panels, they came back last week to install the Enphase batteries. Another efficient project implemented by John, Joe and Save A Lot Solar team.
The thought of having a functioning home with a working refrigerator, internet and WiFi during the planned and unplanned power outages seems unreal. And all on solar power!!!
We got proposals from 5 other solar companies before meeting John Orfali from Save A Lot Solar. His proposal was reasonable given the quality of panels (SolarWorld Model: SW 285 Mono) and the micro
Martin Stone
Jun 23, 2020
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John and company did a hassle-free job. Signed up on-line, got scheduled a couple of months out as they were very busy, they showed up on the day they scheduled and finished the installation in 1 day. City inspectors came 3 days later and PG&E signed off early the following week. Absolutely a painless experience and at a good price using top-quality equipment. I would recommend them to anyone.
Clancy Tenley
May 16, 2020
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John had the lowest bid and highest rated equipment out of 5 bidders. Save a Lot Solar seems to have lower overhead than others bidders, since they are small and local to Oakland. The installation was performed in one day and they were very neat and considerate. Communications were clear and timely. All interactions with PG& E and the City was done by Save a Lot. All I had to do was write a check. The system installed is working great and it comes with an app that lets you monitor how much money you are saving in real time. We love it. Highly recommended.
Mr. Robert Lettieri Ma
May 05, 2020
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It was almost too easy....all we really had to do was write the check.
We contacted Save a Lot Solar after getting a glowing review from a friend who’d recently used the company.
In our first meeting, John was informative, answered all our questions, understood the issues of our old house, and knew the local building codes.
They did the design, installation, permits, inspections, and PG&E connection.
Oh, and their price was in line with other bids we received.
We contacted Save a Lot Solar after getting a glowing review from a friend who’d recently used the company.
In our first meeting, John was informative, answered all our questions, understood the issues of our old house, and knew the local building codes.
They did the design, installation, permits, inspections, and PG&E connection.
Oh, and their price was in line with other bids we received.
Sheri J.
Jan 28, 2020
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Dave Z.
Sep 23, 2019
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Kevin Donovan
Jul 02, 2019
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Save A Lot Solar was amazing to work with through the process of installing solar capability on our six unit condominium building in Oakland. This company performed the installation on schedule, on time, with no hidden costs, or surprises. John was meticulous in explaining the cost benefits over time compared with rising costs of PG&E. Our common… areas of the building needed 16 solar panels with individual home units requiring 4-10 panels depending on car charging and A/C requirements. Save A Lot Solar also moved a a car charger from one area of the parking garage with all new wiring
Gary C.
Mar 04, 2019
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A quick update to say that a year after installing our system we received a true up bill from PG&E (this is how it works - you get billed a monthly charge of about $10 for connection to PG&E, but usage is billed once a year). We owed them 13 cents. John Orfali's estimate of our monthly cost was spot on. Amazing.
And the system has performed with no serious problems. The only one is that the Enphase unit that reports system performance data to the cloud has disconnected from our wireless network occasionally and Save a Lot Solar came out right away to check it out. This in no
And the system has performed with no serious problems. The only one is that the Enphase unit that reports system performance data to the cloud has disconnected from our wireless network occasionally and Save a Lot Solar came out right away to check it out. This in no
Larry S.
Feb 11, 2019
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We just installed a 18 Panasonic panel solar system with John Orfali and Save a Lot Solar and had as good an experience as can be. From the start of the bid process to having PGE switch us to net metering, John and the folks at Save a Lot Solar owned the process, and everything he said happened at the time he said it would. The process was straightforward due to John's clarity, his team installed the system very efficiently and the power that is being produced is beyond our expectation, and his pricing was very fair. He also did our 200 AMP upgrade at a much more reasonable cost than a proposal
Mary Orfali
Feb 09, 2019
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R. C.
Apr 12, 2018
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We had an excellent experience with John and Save a Lot Solar. They installed panels on our Berkeley home quickly and without any disruptions to our lives.
John was extremely forthcoming and clear in all communication both during the sales process and throughout the actual project. We went from our first discussion to having the system fully operational in about two weeks. They know what they are doing and use what seems to be very modern equipment and approaches. Also, Save a Lot took care of all permitting, city inspections, etc. Given that we weren't particularly interesting in learning
John was extremely forthcoming and clear in all communication both during the sales process and throughout the actual project. We went from our first discussion to having the system fully operational in about two weeks. They know what they are doing and use what seems to be very modern equipment and approaches. Also, Save a Lot took care of all permitting, city inspections, etc. Given that we weren't particularly interesting in learning
