I am now a year out from PTO with my panels from Premier Improvements and I would like to update this review.
Overall, my time with Premier since my last review has been very positive. While admittedly things were a little heated due to the previous review, I feel that the team at Premiere really did step up to what I was hoping for. I felt they took my concerns seriously, thoroughly answered my questions regarding the Premier Protection Plan, and worked tirelessly to solve the problem facing me and my panels.
This problem was complex to diagnose. I had regular visits from the electrical team. Several different solutions were tried. Premiere went above and beyond here, upsizing the wiring to my house from the panels, not once but twice. An additional inverter was added to the system to attempt the correct the problem. Ultimately a transformer was required to reduce the voltage coming from the street, which Eversource, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to help at all with.
Throughout this time Premiere remained professional and friendly. I also personally feel they were humble in troubleshooting this problem, bringing in half a dozen different consulting companies and solar partners. They were tenacious and solved my problem, and I am now generating electricity at my expected output.
While this process took time, I felt significantly less frustrated throughout this period, mostly due to the fact that it was obvious that they were doing everything they could to help me. Premiere is a small company and one should keep that in mind when choosing them, but they were also the only ones I spoke to who were willing and able to give me the solar setup I wanted, and that is worth a lot.
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I can’t recommend Premier Improvements as a positive solar experience.
They started out promising. Brian was very approachable and eager to work with us. We had specific needs that he was willing to accommodate, and the price and financing were excellent. However, at no point would I consider them to be timely, and it has only gotten worse once the financing cleared and the panels were installed, which is only about half of the project.
We initially signed paperwork in May/June of 2022. We were told there was several months backlog and we probably wouldn’t get the panels installed until September. Annoying, but understandable. This slowly pushed back into December, and finally early January for the installation date.
Brian was responsive and available up until this point. Once our panels were installed and Premier was paid, I stopped receiving nearly as attentive service. At this point, we still needed to have a trench filled in, have the system inspected, and have it cleared with Eversource. We didn’t even have the system inspected until late February. I would get about one check in a week from Premier.
We had a further complication with Eversource. Due to some paperwork that was improperly filed (that Premier did actually correct – Eversource’s error in the long run), Eversource did not turn the panels on until early June. At this point I thought we were done. However, June was a very smokey and rainy month so it wasn’t until early July 2023 that I realized there was a problem and the panels were not performing optimally. I alerted Premier immediately, who denied this problem for 10 days before confirming that it was real and that one of my inverters was only operating at half capacity. It took another 2-3 weeks just to get an electrician out to look at them, where they told me it was a system update that was needed and that the panels were fixed. The next sunny day, it was obvious to me that they were not fixed, and I was told “we are working on it” and have heard nothing back for a week. At this point I have been only generating about 75% of the power my system is capable of, for two months.
I’ve tried to remain optimistic through all this, the people at the company are genuinely nice and appear to be trying to help me, but the pace of getting anything done is just not worth it.
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Hi Evan,
Thank you so much for your detailed and updated review. Your understanding and patience throughout the entire process have been greatly appreciated. I’m delighted to hear that our team at Premier Improvements, a top solar installation company in Connecticut, was able to address your concerns and work diligently to resolve the complex issues with your solar system.
We understand that the path to optimal solar energy output can sometimes be challenging, and your situation required a comprehensive approach. Your feedback about our professionalism, humility, and tenacity in troubleshooting means a lot to us. It was crucial for us to ensure that your home solar panel system was generating electricity at the expected output, and we were committed to finding the right solution for you.
Our team at Premier Improvements took your concerns seriously from the start. We knew that resolving the issues with your solar system required multiple visits and consultations with various solar energy experts. The electrical team worked tirelessly, upsizing the wiring from the panels to your house twice and adding an additional inverter to optimize performance. When these steps didn’t fully resolve the problem, we took the extra mile by adding a transformer to reduce the voltage coming from the street, a complex solution that required persistent efforts, especially since Eversource was not willing to assist.
Throughout this period, maintaining open communication and providing timely updates were our top priorities. We wanted to ensure that you felt supported and informed every step of the way. Our commitment to delivering excellent customer service and high-quality solar solutions is what sets us apart as the best solar installers in Connecticut.
We’re thrilled to know that your solar panels are now functioning correctly, and you can look forward to substantial energy savings. As you enjoy the benefits of solar energy, we want you to know that we are always here to support you. Our goal is to help Connecticut homeowners like you reduce energy bills and enhance property value through reliable solar panel installations.
Thank you again for choosing Premier Improvements for your solar installation needs. If you ever need further assistance with your solar panels or have more questions about solar energy, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are dedicated to ensuring your satisfaction and helping you maximize the benefits of your solar energy system.
We are truly sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the customer service you have received, and would like to address these issues to clear up some misunderstandings.
You perceive a lack of communication after your installation, however upon review you have received well over 50 emails, over a dozen texts, and multiple phone calls from our staff since your installation has been complete with one staff member even returning your calls, texts, and emails from her son's hospital bed when you reached out to her despite her communicating she would be out of the office attending to her family medical emergency.
Our staff has worked tirelessly for you, both to fix an error that Eversource made and to aid in your production assessment. Both the trenching and system inspection were impacted by weather which was communicated to you via email.
Premier Improvements never denied any issue with your production. Staff members responded to you promptly and requested a 10-day period to observe system production as your anomolous lack of production coincided with the anomalous wildfire smoke from the Canadian fires; we wanted to assess the panel production with clear skies. We have extensive documentation of the frequent communication from our staff members even extending well beyond business hours. We have gone above and beyond to provide you with a quality experience, and we will continue to do so because we value our clients and always make them a priority.
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