Certasun is a top-rated solar company serving the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. They provide residential solar, battery storage, and EV charger installation with integrity and professionalism. They handle every detail of your project in-house, with their own employees, to ensure the entire organization is accessible to you and focused on delivering the best experience and outcome.
History: The company was founded in Chicago in 2018 by Josh Lutton, after nearly 10 years of consulting in the renewable energy industry. He believed that a local solar company operating ethically and insisting on quality would inevitably thrive. Since then, a commitment to integrity and professionalism has guided every decision they’ve made.
Mission Statement: Certasun’s mission is to help you reach your clean energy goals – whatever they may be – with confidence. When you work with Certasun, you get much more than just equipment. They consult with you to find the clean energy solutions that meet your needs.
Core Values: The Certasun team works to act in line with their core values: being honest, knowledgeable, accessible, and trustworthy. They strive to be a workplace where everyone feels welcome and where professionalism and integrity are a given.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Quality Panels: Certasun exclusively installs the SunPower Equinox system, which is known for its quality and performance.
- Comprehensive Warranty: They offer a comprehensive 25-year warranty on solar system performance.
- In-house Installation: Certasun handles every detail of your project in-house, ensuring a high level of quality control.
- Financing Options: The company offers a variety of third-party financing options.
- High Customer Satisfaction: They have high customer satisfaction ratings.
Cons
- Limited Availability: Certasun is not available nationwide. They currently serve only Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
- No Solar Battery Installation: They do not currently offer solar battery installation.
- Minimum Energy Usage: Homeowners whose typical electric bill is less than $75 may not benefit from solar as the system may be too small to merit the fixed costs of installing the system.
*Please note that this information is based on the latest available data and may have changed. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, we recommend contacting Yes Solar Solutions directly or visiting their official website.
Reviews
Positive Reviews
- “I was very happy with Certasun and their work in designing and installing my solar power system. Questions I had were answered very quickly. It took less than a day for the installation and then less than 2 weeks to have the system inspected and approved and then have the power company convert my account to net metering. Certasun handled all of the permitting process and all interactions with the power company and it all went smoothly. Overall it was a very good experience with Certasun.”
- “Our experience with Certasun was top-notch from start to finish. There was no hard sell, everyone we met was courteous and professional, and questions were answered in a timely manner. Compared to other solar panels in the neighborhood, ours from Certasun look much sleeker and more integral to our roof.”
- “Certasun engineered and installed a full solar plus battery system for my Chicago home. Everything, from my interaction with sales reps to commissioning the system, was top notch. The final system exceeded my expectations for performance and visual elegance.”
Negative Reviews
- “From excellent to barely mediocre I had CertaSun install solar panels a couple of years ago and had the best experience, above anything I could have expected. The sales portion answered all my questions, and I had considerable questions from my research leading up to my contact with them. I couldn’t have expected a better experience. However, now, about a year ago, I wanted to add a SunVault battery for storage. My sales contact was slow to respond, didn’t seem to want to answer any of my questions and I had to continuously keep after him to get to where I am today. I ended up going to the original sales rep, who was promoted, to get any kind of answers. I was so deep into it by then, I struggled with it, but decided from my first experience to proceed. Now, SunVault installed and operational for a little over 2 months and there’s a problem with it. It’s been 2 weeks since I was told I’d have answers for availability of the defective/non functioning part and still no response from the 2 emails I’ve sent. No one seems to know if or when the replacement part will be available to bring my storage to where it should be. IDK what happened, but CertaSun went from a company I would recommend to everyone, to a company I’m fed up with and hate the thought of having to deal with them again for anything. No communication from the team onsite, little or no communication from my “success manager”, so here we are.”
Source
*Please note that these reviews are based on the latest available data and may have changed. For the most accurate and up-to-date reviews, I recommend visiting the respective platforms directly.
Areas served
Illinois: Certasun serves all of Chicagoland, including Chicago, Naperville, and Buffalo Grove. Their service area in Illinois spans from Bourbonnais in the south, Rockford to the west, and up to the Wisconsin border.
Wisconsin: Their Wisconsin service area spans from the Milwaukee area south to Illinois, including Kenosha and Racine.
Services Offered
- Residential Solar: Certasun is a full-service solar installer that handles every detail from consultation to installation, and beyond. They use customized SunPower Equinox rooftop solar installations to reduce your electricity bill and help the environment.
- Solar Batteries: Solar battery storage charges from your solar system and keeps the lights on during a power outage. Certasun exclusively sells SunPower’s SunVault battery storage solution for those who want peace of mind.
- EV Charger Installation: Certasun offers residential 240-volt EV charger installation that allows you to charge your electric vehicle quickly and effortlessly at home. Their consultants will help you choose from a variety of EV charging options based on your specific needs.
Brands Sold
Solar Panels: Certasun exclusively installs the SunPower Equinox system. They believe its unparalleled quality, performance, and warranty pairs naturally with Certasun’s commitment to excellence.
Inverters: The information about the specific brands of inverters used by Certasun is not readily available. However, as they exclusively install the SunPower Equinox system, it’s likely that they use inverters that are compatible with this system.
Batteries: Certasun exclusively installs SunPower’s SunVault energy storage system. SunVault integrates seamlessly with your SunPower Equinox solar system.
*Please note that this information is based on the latest available data and may have changed. It’s always a good idea to check with Certasun directly for the most current information.
Licenses & Certifications
- Licenses: Certasun is a licensed solar installer. The specific licenses they hold may vary by state due to different requirements.
- Certifications: While the specific certifications held by Certasun are not explicitly mentioned in the available data, they are committed to using market-leading technology from SunPower. This suggests that they meet the high standards required to install SunPower products.
- BBB Rating: Certasun has an A rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), indicating a strong commitment to customer service and business ethics.
Payment & Financing Options
- Solar Term Loans: Just like with a mortgage or a car loan, you can choose to finance your system and pay off the loan in fixed payments over a certain number of years. With a solar loan, you can use the savings from your energy bill to offset the cost of the loan payment. This type of solar financing is great for people who want to minimize the out-of-pocket cost of going solar, but who still want the long-term economic benefit of owning your solar system.
- Solar Bridge Loans: As its name implies, a bridge loan is a shorter-term financing solution. It’s meant to bridge the gap between installation and when you receive your solar incentives. A solar bridge loan enables you to “buy time” so that you don’t need to pay for the whole system up front. Once you receive your incentives – typically within 12 or 18 months – you pay off the loan in its entirety and you’ll own the system outright.
- Solar Leases: With a solar lease, you agree to a fixed monthly payment for the right to use the solar system (and the energy it produces) for a period of time — usually 20 years. A third party — in Certasun’s case, SunPower — will own your system and collect all the incentives available for the system.
*Please note that this information is based on the latest available data and may have changed. It’s always a good idea to check with Certasun directly for the most current information.
Contact Information
Phone Number: (312) 638-0800
Email: Certasun does not publicly list an email address. But you can contact their representative at [email protected]
Local Offices Addresses: The company primarily serves the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. For specific local office addresses, we recommend contacting Certasun directly.
Headquarter Address: 1582 Barclay Blvd, Buffalo Grove, IL, 60089.
