Alternate Energy

Brenda C.

Have not received response from AEI after 3 emails to Casey. Still under warranty & they will not answer my questions. Is my panel that is not reporting on Enphase working? Is it producing energy? Your last correspondence in Nov stated ""There is nothing more to do"" yet my panel is still dark on Enphase app. You suggested I give a negative review about Enphase & not AEI. When I purchased PV it was with your company, nothing was mentioned if I should have a problem that I need to deal with Enphase directly. Yes you did come out to work on issue but not resolved & now you refuse to answer my emails.
Buyers beware. I was satisfied with AEI Until there was a problem. I'm still under warranty.

Miles T.

From a trades background, I recognize professionalism, workmanship and accountability. Alternate Energy reflects these qualities. Jesse and crew did an awesome job. Thank you. Be safe, be humble and continue your amazing work!

Dave E.

I paid $55,000 in May for P.V. panels and 2 batteries. It has been 5 months and I still haven't passed my C&C inspection yet. I wasn't getting much response but it appears they are going to make it a priority now to get the problems fixed. Will update later.

misty l.

As new first time homeowners we've spent quite a bit of time talking to family, friends and researched PV Contractors for our PV needs. Alternate Energy (AEI) stood out above the rest. Thirty years in business and owners comment on Yelp reviews which to me shows good ownership.
We immediately felt comfortable with our Project Developer, Miles Yoshimoto. Miles is very friendly and professional and my husband and I liked that he was not ""salesy"" or ""pushy"". He patiently helped us figure out what type of system was right for our household usage. We really appreciated Miles responding quickly to our calls and emails. AEl also has a partnership with Hawaii State Federal Credit Union and the finance process was quick and easy!
On installation day, my husband, who works in the construction field, said it was a ""Quality Install"". He appreciated that the installers and electrical crew took the time to explain every step and did a great job cleaning up after. I had to get their names and give them a shoutout so mahalo to Richard, Jade, Alden, Ronald, Reggie & Trey!

We have enjoyed using the Tesla app to view our electric usage and how the panels are saving us money! And we have already referred AEI to our co-workers, family and friends. We made the right choice.

Ryan H.

I rarely write a review and only take the time if the service is exceptional. If you're thinking of going down the rabbit hole of getting PV Systems (Solar panels, mounting systems, conduits, rails systems, battery backup, installation, inverters, permitting, HECO, HOA, etc.). I jumped all in and headfirst. Here's some background about me. I recently retired from the military, serving over 30 years, this past December 2022. Finding myself with quite a bit of free time to say the least. I conducted a deep comparison and completed way too much research, creating spreadsheets, pie graphs, PowerPoints, Venn diagrams. I sent requests to 10 different solar installation companies and completed 8 different solar estimates.
Why did I choose Alternate Energy? Customer Service!!! Here's just a small list of how Alternate Energy stands out ahead of the rest.
1. Locally owned and operated with more than 30 years of experience.
2. Quality of products offered with warranties: (PV panels-REC Alpha Series w/25 years, Inverter Type - Enphase IQ8H, Tesla Powerwall 2, monitoring system (Enphase and Tesla Apps).
3. Customer service reviews from friends, colleagues, Yelp, BBB, and Google were good.
4. Estimate process working with Lionel Ahina (808) 222-4747; lionel@alternateenergyhawaii.com
With this large investment in Solar PV System Lionel and Alternate Energy created the proper system for my family's electricity usage. Lionel listened and asked detailed questions on how we live our lives, and how we consumed HECO electricity. Lionel offered detailed explanation of the entire PV Solar system process. He provided me with knowledge, training, project timelines, true expectations working with all the different parties involved (Alternate Energy, HECO, City & County Permitting, and my HOA). He was also willing to share his personal experience in sales for over 40 years. This process into PV can be inundating. Finding the right sales person to not give you the run around, up-sale you a system, quality products, quality installers, warranties, etc... Alternate Energy should be your first call. Yes, I recommend you get other estimates. You will find some sales people are full of sh*t. After you sit down with Lionel and the Alternate Energy Company you will understand.
5. Cost! Everyone's home system cost will be different on estimates. Alternate Energy's price wasn't the highest or lowest compared to others but they offered the perfect cost for my home. After getting 8 estimates ranging from over $43 to just under $33K with additional fees. My ""Purchase Agreement"" was in the middle. My System Size: 6.00 kW; Panels: 15; Storage: 1 Tesla Powerwall 2.
6. Installation crew. With PV Systems going up all over neighborhoods, you're able to see installation yourself and compare. I was able to ask questions to installers, electricians, homeowners, prior to me making my selection. The installation crew of Alternate Energy is AWESOME!!! Special thanks to the following Chris, Nate, Steve, Sonny, Shannon, Franco. The crew is on time, excellent workers, they have great teamwork, great communication, sense of accomplishment while keeping things light and fun. Chris, Nate, and Steve took the time to explain the entire pre-installation process, provide perspective, communicate required layout changes due to my older home. I appreciated that. Chris takes the time to review the user App on your phone and how the new gateway, generation panel, IQ Envoy works. He explained steps on shutting off the power and what to look for in your PV system production and usage. They are an extremely hardworking group, under extremely hot conditions. They also installed a NEMA plug and Emporia EV Charger 2, 48 amp, which I changed the location a few days prior to installation day. I cannot give enough credit to the installation crew, quality workmanship, start to finish.
7. I agreed to Alternate Energy 17th May 2023, and my Solar PV System was installed on 12th September 2023. The timelines will vary, this timeline was not predicted and to me this is extremely quick.

Extremely Satisfied Customer

Carol W.

I have had only great experience working with AE. I have had them install a Tesla battery to my PV system since having had too many power outages and a split AC for a room. My sales consultant was Dave and his assistant is Yuko. From the sales presentation to job completion, all was successfully completed and communication was always in advance. Permit and HECO approvals went smooth with minor hiccups but was easily resolved. The guy that did the install was on-time, professional and went over the operation with me upon completion of both Tesla battery and AC. They helped expedite my project as I had a trip to take and wanted to ensure my battery was installed before I departed. Sure enough, while I was on the mainland the islands experienced those 65 mile winds which resulted in power outages several times for 2 days. My brand new Tesla battery worked as expected. Also, passed inspection by the DPP inspector too! I highly recommend talking to Dave if you're thinking or planning to get this kind of work completed. Dave will explain the benefits and hope you can take advantage of the HECO clean air rebates which expires Dec 31st.
Much thanks to Dave & Yuko for making my projects a success!

J. M.

My problem with this company is that there seems to be no sense of urgency if the customer is having an issuue. They offer no alternative..and so you are left helpless. Customer service a big problem there...I blame the nonexistent manager....

Kamal P.

We shopped around with six different solar companies on Oahu. The quoted prices from the big companies were similar, but when we looked into the details of what they were getting like specific model numbers and such, Alternate Energy was choosing the best quality products. In fact everything they have done has been top quality from the initial quote, to the planning, all the details, and even the post installation. I was looking for quality without spending too much more and that's exactly what I got. Very professional, and a great company!

George F.

After having solar with one powerwall for a few months, I decided to add a second powerwall. I reached out to Dave and we worked out the deal. Yuko connected me with the electrician to plan the design and we worked the kinks out, I had to get rewiring and new subpanel replacement done to make my system as a whole home backup for a reasonable price. The install crew: Ronald, Robert, Melanie came and did a nice, clean job and got done just after lunch. I was so excited with the new powerwall addon that I forgot to let them know about the outdoor outlet I had originally. Not a big deal, I notified Yuko and she took care of it. Merv Sr. came and put the outdoor outlet and cleaned up the breakers on the Enphase/powerwall panel. Everythings running perfect as before and would highly recommend AE!

Hobu 8.

These guys are a joke! I had a defective panel and asked them to look at it. I thought the panels were under warranty, but they have to charge me for $152 for maintenance of their vehicles etc. Whatever. So they say the micro inverter is the problem and they replaced it. I still have the same problem. I had called them two weeks after and their excuse is the system needs to adjust. This was back in 11/22. I tried calling numerous times and each time, their response is we will get back with you because there is a log waiting list. No one has been getting back to me. I just called 5/30 and spoke with Camille. I told her I still have the same issue and it has been months with no response. She started laughing and said we will get back to you. I will be contacting the BBB. Maybe Action Line will help me with my case.