Creative Energy Inc.

Madeline R.

Have had nothing but good experiences with Rob's team @creative energy. First we had them install 41 solar panels in 2015. Several years later we had them send out a team to clean our panels. Most recently we had them move a couple of electrical panels/wiring and some work for an addition we did. They had to trench and move/install.

The guys are always super friendly and Nikki is awesome.

I hadn't reviewed sooner because I don't yelp much and happened to be getting ready to have them clean the panels again.

Gene N.

Workers came to me saying they're short of roof coating to finish the job, so I said, why tell me, where is the foreman? Hes not here they said, Im not your boss its not my problem I replied. Months later when I tried calling the company I find out that my phone is blocked! I cant call them, cant get service. Family run business , not good at all stay away!

Horace H.

I bought a condo unit recently and it needed some minor electrical work done. I checked with the building manager and he gave me the contact info for Creative Energy since they had done some work for him a while back.

I called and got ahold of Nikki who really didn't seem enthusiastic about replacing a dozen switches, installing a couple of ceiling fans and replacing some kitchen ceiling lights. Wouldn't send anyone to give me a quote and said it would be T&M at $80 an hour from the time her electrician left the shop.

Since the building manager recommended Creative I told her to go ahead and schedule the work, at a set day and time in the PM. The day the work was scheduled I got a call from Norm who said he was one his way, would get there in 15 minutes, it was 9:00AM. Told him I was at work and he was supposed to be there after noon. He said ""You want it done or not?""

Left work and met him at the unit. His white van was in the drive, old dirty and looked like he lived in it. When I pulled in he was looking at his watch and said the clock was running. Showed him what needed to be done. I had the fans and lights told him he was to provide the switches. He said he'd need to go buy the gear, didn't have it in the truck. I had told Nikki to have Creative supply the switches.

An hour later he rang the bell and walked in with a shoe box full of assorted light switches. Loose, not in packages, obviously used stuff. When I asked him to see the receipt he got antsy, said it was put on the company account and there was no receipt. Asked him where he bought them and he said Da Supply Place. Told him the stuff looked used. He said you want it done or not.

Asked him if he was a licensed electrician, he said he didn't like my attitude and walked out the door. The next day I got a call from Nikki complaining I had wasted Norm's time, said she was going to bill me for 4 hour at $80 per. Asked her if Norm was a licensed electrician and if so what his numbers was.

She said it was obvious that I was into finger pointing and that I wouldn't ever be satisfied and then hung up.

Looking the Yelp reviews most are pretty old and for installing solar. Maybe Creatives does good solar work but they need to have a talk with Nikki and Norm. Using unlicensed electricians is a big No-No.

Whitney H.

Such a great company. We have called them several times for a wide variety of problems and they have been responsive and reliable over the years. Great work. Cannot recommend enough.

Alex P.

The Creative Energy team did an exceptional job communicating and installing our new 7.4kWh PV system (20x370W LG panels, the newest SolarEdge inverter generation, and a backup interface) along with a new 200 amp electrical main to replace our rusted 125 amp main.

Some of our neighbors took 2-3 years to get a grid-connected system. I approached Creative for the first conversation on May 26, 2020, and the permits, upgrades, and PV system was installed October 14th, and electrified/grid-connected by November 9th. The final HECO CGS+ contract was fully executed on 12/31/2020.

Nikki, Rob, and the entire team each did an exceptional job for their respective contributions. Nikki even filled out a mock Hawaii Income Tax Form N-342 to illustrate the correct way to get the appropriate HI state tax credit--top-notch. I thought of Creative when I filed my taxes this year with gratitude.

The overall price was fair--perhaps more than fair after-tax credits. I estimate our monthly savings to be ~$150/month during the rainy season and perhaps closer to $200/month over more sunny months. No complaints.

I cannot stress enough how many moving parts there were not just with the install but with various HECO teams (new main and PV/grid connection) and permitting/review steps. The Creative team did an amazing job in keeping the process moving along, engaging across the HECO organization, and keeping me informed every step of the way on the next steps. Even supply shortages, a new generation of the inverter, and a global pandemic did not stop them from delivering on an aggressive timeline.

Thank you again for all the excellent work!

Chip D.

Great people to work with...they represented our project well with HECO to get the necessary permits, and did the install in a very professional and timely manner. Very knowledgeable and were able to recommend some quality components. Good with responding and following up, and great with explaining things in a way we could understand.

Highly recommended. Would definitely use them again!

Cathy H.

My Old review: 5.0 star rating 12/20/2016
I had my solar done by this company in 2012. So far good with no problems.
Also, name brand panels and not expensive.
Owner came to site when things were being done.
I felt like there was good customer service.
They monitor my panels for me and keep me updated if necessary.
They are also very knowledgable. I would recommend.
My New review: 12/26/2020:
4 years later I am still super happy with these panels. I feel like they are very good quality. We have not had any problems with them. If we have a question, the receptionist at the company is extremely knowledgable, friendly and helpful. I am happy I used this company!

S. B.

I wrote a 5 star review for Creative Energy Inc. Wonderful company to work with for electrical work or solar panel system installation. For some unknown to me reason, Yelp is reporting this company is not recommended by me. No method or process to question Yelp as I can find.

Randall M.

A friend recommended Creative Energy even though he had used someone else. He knew other people who used them (which he found out after he had installed his system) and they came highly recommended.

So I contacted Creative Energy and Haleakala Solar, who is the big player in this area. I worked with Nikki at Creative, as so many other reviewers had. She was awesome! The breadth of her knowledge in the area was simply amazing and comprehensive. She discussed panels, inverters, sizing, location, tax credits/programs and the ongoing political rhetoric and how MY system would be affected by existing and upcoming political discourses on solar. She was a phone-based solar encyclopedia. The system she recommended was different from Haleakala and she explained why she picked the particular system. It made complete sense and I verified it by doing my own research (cuz you know, if the internet says it's true, then it is). But seriously, I did a lot of checking as I'm anal that way. And Nikki was spot on and was based on leading edge info. HS's recommended system was old school and yes, it would be fine but definitely an inferior setup (as well as older) with more maintenance. One of the main differences is the type of inverter. Nikki went one way and HS went the other. I followed Nikki.

Also, I was always able to get in touch with someone who was able to get me to Nikki. And someone always responded to my emails. HS, on the other hand, were like the Keystone Kops. Messages and emails were lost and I received calls from 3 different sales people, each trying to start the sales process all over again, as if I had never called them. In their defense though, they were always very nice and eager to help. They just seemed extremely disorganized. I do still use them to maintain my solar water heater because their field workers are great.

So in the end, I went with Creative. Nikki was on top of things and their system was top-notch and the latest and greatest. As soon as I said go, Nikki blasted me with paperwork to fill out and file, schedules and info for days. Without her, I would never have been able to navigate the bureaucratic maze. She would tell me, okay, fill out this form...now schedule this appointment with HECO...then fill out this paperwork. Step-by-step, she walked me through everything, laughing all the way at the hoops we had to jump through. She has a great laugh btw.

And they came out and installed the system (the owner himself is part of the crew and he was really nice and courteous) and I was off running. Since then, my $300+ bills have come down to $50 (sometimes a little higher depending on nighttime A/C usage). Note, I am on the new program so I only get free electric during the day. Hence, laundry, dishwasher and any other heavy usage is all done during the day. It's been about a year now and we are still loving the system.

Now another testament to Nikki. Part of our packet included suggestions on how to fill out the tax forms to claim the tax credits. These were given to the tax ""experts"" at that firm down the Block (nudge nudge wink wink say no more). And guess what, we get an audit notice from the State tax office. Why? Because the tax ""experts"" filled out the tax forms incorrectly. The State office included corrections on how to CORRECTLY fill out the forms. Guess what? Matched EXACTLY what Nikki had included in our packet...EXACTLY.

Never doubt The Nikki. And get thee to Creative!

PopaG G.

This business has a long standing reputable history as electricians and solar installers. The PV prices are very realistic & competitive with products tailored to your electricity use that were installed in my home. Great follow-ups and education is appreciated. Nikki has a goldmine of information which helped in making educated decisions. I continue to refer this company to all those who are interested in installing solar PV's. I've had my solar PV's since 2013 without any issues. Call Creative Energy Hawaii before making a major decision on solar PV's.