Real Solar Review 2024 - ND Solar Specialists?

Installer
Installing solar since 2014
9.0
(Expert Rating Score)

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Updated on 2023-04-13

Overview

Real Solar ND is a small solar company based in North Dakota. Prioritising quality, the company relies on the strong relationships it builds with clients in order to keep business going.

Real Solar ND has been in business since 2014, meaning it has far less experience than its competitors within the state. However, unlike some of its competitors in ND, the company does boast BBB accreditation and an A+ BBB rating.

 

 

Solar Panels and services offered by Real Solar

Specific Solar Panels Offered

Although Real Solar does not provide any information on the specific solar panels they use, when SolarEmpower enquired, the office manager informed us that Real Solar prides itself in using “Tier 1” products in all of their installations – as well as sourcing quality products for all the parts of a system.

 

Specific Types of Solar offered

Real Solar offers solar systems which fit within four different categories: residential, off-grid, commercial and non-profit.

 

Residential Systems: 

Residential systems are the company’s most popular systems. Real Solar tailors each and every system in order to fit the goals and needs of their customers – the company lists many examples of their custom residential systems on their website.

The company offers to help customers take advantage of the Federal Incentive Tax Credit, which allows for 26% of total project cost to be deducted from your federal taxes in the year of purchase – with the option to also spread this out over several years. Real Solar also offers commercial systems however, their competitors boast far better levels of experience and knowledge when it comes to these systems.

Real Solar allows their customers to pair solar panels with an energy storage system – such as lead-acid or lithium iron phosphate batteries – to keep their homes powered in the event of an outage, or save money when running over to a customer’s remote property. 

Off-grid:

The company has knowledge and experience with off-grid systems of all sizes; along with grid-tied systems with battery back-up for power outages, which are harder to produce as they have to be designed in a specific manner – and this is why not many companies offer them.

Non-profit:

Real Solar also creates community solar arrays in both Minnesota and North Dakota, which benefit low-income families, tribal governments and disabled veterans in the Community Solar for Community Action program. Real Solar also invested in 1.5MW of ground-mounted solar for local schools, including one school which benefited from 800kW. In Liberia, the company invested in a 100kW array in the Skip Grid initiative, along with some other smaller projects in the country. All of these projects were funded as a portion of proceeds from all customer installations with Real Solar go to support these projects.

 

 

Installation costs and process 

Costs

Real Solar, though far smaller than some of its main competitors, charges just as much – if not more – than average for its systems. This is for a number of reasons, with the main one being that they prioritise quality over price.

The company does offer assistance when it comes to taking advantage of tax rebates, particularly with farm and workshop systems.

When SolarEmpower asked Real Solar about costs, the company told us: “Quality is a priority. We pride ourselves on using tier 1 products in all our installations as well as sourcing quality products for all aspects of the install down to the fasteners we use. We listen to the goals of our customers to best design a system that is right for them. We guide people through the maze of products and explain why we use what we use.”
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This was a great sign. The clear emphasis on quality stands customers in good stead. However, the company has no customer reviews online, meaning there is no guarantee that customers in the past have paid the quoted price. 

Real Solar does not seem to offer any form of financing for any of their systems.

 

Legitimacy

Real Solar is a legitimate company:

  • The company is accredited by the BBB.
  • The company is transparent with its contact details..
  • The company is transparent about its reputation.

With this being said, there is not a lot of information about the company online – apart from on the company’s own website. However, we believe that this is purely due to the small-size of the company.

 

Maintenance

Maintenance: the SolarEmpower enquiry
All services conducted by Real Solar are done so using in-house staff, meaning the company offers high levels of flexibility with regards to scheduling.
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The company does not say whether they offer any form of maintenance with its systems – meaning customers will either have to rely on third party organisations to maintain their systems, or ensure Real Solar provides guarantees of maintenance. 

The company is very efficient and pleasant to deal with when it comes to emails. There is also a contact form on their website, making it easy to have questions answered in a quick and easy manner.

The office manager also informed us that Real Solar will guide customers through all the complexities of solar installation – which is never a bad sign.

 

 

The SolarEmpower View

Real Solar ND is one of the few companies which offers systems that are tailored to the exact needs of their clients and we feel as if their systems are incredibly good value for money, given their quality. However, the company does lack experience – and does not provide evidence of full maintenance; but we feel as if, when it comes to the value for money of the systems themselves, Real Solar ND is one of the best solar companies in North Dakota.

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FAQ

Are Real Solar trustworthy?

Yes, the company is transparent about its reputation and displays examples of previous work on its website.

Will Real Solar provide proper maintenance?

We did not find any evidence that the company will provide proper, long-term maintenance, so we’d recommend that you inquire for a guarantee from Real Solar.

Can you cancel a contract with Real Solar?

No, North Dakota Law states that you cannot terminate a contract after signing it.

REAL Solar Solar Details

Established
2014
Licensing Information

#55330

Contact
Headquarters
3963 8th St SW
Backus, MN
56435
(218)-947-3779
10.0

REAL Solar User Reviews

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Patti Zahler
Patti Zahler
March 28, 2023
installed and operating fall of…
installed and operating fall of 21. Very happy with System and crew.
john krecek
john krecek
December 7, 2022
Turnkey system. Professional installation. Easy…
Turnkey system. Professional installation. Easy to work with. Everything was as promised. Highly recommended.
Chandler Trout
Chandler Trout
September 23, 2022
Real Solar just recently finished…
Real Solar just recently finished installing our solar panels and I couldn't be happier. There's plenty of hoops to jump through and lots of forms for the county and the power company, but Eric handled everything and all that was ever need from me was my signature. It took a little while for the project to get started because, you know, labor shortage and high demand for solar right now, but once it got started everything was completed in about a week. Today in the mail I got a thank you note from the company for "letting" them be our solar installer and a solar power battery pack charger as a gift. And you could be cynical and say that "I paid for that" but their prices are as competitive as any other company we priced out.
Bill Marshall
Bill Marshall
July 8, 2022
Everyone was very friendly and…
Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable and did what they said they would do.

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