Solar Spectrum today announced it has merged with Temecula, California-based Horizon Solar Power to create the nation’s fourth largest residential solar system provider. Since 2008, Horizon has been a leading designer and installer of residential and commercial solar systems in Southern California. Frank Kneller, CEO of Horizon Solar Power, will serve as the CEO of the combined business along with a new leadership team. The combined business will be part of the Sungevity family.
“This combination blazes a new path for residential solar as we combine Horizon’s six consecutive years of profitable growth and Solar Spectrum’s best-in-class technology driven customer experience,” said Frank Kneller. “Not only does this merger position Solar Spectrum which will be operated going forward under its Sungevity brand, as the largest residential solar company in Southern California, but also as one of the fastest growing solar companies in the country. This strong market position, coupled with our financial strength and scalable business model, will enable us to seize market leadership through further share gains and industry consolidation.”
This merger of Solar Spectrum and Horizon will create the second largest provider of residential solar systems in California and the fourth largest in the country. Residential solar power generation is a $9 billion annual industry and is growing rapidly as customers seek to play their part in tackling climate change and to save money. The total addressable market in the United States is $800 billion.
“The combination of Horizon and Solar Spectrum brings the highest quality products, value and services in the industry to our customers,” said Doug Bergeron, Chairman of Solar Spectrum.
The merger was orchestrated by Solar Spectrum’s shareholders led by Northern Pacific Group which is based in Wayzata, Minnesota.
“With this agreement, we have combined two successful and well-established solar companies in the United States under one brand. We now have one of the fastest growing and best-capitalized solar companies in the country,” added Scott Honour, Managing Partner of Northern Pacific Group. “The management team, led by Frank Kneller, will be capable of both growing the business organically as well as pursuing additional strategic combination opportunities. We are confident about Sungevity’s ability to further differentiate itself as the leader in the residential solar industry.”
The transaction closed on August 17, 2017. Following the transaction, Solar Spectrum’s shareholder group includes Northern Pacific Group, International, Hercules Capital, DGB Investments, Bindley Capital and the management teams of Horizon Solar and Solar Spectrum. Hercules Capital provided senior debt financing. Solar Spectrum was represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Ernst & Young LLP provided accounting advice, Hercules was represented by Cole Schotz P.C. and Horizon was represented by Lincoln International and Masummi + Consoli LLP.
News item from Spectrum Solar
I think this whole mess was preplanned..Sungevity was not in business long before they went bottom up..WHAT A MESS THEY GAVE CUSTOMERS WHO TRUSTED IN THEM and sold our leases to horrible companies that kept selling to other horrible companies ..One of which is SPRUCE POWER which is one of the most corrupt companies out there. They are a total mess…I have been luckey and have not had a problem with solar except for one time and having them cleaned helped..BUT..Spruce has change their name a few times..they are in Texas and I don’t think are owned by the U.S.A.. THEY ARE VERY DISHONEST …I have had nothing but problems with billing..I send a check..will NEVER let them take out of my account. they are not trustworthy..They slam charges on customers for pretty much everything..If you have questions they can’t answer them with a straight forward answer..Charge of sendin you a statement in the mail..charge for E statement..charge to pay bill on phone..Don’t acually send the bills out on the 6th of the month…I never get my statement until after the 27th of the month which is too late to turn it around and get a check back in time for the 1st of the month..then they scan slam a over $4. late fee. Their billing departlment is a total mess..you never can acually get to talk to the billing department only some person who never answers your question truthfully….THIS whole company is not a first..second..third rate company…it is at the bottom of the list. You call and wait forever to get anyone to answer..lf you leave your number for a call back..forget it..NEVER CALL BACK. Your can not get ahold of anyone on the computer site…it NEVER IS WORKING CORRECTLY…WE DID NOT CHOSE THE LEASING COMPANY THE BANKRUPTCY COURT PICKED to take over leases…THEY ARE HORRIBLE AND DISHONEST. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I CAN CHOSE TO CHANGE TO ANOTHER LEASING CO. THAT IS HONEST AND YOU CAN TALK TO..THIS COMPANY GETS AWAY WITH BEING DISHONEST ..CLAIMS OTHERWISE AND IS STEALING FROM CUSTOMERS BY ALL THEIR UNFAIR EXTRA CHARGES..CHARGING FOR MONTHLY STATEMENTS AND E STATEMENTS AND AND DOING WHAT THEY WANT TO YOU IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS..THIS COMPANY IS A BAD COMPANY ! I have had trouble with them for a long time. I have had solar for 14 years and have had nothing but problems from this leasing company since they took over my lease…NOT BY MY CHOICE…THEY ARE THE MOST CORRUPT AND HORRIBLE COMPANY I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH EVER!!! A disgrace to America..if they are a American co.????????
I own y Sungevity system, installed in 2011; it stopped working (I just learned) a year ago and is still under warranty. Apparently the problem is the inverter. Sungevity’s license has been cancelled, but I will be looking into legal remedies.
I could not be more upset by this merger! Touting themselves for their customer service yet they met all those great sales reps go without notice or pay and we buyers in the dark with a system we are still paying for yet have no way to monitor and no clue who actually is responsible for our product! Shame on all those big wigs clapping each other on the back!!
Who is going to service our panels and do maintenance — that we are PAYING for on a lease?!! Why do we have to pay if we are not getting service?!
This is illegal.
The company who financed your system will ensure services for your system, unless you are a cash customer. Check your contract it should help clear things up. For example if you have sunrun as your finacier they will ensure your system is working properly.
My contract doesn’t tell me anything. I purchased the home with the lease paid for 17 years. Going through the lease, can’t find anything that would help. Very frustrated.
This is only good news if expanding a solar company into larger territories offers operational efficiencies. We need consistent policies across AHJs or a large player like this will continue to be hobbled by an increase in soft costs as the company gets larger.
This is a JOKE — “Solar Spectrum” and the “Sungevity Brand” are crooks. Sungevity claimed “bankruptcy” and left over 500 employees without pay that was ALREADY EARNED by those hard working, dedicated employees and ambassadors.
Bankruptcy claim allowed for Sungevity to leave these people high and dry, LAID OFF WITHOUT NOTICE, WITHOUT PAY and allowed the to be bought by Solar Spectrum who CONTINUED TO PERFORM THE SAME BUSINESS SEVICES WHILE PAYING THEIR CURENT EMPLOYEES AND NOT THOSE OF SUNGEVITY because fo this “bankruptcy”.
Now they continue business as “the fourth largest installer in the country.
BUYER BEWARE
Hi, I must tell you that my experience with you guys (the employees) had been very good – right from sales to project manager during installation to customer service. The installer you outsource to was also very good. In fact i was a reference and recommended Sungevity to several of your potential customers because of it. Sorry for the treatment given to you.
As a former employee, what guidance can you give us customers who have lost the monitoring on the website. Is there a remedy or hope of someone picking it up in future ?
Thanks
We have a 20 prepaid lease with Sungevity with a 20 year performance & maintenance warranty
Currently unable to get a solar production performance reading since mid-July at https://login.sungevity.com/installation/001U000001Ohps1IAB
Need to know if my system is currently working
Can someone please tell us if our system is working?
Please advise…
With gratitude
Roberta Lenhart
818 745-9770
Roberta,
I am also in the same boat as you – although I own my system
Regarding if the system works or not … hopefully your inverter has a LED display – you can manually check
the performance on it. There is a reading titled “Total” – if it keeps changing then you can monitor how much it produces. But this is a pain when we are used to going to the website
The manufacturer of the inverter SMA America is helpful. They say there is a module you can buy that when hooked up via your internet router can offer monitoring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82OPRMElJIg
The red card in the video is the SWDM-US-10 which my inverter needs.
Roberta:
General orientation. Monitoring consists of field data acquisition hardware, a data processing facility, and communication media (assume the web) to connect the two. The field monitor acquires raw production data, codes it into transmittable intelligence acceptable to the processing facility, and sends it to the facility via the web. The facility converts the intelligence it receives into a format understandable to humans, stores it for that particular solar system, and makes it accessible via web to company or person holding an active account with the facility for that particular solar system.
Suggestions. Open or remove the front panel of the box containing your solar system monitoring field hardware. It will contain some kind of logic hardware, such as a printed circuit board, which acquires system production data. Copy all the information you see on its nameplate, a clear close-up photo if you can take one. Nameplate should identify manufacturer and hopefully its contact information. Contact that manufacturer to see if they can help you regain ability to monitor your system. This is my example:
Locus Energy field hardware monitors the solar system Sungevity installed on my property. They offer residential system monitoring service, 5 years for $181.82, about $3 a month. Locus provides this service to solar installation companies such as Sungevity or Omnidian, who can enable web-accessible monitoring for its customers by establishing a Locus account for each of them.
I hope this helps you. I can provide more information if you want it.