Testimonials – our wonderful customers are the reason we’re in business.
Here are some of the great things they’ve said about us…
I rarely rave about contractor work but having just gone live with a 44 panel ground mount system by Urban I will. Great communication, on time, no nickel and dime, on budget and a great crew to work with. Professional all the way. I highly recommend Sean and his great staff. If you want more info I own Broadway Heights and Brooklyn Bridge.
Sean at Urban Design is in the process of setting up solar at my home and at my business. Sean and his crew have gone above and beyond to be accommodating to my staff while working in the office. I am so excited to have this solar project launched and kicked off so I can update this review with how much money I’m saving now that we have solar everywhere!!I made sure to build a big enough system to ensure that i’ll create enough power to charge my new electric car too.
They made the process so easy! Sean got us a bid immediately and then went right to work. We had questions along the way and Sean and his staff answered them all immediately. We have been very impressed and highly recommend Urban Design Solar.
Sean and team were great. Chose to go with them as they were responsive, complete, engaged, and motivated. Sean’s work ethic and connectedness made choosing them almost a no brainer. Install of 27 panels completed in a day with a full and professional crew. They were polite, accommodating, safety conscious, and knew their stuff.
Love these guys. Their entire staff made the whole process very seamless. From the office staff who were extremely helpful, to the installers who were courteous, professional and did a very clean job. The owner Sean, made sure we were well informed along the way. Highly recommended.
From helping with the planning to implementing, all flowed beautifully, and they were really wonderful to work with.
Prompt, courteous , reasonable, efficient, timely, and best of all excellent work!
And their scope of knowledge and what they can do is huge!
Urban Design Solar was very professional and handled our solar in a very timely manner. The staff is amazing and informative! Thank you for your great service
“Sean and his team were great!
They were prompt, professional and courteous. They worked efficiently (with all of the proper tools at hand) and even totally cleaned up after themselves. I can highly recommend them for your next job, big or small.
If you are looking for a contractor who goes above and beyond — you’ve just found them!”
We used Solar Design last year to install our residential solar system. We did our homework before we decided on them. We heard about them through several coworkers. Their reviews were pretty consistent regarding their professionalism, competitive pricing, friendly office staff and how clean a job their installers do. They did not disappoint and we could not be happier.
Leaders in the field. very knowledgeable about the programs and incentives to off-set the cost of installation, total pros. Installation was fast, clean and tidy. Highly recommended.
When I decided to look into putting solar on my house, I first contacted several solar companies in the area to see who could offer the best deal. Sean from Urban Design Solar was the first to show up and had a design and bid for me within 24 hours. He answered all my questions and didn’t pressure me to to go with his system. All the other solar companies took weeks to get back to me and were way more expensive.
After signing with Sean, his crew was able to start the job right away. Sean dealt with all the permits and worked with me on the design. Sean goes the extra mile to make sure that his customers are treated right. He also referred me to a few different lending institutions that offer great solar loans.
Purchasing a solar system is a great investment as it can reduce your energy bill significantly and increase the value of your property.
I have already recommended Urban Design Solar to my co workers as they are top notch. Thanks Sean and crew!
I have been around Sean and the rest of the Urban Design Solar company for a few years and personally know several of their clients. The thing that separates Urban Design Solar from the rest is their customer service- they go above and beyond to make sure their clients are happy and get the best solar solution for their particular situation.
Urban Design Solar is a very professional, community business that is a pleasure to work with and offer excellent pricing and workmanship. A triple A rating is not high enough. I recommend them for anyone interested in saving money by going solar. Hats off to Urban Design Solar, you’re the best.
Read Andrea B.'s review of Urban Design Solar on Yelp
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My hubby and I wanted our solar up quickly and the contractor I had been working with was not being responsive. I did a random internet search, looked up Chico solar contractors with decent reviews, and called a few. Urban Design was by far the easiest to reach and most professional. They gave me a thorough quote, quickly, and matched my contractors price (which was lower than others as well). They provided a lot of options when it came to solar panels and inverters, but were happy to make recommendations and help me understand the choices. I signed contracts on Monday, May 2nd, and I had a system up and running with PG&E on May 13th… I didn’t even think that was physically possible. The work was excellent – my husband used to work as a electrician and he was impressed with how quickly and cleanly they ran lines and set up the meter. The workers were friendly and respectful of our schedule and home – my dogs even liked them. The professionalism of the entire office staff was exceptional. After the job was done they gave me a very helpful binder containing product information and warranties, which I really appreciated. Thank you Sean and Catrina for being such great partners in my energy project and providing us a great system that we are very happy with – we made the right choice going with Urban Design.
Read Dr. Jason G.'s review of Urban Design Solar on Yelp
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Read Jack T.'s review of Urban Design Solar on Yelp
Always my “go to” contractor. Dependable, honest, professional, and they do GREAT work!
Professional and skilled crew. Attention to detail, timely and easy to work with. Third time I have worked with Sean and his crew and will again,
Excellent customer service, very professional. Thank you Urban Solar for making it easy to go green!
Thank you for driving out and fixing my solar problem today Sean. Even though Solarmax had you install the system, they were the ones that sold it to me and you had no responsibility to service it, I was elated when I called you and you said that you would come out and fix it. Thanks again for taking extra time to trouble shoot my problem at no charge. It is up and running great now! I would give you five stars!
Urban Design is the place to go for Solar. They have awesome designers, installers and great customer service.
Sean and his staff are very easy to work with, we are so happy with our results! We love watching our solar panel spin backwards! Thank you for your professional work!
Love Urban Designs! We couldn’t quite put our finger on what we wanted. Sean and his company came in, helped us develop a plan and got it all completed in a fast, efficient manner. Beautiful concrete work! We highly recommend Sean and his team.
We’ve done many projects with Urban Design and no matter what the project, small or large, we’ve been extremely happy to have them. They’ve done everything for us: a kitchen hood install, to solar tube installs, hot tub deck, bathroom remodel, etc. They are always on time, on budget, and the make sure that you are happy with everything. My only reservation in sharing with everyone about how great they are is that I’ve now just let a huge secret out of the bag…..
Thanks for the quick solar install! Would highly recommend calling UD if wanting to go solar.
Sean at Urban Design completed a project at our family restaurant in Live Oak. Sean’s plans flew through the building dept plan check and work started immediately, Sean and his crew had to work during the night while we were closed and worked 7 days a week to get it completed quickly. That is one hard working guy, and he does nice work!
Urban Design is one of the most dependable and honest contractors I’ve dealt with in 20 years in the real estate business. Inspectors, clients and I have been consistently impressed with their quality. I highly recommend Urban Design!
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
Solar is the fastest growing energy source in the world, and for good reason. Solar power offers a limitless supply of clean, safe, renewable energy for heat and power. Solar energy is more affordable, more efficient, and more reliable than ever.
Absolutely yes! A solar energy system is an investment that adds both immediate and long-term value to your home or business.
Studies have estimated that there are about $1,000 a year in energy savings, which translates to $20,000 increase in the value of a home. If you ever decide to sell your home, research shows that buyers are willing to pay a premium for a home with a solar energy system installed. With a customized renewable energy system in place from Urban Design Solar, the Return on Investment (ROI) ranges from 10-30% depending on system size, building structure and available incentives.
You can dramatically reduce your utility energy bills from the very first day your solar energy system is installed and for years to come. Solar users still draw some power from the utility grid, but at a much lower-priced rate. When you switch to solar power, you are hedging against rising utility energy rates. You can lock in low, predictable energy costs for years into the future with solar energy.
Now is really the best time to invest in a solar energy system. You can receive 30% of your solar energy system cost off your federal income taxes credit; these credits can carry forward for five years. Urban Design Solar identifies all of the qualifying programs for your solar energy system and files the required paperwork for you. Utility incentives are being rapidly allocated and federal incentives are set to expire soon. So now is the time to install a solar energy system and take advantage of current subsidies for the best immediate and long-term savings.
No. Even though your property increases in value, there is legislation that prevents your property taxes from increasing. In California, the specific legislation is Section 73 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, which provides property tax exclusion on most types of solar energy systems, including solar power for the home.
Not in California. In California specifically, the California Solar Rights Act says that homeowners associations, governments, and other organizations can’t stop you from installing a home solar energy system. However, they may ask you to modify the design and/or location for aesthetic reasons as long as the changes don’t significantly impact solar power production (a decrease greater than 10%) or cost more than $2000.
In general, the more sun your solar energy system receives, the better return you’ll get on your money. The best roofs get several hours of sun each day, face south or southwest and don’t have too much shade. Urban Design Solar personally checks your roof and shading to make solar power cost-effective and a good investment. Urban Design Solar does this during our FREE site evaluation.
No. Solar energy systems fit seamlessly onto your building. You won’t have to buy new appliances or change your electrical outlets. Everything works just the same as it did before. When your solar energy system generates more power than your building can immediately use, your excess power flows back to the utility grid, where your meter literally spins backward! You should experience no practical changes except for one: you pay little or nothing to the utility company.
Your solar energy system requires very little maintenance. All your solar energy system requires is occasional cleaning and inspection. Urban Design Solar offers monitoring systems to ensure that your solar energy system’s array is operating at an optimal output. Solar energy monitoring systems help guarantee the best return on your investment and alert you if any part of your solar energy system is not working properly.
No. Battery systems are expensive and are not yet recommended. Most solar energy systems are connected to the utility grid, so you always have access to a power source. You never have to worry about “running out” of power. However, for properties which are located in a remote area, placing it off the grid, battery back-up systems are available if you wish to have one.
Solar energy users won’t experience any power interruptions as the two power systems (solar and the grid) automatically switch back and forth, allowing you to draw power from the grid whenever you need it. The amount of power your solar energy system generates is a result of direct sunlight, and produces slightly less energy when the weather is cloudy. Your solar system does not produce any energy at night.
Every home and business is different. The size of your system depends on your energy needs, roof space and solar power goals. Residential solar energy systems are typically 3-10 kW, and commercial solar energy systems range from 50-500 kW for a medium sized business. Urban Design Solar works to customize the design and meet your specific needs to offset as much of your utility energy bill as you desire.
A typical solar energy system installation for a residential roof takes about 3-7 days, and a typical commercial solar energy system installation takes about 1-3 weeks from the day Urban Design Solar begins the installation. However, the length of time of the actual installation depends on the complexity of your roof and the number of solar panels that need to be installed.
Your solar energy system produces the most power during the day. During “peak” hours when the utility energy rates are at their highest, you are replacing the high cost power with your own generated solar energy. This is to your advantage because when your solar energy system generates more power than your house can use, your excess power flows back to the utility grid. The utility company credits you at the exact high rates that you would have been paying. This is referred to as net metering and can generate revenue; most utility companies pay or credit you for this power.
The location of your solar energy system has an impact on how frequently they need to be cleaned. In dusty locations it is recommended to clean your solar energy system at least twice a year. Urban Design Solar offers solar panel cleaning services for a small extra cost.
Most of the parts on your solar energy system, such as solar panels, carry manufacturer’s warranties of 25 years for performance. Other parts, such as inverters, carry 10-year warranties. Most solar energy systems can far outlast their warranties; many of the first solar energy systems installed more than 30 years ago are still going strong.
Solar energy systems are very safe. Solar energy systems are generally mounted in a low or no-traffic area, have no moving parts and are virtually maintenance free.
A building permit and inspections are required. Urban Design Solar creates a solar panel design, handles the permit process from start to finish, and creates a custom plan for your energy requirements.