Ailey Solar - Chicago, Illinois

Obilon K.

We highly recommend Ailey Solar. Their comprehensive energy audit revealed significant savings opportunities, beyond just solar panel installation. They optimized our home's energy efficiency, resulting in a dramatic reduction in our electric bill, from $125 to $16 per month, without battery storage. Their transparent process and detailed quotes made the entire experience seamless. For a complete home energy solution, Ailey Solar is an excellent choice. And, tell them Pam and Lon sent you. 🌞

Melanie C.

We had a wonderful experience with Ailey Solar. They were transparent and consultative during the sales process – there was no pushiness and they only recommended what would deliver a return on our investment. It was easy to understand the value we'd get from installing a solar system as well as the environmental impact.

They were also up front about the issues we might experience due the our older home, and when we did need to upgrade our main panel they helped by providing recommendations for how to navigate that process.

Once we got to install, the process was extremely smooth, and we were up and producing energy quickly. Highly recommend Ailey if you're interested in going solar!

Ovi H.

They install our residential solar 15 months ago and it's been smooth sailing every since. They were responsive, not at all aggressive, answered my father's every question (retired electrical engineer, so there were plenty of questions), and now we're happily powering our home with sunshine! Have had zero roof issues, conduit was nicely installed, absolutely zero complaints.
We've been recommending them to all the neighbours!

Bin B.

I first reached out to Ailey Solar because I heard they installed the panels for Plant Chicago, one of my favorite non-profits, and because Ailey offered me a roofing referral, which other solar companies did not.

The entire process took about three months. They were accommodating every step of the way. My residence has a few quirks, but they held my hand and worked with the city inspectors to get my installation approved.

They also worked with Cook County Sun and Save seamlessly. I could not be happier.

Raymond

Ailey Solar is top-notch. Tony Creed was so knowledgeable and patient to answer every question (though I recommend researching some info about solar beforehand so that you’re prepared and can ask specific questions about panel manufacturers, optimizers with string inverters vs microinverters, warranties, financing options, the SREC process, critter guard, etc). Matt Bart took over from there, managing the site survey, which includes a structural integrity and an electrical inspection, after which you wait for the permit approval and get an adjusted quote if extra work is needed after inspection. Very competitive quotes by the way—arguably too competitive, but no complaints here:)! With the permit approved, Matt set up the material delivery and then scheduled his crew for installation, which took a bit longer than expected (5 days on site) due to some unfavorable weather. But they did a clean job with great craftsmanship, the crew being Samuel, Jamal, Mike, and Joe (thanks fellas!). Most importantly—and the reason we chose Ailey in the first place—they have been around longer than just about any other solar company in Illinois, and that longevity comes only with quality work that they back up with their commitment to servicing anything that goes wrong. We’ve already had some experience with AJ, Ailey’s service team lead, who’s just as patient and helpful as everyone else at Ailey, and who has already come out to patch up some caulking and is currently keeping tabs on a few underperforming optimizers in case they need to be replaced—all free of charge because we’re under warranty. All told, you’ll be in good hands with Ailey.

A few notes: (1) for financing they use Sungage, which has a nice deferred-interest portion of the loan (50% of it) that entails an 18-month no-interest buffer while your SRECs and federal tax credits (30% of the total cost) come in. If you can, pay off the interest-bearing half right away, and then you’ll have an interest-free solar loan. You can also bring your own financing (HELOC, etc) for the interest-bearing half. (2) For SRECs they use Carbon Solutions Group, which is an independent broker that aggregates SREC applications and sends them in batches to Illinois Shines (aka Adjustable Block Program). We’ve had no problems with them so far—still waiting for our check, but it’s been less than 2 months since installation, and it's supposed to take 12-18 months. (3) Get the critter guard! Matt will tell you the same, because if you don’t, the squirrels will feast!

James I.

If you are getting quotes, check out Ailey Solar. My system just got installed and the experience was extremely seamless, professional, clean etc.

From the information gathering, quoting, communication, cleanliness, conduit runs, and final product, they are one of the best contractors (not just solar) l've worked with.

The entire team from Tony (sales) to Matt (Supervisior) and all the guys on site Joe, Matt, Steve, Sam, Bob, and A.J…. Were incredible to work with. I have so much confidence in my investment and I have Ailey to thank. Definitely consider them for your solar install. They truly care about their customers.

Matt N.

Ailey Solar just wrapped up installation of a 9.3 kW residential system for us in Chicago. Highly recommend them, they're great people to work with and everyone I dealt with was super knowledgeable. They're extremely clear about timelines & what to expect during installation.

Jason R.

Ailey Solar installed my 17 kW system in 2018 and it has been a great experience. However that isnt to say there havent been bumps. After about 2 years the inverter stopped working, all covered under warranty work and Ailey Solar Service department had it replaced quickly. Only small issue is I lost all my previous generation data. The system has worked fine since then.

This year I had a GM powershift charger installed and the installer inadvertantly reversed polarity on the inverters meter in the main house panel, this caused the reporting in the app to stop working. I called Aileys Service department and they were able to get out quickly ( within a week or so) and fix the wiring issue. However while on site they also looked at my system and discovered a panel was not working (due to an electrical component at the pv panel level) and was able to get a replacement ordered (under warranty). Their policy allows for the 2nd site visit to be reduced charge, so the component was replaced about a week later and the system is back to near perfect operation.

There is one other issue i need to talk to them about (the monitoring app is reporting in watt hours instead of kwhrs somedays even when it is producing kWs) but i think there is a config issue.

Regardless the system is more than exceeding my expectations and i would recommend Ailey and their Service department if you are in their service area.

Regards,