Renu Solar Review: Strong Offerings From a Regional Installer

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A regional company taking a local approach, Renu works closely with both customers and manufacturers to install solar in the Carolinas.

Increasingly, a solar energy system is becoming a key component of many homes. Just as broadband has become a must-have for any residence, big incentives, potential savings and an intensifying climate crisis are extending solar panels' reach to more and more homes.

Unsurprisingly, a bevy of solar companies have sprung up to serve the demand, ranging from tiny local offices to huge national operations.

Renu Energy Solutions aims for a middle ground as a regional provider focused on maintaining a personal touch. The company was established in 2010 based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and serves both North and South Carolina.

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The company has done about 5,000 installations across the Carolinas since its founding, including mostly residential customers and a number of big commercial projects like the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the New Belgium Brewery in Asheville, Christina Cruz, the marketing manager for Renu, told CNET.

CNET's review of Renu (or any other solar company) doesn't rely on direct testing of any of the solar equipment mentioned below, and we don't go through Renu's ordering process. Instead, we rely on our own research, conversations with the company and our knowledge of the industry to pull together this comprehensive profile.

Can solar panels save you money?

Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and we’ll instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings.

Renu offers all the essential components to get a solar system up and running, whether the goal is offsetting a power bill or going totally off the grid.

Cruz said the company offers solar panels, batteries and electric vehicle chargers.

In addition to installation, Renu also has an arm of the company that offers solar maintenance to customers, including those who's original installer went out of business.

Renu only deals in cash or financed purchases and doesn't offer leases or power purchase agreements.

Renu works with many major manufacturers in the solar industry, including Tesla, REC, Enphase, SolarEdge and Solaria.

Cruz said the company's process starts with going over what equipment is available to find the best suite of products for a customer's needs.

"We tell our customers we can get anything you want, but let's talk about the product, the specs to see what's the right solution for you, because they may not know," she said.

She said customers often may change their minds after being briefed on all the details.

Renu is certified to install Tesla's trademark solar tile roof in the Carolinas.

Renu relies on manufacturers' warranties for equipment, which is usually 25 years for solar panels and inverters or microinverters. Battery warranties are typically around 10 years but can vary in details.

The company's warranty for its workmanship runs for 10 years, but roof penetrations are guaranteed to be watertight for only five years. This is less than many other installers we've reviewed. The Carolinas have seen some rather epic hurricanes and other storms in recent years that have brought record rainfall to the region.

Renu doesn't offer its own app or monitoring services. Instead, it advises customers use popular manufacturer apps like those from Tesla and Enphase.

Cruz said the company checks in about six months after installation to make sure a customer's system is functioning properly.

According to Cruz, Renu operates with all in-house employees and no subcontractors, except on some large complex commercial projects.

Renu warranties its installation work for 10 years and will cover any leaks from the installation for 5 years.

The company employs a team of about 125 for the two states it covers. While we don't factor in-house labor in our final score for a company, we do consider it a bonus for companies, as it cuts down on having to navigate a sometimes infuriating web of subcontractors.

Renu didn't offer specific figures on pricing, which is pretty standard for the industry.

"In terms of pricing, we're not the cheapest one on the block, but we are the ones that are going to help you if you have an issue," Cruz said.

She said the company is open to a potential price match on a case-by-case basis, but doesn't have an official policy to that effect.

According to CNET sister site SaveOnEnergy, the average cost of a solar system installation in North Carolina is $3.76 per watt in 2023, based on a nine-kilowatt system, the total cost of which is $33,840, or $23,688 after incentives. In South Carolina, the average system is also nine kilowatts at a cost of $36,270 or $25,389 after incentives for $4.03 per watt.

Renu doesn't offer leases or power purchase agreements, but it works with a handful of financial institutions to offer financing. As of July 2023, the company was seeing interest rates typically between 4% and 9% for solar loans.

Renu operates in North Carolina and South Carolina.

The company's process is pretty typical for the industry. Customer inquiries start by gathering preliminary information about a residence. Next, a follow-up involves either a Zoom or in-person tour of the home. Cruz said an in-person site visit is preferred.

An installation plan and package is developed and a contract is drawn up and signed. Renu manages all communications with the homeowner, any HOAs, utility companies or other permitting agencies. Cruz said the time from a signed contract to installation is as quick as four to five weeks.

You have to scroll through quite a lot of five-star reviews in order to find a single dissatisfied Renu customer on the Better Business Bureau's site. The company is accredited by the BBB with an A+ rating and an average customer rating of 4.79 out of five stars. It is also quite responsive to all complaints and comments. We don't put a lot of stock in online reviews, but this is a strong and reassuring showing.

"Honest, informative, efficient. They did a very nice job and kept us informed along the way. Responsive to our calls and questions. They have a good product that performed as it was stated it would." - Richard R. March 2, 2023

"It's been 3 years since (Renu) installed my system, and we are still 100% satisfied with how it's performing. Looking forward to many more years of solar electricity." - Mark L. March 2, 2023

"I signed a contract and since the (sic) teams have been very unhelpful and unprofessional. It's been over 6 months and my system has not been installed. I escalated to management who said they could help but nothing has been done to move my project along. Communication has been terrible because they tell me they will come to my house and then don't show up. They tell me that a different team will help with my project and then no one helps." - Jim H. Dec. 29, 2022

Renu offers quality solar panels, batteries and inverters.

While we've done our best to give you the necessary details on Renu, it's still imperative for consumers to gather multiple quotes from installers in your area to compare. And remember, CNET has not performed any hands-on testing with any equipment mentioned in this post or tested Renu's order and installation process directly. As always, do your own research and due diligence before signing a contract or putting any money down.

Our research and scoring formula puts Renu strongly in the middle of the pack of solar companies we reviewed. This is largely due to workmanship and roof penetration warranties that are shorter than we would like to see. Otherwise, there's a lot to like, including the company's strong reputation, use of in-house labor and close relationships with a number of equipment manufacturers.

Reviewing solar companies in a hands-on way is difficult. Accounting for all the differences from project to project is impossible. To provide a helpful review, we focused on what we can measure and meaningfully compare among companies.

We focus on three buckets of criteria: equipment, warranties and service.

Within the equipment category, companies receive scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they install. Warranties include the guarantees on the panels, workmanship and weatherization against leaks. Companies earn points for service if they offer a price match, a meaningful level of price transparency and a well-rated app for monitoring solar production. They lose points if there are major issues pertaining to customer service (lawsuits, investigations or clear reputations for shoddy service). These issues will always be detailed in the review.

You can read a detailed look at how the scoring breaks down.

We don't consider the average price of a company's installations in their score. This information is difficult to find and hard to compare across service areas (and even roof to roof). Companies are often slow to disclose it too. We also leave out easily found but not useful information like how many states a company operates in.

Renu was founded in 2010.

The company relies on manufacturer warranties for equipment and offers a 10-year workmanship and five-year roof penetration warranty.