The Pros

• 86-point quality inspections on all solar panels
• Offers multiple solar plans and payment options for a variety of situations
• Vivint performs all work. There are no third-party installations.
• Solar panels are built with all-weather technology and come with a 25-year warranty.
• Home batteries and electric vehicle chargers options are available.

Vivint is a leading solar company in 23 states, including Hawaii (which has many solar customers, despite its general lack of coverage). They’re backed by a track record of providing quality solar installations for more than 146,000 customers. It is a licensed contractor in all states where it operates.

The company offers four different solar plans:

• Solar Purchase. You own the solar panels outright. That means you will make no monthly payments to Vivint, but you will still enjoy product and workmanship warranties offered by the company. You can also benefit from tax credits and incentives where applicable.
• Solar Loan. You can finance a solar panel installation with monthly payments to Vivint’s financing partner. You will pay no upfront costs but still benefit from Vivint product and workmanship warranties, and tax credits and incentives where applicable.
• Solar PPA. Under a power purchase agreement, Vivint owns the solar panels. You will make low monthly payments to the company, with no upfront costs, and the potential to save on your utility rate. Vivint product and workmanship warranties cover all installations.
• Solar Lease. Vivint owns the solar panels, and you lease them from the company for no money down while getting guaranteed solar production. Maintenance is included, and product and workmanship warranties will apply.

Vivint also offers LG Chem home batteries for solar plus storage systems and electric vehicle chargers with ChargePoint Home.
The production work warranty guarantees that all work will be free from material defects for ten years. Solar panels carry a 25-year linear performance warranty. Inverters carry a minimum 10-year manufacturer’s warranties.
Solar PPA or Solar Lease customers can renew their solar loan contract for an additional five years. They can also purchase the solar system for fair market value or request to remove the system at no extra cost. This flexibility allows Vivint solar panels to provide renewable energy to save each customer money on their electricity bill. The contract also guarantees quality solar panel installation on each roof, easing worries about solar panel weight or other rooftop concerns.

The Cons

• Solar installations may not be available in communities with an HOA.
• Production guarantees not available in all markets.
• Some reported instances of long installation delays and poor customer service.

In some instances, Homeowner Associations may not allow for the installation of solar energy systems. While Vivint will work with an HOA to coordinate installations, there’s no guarantee residential solar panels will be allowed in all HOA communities.

According to Consumer Affairs, some customers had poor experiences with Vivint, either through mediocre customer service issues or misrepresentations by a Vivint representative. This results in a fair amount of negative Vivint solar reviews. However, the company appears to be responsive to these complaints and has worked to correct problems for each Vivint solar customer.

Remember, a customer will usually write a positive review if they had an extremely good experience. There are plenty of ordinary experiences that lack incentives powerful enough to log onto a website like Yelp and say something. 

Momentum Solar has a similar problem, where its customer service reviews range from “Excellent” to “Poor,” probably because love and hate are the strongest motivators to write reviews. So keep that perspective in mind, whether looking at a Vivint solar review or another tech company’s customer service.