MidKnight Solar
Company Highlights
MidKnight Solar
MidKnight Solar was founded on the premise of revolutionizing the solar industry and it continues to serve homeowners to that aim, prioritizing customer education, promoting tier-1 solar equipment, and honoring an overall commitment to energy- and cost-efficiency.
Amidst the disconnection of the COVID-19 pandemic and today's social media overuse, MidKnight Solar's mission is to foster community engagement throughout the installation process. The company actively engages at install to ensure it is honoring each customer as well as reconnecting customers with their community. See MidKnight's installation of two neighbors below.
As a MidKnight customer, once you have been educated in energy consciousness, found an optimal solution for your home, had a professional installation, and been energized by the energy company, the company continues with its next important step: follow-up.
Below are three examples of customer testimonials from MidKnight Solar. These customers highlight why they chose MidKnight Solar, who they worked with on their project, and what they have to say one year after their installations were completed.
After watching, you can read our complete review for MidKnight Solar, encompassing the good, the bad, and the bottom line of working with this company. Underneath that, you'll find more reviews from verified customers.
- Industry Expertise
- Energy Efficiency Upgrades
- Emphasis on Solar Education
- Consultation Options
- Customer Reviews
Industry Expertise
The company was started in 2020 by a college professor teaching at the University of Central Florida. Together with a former student, the two launched MidKnight Solar. Dean and Andrew built the business with a focus on eliminating overhead costs, bypassing the use of contractors, and instead selling from the solar manufacturer directly to the consumer. This ensures homeowners get the most quality product at the most competitive cost.
Founder Dean Cleavenger taught graduate programs and the core management course for undergraduates at UCF for 14 years. Seeing the rise of energy costs for Central Florida, he was one of the first to invest in solar energy in 2016. Dean Cleavenger passed away in 2022 but his legacy and vision of how solar should be is still continued.
Co-founder Andrew Stregare worked for a few solar companies including a SunPower contractor while attending UCF. With market knowledge and a passion for renewable energy, both Dean and Andrew sought the most valuable solar equipment to provide to homeowners.
After launching its consulting operation, MidKnight Solar teamed up with SunPower by providing Florida’s first direct purchase from a solar manufacturer. This service would be entirely procured by SunPower, installed by SunPower, and warranted by SunPower.
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
One differentiating factor between MidKnight Solar and its competition is the company’s ability to walk homeowners through potential energy efficiency upgrades. The company actually started out providing consultations to homeowners looking to upgrade energy-consuming appliances in the home before it eventually partnered with SunPower as a way to provide solar system services.
Installing a solar system on the roof of a home is an excellent way to improve energy efficiency efforts, but there are additional ways to bolster a home’s overall efficiency, and MidKnight Solar recognizes that.
MidKnight Solar professionals will come to the residence or meet with clients virtually to go over ways to lower the electrical consumption bill.
By providing homeowners with this education, MidKnight Solar is able to help its clients identify the best appliances for energy efficiency efforts.
Emphasis on Solar Education
MidKnight Solar recognizes that for most customers, this is their first time purchasing solar, so they only have one chance at getting this right.
With an education and advisory style of consultation, MidKnight Solar will explain all system components, warranties assigned in full scope, and technical comparisons on which solar manufacture suits your needs best. This way you can confidently walk away with knowing what you bought versus being sold to.
MidKnight avoids common sales tactics like villainizing the utility company, presenting a financed number that sounds too good to be true, or pressuring a contract signature without disclosing equipment brands.
MidKnight Solar customers know exactly what panels and inverters they purchased and are taught at Permission To Operate how to utilize their monitoring app.
Consultation Options
In an effort to provide the best consulting set-up for the client, MidKnight Solar has created varying consultation types. Homeowners looking to improve energy usage and efficiency metrics can take advantage of the following types of consultations:
- In-home consultation
- Virtual consultation
There are benefits to each consultation style. The in-home consultation allows for an up-close and in-person analysis of energy-contributing components. The flexibility and ease of the virtual consultation make it the best for clients on the go.
Customer Reviews
So far, we find that MidKnight Solar customers have plenty of positive experiences to share. While more reviews are needed to establish an expansive repository, prospective customers can feel confident knowing that communication, system monitoring, and overall value for this company come highly reviewed.
- Client Base and Service Area
- Manufacturer Installation
Client Base and Service Area
MidKnight Solar exclusively assists homeowners that reside in the state of Florida.
Typically, solar companies will service both residential and commercial clients but MidKnight Solar only services the residential sector. Additionally, the company only works with utility companies that provide NEM 1.0 and will not work with utility companies that do not provide a 1-for-1 kwh credit for excess solar energy produced during the day.
Manufacturer Installation
While there are end-to-end providers out there, MidKnight Solar utilizes a business model that differs from the norm.
Whereas MidKnight Solar does the initial heavy lifting, providing consulting and insights into how to have a more energy-efficient home, the solar manufacturer takes over the installation portion of the process.
Because of this, clients that work with MidKnight Solar can expect to have a longer installation scope: closer to 3-4 months rather than the typical 2-3 month turnaround for the State of Florida.
In short, MidKnight Solar does not have an in-house team for installation and relies on the manufacturer's technicians. If at any point in your solar system's lifetime you need warranty work, it would be with the solar manufacturer; but you can still reach out to MidKnight Solar and a representative will advocate in your best interest.
There is a space and need for energy efficiency consulting, and MidKnight Solar offers a different approach than most within the solar industry. MidKnight Solar provides personal and customized energy consulting and upgrades to Floridians looking to reduce their carbon footprint and slash monthly energy bills.
Despite offering a valuable consultation service, we need to acknowledge the limitations to what MidKnight Solar offers. Install timelines might be lengthy depending on the volume of the manufacturer's solar system sales, since the installation is performed by the manufacturer. Warranty repairs are assigned with the manufacture and service tickets will need to be submitted to them.
A solar company can sound great on paper, but sometimes customers' installation experiences don't always match the quality promised. So we consider MidKnight Solar's customer reviews.
While we await more customer reviews to come in, the customer reviews we have confirm the successful accomplishment of MidKnight Solar's goal to provide continued customer service and a positive relationship between company and customer. As a result, we recommend MidKnight Solar to Florida residents seeking energy efficiency in conjunction with solar.
