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Direct Energy Solar

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Direct Energy Solar Reviews

3.3

46% would recommend to a friend

(70 total reviews)

Dung Tran

69% approve of CEO

27% positive business outlook

Direct Energy Solar has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 70 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Direct Energy Solar employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Energy, mining, utilities industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

70 reviews
2.0
Aug 14, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The benefits package is pretty good, base pay is good. My immediate managers are competent. work schedule is reasonable to an extent (lots to do, but 40 hr week is still the norm)

Cons

When I started here, things were much simpler and it was relatively easy to do the job. Our methods and tools were reliable, and the install crews were competent and seemed happy in their work. I was happy to work here as it seemed like an effective company doing good in the world. After we were acquired by Direct Energy this has happened: Recent layoffs and location closings. Project leads are increasingly under pressure to do work that was usually the responsibility of sales or contract admins. The tools used for these tasks are error prone, causing significant delays in the process. Additionally we are facing the risk of losing good electricians and installers due to a new pay system. That system is convoluted and seems likely to drive away prospective talent. I can't do my job if the people I rely on walk out. Stressful environment and the pace of negative changes has had a significant effect on my emotional well being.

3.0
Aug 14, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fast growing company in a fast growing industry. A lot of the people that work at Astrum are friendly and have great ideas on how to grow as company/industry. Astrum was just purchased by the very large energy retail and services company Direct Energy so the futures looks even brighter.

Cons

Biggest CON is compensation, employees are not compensated enough for the amount of time they put into the rapidly growing company, whether through salary or poorly designed bonus programs it just doesn't add up. This should change with the influx of money coming from Direct Energy. Hoping the weak benefits/vacation packages will change for the better too.

4.0
Apr 9, 2016

Integration challenges mostly surmounted - sunny skies ahead

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My coworkers at the Columbia, MD HQ, and throughout our geographic footprint, are committed and resilient, and truly care about advancing the solar industry safely and profitably. They are also a fun bunch, with many who enjoy actively contributing to philanthropic efforts, and to frequently unwinding and enjoying their follow colleagues in non-working cultural events. It's a fun and smart group!

Cons

The geographic diversity of a good number of our core senior/executive management makes it difficult to establish that high degree of trust that's critical for overall cultural "buy in" for our solar company, which directly leads to high performance, as we've gone through the sometimes painful process of integration within our parent company. It would be ideal if they could all be based at the Columbia, MD office and be there most weeks out of the month. Remote leadership is a tough nut to crack. It would also be ideal if our shared services leadership, and parent company executive leadership, perhaps better understood/sympathized with the acute stresses of integrating at the pace we have. Despite a challenging and uber-competitive industry landscape, it would be ideal to see more of a commitment to work/life balance in our benefits and policies as we continue to grow and evolve dynamically.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 70 Reviews

Glassdoor has 70 Direct Energy Solar reviews submitted anonymously by Direct Energy Solar employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Direct Energy Solar is right for you.