Top 6 Best Solar Companies (Ranked & Reviewed)
Note: In July 2024, SunPower notified dealers it would be halting all new shipments and project installations. The company also noted it would “no longer be supporting new Leases and PPA sales nor new project installations of these financing options.”
Jump To: Top Solar Companies of 2023 | Bottom Line | Finding a Solar Installer | Methodology | FAQ
In this EcoWatch guide on the top solar companies, you’ll learn:
- Who the leading solar companies are
- How we evaluated each solar company
- What to look for in a solar company
- How to find the right solar company for you
EcoWatch has helped thousands of homeowners go solar by helping them find the best providers for their needs, while also saving time and money.
Compare Top Solar Companies of 2023
- SunPower: Best National Provider
- Momentum Solar: Top Regional Provider
- Blue Raven Solar: Most Flexible Solar Financing
- Palmetto: Top Customer Service
- ADT Solar: Superior Warranty Coverage
- Trinity Solar: Solar Veteran
Solar Company | EcoWatch Award | EcoWatch Rating | Avg Cost | Service Area |
SunPower | Best National | 5/5 | $$$$$ | All 50 States |
Momentum Solar | Top Regional | 4.5/5 | $$$ | 11 States |
Blue Raven Solar | Most Flexible Financing | 4.5/5 | $$ | 17 States |
Palmetto | Top Customer Service | 4.0/5 | $$$ | 24 States |
ADT Solar | Superior Warranty Coverage | 4.0/5 | $$$ | 21 States |
Trinity Solar | SolarVeteran | 4.0/5 | $$$ | 9 states |
SunPower
San Jose, California-based SunPower offers the largest solar coverage in the nation, the most advanced equipment and unbeatable warranty coverage throughout the entire U.S.
Why We Chose SunPower
SunPower designs and installs industry-leading residential solar and storage solutions across all 50 states. With a storied history of innovation dating back to 1985, no other company on this list can match SunPower’s experience and expertise.
SunPower earns its position as the top national installer on our list for a handful of reasons: It installs the most efficient solar technology on the residential market, offers the most expansive service area and backs its installations with a warranty well above the industry standard. All the while, SunPower pioneers sustainability efforts within the industry.
If that weren’t enough, SunPower systems come packaged with products all manufactured in-house by its sister company, Maxeon. This means that your panels, solar cells, inverters, battery and EV chargers are designed to work together and are all covered under the same warranty.
SunPower’s biggest downside? Its high-efficiency panels are considerably more expensive than most of its competitors’ products. However, its powerful panels are workhorses that make up for the initial cost with more backend production (think about this like spending more money for a car that gets more miles per gallon).
SunPower Pros
- Offers the most efficient solar panels on the market
- National coverage
- Each part of system is covered by the same, all-inclusive 25-year warranty
SunPower Cons
- SunPower systems carry the highest initial price tag
- Limited to SunPower/Maxeon technology only
SunPower Facts & Figures
EcoWatch Rating | 5 |
Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating | A+ |
Year Founded | 1985 |
Service Area | All 50 states |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) | $$$$$ |
Solar Services | Solar panel, solar battery and EV charger installations |
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered | SunPower (manufactured by Maxeon) |
Financing Options | Cash payments, loans, leases, power purchase agreements (PPAs) |
Warranty Coverage | 25-year manufacturer, workmanship and power production warranties |
Learn More: SunPower Solar Review
Momentum Solar
Momentum Solar focuses its efforts on making the switch to clean energy as accessible, practical and effective for homeowners as possible. With simple services and an easy process, it’s hard to find a better provider if you live in Momentum’s region.
Why We Chose Momentum Solar
Though Momentum’s service area seems small in comparison to the other names on this list, it restricts its growth intentionally, choosing to operate in states with favorable net metering programs and other effective solar incentives. By doing so, it ensures that customers within its service area are sure to secure a favorable and speedy return on investment (ROI), along with a smooth installation process.
It can also then focus more of its energy on service and quality than competitors with a wider national reach. Momentum offers a wide variety of financing options, virtual consultations and a start-to-finish process that remains in-house, rounding it out as one of the most effective and accessible companies for those who live in its regional coverage area.
Momentum Pros
- Prioritizes enrollment of customers in the best government solar programs available in the country
- Wide variety of solar financing plans
- Offers excellent selection of the top solar panels and energy storage systems
Momentum Cons
- Limited coverage area
- Some critical customer reviews cite overzealous sales techniques
Momentum Solar Facts & Figures
EcoWatch Rating | 4.5 |
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Founded | 2009 |
Service Area | 11 states (AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, MA, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TX) |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) | $$$ |
Solar Services | Solar panel and solar battery installations |
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered | Tier 1, monocrystalline solar panels (brands will vary based on availability but may include Q Cells, REC, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar and Canadian Solar) |
Financing Options | Cash payments, loans, leases, power purchase agreements (PPAs) |
Warranty Coverage | 25-year manufacturer and workmanship warranties |
Blue Raven Solar
Blue Raven Solar offers unique and innovative payment plans that sets it apart from other solar providers with similar services.
Why We Chose Blue Raven Solar
We like Blue Raven Solar because it understands that, for most homeowners, the cost of solar presents the biggest barrier to entry.
For that reason, Blue Raven Solar developed an innovative solar financing plan that offers in-house, flexible, zero-money-down options. The results speak for themselves, as Blue Raven Solar is now one of the fastest-growing solar companies in the nation and was recently acquired by SunPower. Its BluePower Plus+ plan (exclusive to Blue Raven) mimics the flexible structure of a lease while still providing the greatest benefits of owning your system.
Eligible homeowners enjoy 18 months of solar power before having to pay their first bill. When coupled with the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC), the initial energy savings can offset more than a third of the overall cost of a system before requiring a dollar down.
In contrast, other installers can only offer similar financing through solar leases, PPAs or third-party providers (such as Mosaic or Sunlight). Third-party loan providers can complicate the process, while opting for a loan or PPA will disqualify you from some of solar’s biggest benefits (additional property value, federal solar tax credit and local solar incentives).
Blue Raven Pros
- Offers innovative financing for budget-conscious homeowners
- Competitive prices
- Recently acquired by SunPower, bolstering its product offerings
Blue Raven Cons
- Limited services (does not offer widespread energy storage products just yet)
- Some critical customer reviews cite overzealous sales techniques
Blue Raven Solar Facts & Figures
EcoWatch Rating | 4.5 |
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Founded | 2014 |
Service Area | 17 states (CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, NC, NV, OH, OR, SC, TX, UT, VA) |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) | $$ |
Solar Services | Solar panel installations (batteries coming in 2022) |
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered | Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, SolarEdge, Silfab and SunPower |
Financing Options | Cash payments, loans |
Warranty Coverage | 25-year manufacturer warranty; 10-year workmanship warranty; two-year production guarantee |
Learn More: Blue Raven Solar Review
Palmetto
BPalmetto’s breadth of services, coupled with its Peace of Mind Protection Plan, provides unparalleled support to homeowners making the switch to solar.
Why We Chose Palmetto
Palmetto earns a spot on our list of the top solar companies because it knows that an investment in solar is complex, and it focuses on ensuring a customer understands what they’re purchasing and feels supported by its installer. It provides excellent customer service with a Peace of Mind Protection Plan, which includes real-time monitoring and responsive customer support.
Its accurate solar savings calculator lets you budget confidently for the future, and a 25-year output warranty (covering the performance of your entire system, rather than each of its individual parts) guarantees your system will perform as advertised.
Of all the companies highlighted in this article, Palmetto may also offer the most comprehensive services spanning from roof leak protection to pest abatement. Owning a home or business can be unpredictable, but Palmetto ensures that your energy needs are supported for decades after installation.
Palmetto Pros
- Large variety of services and support options
- Wide service area covers 24 states
- Makes charitable contributions to community organizations
Palmetto Cons
- Limited solar financing options
- Decentralized network of installers will vary in quality depending on location
Palmetto Solar Facts & Figures
EcoWatch Rating | 4.0 |
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Founded | 2010 |
Service Area | 24 states (AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MS, NV, NJ, NM, NC, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TX, VA, WI) |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) | $$$ |
Solar Services | Solar panel and solar battery installations; energy-efficiency upgrades; maintenance and repairs |
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered | Q Cells, Tesla, SolarEdge |
Financing Options | Cash payments, loans |
Warranty Coverage | 25-year manufacturer and workmanship warranties (optional Peace of Mind Protection Plan) |
ADT Solar
ADT Solar (formerly Sunpro Solar) is an established name in the solar industry, raising the bar for what a solar warranty should cover.
Why We Chose ADT Solar
ADT Solar sets the industry standard for warranty coverage by including a multifaceted guarantee, making it one of the top installers for homeowners who want added peace of mind.
Its warranty coverage includes all of the following for 25 years:
- Power Production Guarantee: Also known as a performance guarantee, this ensures your solar system will produce the amount of electricity that’s outlined in your proposal, or ADT will write you a check for the difference.
- Labor Guarantee: This covers any issues with the installation of your system and is also known as a workmanship warranty.
- Panel Module Performance Guarantee: This is what ADT Solar refers to the manufacturer warranty as, and it ensures that any manufacturing defects are repaired or your ineffective panels replaced.
- Enphase Microinverters Guarantee: This backs the performance of your inverters.
Though in recent years other solar companies have started to offer similar guarantees, ADT Solar has been at it since 2008, performing over 30,000 installations across the country.
ADT Pros
- Industry-leading warranty coverage
- Wide service area that covers 21 states
- Offers price-match guarantee for equal products and benefits
ADT Cons
- Limited solar financing options
- Has run into issues with communication as a result of its size
ADT Solar Facts & Figures
EcoWatch Rating | 4.0 |
BBB Rating | A |
Year Founded | 2010 |
Service Area | 21 states (AZ, AR, CA, FL, GA, IL, IA, KS, LA, MS, MO, NE, NV, NM, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA) |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) | $$$ |
Solar Services | Solar panel, solar battery and EV charger installations; energy-efficiency upgrades |
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered | LG*, Tesla, Enphase and more |
Financing Options | Cash payments, loans |
Warranty Coverage | 25-year manufacturer, workmanship and power production warranties |
Learn More: ADT Solar Review
Trinity Solar
Family-owned and -operated, Trinity Solar has been installing solar, supporting community partnerships and building its reputation as a veteran in the space for 28 years.
Why We Chose Trinity Solar
Trinity Solar has been providing energy with integrity since 1994. As the largest family-owned solar provider in the industry, Trinity Solar has one of the more recognizable names in the game. It has nearly 30 years of experience, with over 80,000 installations under its belt.
Trinity has chosen to keep its service area limited to just nine states in the Northeast. This way, it can remain invested in its community and consistently deliver reliable, experienced and effective customer service.
To back this community-oriented approach, Trinity offers an excellent referral program. It pledges to contribute $100 to a charitable organization of your choice when a referral sits with a Trinity consultant; $1,000 to that organization if a referral installs solar with Trinity.
See How Trinity measures up against Momentum Solar
Trinity Solar Pros
- Family-owned and -operated business
- Flexible, $0-down financing options
- Partners with various community nonprofit organizations
Trinity Solar Cons
- Limited service area of just nine states
- Workmanship warranty only covers five years (standard is 10+)
Trinity Solar Facts & Figures
EcoWatch Rating | 4.0 |
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Founded | 1994 |
Service Area | 9 states (CT, DE, FL, MY, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI) |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) | $$$ |
Solar Services | Solar panel and solar battery installations; energy-efficiency upgrades |
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered | Q Cells, Tesla, Enphase and more |
Financing Options | Cash payments, loans, leases, PPAs |
Warranty Coverage | 25-year manufacturer warranty; five-year workmanship warranties |
Bottom Line on the Best National Solar Companies
Each of the top solar companies offers slightly different services, coverage areas and customer support. SunPower may have earned the top spot on our list, but that by no means makes it the best solar company for every homeowner.
The right installer for your needs will depend on your location, budget and your unique energy needs.
What Should You Look For When Hiring a Solar Panel Company?
So, what are the qualities you should look for when selecting the best solar installer for your home? Here’s what we recommend paying attention to:
Warranty Quality
Your warranty is one of the most important aspects of your solar energy system; each company will offer slightly different coverage.
Most installations will consist of solar products from a handful of different panel manufacturers (think one for your panels, one for your inverters and one for your battery storage, if applicable). Some of the most reputable companies will include an additional all-inclusive warranty that covers the performance of your system as a whole, rather than the functionality of each specific part.
For this reason, we encourage our readers to pay special attention to the types of warranties offered.
For more context, here’s a rundown of each type of warranty you might see, as well as what we consider to be the industry-standard length for each.
- Manufacturer’s warranty: This covers an individual part of the system against defects. For example, if you purchase REC solar panels via your installer, your panels will come with REC’s 25-year product warranty. If there is an issue with the panels, it’ll be handled by REC rather than your installer.
- Workmanship warranty: This covers the installation of the system in case of poor workmanship or a faulty installation.
- Performance warranty (also called output guarantee): This ensures your solar power system will produce the same amount of electricity estimated in your solar proposal and contract. For example, ADT Solar offers a 25-year power production guarantee.
The most reputable companies will offer manufacturer and workmanship coverage, but we recommend choosing a company that offers at least a 25-year performance guarantee as well. With this type of coverage, issues with performance can’t be offloaded to equipment manufacturers to troubleshoot, leading to costly delays.
Company’s Solar Product Offerings
Solar installers rarely manufacture their own equipment. Rather, companies will offer a handful of options and types of panels from the top solar brands (Q Cells, Silfab, Canadian Solar, etc), usually making a recommendation based on your needs.
Part of finding the right installer for you is to ask what type of solar equipment a company offers.
The most reputable solar companies will offer Tier 1, low-profile monocrystalline solar panels and at least one of the leading solar batteries (Tesla Powerwall, Enphase Encharge, LG Chem). Some companies may even offer solar roof shingles.
Knowing what products you have in mind can help narrow down your list. For example, SunPower only offers one choice of brand. If options are important to you, or you have a specific brand of panel in mind, this can help you rule it out.
Read Also: 2022’s Top Solar Generators: Buyers Guide (Updated Review Guide)
Customer Service and Reviews
There’s no better way to assess the quality of a solar provider than to hear straight from the customers it has served. Read as many customer reviews as you can find online, and ask friends, neighbors or colleagues about their experiences if they’ve installed solar.
In fact, many solar providers find new business primarily through referral networks. A strong network can be a good indicator that a company values its relationships and customer satisfaction.
Pro tip: Make sure the reviews you’re reading reference the production of the system. Some customers will post reviews after their system has been installed, but prior to when it’s actually turned on.
Accreditation and Reputation in the Solar World
A company’s reputation and accreditations can be helpful indicators of trustworthiness in the industry. Sadly, a few solar companies drag the name of the industry due to aggressive or deceptive sales tactics (Vivint Solar being a prime example).
The most reputable solar companies will hold certifications from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), which are earned through a rigorous examination of industry knowledge and safety protocols. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) may also offer insight into a company’s reputation. Keep an eye out for alerts or low response rates to complaints.
How Do You Find the Right Solar Panel Installation Company for Your Home?
Before you go searching for company reviews and certifications, you’ll want to narrow down your options by looking at a few basic factors. These can help you disqualify companies that won’t work for your home solar installation:
Availability in Your State
This first step is the simplest. Most solar companies only offer service in about 25 states at most (with the exception of SunPower). Before you reach out to a provider, make sure it covers your area.
If you live in a state where the solar industry has a larger footprint (California, Texas, Arizona, etc.), the odds are higher that you’ll have a better selection of companies to choose from. If you live in an area where the market is still developing, you’ll probably have fewer options.
Solar Costs and Financing
Each company will offer slightly different solar financing options to its customers. Though these can vary in scope, the most common ways to pay for solar will fall into these categories:
Cash Purchase | Loan | Lease | PPA | |
Upfront Payment | Full cost of the system | As little as $0 down depending on eligibility | Typically $0 | Typically $0 |
Payment Structure | Purchase in full | Fixed monthly repayments on a loan or line of credit | Fixed monthly payments | Monthly payments based on energy production |
Who Owns the System? | Homeowner | Homeowner | Installation company | Installation company |
Federal Tax Credit Eligibility | Eligible | Eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
Solar leases and PPAs, popularized by large companies like Sunrun, can be enticing but provide less value over time. Many solar installers choose not to offer leases or PPAs, citing that they don’t closely enough meet the customer’s best interests.
When looking for the right company for you, it’s advised to have an idea of how you’d like to pay for your system. That can help you narrow it down, as not all companies offer all payment options.
Check out our guide to solar financing to learn more about solar loans, leases and PPAs.
Get Free Consultations Before You Buy
We mentioned that not every company on this list will offer free consultations, but all will at least offer you some form of a free estimate. We always recommend reaching out to a handful of solar companies in order to find the right one for you.
In addition to learning more about the options that are available to you, shopping around can help you save on overall costs. You never know what companies might offer sales, discounts or special deals to help secure your business.
How Did We Select Our Top Solar Companies?
To stay impartial, our solar experts evaluated the hundreds of solar companies in our database based on the same range of criteria and assigned scores to each category, using the results to rank them and find the top six. For a more in depth look, visit our solar rankings methodology page.
The main factors we assessed include:
- Experience (15%): Companies with less than 10 years of experience are docked in this category. Most with less than five were deemed not eligible for ranking.
- Availability (15%): Providers with larger service areas score higher.
- Reputation (15%): We analyze reviews and trends on Google reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and similar review sites and assign scores accordingly.
- Warranty coverage (15%): Companies offering longer, more comprehensive warranties performed better in this category.
- Ease of purchase (20%): Companies with the most transparent, economical and practical financing options scored highest in this category.
- Solar services (20%): Providers with more comprehensive service offerings perform better in this category. We also assess the quality of the products that the provider installs.
FAQs: Top Solar Installers
At EcoWatch, we get questions all the time about the nation’s leading solar companies and how solar works. We’ve included the most frequently asked questions below, but if you have a specific query, you reach out to our solar power experts at solar@ecowatch.com.
Rooftop solar saves homeowners money on their energy usage and has proven itself to be a very economical home energy solution. However, rooftop solar will not be a feasible solution for all homeowners. Solar is more likely to save you money if you fall into the following categories:
1. You live in a state that receives average or above-average levels of sunshine
2. Your home energy consumption is high
3. Your roof can support panels, faces south or west, and receives direct sunlight
4. Your state has favorable solar policies, such as net metering laws or local rebates
Most of the top solar installation companies allow you to book virtual consultations, but not every company will offer them for free. For example, Palmetto Solar doesn’t offer virtual consultations, but it has an online calculator through which you can receive a detailed estimate of what solar might cost you and how well it could offset your energy bills and carbon footprint.
Solar increases your home value so long as you own the system rather than lease it. An energy system is an asset to your property just like any other time of home improvement. An added bonus: Most states offer property tax exemptions on the additional value that a solar energy system adds to a home. Learn more about how solar increases property value here.
High-quality solar panels are durable; you can expect them to last 25 to 30 years at least. Conservatively, we like to tell our readers to count on your panels to last 25 years, since that’s the industry standard for the length of warranty coverage offered by solar manufacturers.
It’s also worth noting that if you plan on purchasing a solar battery for energy storage, expect its lifetime to be 10 to 15 years.
Sunrun, Vivint Solar and Tesla Solar are three household names that did not make our list — and we think you deserve to know why. Though both companies score well in our availability, price and experience categories, they scored too poorly in reputation and quality of service to earn a spot among the top providers in our book.
Why We Didn’t Choose Tesla – Tesla Solar may well have earned a top spot if this list were about the top solar manufacturers (it creates high-quality photovoltaic panels as well as the Tesla Powerwall battery). However, as a solar installation company, Tesla receives consistently poor feedback from its customers. It has also dealt with lawsuits and whistleblower claims regarding defective installations that have led to fires.
Why We Didn’t Choose Sunrun or Vivint – Claiming to be the No. 1 residential solar panel installer, Sunrun operates a massive business deserving to be mentioned among the largest companies (though not necessarily the nation’s leaders). Vivint Solar, a subsidiary of Sunrun, is also a large solar company frequently named among the top provider. However, these companies both have alerts on the BBB citing reports of government actions involving business misconduct, specifically misleading marketing.