Key Takeaways:
- Look for the correct type of solar company: Avoid intermediary “solar providers” and look for full-service solar installation companies with local expertise.
- Evaluate and shortlist the best local full-service solar companies serving your area: Good, reputable solar companies will have proven experience, a strong reputation built over time, an in-house installation team, quality products, and comprehensive warranties.
- Compare multiple quotes and pick the best solar company: Use your shortlist to compare quotes. Eliminate the highest and lowest bids. With the remaining quotes, focus on value rather than price. Based on your research, choose the solar company that provides you with the most confidence and value.
- BONUS: 10 questions to ask solar companies to help you choose.
Why Choosing the Right Solar Installation Company Matters
Solar panels can be an excellent investment in reducing energy costs and increasing home energy independence. However, selecting the right solar energy company can mean the difference between long-term satisfaction with substantial savings and a decision you might regret.
Choosing the right solar company is important because it ensures your system is designed and installed safely and efficiently, maximizing energy production. The right company ensures safe and efficient system design and installation, maximizes energy production, and provides quality equipment and workmanship. Reliable companies also offer strong customer support and warranties, ensuring compliance with regulations and minimizing future maintenance issues.
Having helped thousands of homeowners go solar over the years, we understand how intimidating it can be to shop for a company you can trust. That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you identify, assess, and pick the right solar company for your home!
Look for the Right Type of Solar Company
Don’t be overwhelmed by the different types of solar companies in the solar industry. If you’re looking for a turnkey solar panel system, work directly with a full-service company with extensive experience installing solar panels locally in your area. This will help you avoid unnecessary intermediary costs, project delays, and headaches.
If you’re looking for a turnkey solar panel system, work directly with a full-service company with extensive experience installing solar panels in your area.
Full-Service Solar Companies (Recommended)
Full-service solar providers offer turnkey solutions. They manage every aspect of the solar installation process, from the initial consultation, site assessment, and system design to the installation, system monitoring, and ongoing monitoring and maintenance. This type of solar company offers a more seamless experience for homeowners. They also handle permitting, inspections, and solar financing options, making them a one-stop shop for all your solar needs.
Solar Installers
A quality installation significantly impacts your satisfaction with a solar system, and while all “full-service” solar companies are also considered solar installers, some outsource the installation to subcontractors. Despite managing the project and providing comprehensive services, these companies rely on third parties to complete the physical solar panel installation, leaving you uncertain who will do the work and their experience level. The best solar installers handle everything, including solar installations in-house.
National vs Local Full-Service Providers
When looking for a full-service solar panel installation company, you’ll likely encounter both national and local companies. For a more reliable transition to renewable energy, we highly recommend choosing a local solar company that employs its own installation team and has extensive experience in designing and installing solar energy systems tailored to your state’s regulations, incentives, and geographical and environmental needs. This recommendation is based on the following.
- Local Solar Companies: Provide personalized service and local expertise, ensuring optimized installations. These companies have experience working with state and county regulations, incentives, and local utility companies, relying on their community reputation and word-of-mouth for business.
- National Solar Companies: Large national companies were once thought to be more reliable for longevity of support, but this hasn’t been the case. Even SunPower, considered one of the top national solar companies, is on the verge of closing. Outside of that, projects with national companies often progress slowly, as solar panel system installations are generally outsourced to independent contractors, and subsequently, the quality of installation can vary significantly depending on the subcontractor, state and city you’re located in.
Look Out for Intermediaries
Be careful of solar industry intermediaries to keep your project moving quickly and avoid inflated markups from middlemen. While searching for a solar installer, here are some of the different types of intermediaries you may encounter.
- Solar Brokers & Dealers: Independent professionals or companies that serve as go-betweens for customers interested in solar energy and solar installers or equipment providers. They provide you with a solar assessment, design, and proposal but will outsource the solar panel installation.
- Lead Generation Companies: Businesses specializing in marketing to acquire potential customers interested in solar energy systems. They collect your information and sell it to other solar installers or brokers.
PRO TIP: Before filling out forms or providing your personal information to get a solar quote, ensure the solar company uses its own staff for solar panel installation. Other good indicators of legitimacy can be pictures of their team on their website or the ability to visit their headquarters.
Evaluate and Shortlist the Best Solar Companies Near You
Knowing the type of solar company to seek out, it’s time to create a shortlist of the 4 best solar panel installers in your area to collect and compare quotes from. Below is how to identify a good, reputable solar company and what key traits to evaluate before requesting a quote.
Hallmarks of a Good Solar Company
Excellent Reputation Built Over Time
A company’s reputation is a strong indicator of its reliability and quality. Look for reviews on platforms like Google, SolarReviews, and the Better Business Bureau. Positive reviews and high ratings reflect customer satisfaction and trustworthiness. Find companies that have developed and maintained high customer ratings over time. Companies with hundreds of 5-star reviews over multiple years indicate they’re in it for the long run and take customer service seriously.
Proven Experience and Local Expertise
The residential solar industry is still relatively young but look for companies that have been in business for at least five years with hundreds of systems installed in your state and experience in your county. Finding a solar company that’s been operating for more than a few years is a good indicator that it will be around in the future to provide continued support, maintenance, and honor system guarantees.
Licensed and Certified Solar Panel Installer
All solar companies must hold the required solar licenses for their state of operation. However, accreditations from organizations like the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) or top-tier certifications from leading solar manufacturers, such as Tesla Certified Solar Roof Installer, Enphase Platinum Installer, or REC Solar Certified Professional, serve as strong indicators of credibility and quality. Having invested in building premium brands, these manufacturers are selective in awarding their highest certifications. They require extensive training, consistent delivery of high-quality installations, and exceptional customer service from their certified partners to maintain their brand reputation.
In-House Installation Team
We’ve touched on this throughout this guide, but it’s extremely important to know who’s installing your system. The best solar companies handle everything, including solar installation, in-house. This keeps your project moving quickly and helps guarantee high-quality workmanship and accountability.
High-Quality Solar Equipment
The quality of solar panels and other components significantly affects the performance and lifespan of your system. Research the brands and equipment types used by the company. Opt for companies that offer high-efficiency, tier-1 solar panels, and durable equipment from reputable manufacturers. Quality solar panels can not only provide you with better long-term ROI from their efficiency and reliability but often have better warranties for longer periods of time.
Comprehensive Warranties
A reputable solar installer will offer warranties that extend beyond the manufacturer and equipment. They will provide extensive coverage that ensures long-term protection for equipment, installation, and power production for at least 20 years, with more extended warranties offering superior value. Good comprehensive warranties ensure your investment is protected for at least the duration of the warranty and should include:
- Solar panels and inverter or micro inverter warranty: Covering any defects, equipment failures, or premature degradation.
- Workmanship warranty: Covering any issues caused during the installation process or labor needed to replace panels or product parts in the future.
- Roof penetration warranty: Covering any damage caused to your roof by a solar energy system being installed.
- Power production guarantee or performance guarantee: This guarantees that the panels will produce the amount of power promised by the solar installer throughout the warranty period.
Flexible Financing Options
Solar systems can be a significant investment, but various financing options make them more affordable. Inquire about the company’s loans, leases, and power purchase agreements (PPAs). Compare these options to find the best financial arrangement for your situation.
Compare Quotes and Choose
Now, you should have quotes from at least 4 of the best full-service local solar companies in your state. Ensure that quotes are comprehensive, covering all aspects of the installation, including equipment, labor, permits, and any additional fees. Pricing may feel straightforward, but comparing quotes isn’t always apples to apples. Here’s how to compare the quotes, what to consider, and how to pick the best company for your home.
Focus On Value Over Price
Don’t just choose the cheapest option. Consider the overall value, including equipment quality, warranties, and expected savings.
Energy Production Estimates
Look at the estimated annual energy production (kWh) your system will generate. Compare this to your average annual energy consumption to gauge how much of your electricity needs the system will offset.
Warranty & Guarantees
Compare warranties on panels, inverters, and workmanship. Longer warranties generally indicate higher quality and reflect the solar panel installation company’s confidence in its systems and services.
Eliminate the Outliers
Discard quotes that are significantly higher or lower than the average. Tossing out the outliers helps you narrow down your choices and also helps:
- Avoid Low-Quality Offers: Extremely low quotes may indicate subpar materials, inexperienced installers, or hidden costs that could compromise the quality and longevity of your solar installation.
- Prevents Overpayment: Extremely high quotes might not necessarily offer better quality or service. They could simply reflect an inflated price without corresponding benefits.
Pick the Solar Company that Best Meets Your Needs
In deciding between the remaining companies, prioritize those with better reputations, superior equipment, and warranties. If their estimates are within 5% of each other, go with the one you have the most confidence in. Since this is a long-term investment, paying a little more for assurance is often worth the cost!
Questions to Ask Solar Installation Companies
Ask solar panel installation companies these questions to help you decide on which company to work with.
- How long have you been in business?
- Do you have your own installation team?
- How many solar systems has your company installed in my state?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- What certifications do your installers have?
- What type of solar panels do you use?
- Can you provide a free, detailed quote?
- What financing options do you offer?
- What warranties and guarantees do you provide?
- Can you walk me through your entire installation process?
- How do you handle permits and inspections?
- What is your installation timeline?
- Do you offer maintenance and support services?
