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Alex Hawkins is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. He has worked on consumer surveys with over 5,000 homeowners, conducted in-depth interviews with solar and windows industry experts and has experienced ride-alongs with professional window installers. His work has also been featured on This Old House, MarketWatch and Architectural Digest. Alex has a Masters in English language and literature from Texas Tech University but now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. In his free time, Alex explores the Smoky Mountains or publishes video essays and book reviews on his YouTube channel.
Many Americans are considering solar power to meet their residential energy needs. Our October 2023 survey of 1,000 solar customers revealed that 54% were concerned with saving money through solar panels.
Trinity Solar leads the pack in our ratings by providing one of the best customer support networks with high-quality solar panel installations, and Elevation is close behind, thanks to its impressive solar services catalog. If upfront cost isn’t your primary factor, you might favor SunPower, which comes in third thanks to its top-performing, highly efficient solar panels.
We’ve reviewed more than a dozen national and regional solar providers against our methodology that prioritizes the services and features important to homeowners. We evaluated each company’s history, panel options, installation process, customer service reputation and more. We interviewed solar experts, surveyed residential solar customers and conducted a detailed analysis of solar warranties.
Some go-to factors, such as industry certifications and robust warranties, determine what makes a quality solar installer. Before contacting providers for quotes, you also want to ensure you understand the most vital components of a solar energy system, such as inverters and panels.
Our rating methodology evaluates solar companies across factors that relate to its customer satisfaction, its suite of service options, and financing and warranty practices. Here are our top-rated solar installers.
What we like
Trinity Solar’s focus on providing high-quality solar panel installation and monitoring services is commendable. Although the company doesn’t disclose the brand of solar panels it primarily uses, customer reviews indicate that it has used Qcells. Trinity operates more locally than a larger provider such as SunPower by limiting its service area. This makes its staff more knowledgeable regarding local tax incentives and rebates.
The company only hires NABCEP-certified installers, which is a testament to Trinity’s commitment to quality. Overall, we like that Trinity gives you access to the portfolio and experience of a major national solar installer, but that it also makes you feel like you’re hiring a local company.
What we don’t like
We aren’t fond of Trinity’s labor warranty. Most of Trinity’s warranties are in line with industry standards. For instance, the company offers a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty and a power production guarantee. However, Trinity’s workmanship warranty only lasts five years, which is shorter than the workmanship warranties offered by many other providers. Most providers offer at least a 10-year labor warranty.
Like Elevation, the specific solar panel brand Trinity provides for you depends on the supply chain in the area. Trinity collaborates with various solar panel manufacturers to provide high-efficiency, monocrystalline solar panels with an average life span of 25–40 years and efficiency rates of up to 20.6%.
Our research indicates that Trinity has supplied Qcells solar panels, a well-known and reliable brand in the solar panel industry. Other major providers, such as Tesla, use Qcells for their solar projects.
Through our October 2023 survey of 30 Trinity customers, we discovered that the average price is $11,253 for solar panel installation through the company. This price is highly competitive compared to the average installation cost of other providers on this list and within the solar industry in general.
Trinity offers all possible financing options for going solar:
Trinity has an A+ rating and accreditation from BBB. However, its customer rating is only 2.65 out of 5 stars. Trinity is highly responsive to all the reviews, except for the most recent one. It’s worth noting that Trinity’s responsiveness to customer reviews is not common in the solar industry. There is a similar mixed rating on the company’s Trustpilot page.
Most negative comments revolve around aggressive sales tactics, such as spam calls, and frustration around long wait times for even follow-up repairs. All positive reviews mention the professionalism and personability of Trinity’s customer support team and the tools the company provides to contact them.
Elevation is an excellent solar installation company to accomplish as many energy-efficiency upgrades as possible. The company focuses on providing premium, monocrystalline solar panels. Monocrystalline panels currently offer the best market performance, with average efficiency rates between 15% and 20%. Additionally, Elevation focuses on installing microinverters, which further boosts a system’s performance by converting solar energy into usable electricity right at each panel rather than relying on an inverter near a junction box to do so.
Elevation offers a service called Elevated Home, which is one of its most impressive offerings. The service can help reduce energy consumption in your entire home. It includes smart energy monitoring, duct sealing and a home performance assessment, also known as a home energy audit. An Elevation representative visits your home and checks for issues such as air leakage, insulation or sealing, drafts, poor air quality and renewable energy options. The company claims that an energy audit can reduce wasted energy by 10% or more, resulting in more long-term savings on your energy bills.
We also like that Elevation maintains a relationship with Energy Star’s Home Performance with Energy Star program, which includes a network of trusted partners and contractors to help complete these improvements and local utility companies in areas it serves. According to JD Dillon, chief marketing officer at Tigo Energy, these partnerships are a significant benefit. He shared that utilities aren’t always prepared or helpful with renewable energy efforts, so finding solar installers that develop close and amicable relationships with utilities saves you from some frustration.
The most significant downsides to Elevation we encountered were during our customer review analysis. Some customers mentioned delayed installation and having to reschedule frequently. Though Elevation focuses on providing premium monocrystalline solar panels, the company relies on the local supply chain to determine the specific solar panels you receive. This is a downside if you have a particular solar panel brand you wish to use, but it’s also not an uncommon practice with solar companies.
As mentioned above, the specific brand of solar panel you receive with Elevation depends on the supply chain at the time. The company only provides monocrystalline solar panels, giving you the highest average efficiency possible. Additionally, we like that Elevation focuses primarily on installing microinverters with its panels.
You can also hire Elevation for solar battery installation. The specific battery depends on the supply chain, but the company shares that it has previously installed the Tesla Powerwall and Generac PWRcell.
According to our October 2023 survey, Elevation customers were quoted roughly $11,507 on average for their solar panel systems. This price places Elevation toward the more cost-friendly end of the spectrum compared to recent reports from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, stating the average cost for a 6-kilowatt (kW) system would be $18,960.
Elevation offers only full purchase and solar loan options for solar panel installation.
Elevation features an A+ rating and accreditation with Better Business Bureau (BBB), and it holds a favorable customer rating of 3.98 out of 5 stars. As mentioned earlier, some reviews mention difficulty with scheduling and delays, but many others note the helpful customer service staff and quality installations. Many customers were impressed with Elevation’s follow-up calls and check-ins.
SunPower is a well-known company that produces exceptional solar panels through Maxeon. Some of its panels have reached as high as 30% efficiency. The company also manufactures and offers its own solar backup battery, SunVault. This lithium-ion battery can store energy from solar panels, providing you with more energy independence and backup power.
We recognize SunPower as the best solar company for efficiency due to its in-house manufacturing and integration of these components, which means you can rely on fewer parts and brands to assemble a high-efficiency system.
The company provides a smartphone application to monitor and control your system from anywhere, enhancing your ability to maximize your system’s performance. SunPower has an extensive network of certified dealers and installers, making access to its products easier, although availability varies by ZIP code.
When dealing with a large corporation like SunPower, there may be some downsides to customer service. Our research has shown that some SunPower locations have better customer review scores than others, so your experience may vary depending on the location you deal with. SunPower also tends to have higher pricing than other solar installers, and it only provides installation services for its products.
However, the company does offer high-end technology and efficient ratings that many other solar companies may be unable to match. While other smaller companies provide similar products and services, SunPower may still be a good option for those prioritizing advanced technology and efficiency.
SunPower has a close partnership with Maxeon to install solar panels that can reach up to 30% efficiency. The company focuses on installing microinverters to use less space and create a more seamless solar energy system rather than having a large, unsightly mounting system that gets in the way of your home’s style.
According to Will White, solar application specialist at the Fluke Corporation, this option yields better performance results. He shared, “The main situation where module efficiency should be considered is when installation space is limited.” He also mentioned considering the annual energy generated per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Access to direct sunlight, shading, dust, debris and roof orientation all impact how much energy modules can capture and their efficiency in producing electricity.
In October 2023, we surveyed 167 SunPower customers and found that they paid an average of $11,267 for their SunPower systems. Our survey also revealed that SunPower had higher maximum prices than other brands we surveyed, with some homeowners paying well over $30,000 for their system. SunPower’s pricing is reasonable, depending on the specifics of your project.
You receive access to all possible payment methods with SunPower:
SunPower’s headquarters’ BBB profile features an A+ rating and accreditation from the site. SunPower has a high customer review score of 3.91 out of 5 stars. It’s important to note that if you visit multiple SunPower BBB profiles, some may have lower scores than others, including the headquarters page. Positive reviews highlight excellent system performance and quality installation builds.
Negative reviews focus on SunPower’s lack of warranty fulfillment and general customer support. Although many of the recent reviews for SunPower are negative, the company responds to 90% of the reviews on the site, which shows its willingness to work with each customer. Compared to other companies we reviewed, this is a high response rate. Unfortunately, like other large companies, automated calls and long wait times are a central issue you might encounter with SunPower.
We like that Palmetto Solar offers a comprehensive system protection plan. It’s one of the few companies to offer a protection plan and provide various contact methods to make it easier for you to get system and account assistance. It offers different levels of protection for various extra monthly fees, but its Premium plan provides 25-year panel, 12-year inverter, 10-year workmanship and 5-year roof penetration warranties paired with active remote diagnosis and troubleshooting. This perk means you receive active monitoring on your system, so if anything goes wrong, it is quickly handled and protected.
In addition to some of the most comprehensive active monitoring and protection we’ve seen, Palmetto focuses on providing quality solar panels from Qcells and other reputable manufacturers. The company also offers a wide range of solar services. It can conduct energy efficiency audits, EV charger and panel system installations.
Though its active monitoring is some of the best we’ve seen, the service unfortunately costs an additional monthly fee. The more comprehensive active monitoring plan, Premium, costs an extra $49 per month, whereas many other solar companies include active monitoring benefits within this plan for free.
Although you can pay extra for additional support, Palmetto’s customer support is unavailable 24/7. The company limits its customer service hours to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST on weekdays, and it closes at 5 p.m. EST on Saturdays. The company is completely closed on Sundays. Other solar providers feature more extended hours and 24/7 support.
Palmetto uses premium solar panels with efficiency rates greater than 19%. Although the company doesn’t disclose the exact panel brands, it’s known that it focuses on providing all-black, monocrystalline panels. Therefore, you still receive the best average energy production. Our research showed that Palmetto has previously used Qcells and REC panels and SolarEdge microinverters.
Our survey showed that the company features slightly higher average pricing than other providers on this list, with the average quote landing around $12,169. Though this is still a competitive price compared to national averages, Palmetto charged the highest average cost.
You can use Palmetto’s many financing options to determine the best possible payment method. The company offers the following:
Palmetto features an overall positive reputation across popular review sites. The company’s BBB page features an A+ rating and accreditation with a 3.73 out of 5 star customer score. Positive reviews mention Palmetto’s customer service representatives being helpful and informative. They also describe how the company strives to make the installation process as smooth and transparent as possible.
Unfortunately, some customers mention challenges with receiving the estimated production with their quotes and feeling like their system is not up to par. We noticed similar mixed experiences across various Reddit threads for the company’s East Coast locations. These customers also mention how the company seems to push for leasing and PPAs rather than full system ownership.
Like Palmetto, Sunrun stands out from other solar companies by providing extra protection to its customers. When you lease a solar panel system from Sunrun, you get a BrightSave insurance policy included in the leasing plan. This policy protects your solar panel system against theft or damage, giving you peace of mind.
Sunrun offers a comprehensive 25-year system warranty that covers replacement and repairs, as well as 24/7 monitoring. This warranty is much more extensive than the industry standard 10-year labor warranty, providing you with more coverage for your investment.
Sunrun primarily focuses on leasing. Although the company still offers solar loans and full purchase payment options, these plans offer fewer additional perks. This dynamic makes Sunrun less appealing if you want more financial gain from a solar panel system, which loans and full purchases allow.
A solar lease may not be your best option if you care about getting a cost-effective solar panel system. This is because a solar lease doesn’t allow you to use tax incentives or rebates, which are perks that typically make solar panel systems more cost-effective.
Sunrun is one of the many solar energy providers that install monocrystalline solar panels made by various manufacturers. However, the brand of solar panels you receive may vary depending on your location. Sunrun hires third-party contractors to complete its solar energy system installations and engages different contractors in each state. While this service model is standard for the solar industry, some providers offer in-house installers, which adds a layer of care and security that Sunrun misses.
Sunrun offers competitive pricing according to our survey of 1,000 solar customers, which included nine previous Sunrun customers across the U.S. The survey revealed that the average cost for a Sunrun system is $11,800.
Sunrun has a unique full-mount leasing plan where you pay a large amount upfront, which is your current electricity rate for 25 years. You can then lock in that amount for that time frame. However, Sunrun maintains ownership of the system, which means you can’t use solar incentives.
Sunrun doesn’t offer a PPA outright because its full-amount lease is similar to the payment option. It offers four other options:
Sunrun features an A+ rating and accreditation from BBB. It has a 3.7 out of 5 star customer rating, with many positive reviews mentioning helpful customer service representatives and solar experts.
Some critical reviews mention struggles with roofing projects and transferring contracts between homeowners. Sunrun responded to 100% of the reviews we analyzed, both positive and negative. Compared to other providers, Sunrun is more interactive and responsive.
Checking for proper certifications, knowing what your home needs from a solar energy system, and being aware of solar incentives and typical cost factors will help you make an informed decision when hiring a solar company.
First, you’ll want to ensure you’re dealing with a legitimate solar installation company. As Will White shared during our interview, the solar industry is just now starting to become standardized, with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) developing 11 new solar and energy storage standards. The first is planned for publication in early 2024 and will lay the foundation for solar training standardization across the industry.
You can ensure the installer you’re dealing with is legit by checking for the following:
You should know what constitutes a solar energy system. You might know that solar panels are vital components, but it helps you to understand other possible components a solar power system can employ and their use cases. Here are some common elements of a solar energy system and what they do.
Integrating an electronic vehicle (EV) charger with a solar panel system involves connecting the charging station to the electrical system where the solar-generated electricity is stored or used. This setup allows electric vehicles to charge directly using the power generated by solar panels, reducing your reliance on grid electricity.
Solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity, while most homes use alternating current (AC) electricity. The inverter converts the DC electricity generated by the solar panels into AC electricity, which you can use to power household appliances and devices.
This device measures the amount of electricity generated by solar panels and a household’s overall energy consumption. In grid-tied systems, it helps track the flow of electricity to and from the grid. If you want to take advantage of net metering programs, you’ll want to ask about this component, as it helps determine your energy usage, which affects how much credit you receive.
All solar energy systems require inverters, but many installers offer microinverters as an optional upgrade. Microinverters perform the same function as standard inverters but are installed on each panel, enabling independent operation. This means that the output of one panel won’t affect the output of other panels in the system. Overall, microinverters provide better performance and increased efficiency. They typically cost more than standard central inverters, though.
These structures support and hold the solar panels in place and are typically installed on the roof of a house or the ground. An installer might also refer to this part of the system as the racking system. Some mounting systems appear more unsightly than others, so if you wonder how a solar panel system might throw off your home’s style, be sure to ask what mounting system options an installer offers.
Some solar energy systems include batteries to store excess electricity generated during the day for later use, such as at night or on cloudy days when solar panel production is reduced. Batteries allow for greater energy independence and can provide backup power in case of outages. Solar batteries are often optional components for a system as they help you if you want to take advantage of net metering or want to use solar energy during nighttime or power outages. Unfortunately, solar batteries sometimes cost as much as a solar panel system, but 58% of the 1,000 solar customers we surveyed opted to purchase one.
It pays to know the common solar services when navigating the quote process. You should generally expect the following from the most reputable solar installers.
According to our survey conducted in October 2023, the national average cost of solar panel installation is $11,734. The price of a solar panel installation depends on factors such as location, availability of sunlight, roof orientation, shading and system size.
The other significant portion of your solar journey that determines overall cost-effectiveness is your financing option. All the companies on this list provide the standard solar financing options, but full purchases and solar loans are more cost-effective than solar leases or PPAs. The difference is due to who owns the solar panel system with these options.
JD Dillon explained it well during our interview. When you opt for a PPA or lease, he said, “Somebody else owns the equipment that’s on your roof, and you’re buying power from that. [The option] seems attractive because it’s zero down. I think it’s got a hidden challenge that most homeowners don’t know about, which is when you go to sell your house.” He explained that not only would a potential homebuyer have to qualify for a loan on your home, but they would also have to qualify for the lease or PPA on the solar panel system.
He mentioned that he’s known real estate agents to completely avoid homeowners who don’t own the solar panel system because of this problem. He concluded, “If you can buy it and own it, that’s the best scenario.” This hidden challenge is in addition to the fact that leases and PPAs don’t let you qualify for tax incentives or achieve a payback period with your panels. Roughly 57% of solar customers we surveyed opted to purchase their system in its entirety because of these challenges.
If you can buy it and own it, that’s the best scenario. JD Dillon
If you can buy it and own it, that’s the best scenario.
Here is a rundown of the most common payment methods and what they entail:
Solar incentives are various financial benefits, tax credits, rebates and programs offered by governments, utilities and other entities to encourage the adoption of solar energy systems. These incentives aim to make solar power more accessible, affordable and attractive for homeowners, businesses and organizations. The following solar incentives are available:
Trinity Solar sets the bar high with its affordability and services and is our top choice for a solar installation company. The company is the best for ongoing customer support, and it maintains a positive customer reputation by using quality solar panel brands and certified installers.
Elevation is your go-to if you’re primarily concerned about getting as many energy upgrades as possible. SunPower is a fine choice if your priority is panel performance and you want the most optimized system possible. The company’s close relationship with Maxeon has helped it make a name for itself due to its efficiency rates breaking most averages.
We encourage you to get at least three quotes from solar companies that service your home’s address. This approach lets you take the time to closely compare pricing, warranty coverage and service options against your budget and energy goals.
You benefit most from working with a solar installer that is responsive and transparent and that offers a breadth of service options. We evaluate solar installers on a variety of key factories, including their customer service, breadth of services, consultation process, website experience, panel quality, payment options, financing availability and warranty coverage.
We rate and compare solar installers using our in-depth methodology. Installers are scored out of 100, and we then divide the final score by 20 to get the 5-star rating we include in our reviews.
BBB information is current as of March 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
Many Americans are considering solar power to meet their residential energy needs. Our October 2023 survey of 1,000 solar customers revealed that 54% were concerned with saving money through solar panels. Trinity Solar leads the pack in our ratings by providing one of the best customer support networks with high-quality solar panel installations, and Elevation…
Palmetto Solar is an excellent option for going solar — depending on your priorities. If you care about treating your solar panel system as an investment and desire financial flexibility, Palmetto is for you. The company provides some of the most comprehensive active monitoring and ongoing protection we’ve seen from any of the popular solar…
Elevation stands out for its extensive solar service catalog and in-house installation crews. With industry-standard warranties and full-ownership payment methods, Elevation’s service selection can fulfill your solar needs for an affordable price. Although Elevation has some reports of delays and scheduling difficulties, the company appears responsive to reviews and extends help for complaints. We don’t…
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