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Best Solar Companies of January 2024 – CNET

See at NRG

A solar panel install taking place on a roof A solar panel install taking place on a roof

See at Renu

An aerial view of a house with solar panels on it. An aerial view of a house with solar panels on it.

The companies providing quotes may differ from those described in our independent reviews.

What is the best overall solar company?

ADT Solar is CNET’s best solar company for 2024 for its above-average warranties, quality solar panels and solar battery choices and good customer service. The solar installers on our best list all offer quality equipment and get high customer service marks, but ADT Solar’s 25-year warranties for workmanship and protection against leaks lead the group and put it over the top. ADT Solar operates in 23 states (with seven more coming soon, it says), but if it’s not available to you, or another company makes a better offer, we’ve got details on other companies we’ve scored highly. as well.

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Include Freedom Forever in your search if you want the backing of a national company that installs a wide variety of the most popular solar equipment available. Freedom Forever also extends a couple of products that take some of the pain and risk out of going solar, like a production guarantee and an escrow option with cash purchases. Online reviews say customer satisfaction has been low of late, though the company says that’s changing.

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Tesla’s solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk’s ventures. Even Tesla’s Solar Roof seems to get more love.

If price is the thing you won’t budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.

Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla’s service is a bit of a gamble.

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Momentum installs in 11 states without using subcontractors. While using in-house installers doesn’t guarantee a better experience, it does suggest you’re likely to get a more uniform experience from them. The fact that Momentum backs its installations with a 25-year workmanship warranty hints at a strong belief in their crews’ ability. If Momentum is part of your search, consider the warranties against leaks that other companies offer. Momentum’s is five years, which can be beat.

Best regional or local solar companies

Some of the companies we’ve evaluated have scored highly, but aren’t available to as many people because they operate in just a couple of states. While the number of people served doesn’t affect a company’s score, we’ve separated these out because fewer people can access their services.

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NRG Clean Power brings one of the solar industry’s most confident approaches to its work, offering a price match and 40-year warranty. NRG Clean Power is a solid bet as long as you live in Texas and California. NRG Clean Power does not offer leases or power purchase agreements, but they do provide solar panel cleaning and roofing services as well as a reliable equipment menu.

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If you live in the Carolinas, Renu offers equipment from well-respected manufacturers and has indicators that its customers are, overall, quite happy. Some of it’s warranties — 10 years on workmanship and 5 years against leaks — are a bit shorter than others in the industry, where they can reach twice as long. Customers gave it an average rating of 4.79 out of five at the Better Business Bureau, which is higher than most companies on the list.

Compare the best solar companies of 2024

This table compares how companies rate by some (but not all) of the criteria we use to judge them. To get the full picture, click the company name to visit their review.

Three people installing a solar panel Three people installing a solar panel

Solar panels will likely be worth it, depending on the details of your specific situation. If you use very little energy or have very cheap energy, you won’t be saving as much money each month and it will take longer for your panels to pay for themselves. If you live under deep tree cover, rooftop solar panels likely won’t generate enough electricity to be worth it. 

Solar can pay off in energy savings for decades. Lowering the cost with rebates and tax credits will help pay off your solar panels faster. How you pay for your solar panels will affect that calculation, too. It’ll take longer to recoup your costs if you take out a loan, which will accrue interest and come with fees. You can calculate your payback period if you know the cost of solar panels after rebates and how much you’ll save on energy costs each year.

Most importantly, be sure you’re saving money by shopping around and finding the right solar panel system at the right price.

How many solar panels do I need?

Net metering is the way that utilities compensate you for energy your solar panels generate but you don’t use. Since this energy flows back to the grid for someone else to use, it’s fairly common for utilities to offer you bill credits for that energy to offset what you buy from them. These credits save you even more money on electricity than solar panels would without.

Net metering will look different from utility to utility and the incentive has been challenged and even eliminated in some states, like Indiana. 

How long do solar panels last?

While skilled do-it-yourselfers might be able to pull off a solar panel installation, it’s definitely not recommended. Going through a reputable and licensed solar installer gives you a number of protections. Installing solar panels is not as simple as plugging in a large appliance. A qualified solar installer will be able to navigate local code and ordinances and ensure that the warranty on the panels remains intact. They will also be able to tell you if you need a new roof or other upgrades before installing solar panels.

A solar installer will also be able to design your solar system to best fit your goals and habits by identifying the most productive locations on your roof and angling panels to collect the most sun. Further, your installer should be able to help you troubleshoot any problems that arise after installation.

How do I know if the quote I have is a good one?

Local installers typically have less costs for advertising and sales than large, national corporations. That represents possible savings that could be returned to customers. On the other hand, with a long-term investment like solar panels, it may feel safer to have the backing of a large corporation. Larger companies may be able to offer cheaper prices due to the volume of installations they do.

When you’re gathering quotes for a solar panel installation, be sure to contact local installers, too. The solar industry is a competitive one, and checking around could save you thousands.

Will solar panels work in my climate?

Correction, Jan. 31, 2023: An earlier version of this article misstated the Better Business Bureau’s grading process. Any company can receive a grade from the Bureau, regardless of whether it has paid to go through the accreditation process.

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