Best Solar Companies in the US: How to Compare Installers Fairly

The best solar companies for your home are the ones that serve your area, give you a clear written price, offer the financing type you want, and back the work with warranties that will still matter in 10 or 20 years. No single installer is best everywhere, so the smart move is to compare several quotes side by side on the same checklist.

This guide shows what to compare and lists sourced facts about several large US providers. We do not rank installers; we help you check them.

Key takeaways

• Get detailed written bids from several companies, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends.
• Compare the same things on every quote: price, system size and expected output, financing terms, warranties and who handles repairs.
• Ownership type matters: with a lease or PPA, the provider owns and usually maintains the system; with cash or a loan, you own it.
• Check licenses and complaint records with your state before you sign.
• The federal 25D residential clean energy credit does not apply to systems installed after December 31, 2025, so do not let a quote count on it.

What makes the best solar companies stand out

"Best" depends on your goals. A homeowner who wants to own the system and pay cash will judge companies differently from someone who wants no upfront cost. Still, strong installers tend to share a few traits you can check:

• Clear pricing. A written cash price, even if you plan to finance. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warns that dealer fees can be added to solar loans and are rarely disclosed.
• Realistic production estimates. The FTC points homeowners to the PVWatts calculator (now at pvwatts.nlr.gov) to estimate what a system would produce.
• Warranties in writing. Separate coverage for panels, inverters, workmanship and roof penetrations.
• Proper licensing. The FTC says to confirm state, county and city licenses, and that your state may require an electrical contractor's license.
• No pressure. The FTC says to avoid any company that pushes for a quick decision, will not let you review the contract, or asks for cash.

How to compare solar companies side by side

The FTC lists what to look for in each bid. Put every quote into the same grid:

Compare	If you buy (cash or loan)	If you lease or sign a PPA
Price	Total installed cost including permits	Monthly payment or per-kWh rate, and any yearly increase
System	Size, panel and inverter brand, expected output	Size, brand, expected output
Output guarantee	Whether energy output is guaranteed	Guaranteed minimum output and how shortfalls are paid
Warranties	Panels, inverters, workmanship	Equipment and repair coverage, and who pays for roof repairs
Exit terms	Loan prepayment terms, liens	Early termination costs, buyout, removal, transfer on sale

Our free solar quote checker helps you test whether a price and production estimate look reasonable. For a step-by-step method, see how to compare solar quotes side by side.

Financing types offered by solar companies

Most large solar companies offer some mix of these options. Here is how the FTC describes them:

• Cash. You pay the full cost at installation and own the system.
• Loan. You own the system and repay a lender. For home equity loans and PACE financing, the FTC suggests asking about the APR, whether payments can change, any balloon payment, and whether a lien will be placed on your home or system.
• Lease. You do not own the system. Payments may rise over time, ending early can be hard and costly, and the leasing company will probably handle maintenance.
• Power purchase agreement (PPA). You pay for the electricity the system generates rather than for the equipment.
• PACE financing. Repaid through your property tax bill. The FTC warns that missed payments can lead to default and foreclosure.

On tax credits: the IRS says the residential clean energy credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. If a salesperson subtracts a 30% federal credit from your price for a new system, ask them to show the cost without it. See solar lease vs buy for how ownership changes the math.

Sourced facts on major US solar companies

The table below lists facts we verified as of November 2026 from company pages and EnergySage or EcoWatch profiles. It is not a ranking. Offers change, so confirm every item in your own contract.

Company	Financing offered	Warranty facts we verified	Service area notes
Sunrun	Lease or PPA subscription (25-year term in most places), prepaid plans, purchase	Subscription: workmanship and production guarantee for the contract, 5-year roof penetration warranty. Owned: 10-year workmanship, 5-year roof penetration	Sunrun says it operates in 20 states
Palmetto LightReach	Lease or PPA, $0 upfront (25-year agreement)	25-year workmanship, 10-year roof penetration, 25-year 90% performance guarantee	Sold through Palmetto's LightReach partner network of installers; ask a participating installer
SunPower Inc.	Cash, loan, lease, PPA (lease and PPA vary by state); LightReach financing for its 2026 battery program	Systems energized after Sept. 30, 2024: 10-year workmanship, 2-year service coverage, production guarantee with set benchmarks	Said it serves 45 states (Jan. 2026)
Trinity Solar	Purchase and loan; its site says lease, PPA and loan programs come from partners	Upfront purchases: panels 25 years, inverters up to 12, labor 10, roof penetrations 5	CT, DE, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI, OH
Momentum Solar	Cash, loan, lease, PPA	EcoWatch reports a 25-year equipment and workmanship warranty; no production guarantee	Coverage page lists CT, FL, MA, NV, NJ, NY, TX for new installs

You can read owner reviews and more detail on each provider's page in our solar company directory.

How to check a solar company's reputation

Reviews help, but they are only one input. Use several checks:

1. State licensing. Look the company up with your state contractor licensing board, as the FTC suggests.
2. Complaint records. Check your state attorney general and local consumer protection office.
3. Review patterns. Search the company name with "complaints" or "reviews" and look for repeated issues, such as slow repairs or delays in getting permission to operate.
4. Financial stability. A long warranty is only as good as the company behind it. Legacy SunPower Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 5, 2024, and the new SunPower Inc. did not take on systems installed before September 30, 2024. See how to check if a solar company is financially stable.

Red flags when choosing among the best solar companies

• A quote that shows only a monthly payment and no cash price.
• A price that assumes the federal residential solar credit for a system installed after 2025.
• Savings promises with no assumptions shown. The FTC says to treat projected savings with caution because future utility rates are hard to predict.
• Loan payments that jump after 18 months unless you make a payment equal to a projected "tax credit," a pattern the CFPB described in an August 2024 advisory.
• Pressure to sign the same day.

If a problem comes up after you sign, the FTC says to try to resolve it with the company first, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

What if your solar company goes out of business?

Solar systems last decades, and installers do not always last as long. When a company closes, three kinds of coverage are affected differently:

• Manufacturer warranties on panels, inverters and batteries come from the equipment maker, not the installer. EnergySage reports that most major manufacturers are still honoring their warranties for former SunPower customers.
• Workmanship warranties come from the installer, so they may end if the installer closes and no one takes over its obligations.
• Lease and PPA contracts are owned by a financing company, which may assign servicing to someone else. For example, SunPower directs legacy lease and PPA customers to their financier or to SunStrong Management.

This is one reason to favor written warranties from equipment makers and to keep copies of every contract. Our solar orphans hub explains what to do if your installer has already closed.

Next steps

• Collect at least three written quotes and run them through the solar quote checker.
• Look up each company in our solar company directory to read owner reviews.
• Confirm licenses and warranties in writing before signing.