Tesla Solar vs Momentum Solar: Pricing, Financing, Warranties and Service Areas

Tesla Solar vs Momentum Solar is a choice between an online, price-first model and a traditional in-home sales model. Tesla quotes systems through its website, bundles its own panels with Powerwall 3 and offers cash, loans and (in its direct territories) a 25-year lease, while Momentum Solar sells through consultations, installs with its own crews and uses Enphase microinverters and batteries. Warranty coverage, battery hardware and where each company actually installs are the deciding details.

Facts below were checked against company pages and recent reviews in November 2026.

Key takeaways

• Tesla installs directly in some areas and through Certified Installers in others; you find out which by entering your address.
• Electrek reported a Tesla base cash price of about $2.30 per watt before incentives in August 2026.
• Momentum Solar is a New Jersey-based installer founded in 2009 that uses Enphase microinverters and batteries.
• CNN Underscored and EcoWatch report a 25-year workmanship warranty for Momentum; Tesla's panels carry a 25-year performance warranty on purchased systems.
• The federal 25D credit is not available for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, which for solar means installations completed after that date.

How Tesla Solar and Momentum Solar sell and install

Tesla Solar

Tesla now sells solar two ways. Electrek reported in August 2026 that Tesla installs systems itself in its "direct service territories" and uses third-party Tesla Certified Installers everywhere else, a shift that began in September 2024 when it started recruiting installers as it wound down in-house crews. Certified Installers buy Tesla hardware and handle design, pricing, installation and service. Tesla no longer publishes a list of the states where it installs directly; you find out by entering your address in its online design tool, which takes a $100 refundable deposit to start an order.

A few other 2026 changes matter. Tesla discontinued Solar Roof in August 2026. In January 2026 it launched a US-made 420-watt panel assembled in Buffalo, New York. And its design tool now defaults to a bundle of solar panels plus Powerwall 3, which combines the home battery and solar inverter in one unit, although solar-only systems are still available.

Momentum Solar

Momentum Solar is headquartered in South Plainfield, New Jersey. EnergySage's profile lists a 2009 founding date and describes the company as owner-operated with more than 2,000 people. It is listed as an Enphase Platinum Installer, and CNN Underscored reports that it uses an in-house installation team, with a typical install taking four to six hours once crews are on site.

Momentum sells through home or phone consultations and onsite assessments, according to its website. It does not publish prices. CNN Underscored estimated $2.50 to $3.12 per watt, but that is an estimate, not a company price. The review is undated; its BBB ratings are given as of July 2024, so treat the figure as older.

Tesla Solar vs Momentum Solar at a glance

Feature	Tesla Solar	Momentum Solar
Sales model	Online design tool and instant quote	Home or phone consultation and site visit
Installers	Tesla crews in direct territories; Certified Installers elsewhere	In-house crews
Payment options	Cash, solar loan, Powerwall loan, lease (direct territories only)	Cash, loan, lease, PPA
Panels	Tesla panels, including a 420 W US-made panel launched January 2026	Tier 1 panels; brands not listed on its site
Inverter and battery	Powerwall 3 (battery and inverter in one)	Enphase microinverters and Enphase batteries
Key warranty	25-year panel performance warranty; Powerwall 10 years	25-year workmanship; 25-year microinverter (reported)
Production guarantee	None stated beyond the panel warranty on purchased systems; 95% availability guarantee on leases	None, per CNN Underscored

Financing: cash, loans and leases

Tesla

Electrek's August 2026 review of Tesla's configurator found:

• A base cash price of about $2.30 per watt before incentives
• Solar loans at about 7.24% and Powerwall loans at about 6.99%
• A 25-year solar lease (12 years for Powerwall only) with a 3% annual escalator and a buyout option after five years
• Leases offered only in Tesla's direct service territories

When Tesla launched the lease program in late 2025, Drive Tesla reported an upfront payment of $600 for solar and $100 per Powerwall, with Tesla monitoring and maintaining the system, including battery and inverter replacements.

Momentum Solar

CNN Underscored and EcoWatch both list four options: cash, loan, lease and power purchase agreement (PPA). Momentum's own homepage mentions solar financing plans and help with incentives but does not publish loan rates or lease terms. Ask for the lender or lease provider name, the full payment schedule and any escalator. Our solar lease vs buy guide explains the trade-offs.

Warranties and batteries compared

Tesla panels: Tesla's support page says panels on purchased systems are guaranteed by their manufacturer to at least 80% of nameplate power for at least 25 years, and that Tesla will process a claim and do the related labor at its cost. Tesla says it makes no performance guarantees outside the warranty period.

Powerwall: Tesla's US Powerwall warranty covers Powerwall 3 for ten years and guarantees 70% of its 13.5 kWh rated capacity at year ten, with unlimited cycles for solar self-consumption, time-based control and backup.

Momentum: CNN Underscored reports a 25-year workmanship warranty and a 25-year warranty on Enphase microinverters, no power production guarantee, and that Momentum does not offer roof repair. For batteries, Momentum partners with Enphase. CNN lists the Encharge 3 (3.4 kWh) and Encharge 10 (10.1 kWh) and says battery storage was offered in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas. Monitoring is through Enphase's Enlighten app.

See our Powerwall 3 vs Enphase IQ Battery comparison if the battery is a big part of your decision.

Where each company operates

Tesla's sales are effectively national through its online tool, but who installs depends on your address. Momentum's coverage is more regional. CNN Underscored lists 12 states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas. Momentum's homepage, checked in November 2026, has incentive pages for Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Texas, and lists contractor license numbers for Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and New York City. Confirm by address before you schedule a visit.

Owner reviews and complaints

We do not rank installers. Read owner reviews on our Tesla Solar page and Momentum Solar page. In November 2026, EnergySage showed Momentum at 3.8 out of 5 from 42 reviews and noted it is not in the EnergySage network. EcoWatch's undated review (titled 2025) summarized complaint themes from negative reviews, including aggressive sales tactics, savings that did not match what was presented and occasional roof leaks after installation. For Tesla, remember that a Certified Installer may be the company you deal with for installation and service, so check that installer's own record too.

Which should you choose?

• You want a quick online price and a Tesla battery: Tesla's tool gives an instant quote and defaults to Powerwall 3.
• You prefer microinverters: Momentum installs Enphase microinverters, which work panel by panel.
• You want a lease: Tesla leases only in its direct territories; Momentum lists leases and PPAs, so ask which partner provides them.
• You want a long workmanship warranty in writing: ask both for the exact document before you sign.

Because the federal residential credit no longer applies to solar installations completed after 2025, compare the full cost of each offer, not a post-credit price from an old brochure.

Next steps

Get a written quote from both, then compare price per watt, financing cost and warranties in our solar quote checker. You can see more options in our solar company directory.