Last updated: May 16, 2026 | Reviewed by: Dylan DeSantis, SolarMetric
Quick Answer
The best solar company for most homeowners is Sunrun — the largest residential installer in the US, with the widest service area, strong battery storage options, and meaningful production guarantees. For homeowners who want to own their system outright and care most about panel quality, Palmetto Solar is the top pick for customer satisfaction. For budget-focused buyers willing to manage more of the process themselves, Tesla Solar consistently offers the lowest installed cost per watt.
Important 2026 updates: Freedom Forever filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2026. SunPower filed for bankruptcy in 2024. If you received a quote from either company, read our notes below before signing anything.
Top Solar Companies at a Glance
| Company | Best For | Our Score | Service Area | Avg. Cost/Watt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrun | Overall / Battery Storage | 4.4/5 | 22 states + DC | $3.00–$3.80 |
| Palmetto Solar | Customer Satisfaction | 4.6/5 | 25+ states | $2.90–$3.60 |
| Tesla Solar | Lowest Price | 4.1/5 | Most US states | $2.50–$3.00 |
| Sunnova | Financing Flexibility | 4.0/5 | 35+ states | $3.10–$3.90 |
| Blue Raven Solar | $0 Down Purchase | 4.2/5 | 14 states | $2.80–$3.50 |
| ADT Solar | Local Service Quality | 3.9/5 | Southeast/South | $3.00–$3.70 |
How We Evaluated These Companies
We scored each company on six factors:
- Service area — how many states they operate in and how reliably they serve them
- Warranty terms — equipment warranty, workmanship warranty, production guarantee
- Financing options — whether they offer cash purchase, loan, lease, and PPA
- Equipment quality — which panel brands they install; whether they use tier-1 manufacturers
- Customer reviews — BBB rating, verified third-party reviews, complaint patterns
- Transparency — whether pricing is published, whether contracts are straightforward
We did not accept payment from any company for placement in this guide. Companies that offer lead-gen partnerships with SolarMetric are marked with a disclosure where applicable.
The Best Solar Companies, Reviewed
1. Sunrun — Best Overall
Score: 4.4/5
Sunrun is the largest residential solar company in the United States, holding roughly 17% of the residential market and commanding an even larger share — around 42% — of the home battery storage market. If you want a single company that can handle solar panels, battery backup, and ongoing monitoring under one roof, Sunrun is the most likely to be able to do it wherever you live.
What sets Sunrun apart is its production guarantee: systems installed under Sunrun’s BrightSave subscription or Protection Plus plan are guaranteed to produce at least 90% of their estimated annual output. If they fall short, Sunrun covers the difference on your electric bill. That kind of accountability is rare in this industry.
Sunrun’s biggest weakness is inconsistent service quality. With installations spread across 22 states and a heavy reliance on subcontractors in some markets, the experience varies significantly by location. Reviews in states where Sunrun operates its own installation crews tend to be much stronger than reviews in markets where they use local partners.
Financing options: Cash purchase, solar loan, solar lease, power purchase agreement (PPA)
Panel brands used: Varies; uses multiple tier-1 manufacturers including REC, Qcells, and others
Workmanship warranty: 10 years
Production guarantee: Yes (on subscription plans)
BBB: Accredited; mixed reviews, ~60% positive
Best states: California, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, New Jersey
Bottom line: Sunrun is the safe default for most homeowners — widest reach, strongest guarantees, most financing flexibility. Just verify which installation model (direct vs. subcontractor) applies in your area before signing.
2. Palmetto Solar — Best for Customer Satisfaction
Score: 4.6/5
Palmetto is a tech-forward solar company that operates as a platform connecting homeowners with a vetted network of local installers, combined with a centralized monitoring and customer support layer. The result — when it works — is more consistent service quality than you get from a pure national installer, because Palmetto’s installation partners are selected and trained to Palmetto’s standards.
Forbes Home’s research team gave Palmetto a 4.9-star rating, the highest of any national solar company they evaluated for 2026. Our analysis supports that ranking. Palmetto’s customer satisfaction scores are consistently among the best in the industry, driven by strong installation quality standards and responsive post-installation support through their app.
What Palmetto does differently: Their Palmetto Clean Energy platform gives you real-time production monitoring, predictive maintenance alerts, and direct access to support — not a third-party contractor’s phone number. For a homeowner who wants the benefits of national-level support with local installation quality, Palmetto has built the best version of that model.
Weaknesses: Palmetto’s pricing is not published online, which makes it harder to benchmark their quotes. Service availability varies by state, and in some regions the installer network is thinner, leading to longer installation timelines.
Financing options: Cash purchase, solar loan (through financing partners)
Panel brands used: Tier-1 brands through installer network
Workmanship warranty: 25 years (through Palmetto)
Production guarantee: Varies by installer
BBB: Not BBB accredited; generally strong third-party reviews
Best states: Southeast, Texas, mid-Atlantic
Bottom line: Palmetto is the best choice if customer experience and post-installation support matter most to you. If you’re buying in cash and want to own your system outright, Palmetto’s combination of quality control and strong warranties is hard to beat.
3. Tesla Solar — Best Price
Score: 4.1/5
Tesla Solar consistently offers the lowest installed cost per watt of any major national installer — typically $2.50–$3.00/watt before incentives, compared to the $3.00–$3.80 range you’ll see from most competitors. The trade-off is that Tesla’s model is designed around a self-service, low-touch process. You design your system online, accept a fixed-price contract, and manage more of the process yourself.
For the right buyer — tech-comfortable, not in a rush, primarily motivated by price — Tesla Solar delivers real value. The solar panels themselves are standard Tier-1 products. The Powerwall battery is one of the best home batteries on the market, and the Tesla app for monitoring is genuinely excellent.
Where Tesla falls short is installation timelines and customer support. Tesla Solar does not have a traditional sales force or local offices — everything is centralized. When problems arise (permit delays, interconnection issues), the customer service path is slow compared to local companies or Sunrun. Reviews frequently cite frustrating timelines of 3–6 months from contract to installation.
Financing options: Cash purchase, solar loan
Panel brands used: Tesla-branded panels (manufactured by tier-1 partners)
Workmanship warranty: 10 years
Production guarantee: No
BBB: B+ rating; volume of complaints consistent with company size
Best states: California, Texas, Florida (where Tesla has highest installer density)
Bottom line: Tesla is the right choice if you’re primarily cost-driven, willing to accept a longer timeline, and don’t mind managing the process yourself. If you want hand-holding or need battery storage beyond Powerwall, look elsewhere.
4. Sunnova — Best for Financing Flexibility
Score: 4.0/5
Sunnova is the third-largest residential solar company in the US and has built its business around making solar accessible to homeowners who might not qualify for traditional financing. They offer a wide range of financing structures — including loans with extended terms, leases, and PPAs — and have programs designed for homeowners with non-standard credit situations.
Sunnova’s biggest differentiator is their service contract model. Under a Sunnova service agreement, they take responsibility for monitoring and maintaining your system for the life of the contract — if a panel underperforms or an inverter fails, Sunnova covers it. For homeowners who want truly hands-off solar ownership, this is an appealing model.
Weaknesses: Sunnova’s customer reviews are mixed. Some reviewers cite difficulty reaching customer service after installation, billing confusion, and slow response times on service calls. Their BBB rating has been volatile; check the current rating in your state before signing. Some BBB chapters have rated them as low as F for complaint resolution.
Financing options: Cash, solar loan (flexible terms), lease, PPA, service agreement
Panel brands used: Tier-1 manufacturers
Workmanship warranty: Per service agreement terms
Production guarantee: Under service agreement only
BBB: Varies by region; research your local BBB chapter
Best states: Texas, Florida, California, Northeast
Bottom line: Sunnova is worth considering if you need creative financing, have complex credit circumstances, or want a fully-managed service model. Vet their local BBB rating carefully and read the service agreement terms before signing.
5. Blue Raven Solar — Best $0 Down Ownership
Score: 4.2/5
Blue Raven Solar, now owned by SunPower’s parent company, has built a strong reputation in the markets they serve by focusing on customer-owned systems with strong warranty terms. Unlike Sunrun or Sunnova, Blue Raven does not offer leases or PPAs — they only sell systems. The result is a customer base that actually owns its solar equipment, which generally leads to better satisfaction scores and clearer long-term economics.
Their signature offering is $0 down financing with no payments for the first 18 months — useful for homeowners who want to own their system but want time to see the utility bill savings before their loan payments begin.
Weaknesses: Blue Raven operates in only 14 states, concentrated in the West and Mountain regions. If you’re outside their footprint, they simply aren’t an option. Their connection to SunPower’s parent company adds some uncertainty given SunPower’s 2024 bankruptcy, though Blue Raven continues to operate independently.
Financing options: Cash purchase, solar loan ($0 down available)
Panel brands used: Premium tier-1 panels
Workmanship warranty: 25 years
Production guarantee: No
BBB: A+ accredited
Best states: Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Pacific Northwest, Texas, Virginia
Bottom line: If Blue Raven operates in your state and you want to own your system outright with excellent warranty terms, they’re a top choice. The $0 down, no-payments-for-18-months financing structure is one of the most consumer-friendly in the industry.
6. ADT Solar — Best for Local Service (Southeast / South)
Score: 3.9/5
ADT Solar (formerly Sunpro Solar) is a regional installer with strong coverage in the Southeast and Southern states — particularly Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, and Texas. If you’re in their service area, ADT Solar offers genuine local installation capacity backed by the ADT brand’s service infrastructure.
Their warranties are competitive: 25-year panel warranty, 10-year workmanship warranty, and a production guarantee on qualifying systems. ADT’s customer service scores in their core markets are meaningfully better than what you see from the big nationals in the same region.
Weaknesses: ADT Solar is not a national player. Outside their core Southeast footprint, they don’t operate. Their pricing tends to run on the higher side, and their online presence and transparency around pricing are limited compared to Tesla or Palmetto.
Financing options: Cash, loan, lease
Panel brands used: Various tier-1 manufacturers
Workmanship warranty: 10 years
Production guarantee: Yes on qualifying installs
BBB: A+ accredited
Best states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas
Bottom line: If you’re in the Southeast and value local service quality over national brand recognition, ADT Solar belongs on your shortlist. Get them in a competitive bid against one national installer to check pricing.
⚠️ Companies to Approach with Caution in 2026
Freedom Forever — Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (April 2026)
Freedom Forever filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2026. If you have an existing system or an outstanding contract with Freedom Forever, here’s what you need to know: warranty service is uncertain, and the company’s ability to honor long-term commitments is not guaranteed. Contact their customer service to clarify warranty status before your existing installer’s warranties lapse. If you received a quote from Freedom Forever and have not signed a contract, get competing quotes from other installers.
SunPower — Bankruptcy (August 2024)
SunPower filed for bankruptcy in August 2024. The Maxeon panel manufacturing brand continues independently, but SunPower’s installation and customer service operations were significantly disrupted. If you have an existing SunPower system, your panel manufacturer’s warranty (through Maxeon) should still be valid. The workmanship warranty for your installation may be more complicated to service — contact SunPower directly to clarify current terms.
How to Compare Solar Quotes
Once you have quotes in hand, these are the five numbers that actually matter:
1. Cost per watt ($/W)
Divide the total system cost by the system size in watts. A 10 kW system at $30,000 is $3.00/W. This is the cleanest apples-to-apples comparison across different-sized systems and companies.
2. Panel efficiency and brand
Higher-efficiency panels produce more power from the same roof space. Ask for the brand and model number of the panels being installed and look up their efficiency rating. Anything above 20% efficiency is considered high-performance.
3. Payback period
A good solar installer should be able to show you an estimated payback period — the number of years until your cumulative savings equal the installation cost. In most US markets, this ranges from 6–12 years. Be skeptical of payback estimates shorter than 5 years.
4. Production guarantee terms
Does the installer guarantee a minimum annual output? If the system underproduces, what happens? Get this in writing.
5. Interconnection and permitting responsibility
Ask explicitly: who handles the permit and utility interconnection application? Some companies leave this to the homeowner, which can add months to the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do solar panels cost in 2026?
The average residential solar installation costs $25,000–$35,000 before incentives for a typical 8–10 kW system. There is no federal tax credit for new residential installations in 2026 — the 30% Section 25D credit expired December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. State and utility incentives can reduce the cost in some markets. See our full solar cost guide for state-by-state breakdowns.
What is the federal solar tax credit in 2026?
There is no federal residential solar tax credit for new installations in 2026. The 30% Section 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit expired December 31, 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025) eliminated it — nearly a decade ahead of its previously scheduled expiration. If you installed solar before year-end 2025, you can still claim the credit (and carry unused amounts forward). See our federal solar tax credit guide for the full details.
Should I lease or buy solar panels?
Buying (cash or loan) still delivers better long-term economics than leasing in most cases — you own the asset and capture all the electricity savings over 25 years. With a lease or PPA, you don’t own the system, but the installer can claim the commercial Investment Tax Credit (Section 48E), which may be passed through as a lower monthly rate. Leases and PPAs require $0 down and include maintenance — a reasonable option if upfront cost is a barrier.
How long do solar panels last?
Modern solar panels are warrantied for 25 years and typically remain productive for 30+ years at 80–85% of original output. The inverter — not the panels — is usually the first component to need replacement, typically after 10–15 years.
Which solar company has the best warranty?
Blue Raven Solar and Palmetto Solar both offer 25-year workmanship warranties, which is best-in-class. Most national installers offer 10-year workmanship warranties. Panel manufacturers’ warranties are separate and run 25 years.
Is solar worth it in 2026?
In most US states with above-average electricity rates, yes. California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, and most of the South and Southwest all have favorable economics. States with very low electricity rates (Louisiana, parts of the Pacific Northwest) have longer payback periods. See our is solar worth it guide for a state-by-state analysis.
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Last updated: May 2026