With the continued success of solar from legislative action and environmental awareness, customers have the most options now than in history for residential and commercial solar. Trinity Solar is one of the many options on the market, providing solar installation and storage solutions. Do they stand a chance against other competitors with their list of pros and cons?
About Trinity Solar Power
Trinity Solar is a privately- and family-owned solar provider, and it has been in operation since 1994 — marking almost three decades of service in the nation. Solar is a recent technology, so these many years of experience reflect their reputation and quality. They have a sizable employee base of around 2,700, making them the biggest solar company in the States.
What Are the Pros and Cons?
When every solar panel provider performs installations and offers potential storage solutions, it requires research to discover the significant pros and cons of Trinity Solar against the larger solar landscape.
Pros
Some providers only offer panels — Trinity provides these along with battery storage. Trinity strives to make curated suggestions based on home energy evaluations, which include a recommendation for battery capability expectations if customers choose the Solar + Battery package.
From a social responsibility perspective, Trinity advertises their charitable contributions and helps local communities reach their solar dreams. They have worked with charities like Norma Pfriem Breast Cancer and South County Habitat for Humanity. Customers wanting a provider that focuses on social good alongside business revenue might look to Trinity.
It speaks to their personability. Their staff is known for fast service, installing solar panels on rooftops in record time with excellent customer service.
Regarding the hardware, the Q-cell panels are known for their efficiency. They also have several inverter types from Tesla, SolarEdge and Generac.
Cons
Trinity’s services are limited to the East Coast. They only have 10 states on their roster:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
It’s curious why a company with such tenure is so geographically limited. However, residents of these states can enjoy the high-quality pros of Trinity. Perhaps refinement of their process was a priority before potential expansion. They are still extending their services, as New Hampshire was the most recent addition in 2023, with almost 30,000 homes already transformed.
Pricing and warranty information are primarily unavailable on their website. Some vague financing options are listed, such as Zero Upfront, Solar Finance and Solar Purchase. However, explanations are slim and don’t provide customers’ expectations. Though almost every solar provider doesn’t list prices on their site due to dependency on popularity, product availability and the site’s energy assessment, they could list current averages to give customers an idea of what to anticipate instead of being surprised during the consultation.
How Do They Stack up Against Competition?
Trinity Solar has an A+ accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, ranking them above other industry names like Sunrun and Freedom Forever. They also have approval from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), which only some providers have. There isn’t any information regarding additional environmentally related accreditations, such as ISO or Cradle-to-Cradle — which SunPower can tout.
Concerning the panels, they use the same type as Tesla Solar — Q-cells. These have a reputation for high efficiency, with around a 21% rating. Some providers partner with companies like LG or Panasonic for mono- and polycrystalline varieties, such as ADT Solar and Sunrun. Other panels don’t perform as well as Q-cells, but the percentage variances may be inconsequential depending on energy needs.
Solar companies can have internal, dedicated employees or rely on training and certifying third-party installers. Trinity Solar provides installations with their staff instead of outsourcing. The method has pros and cons because it ensures consistency but limits scalability to new areas. According to reviews, they’re efficient, with installations completed daily.
Trinity does not offer a base 25-year warranty that covers the equipment and labor. They have a shorter 12-year warranty for inverters and a five-year warranty for installation. Freedom Forever doesn’t offer a warranty, while SunPower and ADT Solar offer 25-year warranties upfront.
Should You Choose Trinity Solar?
Solar panels still work on cloudy days – generally at 10% to 25% efficiency. Installing solar panels and actively managing your energy use is worth the investment since you’ll save money over time. Customers can expect top-quality services from Trinity if they reside in their limited service area. Though their warranties aren’t competitive, the quality of their panels will be worth the price, given their performance.
Trinity Solar also has in-house staff, so customers can expect consistent customer service and standards throughout their business operations. Ultimately, it depends on what customers deem essential in their solar journey. If interactions with staff and Q-cells are desired, Trinity can make that a reality for households on the East Coast.
