The 4 Best Solar Companies for 2025

The best solar panel installers make stepping into solar easy by offering high-efficiency solar panels, strong warranty coverage and favorable financing terms. We looked for solar companies with strong customer satisfaction ratings, sturdy warranties and respectable performance guarantees. Here are our top picks for the year’s best solar companies.

We like that Palmetto Solar has transparent financing terms, making it a good contender for customers who know they’ll need a solar loan. Loans range from seven to 25 years, and annual percentage rates (APRs) range between 4.49% and 11.99%, and that open disclosure means you can start the loan application process with at least some idea of what Palmetto’s lending partners can offer you. Its origination fees can be as high as 37.00%, though. But not all applicants will have to pay a fee.

Palmetto also offers:

• A 10-year workmanship and a five-year roof penetration warranty.

• A 25-year performance guarantee of 90% for leases and up to 95% with a paid plan.

• Two- to three-week wait for technician repairs.

Read our full review of Palmetto Solar.

Freedom Solar offers the most competitive warranties among the companies we considered. Unlike some solar companies that only warranty their installations for longer periods if customers lease or sign up for a PPA, Freedom Solar provides all customers the same 25-year workmanship warranty. Its systems also include a 10-year roof penetration warranty to cover any installation-related leaks that might pop up later on. Although it has a relatively long performance guarantee (25 years), Freedom Solar Power also has one of the lowest production rates of the companies we compared, meaning its solar panels might generate less power than competitors’ panels. Guaranteed energy production is between 84% and 92% of the panel’s maximum output depending on the brand of solar panels.

Freedom Solar offers:

• A 25-year performance guarantee.

• Battery options for solar storage.

• 24- to 72-hour technician response times.

Read our full review of Freedom Solar.

Solar companies sometimes give lease and purchase customers different warranties and performance guarantees — that’s why we took a harder look at coverage and guarantees for leasing customers. We think Momentum Solar wins in this category with its 25-year workmanship warranty and 95% performance guarantee. Its workmanship warranty is as long as several competitors’ warranties but still beats companies that only offer 10 years of coverage. Also, the company’s 95% performance guarantee is the highest we found for leasing customers among those we reviewed. (Only Palmetto came close with its 90%-95% range.) Momentum’s roof penetration warranty is only five years long, which is half of other companies’ 10-year warranties, but it still came out on top in our comparisons.

Momentum also offers:

• Five-year performance warranty of no less than 90% for customers who purchase rather than lease the equipment.

• Battery options for solar storage.

See our full review of Momentum Solar.

Of the companies we reviewed, Tesla Solar is the only one that provides an itemized quote. We like that you don’t have to provide personal contact information, and you can compare the cost difference for financing versus purchasing with cash. This makes for an easy process, considering most other solar companies ask for your personal information and then make you wait for a salesperson to call.

Tesla Solar also offers:

• A 10-year workmanship warranty that covers leaks caused by the equipment (but not a third-party installer’s work). 

• A 25-year performance guarantee that starts at 98% and declines by 0.54% each year after the first 12 months.

• Battery options for solar storage.

See our full review of Tesla Solar.

Other companies we looked at

• Bright Planet Solar: Bright Planet Solar doesn’t provide much information about its services or options, and we don't like that it gets very low marks for customer satisfaction. It also doesn’t disclose financing terms or warranty terms. It only serves eight states: ​​California, Utah, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

• Freedom Forever:  Freedom Forever falls short on warranty coverage and customer satisfaction, and it doesn’t disclose financing terms. The company offers a 25-year performance guarantee of 85% energy production for purchased systems only; however, the company is on probation with California’s Contractor State Licensing Board due to a lack of response to customer issues and violating state contractor laws. It operates in Puerto Rico and 33 states. 

• Sunrun: Despite offering leases with a 25-year workmanship warranty, we don't like that Sunrun cuts the workmanship warranty down to 10 years for people who buy instead of lease. Also, it provides a 10-year roof penetration warranty for all systems, but it guarantees 90% energy production only for leased systems. In addition, the company doesn’t publish its financing terms. It operates in 20 states and Washington, D.C.

• Trinity Solar: Trinity Solar has low customer satisfaction ratings, and its warranties fall short of what competitors offer. It offers service in ten states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

» MORE: Why ‘free’ solar panels aren’t really free

What to look for in a solar company

Reliability is the most important factor to consider when looking for a solar installer — you could be dealing with an installer for the next 25 years or however long your panels last. You’ll call the installer if the panels malfunction, a part needs to be replaced or the system needs maintenance, and you don’t want to be dogged by lackluster warranties and poor customer service.

Here are some things to look for:

1. Responsiveness to repair requests.

2. Longer warranty terms. Look for a workmanship warranty and a manufacturer’s warranty that have long terms, usually 25 years. Warranties aren’t all-inclusive — exclusions apply, and certain events can void them — but they can be a good way to protect yourself financially in the case of a badly installed system or faulty equipment.

3. High customer satisfaction ratings. Take note of concerning patterns in customer reviews, such as complaints about unhelpful customer service or shoddy workmanship.

4. Efficient, high-quality equipment. Different solar panels have different efficiency ratings, which measure how well they convert sunlight into electricity. If you’re looking for a specific brand, make sure you choose a company that’s qualified to install it. You can do this by going to the solar panel manufacturer’s website and selecting a certified installer. Otherwise, ask for information about the efficiency rating for each brand a company installs to ensure you’re getting the quality you want.

MORE: Pros and cons of solar panels

Solar warranties and performance guarantees

Solar installers usually warranty their work and guarantee their systems’ performance so you know your system will keep working the way it should. There are four assurances you should look for when considering a solar installer.

1. Workmanship warranty. This covers the installation work, including any product damage the installation causes. The length of a workmanship warranty varies by company, usually ranging between 10 and 25 years.

2. Roof penetration warranty. This covers installation-related damage to your roof, especially leaks. What is covered and whether the warranty will pay to repair your home instead of just the faulty equipment that caused the damage depends on the company.

3. Manufacturer warranty (also known as a product warranty). The equipment manufacturer provides this coverage, and the installer usually fulfills it. This warranty covers malfunctioning equipment such as panels and inverters.

4. Performance guarantee (also known as a power warranty). Companies often promise customers that each solar panel will produce a certain amount of solar energy a year, but certain factors can bring down a panel’s efficiency and output over time, including system aging. So most installers guarantee a percentage of a system’s original performance, such as 90% over 10 years. That means your system will produce at least 90% of the energy the company promised. How much is guaranteed and the length of the guarantee varies by company.

Many installers will tell you the length of their warranties and how much performance guarantee they offer, but these often come with exclusions and conditions you have to meet before coverage kicks in. Before signing up, ask to read a sample agreement so you can be sure you understand what the company is promising.

» MORE: What do solar panels cost and are they worth it?

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