Solar Panels Los Angeles CA

Brooks Lape, January 31, 2015

Graphed below are the top 10 solar panel installation companies in Los Angeles based on the total number of installations performed in 2014. Solar panels that were leased to homeowners are graphed in red, while systems that were sold are graphed in blue.

SolarCity completed  the most installations in Los Angeles during 2014. The vast majority of the systems they installed were leased rather than sold. Verengo Solar came in at a close second, with 408 residential installation projects completed. Although 7th in total installations, Grid Alternatives had the highest number of projects that were purchased by homeowners.

Whether to lease or purchase your solar panel system is one of the biggest decisions a homeowner will face. While purchasing solar panels can provide a greater return on investment, leasing is attractive because it requires no capital investment. Overall, more Los Angeles residents decided to lease or utilize Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to acquire their system rather than purchase their system outright. In 2014, 66.8% of homeowners decided entered into a leasing agreement while 33.2% of homeowners decided to purchase their system outright.

If you’re considering purchasing solar panels, it’s important to understand the metric cost per installed watt. This is the cost you end up paying for electricity when everything is said and done. With all other factors being equal, you would want to select the contractor that can provide you with the lowest cost per installed watt.

Burke Electric, Peterson-Dean, and Solar City achieved the lowest cost per installed watt when looking at solar panels installations performed in 2014. Contact Electric and American Solar Construction had among the highest cost per installed watt.

When selecting a system, cost per installed watt is not the only criteria that matters. Be sure to compare other important information, including system warranties, online reviews, and the equipment being installed.

Cost per installed watt can also be an important metric to consider when leasing a system. That said, cost data on leases is often unreliable as companies calculate the metrics they report in a variety of ways. With that important caveat in mind, below is cost per installed watt data for solar panel leases in Los Angeles during 2014.

When leasing solar panels, Verengo, REC Solar, and Burke electric achieved the lowest cost per watt installed. American Solar Direct and Green Tech Solutions had the highest cost per installed watt.

The above data was obtained through the California Energy Commission. For contact information on the solar companies discussed in this article, see the table below. Or, learn more about on solar companies in Los Angeles.