Top Rated Solar Companies for
Your Energy Solutions: $3.87 per watt, Soleeva Energy: $3.76 per watt, NRG Clean Power: $3.06 per watt, Sunworks: $3.62 per watt, Tesla: $2.64 per watt, Vivint: $3.76 per watt, Sunrun: $3.83 per watt
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About These Solar Companies
Tesla is an innovative renewable energy company that offers both solar energy and electric vehicle products. The company continues to innovate its solar product line, offering sleek, all-black panels and a durable solar roof tile product that was unveiled in 2016. Tesla is also a national leader in solar energy storage products like the Powerwall and Powerpack. With its combined expertise in solar panels and solar energy storage devices, Tesla is a solar company that rises above many of its competitors.
CEO, Elon Musk, is a serial entrepreneur in the tech industry and a staunch advocate for renewable power. Musk is also the CEO of SpaceX and a co-founder of PayPal. He is a well-regarded, informed voice on other forward-thinking ideas such as artificial intelligence and Mars settlements.
Tesla’s nearly countless recognitions include nods from Business Insider, Glassdoor, Renewable Energy World, Fast Company, MIT Technology Review, and Deloitte.
Tesla can be reached through its website at https://www.tesla.com/energy.
The company originally launched with a power purchase agreement (PPA) model in which it owned, installed, and maintained the solar panels, with the homeowner agreeing to purchase only the solar energy the system produces. While this model broke the cost barrier for many homeowners and brought Vivint great success, Vivint expanded its payment plans to include a full range of standard PPA, lease, and purchase options. It also widened its operations, opening an office in the eco-conscious city of San Francisco in 2012.
Vivint Solar evolved a door-to-door sales strategy that has received wide praise. Credit Suisse commended the approach, for example, asserting that it lowers the company’s customer acquisition costs, enables it to create “pockets of customers,” and makes “operations more efficient.” Vivint Solar will be expanding its appeal by partnering with Vivint Smart Home to offer a solar-power home management system in 2017.
Vivint Solar can be reached through its website at vivintsolar.com, or by phone at (877) 404-4129.
Sunrun is one of the nation’s top residential installers, and best company’s #1 solar firm of 2016. Its low prices and transparent plans have attracted more than 100,000 customers to date.
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Quality is also paramount; Sunrun and its network of contractors have more than 15 years of experience installing solar PV. The company designs and installs high-output systems, and backs them up with a lifetime warranty. Should anything need tweaking, they’ll provide free support.
They can track daily, weekly, or monthly system output through a powerful and user-friendly mobile app. The app also connects homeowners to their account information and preferences. If your system overproduces, there’s no charge from Sunrun.
The company’s growth, new partnerships, and A+ Better Business Bureau score are good indicators of its reliability and reputation.
Sunrun can be reached through its website at sunrun.com, or by phone at (888) GO-SOLAR.
Petersen Dean is a professional roofing contractor which has added solar energy system installation and management to its already stellar list of services. The firm can assist residential and commercial properties in Santa Cruz and the surrounding region.
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People can sign up for a variety of solar energy plans which take into account their personal energy consumption and needs on a regular basis. Some of the available systems include a diverse range of solar panels, with the minimum number for installation being six and the maximum being 36. Petersen Dean takes pride in the fact that all of their solar panels are made in the United States and contribute to the local economy by creating new jobs and building new economic markets.
Sunpower has been advancing solar technology for more than 30 years. This trusted name in renewable energy has weathered the ups and downs of the solar industry through relentless innovation.
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The company designs its own panels, battery storage systems, and software to work together seamlessly. SunPower panels have the highest efficiency rate in the business, partly because there aren’t any grid lines on the front of the cell. The lack of grid lines increases the amount of surface area dedicated to absorbing sunlight, and also improves aesthetics. Unlike conventional panels, they’re backed by solid copper that resists corrosion. The equipment comes with a 25-year power and product warranty.
SunPower produces the industry’s only Cradle to Cradle® certified products. Its panels meet the standards of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute for material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. SunPower also runs solar education programs and donates solar systems to nonprofit causes.
SunPower can be reached through its website at us.SunPower.com, or by phone at 800-SunPower.
This San Diego company is owned by the few and the proud — former U.S. Marines who are as proud of their company’s reputation as they are of their military service.
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Semper only installs SunPower solar panels. This top-of-the-line equipment is made in the USA and boasts a 22% efficiency rate — the industry’s highest. The panels are guaranteed to produce 75% more energy over 25 years than conventional panels. Semper’s monitoring service tracks system output. The electricity costs roughly the same per watt as the state average.
Even if Semper didn’t originally install a particular system, it will fine-tune, maintain, diagnose, and repair mature, aging, and under-producing systems installed by other companies. It also compares them against current building and fire codes to ensure proper ventilation, electrical placement, and roof access.
The company is an Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) certified Master Trainer. Semper is also EGIA certified, which means it’s licensed and insured, and complies with all state laws. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Semper Solaris can be reached through its website at sempersolaris.com, or by phone at (888) 210-3366.
SolarMax takes pride in using its own brand of solar panels which are 100% made in the United States. The company additionally does everything possible to cut out the middleman and keep costs low for clients, including staffing its own engineers and designers.
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The firm offers 25-year warranties on its workmanship and has completed over 6,000 residential solar energy products since its foundation in 2008. Some of the available services from the company include full property evaluation, the design and creation of a customized solar energy system, equipment installation, permitting, and system monitoring and maintenance as needed.
SolarMax serves residents of Santa Cruz and the surrounding area. Interested individuals can also check out the Flex Energy Storage System, which is a unique battery that will store unused solar energy for use in case of one of California’s numerous blackouts or brownouts.
SolarMax can be reached through its website at https://www.solarmaxtech.com/ or its phone number 855-279-2103.
Complete Solar claims to manage the largest network of Sales and Installation partners in the United States and regularly forms business associations with local companies, including roofing contractors and marketing firms.
The company currently serves residents in Santa Cruz and the neighboring region through its high-quality services. Complete Solar can send employees to analyze a property’s potential for solar power, will customize and design a unique system that suits their clients’ needs, will handle permitting, and can then install all of the equipment. The firm will also swap net meters to handle the new energy system.
Complete Solar is an award-winning company which has been featured in publications like The Mercury News, Bloomberg, and Businessweek.
The firm provides multiple financing options for its customers, including Solar Leases and PPAs. Interested individuals can request a free solar quote for services.
Complete Solar can be reached through its website at http://completesolar.com/ or its phone number 877-299-4943.
This veteran California company has installed more than 5,000 solar systems since 1978. Its American-made panels and 25-year warranty make it a popular choice in the region.
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Homeowners and businesses can get started for zero down, and monitor their systems around the clock through the company’s Enlighten web interface. Customers say that Future Energy Savers kept them well-informed throughout each step of the process.
The company’s services go far beyond solar panels. Future Energy Savers also sets up solar hot water systems, upgrades windows, and installs energy efficient HVAC systems. Customers can also sign on for indoor air purification, duct testing, and duct sealing to maximize the environmental conditions and efficiency of their homes and facilities.
Founder and CEO Jeffrey Adkins believes that “in order to succeed in the business world, you need to be heavily involved with the local community and treat them like family…I share this vision with all of our associates. My message is that we must always produce high quality work, provide great customer service, and constantly look out and represent the customer’s best interests. It’s in our company’s DNA and culture, one that has come full circle with referral business.”
The firm’s work for shelters, churches, and Habitat for Humanity demonstrates that this sentiment is more than just lip service.
Future Energy Savers can be reached through its website at energysavers.com, or by phone at (800) 985-0733.
Founded in 2004 as an environmental engineering and remediation company, Allterra established a residential and commercial solar division in 2009. It quickly earned an excellent reputation. The company had a red letter year in 2013, during which it won first place in Santa Cruz Weekly’s Gold Awards, was named the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Best Solar Dealer, and landed recognition as Good Times’ Best Solar Contractor. The value it places on relationships with customers and data-driven operations have fed the company’s growth.
Allterra designs custom systems that use industry-leading SunPower panels and guarantees their production. Installations take one to two days, depending on the project’s size and complexity. Allterra offers a 25-year warranty and Web-based system monitoring. It arranges zero-down PPA, lease, and purchase options with interest rates as low as 3.99%.
The company’s commercial projects include installations for insurance agencies, medical facilities, breweries, and many other businesses. Allterra is an environmentally conscious company that participates in the Monterey Bay Area Green Business program. The Monterey County Business Council named it the Best Place to Work in Monterey Bay, and the California Air Resources Board recognized it as a 2015 Cool Climate Leader in 2015.
Allterra Solar can be reached through its website at allterrasolar.com, or by phone at (831) 425-2608.
Clean Solar is a popular, socially responsible choice for solar installation in the Central Coast area. It’s been recognized as a standout company nearly a dozen times in its nine years of existence.
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Clean Solar was rated one of the Top Workplaces in the Bay Area in 2015, and ranked #161 on Solar Power World’s 2013 list of the Top 250 Solar Contractors, Inc. magazine also ranked Clean Solar on its list of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies for three years in a row.
Clean Solar is licensed and insured to install solar power for homes and businesses. It’s also a Certified B Corporation and a Diamond Certified contractor — a rare distinction earned by Bay Area companies with excellent customer service records.
The Prime Buyer’s Report named Clean Solar one of its Top 10 Solar installers in Northern California, and MetroActive named it the “Best Solar Company” in Silicon Valley in 2015. In addition, the San Jose Mercury News and San Mateo Times both dubbed it the Best Solar Installer in Silicon Valley for five years running. Clean Solar also won the CoolCalifornia Small Business Award for its climate-friendly practices.
Customers can choose from standard PPA, lease, and purchase options. The contract includes a 15-year production guarantee and a free monitoring service that notifies Clean Solar of any significant changes in output.
Clean Solar can be reached through its website at cleansolar.com, or by phone at (888) 551-7652.
RGS, a Real Goods Company, has installed more than 25,000 residential and commercial systems since it opened its doors in the late 1970s.
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Owner John Schaeffer’s Real Goods store in Willits, California was the first business to retail solar panels. John is a passionate advocate for solar energy who promoted it to his neighbors before he even opened up shop. The small company he established with an investment of less than $10,000 is now a publicly traded business serving 11 states.
In 2013, the company saw a 50% increase in solar installations nationwide over the previous year, and continued to grow its revenue in 2014. It successfully reduced debt and improved its financial position in 2016. It plans to reduce expenses by moving its headquarters from Boulder County, Colorado to downtown Denver in 2017.
RGS Energy is certified by Green America for using its business to promote environmental protection and social justice. It’s also a Waterkeeper Alliance partner.
RGS Energy can be reached through its website at rgsenergy.com, or by phone at (888) 567-6527.
Disclaimer: Solar Tribune provides information and data from a wide range of sources, and cannot independently verify every aspect of the data. Solar Tribune not guarantee the quality or results of working with any installer or parts provider.