Finding a solar company to trust is generally the most difficult part of going solar for most homeowners. Finding a company you can trust for the next 25 years or more is not easy. It is essential to evaluate any solar company you hire extensively. If your roof starts to leak 10 years down the road, you don’t want to get stuck with bad customer service.
5 Steps To Find The Best Solar Company
How do you evaluate and choose from hundreds of solar companies? Finding the right one can be like finding the needle in a haystack. That’s why we’re here to help! We can review any quote you have and explain why it may or may not be a good investment.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your choices or aren’t sure where to start, this helpful step-by-step guide can help. Let us serve as a captain to help you navigate the sea of solar companies in Southern California.
Step 1: Identify Your Solar Company
It is important to know and understand the different types of solar companies you may come across when shopping. These are some examples:
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Solar Sales Companies
These are the companies to look out for and avoid if possible. They only exist to generate new leads and sales. They only deal with negotiations and their job ends when the solar contract is signed. When it comes time to do the work, you’ll meet the next type of company.
Solar Contractors – Solar EPC
Solar contractors (also known as installers) are the ones you will interact with the most during the whole process. They will purchase the solar tech and install it on your property.
Before the installation, they will perform an evaluation of your property and determine if your solar system requires any special considerations. Most of qualify solar contractors are licensed with C46 & C10 on CSLB public site.
Solar Financing
The solar financing company strictly focuses on providing financing options needed to help both homes and businesses pay for their solar panel systems. They typically partner with solar installation contractors.
Full-Service Solar Providers
These are the types of companies you should consider to be the cream-of-the-crop. Full-service solar providers do everything to get you set up with solar. They sell panels and other solar equipment, provide financing, and install the system themselves. They take care of every single aspect of your solar process, including warranty service down the road.
Read more:
Net Zero & The Importance of Solar Panels System Size
Best Solar Panels In 2022 – Top 5 Manufacturers
Top 10 Facts About Solar Panels You Probably Didn’t Know
Step 2: Is The Solar Company Licensed & Insured
In residential solar or commercial solar, any company that installs solar panels should have the required licensing and insurance to legally provide service for your home.
You can check any company’s license and insurance through the Contractors State License Board website.
If you can’t find a license for the solar company you’re talking to, you should look for someone else!
Step 3: Get Several Solar Quotes
Different solar energy contractors will provide you with different prices for solar system purchase and installation. Getting several quotes is a quick way to judge both the cost of working with a specific company and how well they treat you while shopping around.
If you get into a solar consultation with a salesperson who immediately pressures you into a decision, they are not the company you should trust.
Write down the questions you want to ask when comparing solar companies in California:
- How long will be expecting for solar installation? Typically, if the solar contractor works with installation for quite some time, they will have timeframe information for the location of your home.
- What type of solar panel does the solar company use? The full-service solar company will work with major distributors and Option One Solar only choose the best Tier 1 panel such as the REC Alpha Solar Panel
- How is your payment work? Make sure to ask if your payment stays the same or will it increase over time while you choose to do financing for your solar system.
REMEMBER – The lowest prices are not always the best value!
Step 4: Research The Solar Company's Reputation and Background
Reviews are one of the best ways to judge a company’s reputation. Check on the most public places like Yelp and Google and bear these 3 questions before you move on:
- Does the solar company have great reviews?
- Do they have reviews from more than 5 years ago?
- Do they have reviews from the last few months?
Make sure the company you go with has a good track record for a long time. Solar companies can pop up and die out quickly and you don't want to be scammed. Go with a company with experience and trust from past clients.
Step 5: Check The Solar Warranty
Most solar contractors will provide a standard workmanship warranty that covers their work for up to 10 years. The solar panels themselves also usually come with an industry-standard 25-year warranty. The best companies will provide comprehensive warranties that will cover your entire system for at least 10 years.
The Choice Is Easy With Option One Solar
Here at Option One Solar, we combine all of the best options in one choice. We are a Full-Service Solar Company licensed and insured to provide solar installation and electrical service.
Option One Solar has been voted as the best solar company for 5 years and going, by the people. We have hundreds of great reviews from customers just like you. We have been in business for over 50 years, and we’ll be able to provide service if one of your panels breaks down 20 years from now.
Call us today and experience the best full-service solar contractor in Southern California.
