Best Solar Companies in Indiana (2024 Rankings & Reviews)

Watch Below: Is Solar Actually Worth It? What’s True vs What’s a Myth

How Can You Save Money When Hiring A Solar Company In Indiana?

The average property owner in Indiana pays around $34,770 for their solar system before any incentives offered in Indiana and excluding batteries. This average assumes you pay the typical $3.66 per watt for photovoltaic (PV) equipment in the area and that you need a 9.5 kilowatt (kW) system to offset your electric bills like most other Indiana residents. This is the average system size, which is designed to offset the typical monthly electric consumption of 938 kWh per household.

Both the cost per watt and the typical system size requirement are slightly above the national averages of $3.33 and a 9 kW system. That means Indiana Hoosiers pay above-average prices to convert to solar.

As such, most residents will look for ways to bring costs down and boost long-term savings. There are a few things you can do to achieve this, including:

• Take advantage of Indiana solar benefit programs
• Invest in high-efficiency panels
• Get multiple free estimates for your system

We’ll discuss these in greater depth and explain how they affect your system costs in the sections below.

Take Advantage of Indiana’s Solar Incentive Programs

One of the best ways to reduce your cost of going solar in Indiana is to make sure you file for as many solar benefit programs as you can. There are quite a few perks available in Indiana, all of which can bring your total installation cost down by thousands of dollars.

We’ll include a breakdown of all of the incentives available in Indiana in the table below.

For more information on these incentives and how to take advantage of them, you can read through our guide to solar benefit programs in Indiana.

Invest in High-Efficiency Panels

As we mentioned above, Indiana residents see around 186 sunny days per year, which pales in comparison to the U.S. average of 205 sunny days. Less available sunlight means more cloudy days, your panels won’t have as much potential for energy production. In turn, lower rates of production mean lower energy savings.

As such, another great way to bring down your long-term system costs and maximize savings is to invest in high-efficiency panels. Solar panel brands with high efficiency ratings will allow you to take full advantage of the sunlight that does hit your home and offset more of your utility bills.

While choosing a high-quality panel brand — like SunPower, Tesla or Panasonic — will usually cost a bit more upfront, they’ll tend to save you more over time in an area like Indiana. The value is a little lower in Indiana than it would be in other states, mostly because the average retail rate for electricity in the state is 14.5 cents, which is below the U.S. average of 16.79 cents. You’ll see a little less value from high-efficiency panels overall, but we still feel it’s worth it to push your net savings higher.

Get Multiple Quotes

Finally, we recommend getting multiple free quotes for your solar energy system. There are close to 40 installers that service Indiana alone, and each one will charge different prices for their equipment, their labor and their warranty coverage. To get the best price, it’s best to shop around a bit and get a few free quotes to compare.

We should mention that it’s important to compare the estimates you get based on the quality of the equipment and service you receive and not just on price alone.

You can use our solar calculator to see how much you can save by going solar in Indiana and to get an idea of what your system will cost you.

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value In Indiana?

Yes, installing solar panels on your home is expected to boost your property value in Indiana by approximately 4.1%, an estimate based on research conducted by Zillow.⁴ Since the typical home in Indiana is valued around $230,053, that’s an expected value bump of over $9,400.⁵

The upside you’ll see on your home value when converting to solar depends quite a bit on where you live in Indiana. More expensive areas — like Indianapolis, Carmel, Anderson, Bloomington and West Lafayette — will naturally mean a higher value bump after going solar.

You’re also likely to see a greater value bump in cities that have adopted solar more readily than others. These include:

• Carmel
• Greenwood
• Fishers
• Indianapolis and
• Fort Wayne.⁶

In areas of Indiana that aren’t as solar-friendly, visible solar panels may not be as appealing, which means a lower bump in property value. For these areas, solar roof shingles — like those from Tesla — might be a more suitable and beneficial option.

Should Indiana Residents Hire a Professional Solar Panel Installer Or DIY?

Installing your solar power system yourself in Indiana is usually tempting. This is especially true since the IN cost to go solar in the area is above average at $24,399, and a DIY solar system installation is significantly more affordable.

Unfortunately, there are some pretty significant downsides to a DIY installation that make it a less appealing option in the area. These include:

• Panel efficiency for DIY panels is lower
• Mistakes during the installation are more likely, putting your system and home at greater risk of damage
• Warranties for DIY systems are far less appealing

We’ll discuss these in greater depth below.

DIY Panel Efficiency Is Lower

The first thing to consider before you attempt a DIY installation is that the efficiency of the DIY panels available is much lower. Companies like Renogy and Grape Solar that are available to DIYers often have efficiency ratings between 15% and 20%, whereas the top brands for professional installations can top 22%.

As mentioned above, solar panel efficiency is crucial in a place like Indiana because the available sunlight is significantly lower than it is in most other states. Less sun means less opportunity to produce electricity and fewer energy savings. Higher efficiency panels might be more costly, but they will often pay for themselves over time in an area like Indiana.

This will be especially true if Indiana adopts net metering 3.0, as it is expected to do. The lower credit rate would mean higher-efficiency panels are worth more, as they’ll generate more excess and push total credits higher.

DIYers More Often Make Installation Mistakes

Another thing to consider is that, while installing solar isn’t terribly difficult, doing it correctly is essential if you want to avoid damage to your home. Roof penetrations are inherently dangerous, and doing them yourself can easily lead to issues.

Roof leaks are already more common in Indiana than in most areas because of the above-average rainfall. Add in the potential for issues with a DIY installation, and you could be looking at rather costly mistakes. Overall, we believe it’s worth paying for a professional to do the work and avoid expensive damages to your home and your system.

DIY System Warranties Aren’t as Appealing

Finally, warranty coverage on DIY PV panel kits is far less appealing than you’d get from most professional installers in Indiana. With DIY kits, you’re usually looking at between five and 15 years for the equipment and ten to 15 years for power generation. This pales in comparison to the 25 years that is standard with professional installations.

More importantly, you don’t get any labor warranty when you DIY your solar, whereas you’d get between 15 and 25 years, on average, from an experienced installer.

In an area like Indiana, where tornado activity is common and homeowners see well above-average rainfall, warranty coverage not only provides peace of mind but also helps you avoid paying for costly damage to your system and home.

What Should Indiana Residents Look For in a Solar Panel Installer?

Choosing a solar system installer in Indiana is often an intimidating process, especially since there are so many available from which you can choose. There are a few things we’ll mention below we recommend prioritizing, as these will help you find the best installer for your needs in the area.

Warranty Coverage

First, we recommend looking at the warranty coverage included with your solar system, including the product warranty, production guarantee and the labor warranty.

Indiana solar systems are at greater risk of damage due to frequent tornado activity. Your efficiency also matters a great deal because the low-sunlight conditions in Indiana mean higher-efficiency panels are more likely to offset your energy bills and save you money over time.

The workmanship warranty helps protect you from inexperienced companies that are more likely to make mistakes. It can also keep your home and system protected from issues resulting from the installation, like roof leaks, which are a high risk in Indiana.

Panel Brands

Next, we recommend you look at the panel brands available. Every installer carries a subset of panel options, and we recommend prioritizing those that carry high-efficiency, tier-one monocrystalline panels.

Considering that Indiana only receives around 80% of available sunlight compared to the national average, high-efficiency panels are essential to make your solar investment in Indiana worth it. Some of the brands that should suit your needs include:

• SunPower (the highest efficiency panels in the industry)
• REC
• Canadian Solar
• Qcells
• Silfab

Local Experience

Finally, we recommend you look for companies that have worked in the industry for years and in Indiana, specifically.

Experience, in general, is a good thing to prioritize. Not only does choosing an experienced installer reduce your risk of mistakes during the installation, but it also helps avoid new companies that pop up to meet the growing demand in Indiana. This helps ensure your warranties won’t be voided as a result of the installer going out of business.

Local experience will also help ensure that you choose a company that understands the needs of Hoosiers, like high-efficiency panels and robust warranty coverage.

Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

National coverageGreat warranty coverageMost efficient panels on the market

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Solar Veteran

4/5

Competitive pricingExcellent reputationIndustry-leading in-house financing

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Methodology: How We Ranked Indiana’s Solar Companies

We strive to bring you the most accurate and useful information possible to help make the transition to solar a smooth and lucrative one. We also aim to be entirely transparent about how we choose the best solar providers. Our rankings are never affected by our commercial partnerships and instead base our recommendations on the below factors:

• Solar Warranty & Customer Support (20%)
• Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications (20%)
• Experience (15%)
• Solar Payment Options (15%)
• Availability (10%)
• Solar Services (10%)
• Environmental and Social Impact (10%)

We’ll discuss why these factors matter so much in our ratings below, and you can check out our methodology for more information on how we rank installers.

Solar Warranty & Customer Support

As we’ve mentioned above, warranty coverage is paramount in Indiana. There are three types of warranties that are crucial in the area:

• Equipment warranty: Protects your system from defects
• Production warranty: Guarantees that your panels will perform at the advertised efficiency and/or power levels
• Workmanship warranty: Crucial for ensuring a proper installation, which can keep your home safe in the face of the above-average rainfall and snow that hits Indiana

A company gets a perfect score in this category if it provides 25 years of coverage for all three, which is rare. For comparison, we use the industry standard of 25 years for equipment and power production and ten years for workmanship.

Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications

Next, we look at how qualified the installer is, which includes a look at its certifications and qualifications. Some things we look for include electrician certification by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), B Corp certification and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

We also look at the company’s reputation among local solar customers, usually through customer reviews and complaints.

Experience

Experience is essential in an installer for two reasons:

• More years of experience mean that your installer is less likely to make mistakes during the installation, which means a lower risk of roof leaks and property damage
• More years in the industry mean a lower risk of the company going out of business, which means your warranties won’t be voided

We give an installer a perfect score in this area if it has more than ten years of experience. The industry standard we measure against is at least five years.

Solar Payment Options

Next, we look at the payment options and the overall price of each company we’re reviewing. The price is an important factor for any aspiring solar owner, but it’s especially important in Indiana, where the average price of solar panels is above the already high national average.

We also look at the options for payment, which can include cash, solar loans, solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs). Companies that accept cash and offer in-house financing with appealing rates and down payment requirements score the highest.

We recently started looking for companies that offer all four payment options, as we expect leases and PPAs to be some of the most popular options in the future if NEM 3.0 takes effect. That would more or less mandate batteries, which would increase solar conversion costs in Indiana by between $10,000 and $20,000, on average. That could mean even solar loans become inaccessible to a lot of customers.

Availability

Some solar installers in Indiana don’t service the entire state and instead focus on major cities. Larger companies that have a wider service area naturally get ranked a bit higher, as they appeal to more customers.

Solar Services

Not every solar installer offers the same services. Some companies, like Blue Raven, only install panels, while others, like GRNE Solar, are full-service companies that tackle panels, batteries, EV chargers, maintenance and efficiency upgrades.

Companies that provide more products and services will be able to meet the needs of more customers, so we rank them a little higher. We’re currently prioritizing battery availability in Indiana, as the upcoming net metering shift will make solar storage far more valuable.

Environmental and Social Impact

Finally, we look at the impact the company has on the environment and the industry as a whole. We look for companies that disclose data, provide equitable access to energy efficiency upgrades that go beyond just installing solar, as well as those that have industry affiliations that suggest it truly cares about renewable energy.

We also promote companies that have a positive social impact, like those that are B Corp-certified and do what they can to keep solar accessible to all.

Read More About Going Solar in Indiana

• Is Solar Worth It in Indiana?
• Indiana Solar Incentives Guide
• Find Cost Savings on Solar Panels in Indiana