Top 7 Best Solar Companies in Maryland (2024 Reviews)

Tesla’s solar technology works together seamlessly to create a great user experience, particularly in Maryland, where they automatically prepare for incoming storms to keep you protected.

The company doesn’t have the best customer service due to outsourced installations, but we feel it’s still a good option overall.

Why We Chose Tesla as the Company With the Best Technology

As one of the country’s largest tech companies, it’s not surprising that Tesla’s solar products are easy to use and provide features that equipment from most competitors don’t.

A perfect example of this is StormWatch, a feature of the company’s solar battery, the Tesla Powerwall. The battery remains connected to the internet and monitors local weather. When there is a storm expected — a common occurrence in Maryland — the battery automatically reallocates energy production to storage to prepare to back up your home through a possible power outage.

Its EV charger can sync with your EV and pre-heat your battery when you’re getting close to a scheduled charging time, and the Powerwall also gives you control over how your energy is allocated so that you can make the most of your energy production.

Tesla’s products also have above-average performance specifications in general, and it offers price matching to help keep the high installation costs in Maryland as low as possible.

What We Don’t Like

Tesla is a manufacturer only, which means it outsources the installation of its equipment to third-party companies. This can mean spotty customer service, as the company itself doesn’t keep a tight leash on its partners in Maryland. Your experience will depend on the local installer assigned to you.

Additionally, Tesla only installs one brand of panels — QCells — and its own equipment — like Powerwalls and Tesla EV chargers. We’d love to see some variety for customers looking to optimize cost over performance, even though the Tesla-branded products are considered to be high quality.

Read our full review of Tesla for more information.

Solar Products

Tesla only installs QCells panels since it stopped manufacturing its own panels. QCells panels have a maximum efficiency of 21.4%, which is above average and should be plenty to offset the above-average energy demands in Maryland. QCells panels also have lower prices than many competing panel brands — like REC and Trina — which is helpful for keeping those above-average installation costs in Maryland to a minimum.

In addition to panels, Tesla provides access to the following:

• Tesla Powerwalls, which are the most sought-after battery in the industry
• Tesla EV chargers — can be adapted to fit any EV
• The Tesla solar monitoring app

With the industry’s leading battery option, Tesla is positioned nicely to remain a relevant and helpful installer even if the Maryland net metering credit gets decreased or disappears in the future. The Powerwall is also one of the more affordable battery options in terms of cost per kW of storage, making it a good option for further maximizing savings.

Financing Options

Like SunPower, Tesla keeps its products accessible by accepting cash purchases, loans, leases and PPAs.

We strongly recommend paying in cash, if possible, as this is the most beneficial option in the long run. Loans are more accessible, but they require that you pay interest, which will cut into your solar savings a bit.

We recommend avoiding leases and PPAs unless you can’t make a cash purchase or solar loan work. This is more likely to be the case if batteries become a necessity, as each Powerwall adds around $11,500 to your installation costs.

Warranty Information

Tesla’s warranty coverage is about average. It covers the equipment for 25 years, which is average, and the performance for 25 years, which is a little longer than most companies provide.

You do only get a ten-year warranty for the workmanship, which is in line with the industry average but lower than we’d ideally like to see in a high-risk area like Maryland.

The QCells panels from Tesla should last for between 25 and 30 years, on average, and some last even longer.

Click here for a free quote from Tesla.

Trinity Solar is a trusted and reliable solar veteran with more than 20 years of experience. Despite being a large company, it has local expertise and delivers great customer service.

Trinity Solar doesn’t have the best workmanship warranty for Maryland residents, but it is in line with the industry average.

Why We Chose Trinity Solar as the Best Regional Provider

Trinity Solar has been operating in Maryland for over two decades, and it employs technicians that are locally trained. The team is willing and able to assist customers in filing for federal, state and local solar incentives that larger companies might miss, which could end up saving you thousands on your system.

Trinity Solar has an impressive social impact as well, as it donates $1,000 to charity for every installation it completes and $100 for every consultation. In an area like Maryland, where there’s a lot of competition, this helps Trinity stand out as a company that cares rather than just another installer out to turn a profit.

Trinity carries a good selection of panel brands, too, which gives residents in Maryland options for their systems. That means you can choose to install high-efficiency panels for the best chance of eliminating your energy bills or choose a lower-cost option to save some money.

What We Don’t Like

Trinity’s workmanship warranty only lasts for five years, which is the most significant drawback of working with the company. This is half the industry average, and we typically look for above-average workmanship warranty coverage in high-risk areas like Maryland. Especially with annual rainfall being nearly double the national average, any mistakes during the installation process can quickly lead to problems.

Trinity also has generally good customer service, but given its size, it occasionally runs into some issues with slow response times, particularly after the installation is completed.

Read our full Trinity Solar review for more information.

Solar Products

Trinity Solar only installs QCells panels. These deliver an above-average efficiency rating of 21.4%, which is great for meeting the high energy demands in Maryland. However, we usually prefer companies that include a variety of panel brands to give solar customers options. With that being said, though, QCells is a durable and high-performance tier-one panel brand that should be suitable for most Maryland residents.

Trinity also offers the following products and services to its customers for some system customization.

• Tesla Powerwalls
• Generac solar batteries
• Solar monitoring apps from Enphase and Tesla

Having an installer that offers solar batteries is great for the future, as net metering in Maryland could take a hit and necessitate storage options to see a good ROI. And seeing options like Trinity offers is even better for system customization.

Financing Options

Trinity Solar accepts all four payment options, which gives you options for maximizing the value of your solar array and minimizing the upfront and long-term costs.

For the most savings over time, we recommend a cash purchase, but a solar loan will deliver close to that amount while remaining more accessible with $0 down payments in most cases.

A lease can be a decent option if you won’t qualify for a loan and can’t make a cash purchase work out. We typically suggest avoiding PPAs unless you have no other options.

Warranty Information

Trinity includes a 25-year warranty for the panels and the performance. The performance warranty is a little longer than the industry average and should help ensure your system continues to deliver maximum savings, even with the above-average energy demands in your area.

Unfortunately, the workmanship warranty only lasts for five years. This is half what most competitors offer, and although the company’s expertise and experience should mean a solid installation, we prefer longer warranties to protect you from issues that are more prevalent in Maryland due to the extreme weather and above-average rainfall.

Click here for a free quote from Trinity Solar.

Lumina Solar is a small regional provider that, in just a few years, has garnered a reputation for unbeatable customer service.

The company doesn’t have much longevity in the industry, but given its operations thus far, we feel it is as trustworthy as those with far more experience.

Why We Chose Lumina Solar as the Best for Customer Service

Lumina Solar has a lot going for it, despite being a younger company. First off, it maintains incredible customer service and overwhelmingly positive customer reviews online. That includes an unprecedented 5-star rating on Google Reviews and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), plus an A+ rating with the BBB. It’s evident in reading these reviews that the company holds customer care in the highest regard.

As a smaller regional provider, Lumina Solar understands the specific needs of Maryland solar customers. Not only are the techs experienced enough to help customers take all of the local solar incentives and solar rebates available, but the company also provides a solar insurance package on top of its warranty coverage. This is ideal for customers in Maryland whose systems are exposed to severe weather and abundant rainfall.

Their local experience could mean a higher chance of being able to help you take advantage of local incentives that larger companies might miss, too. That includes things like the solar tax credits in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County,  Harford County, Prince George’s County, and more.

Finally, Lumina makes charitable donations, so it has a positive overall impact on the state as a whole, which is something that cannot be said for many competitors.

What We Don’t Like

Lumina Solar doesn’t provide a workmanship warranty, specifically. Although the company does couple equipment and production coverage with an insurance package, we’d really love to see a labor warranty for ultimate peace of mind.

Lumina is also quite a young company, having been founded in 2018. We usually look for companies that have at least a decade of experience, as longevity in the industry suggests that a company is unlikely to go out of business and void your warranties in the process. With that being said, we don’t feel that Lumina is a sketchy company, but we did feel compelled to mention its brief stint in the solar space.

Read our full review of Lumina for more information.

Solar Products

Lumina installs panels from a few different tier-one manufacturers, including Silfab, Canadian Solar and REC. All of these are reliable brands that we’d feel comfortable recommending to Maryland solar customers, and the system should be plenty efficient to offset even the above-average electric bills in the area.

We recommend the REC panels, as they top out at 22.3% efficiency. The other two are slightly lower in efficiency, but they come in at the same price point. We feel REC provides the biggest bang for your buck of the options available.

Below is a list of other products and services you can get access to through Lumina Solar:

• Tesla Powerwall
• Solar maintenance
• Roof repair and replacement
• Commercial solar projects

The inclusion of the Powerwall is great to see and should help the company stay relevant even as negative changes to Maryland’s net metering policy — which are expected in the coming years — are made.

Financing Options

Lumina Solar accepts all of the major solar payment options, including cash purchases, loans, leases and PPAs. As is the case with all installers, we recommend a cash purchase, as doing so will yield the highest long-term savings and the lowest all-in system price. A loan is another good option, although savings will be a little lower and your system total a little higher.

Leases and PPAs save the least — around $15,000 less than with cash or a loan — and they don’t let you take the federal credit. However, they don’t have any down payment requirements and have minimal credit requirements, so they’re generally more accessible.

Warranty Information

Lumina Solar includes a 25-year warranty for the panels, which is average, and a 25-year warranty for the panel production, which is about five years longer than what most competitors provide.

While you don’t get a formal workmanship warranty, you do get access to a solar insurance package from SolarInsure. This lasts for 30 years and includes free solar monitoring to help boost solar savings over time.

Click here for a free quote from Lumina Solar.

Celestial Solar Innovations is a highly reliable local installer that employs techs with local expertise to help you navigate incentives and rebates and maximize savings.

The company has a relatively small service area in Northwest Maryland and doesn’t have a formal workmanship warranty, but it’s still a solid choice.

Why We Chose Celestial Solar Innovations as the Best Local Installer

Marylanders have specific needs that customers in other states don’t, and Celestial Solar Innovations understands those more than most competitors. The company only services Marylanders, so the technicians have years of local experience and can help you take advantage of local incentive programs. Plus, they can help size your system appropriately, which is going to be extra important when you need to maximize savings and keep installation costs to a minimum if NEM gets downgraded and batteries become a necessity.

The company also focuses on customer education and takes a non-aggressive approach to sales. Its representatives are more concerned with educating customers about the benefits of clean energy rather than just making sales, which means you’re likely to get the best system to suit your above-average energy needs.

Celestial Solar provides access to numerous brands of solar equipment, which means you can choose panels that optimize production and maximize solar savings, or you can choose a brand meant more for keeping your installation costs to a minimum. This is especially good news in Maryland, where installation costs are above average.

What We Don’t Like

There are two major downsides to working with this local provider. First, it doesn’t offer a formal workmanship warranty. We feel that the company’s local experience helps ensure you won’t run into weather-related issues or damages with your panels, but we’d still love to see warranty coverage for guaranteed protection.

Additionally, as a small local company, Celestial Solar Innovations only services a small area in Northwest Maryland. As such, many customers throughout the state won’t be able to get service from this provider.

Solar Products

Celestial Solar Innovations installs panels from a few manufacturers, including REC, Panasonic, SolarEdge and Solaria. These are all trustworthy names in the industry and come with robust warranty packages to keep your system safe.

REC and Panasonic have the highest efficiency ratings of the bunch at 22.3% and 22.2%, respectively. If you’re looking to maximize your solar production, we’d recommend REC of these two since they have a slightly lower cost. The other options should help keep installation costs to a minimum.

Below is a list of products and services above and beyond the panels that Celestial provides:

• Solar batteries — the brands are not specified
• Solar monitoring
• Commercial solar projects

Even though it doesn’t specify what batteries are available, the inclusion of solar storage is a good move, in our opinion, and it shows the company’s preparedness for the future changes that are expected to make net metering less valuable and batteries a necessity more than a luxury item.

Financing Options

Celestial Solar Innovations only accepts cash purchases and solar loans. Although the options are limited, these are the only ones we generally recommend. However, leases and PPAs might become more relevant if batteries become the norm and installation costs skyrocket as a result.

Paying with cash is the least accessible option since you’ll be on the hook for an average cost — after the federal credit — of more than $19,000. However, cash purchases yield the greatest energy savings over time and help you avoid interest to keep system costs low.

A solar loan is a better option if you’re looking to keep upfront costs low, although this will lead to fewer savings over time.

Warranty Information

Celestial Solar Innovations includes a 25-year warranty that covers the equipment and the panel efficiency. The equipment coverage is average, and the efficiency warranty is slightly above average.

Unfortunately, the installer doesn’t provide a formal workmanship warranty. We’d really love to see one, especially given the relatively high risk of issues popping up in an area like Maryland.

On average, a system from Celestial Solar Innovations is likely to last for between 20 and 30 years.

Click here for a free quote from Celestial Solar Innovations.

Edge Energy offers more equipment and services than most companies in Maryland, giving customers access to ultimate system customization.

The company doesn’t have the best customer service, but we still think most customers will be pleased with their overall experience.

Why We Chose Edge Energy as the Best for System Customization

Edge Energy goes above and beyond in its service offerings to make itself a one-stop shop for renewable energy and energy efficiency. In addition to panel and battery installations, it also offers energy audits, air sealing, insulation, roofing services, duct sealing and cleaning, interior renovations, HVAC installation and more. You can get just about any efficiency-boosting work you might want to be done through Edge Energy.

This is going to be an especially big deal if net metering is discontinued or downgraded in Maryland. The lower your electricity, heating and cooling costs are, the more likely you are to be able to get away without needing a battery if the NEM rates drop. If they go away altogether, though, you’ll almost certainly need a battery, in which case a boost to home efficiency can help maximize your savings and minimize the size of the battery you need, along with the cost.

For its solar services, the company includes a 25-year warranty that covers the panels, the efficiency and the workmanship. This is ideal in an area like Maryland, where extreme weather and above-average rainfall can threaten roof penetrations and home solar systems.

Additionally, Edge Energy is a certified SunPower dealer, which means the panels it offers have the highest efficiency ratings in the industry. Since Marylanders have above-average energy demands, these panels are some of the best in the area for maximizing solar savings.

What We Don’t Like

Despite being a small company, Edge Energy sometimes struggles to provide excellent customer service. Generally speaking, the customer reviews are positive, but some have complained about long response times to inquiries and warranty claims, which is definitely a downside.

Additionally, Edge Energy only installs a single brand of panels: Maxeon/SunPower. These panels have the most impressive performance specifications in the industry, but we’d love to see some other options that, for example, help keep installation costs to a minimum rather than maximizing energy generation.

Solar Products

As mentioned above, Edge Energy only installs panels manufactured by Maxeon. These have an industry-leading efficiency of 22.8%, which makes them well-suited to offset the high rates of consumption in Maryland. They also come with outstanding warranty coverage, which is great for MD residents who see a lot of extreme weather and rain each year.

Edge Energy provides access to a huge number of other solar and efficiency services. We’ll list these below:

• Solar batteries — no specific brands are mentioned
• The MySunPower solar monitoring app
• Duct sealing and cleaning
• Energy audits
• Insulation
• Roof repair and replacement
• Drywall and painting
• HVAC installation
• Outdoor lighting
• Solar thermal systems
• Wind energy systems
• Home remodeling
• Commercial solar projects

The wide array of services related to efficiency and solar is great to see, especially since they will become even more beneficial if net metering is downgraded and batteries become necessary. At that point, maximizing home efficiency while converting to solar will provide the highest ROI.

Financing Options

Edge Energy only entertains cash purchases and solar loans, and while these are our only recommended options, they aren’t as accessible as leases and PPAs.

Of the two options available from Edge, we recommend a cash purchase. Over time, not paying interest on a loan will save you around $5,000 more on your energy bills. Loans are also good options, though, and they will save a substantial amount of money, especially given the above-average energy bills in Maryland that will be offset by your photovoltaic (PV) system.

Warranty Information

Edge Energy includes a 25-year warranty for the equipment, the panel efficiency and the workmanship. The equipment warranty is average, but the other two are longer than what most competitors provide.

We’re specifically impressed with the 25-year workmanship warranty, which is 2.5x as long as the industry average. Labor warranties like this provide peace of mind in Maryland, where above-average rainfall and frequent extreme weather can quickly expose problems with solar installations and associated roof penetrations.

Click here for a free quote from Edge Energy.