Top 7 Best Solar Companies in North Carolina (2024 Reviews)

Blue Raven Solar keeps upfront payments and interest rates low and includes 18 months of interest-free financing to help provide immediate solar savings.

Blue Raven currently only installs solar panels, but with batteries being a less popular option in North Carolina than in many other states, this is only a minor downside.

Why We Chose Blue Raven Solar as the Best for Financing Options

The BluePower Plus+ financing program makes solar more accessible than ever before by minimizing interest payments over time and eliminating initial costs. You don’t need any cash to finance with this program.

The best part of BluePower Plus+ is the 18 months of interest-free financing, which lets you accrue some energy savings and pay off a significant chunk of your system costs before ever actually paying anything out of pocket. This is especially helpful in an area like North Carolina, where electric bills are above average. As such, those savings in the first year and a half will be higher than what most Americans would likely see.

Access to high-value financing programs like this are going to be even more valuable in the future when NEM 3.0 is adopted and solar storage becomes the norm. Soon, most residents will need to invest in batteries as well to offset their consumption. The need for batteries will be even higher in North Carolina — with additional costs of between $10,000 and $20,000 — due to the high rate of electricity consumption.

Blue Raven is a large national company, but it still manages to provide great customer service. If you’re looking for the availability and below-average pricing of a national company but still want to feel like a valued customer, we believe Blue Raven is an outstanding option.

What We Don’t Like

In our opinion, there are two relatively minor downsides to working with Blue Raven Solar.

The first is that the company only installs solar panels. It stated that it would start installing batteries as well, but that has yet to happen. This is going to be a bigger issue in the coming years when the new net metering policy takes effect, as batteries will be all but necessary to enjoy solar savings. It’s possible to go with Blue Raven and then retrofit your system with batteries, but then you can’t take the ITC for the storage system as well. Ultimately, that could mean you miss out on an average of $4,500 of tax credits if you go solar without batteries and add them later.

Additionally, Blue Raven doesn’t accept leases or PPAs. The company’s solar loan options are outstanding and widely accessible, but for those that won’t qualify for loans, we’d love to see leases and PPAs available as well. Again, fewer people will qualify for solar loans in the near future when the need for batteries pushes up the cost of solar conversion.

Read our full review of Blue Raven Solar for more information.

Solar Products

Blue Raven installs panels manufactured by Canadian Solar, Trina, Hyundai and SolarEdge. All of these are tier-one solar brands, and while they don’t match the efficiency of Maxeon panels, they should provide plenty of efficiency to offset your energy bills, especially given the above-average amount of sunlight in the area.

If you’re looking to minimize your all-in solar costs, we’d recommend choosing SolarEdge panels. These have the lowest per-watt cost of the four. If you’d prefer to maximize panel efficiency and have the best chance of eliminating your energy bills, we’d suggest Trina panels, which have the highest efficiency of the four.

Blue Raven doesn’t offer any batteries or EV chargers, but it does install Enphase inverters and the Enphase solar monitoring app. It has also mentioned that it will start offering batteries in the future.

Financing Options

Blue Raven only accepts cash purchases and solar loans through its in-house financing program, BluePower Plus+. While we’d ideally like to see all four options for accessibility, the solar loan program is one of the best and most accessible in the industry, so this is still a company that will appeal to most North Carolinians.

We’d still recommend a cash purchase if you can make it work, as this will lead to greater savings overall.

Warranty Information

Blue Raven Solar includes a 25-year warranty for all of its equipment and the panel efficiency. The efficiency warranty is great to have, as it helps ensure your panels continue to offset your above-average energy bills over time.

The workmanship warranty is just ten years. While this is in line with the industry average, we would love to see lengthier coverage, especially in an area like North Carolina that sees above-average rainfall each year and frequent severe weather, including hurricanes and tropical storms.

Click here for a free quote from Blue Raven Solar.

The customer service provided by this installer is usually outstanding and earns the company near-perfect customer reviews online. It also provides great warranty coverage.

Solar SME has some issues with spotty customer service, but overall, it’s our number-one recommended regional solar installer in North Carolina.

Why We Chose Solar SME as the Best Regional Provider

Solar SME strikes a unique balance between the affordability and accessibility you’d expect from a national company with the customer service and attention you’d more often see from a small local company. Most of the company’s online reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with customers raving about fast response times and professionalism.

The company employs installation technicians that are NABCEP-certified (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners), which offers reassurance that your panels are being installed properly. Along with its decade of experience, this helps ensure that you don’t run into issues with the state’s extreme weather causing damage to your system or your home.

Solar SME also provides peace of mind by including robust warranty coverage on all of its systems. Your panels, panel production and the labor are all covered for 25 years, which is outstanding.

Finally, Solar SME accepts all four primary payment options for its services. Its average pricing means you can expect to pay around $33,705 for your system before the federal credit or closer to $23,594 after the credit. If you include a battery with your system, your average costs will be $43,705 and $33, 594 before and after the ITC, respectively.

What We Don’t Like

The only real downside we see to working with Solar SME is that the great customer service that most customers experience can be spotty. Based on customer reviews, it seems as though your experience can vary based on which local branch serves your area.

Other than the potential for less-than-ideal customer service, we believe Solar SME is an incredible option overall for North Carolina homeowners.

Solar Products

Solar SME carries a large number of residential solar panel brands, including REC, Trina, Panasonic, Silfab, Solaria, QCells and SolarEdge. That means there’s very likely to be something that suits your needs, whether you’re looking to prioritize low installation costs or panel efficiency.

If you want to keep your costs as low as possible, we’d suggest considering panels from Solaria or SolarEdge. The panels from Panasonic have the highest efficiency of the bunch, so these should help keep production as high as possible.

Below is the extensive list of additional products and services you can choose from Solar SME:

• Ground-mount solar systems
• LG Chem RESU batteries
• Generac PWRCell
• Panasonic EverVolt batteries
• Enphase Encharge batteries
• Solax Solar Battery storage systems
• A variety of EV chargers
• The Enphase solar monitoring app

The wide range of batteries provided by Solar SME is outstanding, and this definitely sets the company apart from the competition. This will be a huge asset once batteries become the norm in the wake of the upcoming change to net metering.

Financing Options

Solar SME accepts all four primary solar payment options, including cash, solar loans, leases and PPAs.

As is the case with all other installers, we strongly suggest a cash purchase through this provider if you can make it work. This will be the most beneficial option for you over time, although it will come with the highest cost — an average of $33,705 upfront. Loans are more accessible with an average upfront cost of $0, but a little less beneficial, given that you’ll pay interest on top of your system costs. Over time, a loan will lead to additional payments of around $6,200 over the life of the loan.

Leases and PPAs are the most accessible but the least beneficial in the long run.

Warranty Information

Solar SME’s warranty coverage is ideal for North Carolina residents, as it covers the equipment, the panel production and the installation labor for 25 years each.

The labor warranty is 2.5x what most companies offer, which is great in an area with frequent severe weather. The production warranty is also a little longer than the industry average and can help offset your above-average energy consumption in the area.

Click here for a free quote from Solar SME.

Renu Energy Solutions offers incredible customer service and customer care, and it makes most customers feel like they’re getting personalized, one-on-one service.

The biggest downside to this installer is the lack of a formal workmanship warranty, but it’s still a solid option in North Carolina.

Why We Chose Renu Energy Solutions as the Best for Customer Service

Renu Energy Solutions serves North Carolina and South Carolina, with offices in Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Columbia and Greenville. Although this technically isn’t a local company, it’s small enough that it can still provide the kind of customer care you’d expect from a single-branch solar installer.

Most of the customer reviews for Renu are positive, with customers noting how hands-on and communicative the company was throughout the entire conversion process.

As an installer that services the Carolinas only, Renu also has localized experience and is familiar with local solar incentives. That means your system is customized to suit your local needs, and its reps can likely help you save money on your system by taking advantage of incentives and rebates. Most larger companies simply can’t offer this kind of one-on-one service.

Renu has lengthy equipment and power production warranties, too, the latter of which can help ensure you continue to offset your electric bills for decades after the installation is completed.

What We Don’t Like

The biggest downside to Renu is that the company lacks a formal workmanship warranty. Labor warranties are useful for providing peace of mind through North Carolina’s extreme weather. With that being said, though, the company’s installers are NABCEP-certified, which should install some confidence in most customers.

Additionally, Renu doesn’t accept leases or PPAs. Although the pricing is about average, the lack of low-cost financing options means that this installer will appeal to fewer customers than some other companies. This is a bigger deal in North Carolina than in most other states, as the all in cost of converting to solar in NC is around $3,735 higher than you’d pay in most other states.

Another pretty minor drawback is the minimal number of equipment brands available, which does hinder customizability a bit. Other companies, like Solar SME, provide a wide range of products to let homeowners pick and choose what works best for them.

Read our full review of Renu Energy Solutions for more information.

Solar Products

Renu Energy Solutions installs panels manufactured by REC and Tesla, so the options are limited.

If you’re looking to maximize your system’s efficiency rating, we’d recommend the REC panels. Tesla panels have a lower cost per watt, so they’re better for keeping installation costs down.

Below is a list of some other products and services Renu provides to customers:

• Tesla solar roof shingles
• Tesla Powerwalls
• Enphase Encharge solar batteries
• LG ESS Home 8, which is a power monitoring and storage solution to maximize energy savings; this is more popular in areas that don’t have net metering policies
• Hurricane preparation installations
• Tesla Wall Connector EV chargers
• Tesla and Enphase solar monitoring mobile apps

Financing Options

Unfortunately, Renu Energy Solutions isn’t as accessible as it could be, as it only accepts cash purchases and solar loans. We’d really love to see leases and PPAs offered as well. Even though these are less beneficial, they can be great options for homeowners who can’t make a cash purchase or loan work.

Of the two options available, we’d recommend a cash purchase, as this will cost you more upfront but will end up saving thousands more dollars in most cases.

Warranty Information

Renu includes a 25-year equipment and performance warranty. The equipment warranty is average, and the performance warranty is five years longer than the industry average.

Unfortunately, the company doesn’t have a workmanship warranty, so it’s not as beneficial as the average 10-year warranty you’d get from most installers. This is a pretty significant drawback, especially since rooftop solar arrays in North Carolina are at an increased risk of damage due to the hurricanes and tropical storms that frequent the area.

Click here for a free quote from Renu Energy Solutions.

If you’re looking for a small local company that can provide stellar customer service, constant communication and customer care, we recommend 8M Solar.

8M Solar is a bit less accessible than other providers, but we think this company will meet and exceed most customers’ expectations.

Why We Chose 8M Solar as the Best Local Installer

8M Solar is a small solar company that only operates in North Carolina. It is headquartered in Raleigh but serves most of the state through other local branches. It has completed over 1,000 solar installations in NC since 2009, so it has extensive experience customizing systems for the local energy needs and weather.

8M Solar’s representatives are more in tune with the local needs of NC solar customers than most companies will be, and its reps are intimately familiar with local solar incentives. That means they can very likely help save you money by taking advantage of perks offered by individual municipalities and energy companies like Duke Energy.

The company also takes an educational approach to solar energy. By offering honest information about the benefits of solar in North Carolina and alerting customers to changing solar policies, it helps make solar more easily understandable and helps homeowners find the most energy savings over time. Many other companies prioritize profits and installation numbers, so it’s refreshing to see a provider that makes education and long-term solar adoption a priority instead.

What We Don’t Like

There’s not much we can say about 8M Solar that isn’t positive.

The only real downside, in our opinion, is that the company doesn’t accept leases or power purchase agreements. We do believe paying with cash or a loan is significantly more beneficial for you over time, but we like to see companies offering a wealth of solar financing options to appeal to a bigger audience.

In the near future, the adoption of NEM 3.0 will increase solar adoption costs by an average of $15,000 for most homeowners, as it will all but necessitate the inclusion of solar storage solutions. At that point, leases and PPAs will be the only viable option for more solar customers. Keep that in mind if you go solar with 8M after the change in policy.

Solar Products

8M Solar carries a pretty impressive number of solar panel brands, which just goes to show you how customizable its systems are for your specific area. The company works with panels manufactured by SolarEdge, Silfab, Solar World, Trina, Tesla, QCells, Panasonic, SunPower, REC and Solaria. This is far more brand options than most providers stock.

If you’re looking for maximum panel efficiency, you can’t beat SunPower. These panels are expensive, but they’ll optimize your power production in all weather conditions and are the most likely to eliminate your utility bills. SolarEdge and Solar World are more affordable, though.

Below are some additional products and services 8M offers to customers:

• Tesla Powerwalls
• LG Chem solar batteries
• Solar panel repairs and removal
• Commercial solar
• Tesla and Enphase solar monitoring apps

The two battery options are great to see, especially since batteries will soon be a necessity for solar customers looking to save in the long run with their panels after the new net metering policy kicks in.

Financing Options

8M Solar only accepts cash and solar loans, which means that some customers won’t be able to use the company to convert to clean energy. Leases and PPAs, while less beneficial from a financial perspective, are more widely accessible.

Of the two options that 8M does offer, we suggest a cash purchase to maximize your energy savings, reduce your all-in solar panel system costs and keep your panel payback period as short as possible.

Warranty Information

8M Solar includes a 25-year warranty for its equipment and the panel performance. The former is in line with the industry average, and the latter is five years longer than most companies offer.

Additionally, 8M Solar provides an outstanding 20-year workmanship warranty, which is double the average. Labor warranties are especially beneficial in areas like North Carolina that see frequent severe weather that can cause damage to improperly installed systems.

Click here for a free quote from 8M Solar.

NC Solar Now has over a decade of localized experience working specifically in North Carolina, and its representatives have more specialized and professional experience than most other local providers.

The company doesn’t accept leases or PPAs, and we do wish the workmanship warranty was longer.

Why We Chose NC Solar Now as the Best for Local Experience

NC Solar Now has, by its own calculations, installed more solar arrays in North Carolina than any other company. Just looking at the company’s awards and accolades, this makes sense. NC Solar Now has affiliations with the NC Sustainable Energy Association, NC Clean Energy, NC Green Power and a handful of other local energy efficiency organizations. Few other companies in the state have achieved such distinctions.

This doesn’t prove that the company is reputable, but it does suggest that it knows what it’s doing and has the experience and know-how to install a system that suits your needs exactly. These distinctions help the provider stand apart from the nearly 100 installers in the area.

NC Solar Now also employs NABCEP-certified technicians that also hold state general contracting and electrician’s licenses. This helps ensure that your system is installed properly and safely, which provides peace of mind that it will persist through the frequent severe weather in the area.

What We Don’t Like

NC Solar Now doesn’t accept leases or PPAs, so although the cost of going solar with the company is below average for the area, its services are still not going to be as readily available to homeowners who can’t make a cash purchase or loan work.

Additionally, NC Solar Now also has a 12-year workmanship warranty. Although this is a little longer than average, we like to see labor warranties even longer in North Carolina and other areas where extreme weather and above-average rainfall are common.

Solar Products

Unlike most companies, NC Solar Now is willing to work with most monocrystalline panel brands to help you find the option that’s best for your budget and your specific home. As a small, local installer, this company is able to customize your system fully to match your energy needs and pricing expectations. You’ll get one-on-one service from a rep that will help you choose the brands that are ideal for your solar project.

Below is a breakdown of some additional products and services you can request from NC Solar Now:

• Solar batteries, including a variety of brands
• EV chargers, including options from Tesla, BMW, Nissan, Bosch, Schneider Electric, GE and more
• Ground-mounted solar panels
• Solar attic fans
• Insulation, including Thermal Shield

The availability of multiple battery brands is outstanding, and the choice will be even more valuable as NEM 3.0 kicks in and makes batteries more valuable overall.

Financing Options

As mentioned above, NC Solar Now only accepts cash and loans, so the payment options are somewhat limited. We recommend a cash purchase if you can make it work, as this will save you the most money — an average of $24,794 in North Carolina — over time. By comparison, a loan from NC Solar Now will average around $30,800, which includes interest payments. However, loans do come with a lower upfront cost, often totaling nothing at all.

Warranty Information

NC Solar Now includes a 25-year warranty for the equipment it installs, as well as the panel efficiency. The efficiency warranty is a little longer than most companies offer.

The company also provides a 12-year labor warranty, which is two years longer than the industry average. While it’s great to see an above-average workmanship warranty, we would ideally like this to be even longer, especially given the frequency of extreme weather in North Carolina.

Click here for a free quote from NC Solar Now.