Top 7 Best Solar Companies in Rhode Island (2024 Reviews)

Tesla is best known for its technology. In terms of its solar batteries, they’re more powerful and user-friendly than most other brands, making them a popular option in Rhode Island.

The company uses third-party companies for the installation labor for its systems, which can lead to less-than-ideal customer service.

Why We Chose Tesla as the Company With the Best Technology

Tesla no longer manufactures its own solar panels, but it still rises above the competition when it comes to its solar battery, the Tesla Powerwall.

The Powerwall has better performance specifications than most other options, and the Tesla app gives you access to some impressive battery functionality, like StormWatch. Your battery remains connected to the internet and automatically prepares to go off grid if there’s a storm coming in that could cause a blackout — a common occurrence in Rhode Island.

The battery also gives you total control over how your energy is allocated, so you can maximize your savings by pushing it all toward effective net metering. Since Rhode Island’s net metering program makes it a little more challenging to eliminate your energy bills entirely, this feature is a welcome addition in the area.

Finally, Tesla accepts all major payment options for its equipment, so it’s highly accessible.

What We Don’t Like

The biggest drawback to going solar with Tesla is that it doesn’t have an in-house installation team. That means all of the actual installation work will be done by a third-party company, and you have no control over which one Tesla chooses. This can lead to spotty customer service in some cases.

Much like SunPower, Tesla also only installs a single brand of panels, batteries and EV chargers. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the brands it carries, but we do think it would be better if there were multiple options. That way, customers with different needs could pick and choose what suits them best.

Read our full review of Tesla for more information.

Solar Products

Tesla has an exclusive relationship with QCells, so you can only get QCells panels through Tesla. QCells panels are high-quality and super durable, thanks in part to the intensive testing they go through during manufacturing. This makes them ideal for standing up to the extreme weather in Rhode Island.

QCells panels also have an above-average efficiency rating of up to 21.4%. High efficiency ratings are preferred in RI, as they help maximize your chances of eliminating your above-average electric bills, which are some of the highest in the country.

In addition to the panels, you can get the following products and services through Tesla:

• Tesla Powerwalls
• Tesla-branded EV chargers
• The Tesla solar roof
• The Tesla solar monitoring mobile app

Financing Options

Tesla accepts all four primary payment options, so most customers should be able to find an option that works with their budget and long-term needs.

We recommend you go with a cash purchase, if possible, as doing so will maximize your energy savings over the life of your system and lead to the shortest panel payback period, which is when your savings should overcome your system cost. A loan will take about four additional years to break even and will save around $5,000 less.

Leases and PPAs save much less and don’t let you take the ITC, but they are super accessible.

Warranty Information

The QCells panels Tesla installs come with a 25-year warranty that covers the equipment and the panel efficiency. The panel warranty is about average, and the efficiency warranty is a little longer than average.

Tesla also provides a ten-year labor warranty, which is in line with the industry average. While this is good, we do wish it was a little longer, especially given the elevated risk of panel damage in Rhode Island from the extreme weather.

Click here for a free quote from Tesla.

Green Power Energy is a regional company that provides local expertise, incredible customer service and high-quality solar equipment at an affordable price.

There isn’t much we can say about this provider that isn’t overwhelmingly positive. It’s a well-rounded installer with great warranty coverage, products and services.

Why We Chose Green Power Energy as the Best Regional Provider

As a smaller company than SunPower and Tesla, Green Power Energy is able to focus more on individualized care and customer service. This is a big reason why the company maintains an unprecedented 4.9-star rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and a 4.8-star rating on Google Reviews. It’s clear from the reviews that we read through that the company provides outstanding service at every step of the way.

Green Power Energy has a nice array of panel brands and services to offer, which means Rhode Islanders with different needs and priorities will likely be able to find a system that suits them perfectly.

The installer not only offers outstanding customer service and variety, but it also has great warranty coverage, including 25 years of protection for the panels, efficiency and labor. This is ideal in a high-risk area like Rhode Island.

What We Don’t Like

Most of what we have to say about Green Power Energy is positive, as the company clearly cares about its customers and does its best to provide great service and high-quality, high-performance products.

The only potential downside is that it doesn’t accept PPAs. We don’t recommend these anyway, and the provider does offer low-cost leases, so this is more or less a non-issue anyway, and the company remains super accessible.

Solar Products

Green Power Energy works with a bunch of solar panel brands, including QCells, Panasonic, Silfab, Solaria and REC. These provide a nice range of prices and efficiency ratings, so they should appeal to most customers.

We recommend the REC or Panasonic panels for their efficiency ratings if you want the best chance of eliminating your electric bills. The Solaria panels will have the lowest per-watt cost of the available options.

In addition to panels, you can get access to the following products and services through Green Power Energy:

• Generac PWRCell solar batteries
• Enphase IQ batteries
• Tesla Powerwalls
• EV chargers — no specific brands are mentioned, but this is a great option, given the increase in popularity of EVs in the area
• The Tesla and Enphase solar monitoring apps

Financing Options

Green Power Energy accepts cash purchases, loans and leases.

If you can make a cash purchase work, that option will leave you with the most savings over time. A loan will save a little less and take a bit longer to pay off because of the interest, but it’s still a good option that lets you take advantage of the federal credit.

Leases don’t let you take the tax credit and save much less over time than the other options, but most customers will qualify for one. As such, it helps make clean energy more accessible through Green Power Energy.

Warranty Information

Green Power Energy offers robust warranty coverage that is ideal in Rhode Island. It includes a 25-year warranty for the equipment, which is average, a 25-year power production guarantee, which is a little above average, and a 25-year labor warranty, which is 2.5x the industry average.

Click here for a free quote from Green Power Energy.

Summit Energy excels above the competition in many areas but especially when it comes to the hands-on customer service it provides to all of its customers.

The company doesn’t accept leases and is relatively young, but aside from this minor drawback, it’s one of the best solar companies in Rhode Island overall.

Why We Chose Summit Energy as the Best for Customer Service

Summit Energy is a smaller regional company that focuses a ton of time and energy on putting customers first. It has a 4.32-star rating with the BBB and an impressive 4.8-star review on Google Reviews. The large majority of reviews we read through were full of customers raving about the communication and care they received.

With local experience and the resources to put toward individualized customer attention, its representatives are familiar with local solar incentives and rebates and are willing to help you file for them. This is a great way to maximize your solar savings in Rhode Island, and the smaller perks from individual cities or utility companies might be missed by larger providers.

Summit Energy also has one of the most impressive warranty packages in the state, which includes 30 years of coverage for the equipment, the efficiency and the labor. This is outstanding to have in an area of high risk.

What We Don’t Like

Summit Energy has been around for quite some time, but it only entered the solar industry in 2016. We try not to promote companies with fewer than ten years of experience, as they’re more likely to go out of business, void your warranties and provide below-average customer service. However, in that short time, Summit has established an outstanding reputation for itself, so we still feel confident recommending its services.

Additionally, Summit doesn’t accept solar leases. It does have low-cost options for going solar, but leases would provide slightly more benefit than PPAs, so we’d prefer to see those.

Solar Products

Summit Energy installs a few tier-one panel brands, including REC, Solaria, QCells, Panasonic and SolarEdge. This is a great combination of brands and provides something for everyone.

The REC and Panasonic panels offer high efficiency ratings that will help push up your production and solar savings over time. The Solaria and SolarEdge panels are better suited for those looking to keep installation costs down at the expense of some performance.

Below are some additional products and services you can get access to via Summit Energy:

• Generac solar batteries
• Tesla Powerwalls
• Sonnen solar batteries
• Sunnova solar batteries
• Tesla and Sonnen solar monitoring apps
• Roof replacement and repair

Financing Options

Summit Energy accepts cash purchases, solar loans and PPAs. This is an uncommon combination, as leases and PPAs usually go hand-in-hand, but no leases are available.

We would recommend going with a cash purchase or loan if you can, as these lead to the highest savings and let you take the federal solar tax credit, an average potential value of over $5,000 in Rhode Island.

A PPA is a good low-cost option if you want to save a little on your electric bills but mostly just want to support the renewable energy movement and reduce your carbon footprint.

Warranty Information

Summit Solar has stellar warranty coverage that will provide the peace of mind you need in an area prone to extreme weather like Rhode Island. The coverage lasts for 30 years and protects your equipment, ensures a minimum level of solar energy production and ensures the workmanship is solid.

The workmanship warranty, in particular, is excellent. It’s 3x the industry average and should ensure you don’t run into any problems with how your panels are installed or how they fare in the frequent extreme weather.

Click here for a free quote from Summit Solar.

Trinity Solar has been serving Rhode Island since 1994, making it one of the solar installers in the area with the most longevity. It has tons of local experience to ensure a reliable installation.

The company’s five-year workmanship warranty isn’t ideal in a high-risk area like Rhode Island, but its experience should help prevent issues.

Why We Chose Trinity Solar as the Most Experienced Regional Provider

Trinity Solar has nearly 30 years of experience working in Rhode Island and other parts of New England. With almost three decades of experience under its belt, you can bet that its technicians understand the local needs of Rhode Islanders and can provide systems that deliver the performance and savings you’re expecting.

Trinity Solar is a large regional company, but it still puts a lot of effort into customer service and cares for its community. Most customers are pleased with the communication and overall service they receive. The company also makes charitable donations for each home assessment ($100 each) and each installation ($1,000 each). Few companies are as committed to bettering the communities they serve.

Trinity Solar’s commitment to customer service also means that its technicians and salespeople are locally trained, so they can and will help you file for local incentives and solar rebates that larger companies might miss.

What We Don’t Like

The only real downside to working with Trinity is that the workmanship warranty only lasts for five years. This is half the industry average, and it’s about a third of the minimum coverage we’d ideally like to see in Rhode Island, where the risk of issues is above average.

We will say that we feel Trinity’s decades of experience in the industry should help mitigate that risk, but we’d still prefer that the company offer a formal warranty to ensure a safe and professional installation.

Read our full Trinity Solar review for more information.

Solar Products

Trinity Solar has an exclusive relationship with Hanwha QCells, so you can only get access to QCells panels. This is a tier-one brand and one of the best solar panel brands for use on homes, but we still prefer companies that offer multiple options to appeal to different needs.

QCells panels do have a lower failure rate than most, thanks to the rigorous testing they go through. This makes them a great candidate for standing up to the extreme weather in RI. They also have above-average efficiency ratings, making them suitable for maximizing your energy savings.

Below is a list of other products and services Trinity Solar offers:

• Tesla Powerwalls
• Generac solar batteries
• The Tesla and Enphase solar monitoring apps

Financing Options

Trinity Solar accepts all four of the primary payment options for its equipment and services. We suggest a cash purchase or a solar loan over a lease or a PPA, as they deliver greater savings, panel ownership and access to the federal credit.

Still, we love to see low-cost options like leases and PPAs from installers, as they help make clean energy as widely accessible as possible. These are especially helpful in areas like Rhode Island, where the per-watt cost for panels is well above the industry average.

Warranty Information

Trinity Solar couples its high-quality systems and service with a 25-year warranty that covers the equipment and efficiency. The equipment coverage is typical, but the production guarantee lasts for about five years longer than most companies’ warranties.

Unfortunately, Trinity only offers a five-year labor warranty, which is half the industry average. We really like to see significantly longer workmanship coverage to protect customers from the harsh weather that frequents Rhode Island.

Click here for a free quote from Trinity Solar.

Sol Power is a local installer based in Charlestown, RI. It brings local experience and expertise to the table, as well as excellent one-on-one customer service.

We do wish the company’s labor warranty was longer, and the financing options leave something to be desired. Still, this is a great local company to pick.

Why We Chose Sol Power as the Best Local Installer

As one of the best local solar installers that operates solely in Rhode Island, Sol Power has hyper-local experience that most larger companies don’t. It’s able to provide constant communication to customers throughout the entire installation process, and it is knowledgeable about local incentives and rebates that could end up saving you money on your system.

Sol Power has also developed a great working environment by making the company a cooperative. That means that profits are split among employees, so by choosing the provider, you’re doing a great service for its employees and supporting a company that stands for more than just a bottom line.

Sol Power sources electrical contracting materials and some products from local manufacturers, so it has an overall positive effect on the communities it serves, as well.

Lastly, Sol Power carries a nice range of panel brands to appeal to customers with different needs.

What We Don’t Like

One drawback to choosing Sol Power is that you’ll only get access to panels and solar batteries. We prefer installers that offer a wider range of services, as this helps them appeal to more customers that are looking to get the most value out of their systems. Even just adding EV chargers, which are growing in popularity in Rhode Island, would be a welcome addition.

We also wish that Sol Power had a longer labor warranty, even though the coverage that is offered lasts for ten years, which is the industry average. Longer protection plans are preferred in Rhode Island because of the risk of damage to your solar panels from extreme weather.

Solar Products

Sol Power installs panels made by Silfab, Solaria and SolarEdge. This is a decent selection, as the Solaria and SolarEdge panels are likely to appeal to customers looking for the most affordable systems, and the Silfab panels have a high efficiency rating that is better for homeowners who want to maximize power output and energy savings.

We recommend the Silfab panels overall for their performance unless you don’t mind sacrificing performance in favor of a more affordable installation price.

There are some additional products and services you can get access to through Sol Power, which we’ll list below:

• Enphase solar batteries
• The Enphase solar monitoring app
• Off-grid solar
• Ground-mount solar

Financing Options

Sol Power only entertains cash purchases and solar loans for its systems and services. These are the only options we suggest, but they aren’t as low-cost as leases or PPAs, so some variety would also be preferred.

Of the two options, we suggest a cash purchase. By paying in cash as opposed to with a loan, you’ll see a shorter payback period by around four years and save approximately $5,000 more over the lifespan of your system, thanks to no interest being required.

Warranty Information

Sol Power offers a 25-year warranty for the panels and the panel efficiency. The former is typical from installers in Rhode Island, but the efficiency warranty is a little better than the 20 years you’d get from most other providers.

You also get a ten-year workmanship warranty, which is average. However, as mentioned previously, we’d much rather see an above-average labor warranty in a high-risk area like Rhode Island to keep your system adequately protected in the extreme weather.

Click here for a free quote from Sol Power.

NuWatt Energy is a regional installer that provides a sizable array of products and services, including uncommon add-on products for full system customization.

The company has some issues with providing good customer service, but overall, we think this is a solid choice if you want to custom-create your system for maximum value.

Why We Chose NuWatt Energy as the Best for System Customization

NuWatt Energy provides access to more products than most competitors, so it’s a great company to choose if you know you want a truly customized solar array or even want to add other energy efficiency upgrades to your home.

Most solar companies install panels and batteries, and EV chargers are a common add-on to see as well. NuWatt tackles all of these standard options, plus heating and AC through ductless mini-splits, solar noise barriers and even agrivoltaics, a budding technology that uses solar to provide power for AI-driven farming technology. In addition to its many services, NuWatt carries an impressive range of product brands.

NuWatt Energy includes a robust warranty package with all of its systems, which covers the equipment, the panel production and the workmanship for 25 years. This is exactly the kind of peace of mind you want in a high-risk area like Rhode Island.

What We Don’t Like

One very minor drawback to NuWatt is that it doesn’t accept leases. However, it does still offer PPAs, so there is a low-cost option available. Of the two, we’d sooner recommend a lease, but having access to PPAs makes this a minimal downside.

A more serious issue is the company’s spotty customer service. Of the providers on our list, NuWatt has the least impressive customer reviews. We still believe you’re likely to get good service and professionalism, but based on reviews, there’s a chance your experience won’t be as good as it could be with other companies.

Solar Products

NuWatt works with a bunch of different panel brands, which is just another way the company goes above and beyond when it comes to system customization. Those brands include SolarEdge, Solectria, Panasonic, Solaria, Silfab, QCells and REC. A good portion of what we believe are the best solar panels for homes are represented here.

We’d recommend the REC or Panasonic panels for maximum energy production or the SolarEdge panels for good quality and a low upfront cost.

Below are the other products and services you can get access to through NuWatt Energy:

• Solar batteries — specific battery brands aren’t mentioned
• Solar roofing
• Ductless mini-splits
• Solar noise barriers
• Agrivoltaics
• Commercial solar projects

Financing Options

NuWatt accepts cash purchases, solar loans and PPAs. Of these three options, a cash purchase is, by far, the most beneficial. It will save you the most overall — an average of around $34,500 after paying for itself — and will have the fastest payback period. A solar loan will save around $29,000, on average, with the interest cutting into savings a bit.

We don’t recommend a PPA unless it’s the only option you can afford. This financing option doesn’t let you take the federal credit, and it won’t boost your home value the same way the other options will.

Warranty Information

NuWatt Energy’s warranty coverage lasts for a full 25 years, which is outstanding. The coverage includes your physical equipment, the panel production and the workmanship. The production and labor warranties are both better than you’d get from most other companies.

In our opinion, the workmanship warranty is the best of the bunch here and will provide peace of mind even through Rhode Island’s severe weather.

Click here for a free quote from NuWatt Energy.