16 Best Solar Companies in Southside, AL (2023 Reviews)
We analyzed over 1500 solar companies in the nation,
and have selected the top 16 in Southside based on:
-
Customer review scores - Service area for Southside, AL
- Company policies and services offered
- Accreditations and certifications
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Average Southside homeowner saves $1,777/year with solar panels
Updated May 04, 2023
Why you can trust EcoWatch
Best Solar Companies in Southside
As a homeowner in Southside, you may be considering switching to solar and wondering about the best solar companies in your city. Solar could be a fantastic idea since it comes with lots of perks. With high amounts of average daily sunlight in Southside, the solar industry is doing fairly well. An overlooked driver of this has been national programs that encourage residential and commercial solar panel installation.
To help you comb through the huge variety of Southside solar installers, we've come up with a list of the top ones. Continue reading to see our picks for the top solar companies in the city, or connect with a certified solar company near you right away by clicking the button below.
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
EcoWatch Rankings for Solar Companies in Southside
Average Cost
SunPower
-
Most efficient panels on the market - National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
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Expensive - Customer service varies by local dealer
Services Offered
-
Solar Panels - Solar Batteries
- EV Chargers
- System Monitoring
Average Cost
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
Services Offered
- Solar Panels
- Solar Batteries
- EV Chargers
- Solar Roof Shingles
- System Monitoring
Solar Control Systems window tinting
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Business installations
- Tailored solutions
- Home installations
Solar Control Specialists - Birmingham AL
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Expert panel installation
- Tailored solutions
- Business installations
- Home installations
Sun Charge Systems
- Informative Resources
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Home installations
- Tailored solutions
Solar Busters Glass Tinting & Shades
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Home installations
- Tailored solutions
- Expert panel installation
- Business installations
- Energy storage solutions
Eagle Solar & Light
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Recognized Excellence
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Integrated roofing
- Expert panel installation
- Energy storage solutions
- Home installations
- Tailored solutions
- Business installations
Sofos Harbert Renewable Energy
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Tailored solutions
- Home installations
- Business installations
- Energy storage solutions
- Expert panel installation
UAB Solar House and Sustainable Community
- Informative Resources
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Expert panel installation
- Tailored solutions
- Home installations
- Energy storage solutions
Solar Technology Alabama
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Expert panel installation
- Home installations
- Business installations
- Tailored solutions
- Energy storage solutions
Battery Sales & Service
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Business installations
- Energy storage solutions
- Home installations
- Tailored solutions
Artistic Solar Films
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Home installations
- Expert panel installation
- Tailored solutions
- Business installations
EnPower Solutions
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Home installations
SolarUp
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Tailored solutions
- Home installations
Vulcan Solar Power, LLC
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Tailored solutions
- Home installations
- Business installations
- Expert panel installation
The Home Depot
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Outstanding Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Skilled repairs
- Expert panel installation
- Integrated roofing
- Business installations
- Tailored solutions
- Energy storage solutions
- Home installations
Methodology: How We Ranked the Best Solar Companies in Southside
EcoWatch's solar experts analyzed each solar company in Southside based on criteria such as its reputation in the industry, customer reviews, services, warranty coverage and financing. Using this solar methodology, we used the data we collected to rate and rank each company and narrow down our picks for the best solar companies in Southside
Below are some the criteria we examined specifically for Alabama solar companies
- Brand reputation and certifications (20%): We take each company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) score into consideration, as well as how long the installer has been in business (at least 5 years is required, 10 preferred) and what type of solar certifications it holds.
- Customer reviews (20%): Trust is a top priority at EcoWatch, so we take customer experience under close consideration. We scour different review sites and customer testimonials when ranking our top solar companies, checking sites such as Trustpilot and Google Reviews. We also consider any potential complaints or lawsuits filed against these companies and award or remove points accordingly.
- Warranty (20%): A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers 25-year warranties that cover performance, product and workmanship. The industry standard that we measure companies against is 25-year product and performance warranties, along with a 10-year workmanship warranty. We also look closely into the track record of the post-installation support each company provides in terms of honoring its contracts
- Solar services (10%): All of the companies we review install solar panels, but we award companies higher points if they offer additional services for customers, like battery installation, energy-efficiency audits, and EV chargers.
- Pricing and financing (10%): It's hard to get exact quotes for solar projects, but we use marketplace research to determine how each company prices its equipment and installation services. Additionally, companies that offer more help for panel financing — like in-house loans, leases, or PPAs — score higher than those that don't.
- Availability (10%): The bigger the service area, the higher the company will score.
- Transparency and accessibility (5%): Solar installers that offer free consultations and easy contact methods score higher in this category.
- Environmental, social and corporate governance factors (5%): A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers public data disclosure, addresses end-of-life (EOL) products or processes, and demonstrates a commitment to uplifting the communities that it serves.
The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Southside
For the majority of homeowners, the decision to invest in solar energy boils down to the cost. A few key factors that influence how much it will cost to install a solar panel system on your home and how much money you could save over time are:
- Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit currently lets you lower your taxes by 30% of the project cost. Your state and city may also have various incentives that you can benefit from. Additionally, you can save about $21,000 over 20 years on your utility bills, before factoring in incentives.
- How much power your household consumes: Households that use a lot of energy each month may require more solar panels and, as a result, be more costly, but will also benefit more over time.
- Choice of solar panels: The type of solar panels you buy will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels are more expensive upfront but can also lead to more savings over the lifetime of your system. If you don't need to maximize efficiency, you can go with a higher number of more affordable panels.
- The amount of sunlight your area gets: Because of Southside's high amount of average daily sunlight, you should be able to save a decent amount on your electric bills.
Although a solar panel system costs a decent chunk of money upfront, it can save you thousands of dollars over time. The question of how much, though, depends on a number of factors, such as the amount of daily direct sunlight available and your current power bills.
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Solar Incentives in Southside
There are many reasons why going solar is a great investment. One of them involves some government incentives that can help save you some money. No matter what state you live in, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which allows you to claim 30% of your project costs when you file taxes, lowering the amount of taxes you owe that year. Plus, there may be some local incentives that stack with the ITC too. You can find out about the incentives you can take advantage of in our article on solar incentives
Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Southside
Making the switch to solar power is a profound way to do what you can for a cleaner and more sustainable future. Many homeowners might be wondering how much exactly they can impact the environment by switching to solar in Southside, though. The amount of energy you use is a significant factor to think about. The more energy your household consumes, the bigger your impact when you make the switch to solar power. In Southside, the average household can reduce their carbon footprint by 90 pounds a year after going solar. Since solar energy is plentiful and makes electricity without a carbon footprint, adding solar panels to your home is one easy step you can take to help preserve the planet.
Best Technology
Tesla Energy
- Price-match guarantee
- Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
- Best solar battery on the market
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Customer service varies by local dealer
EcoWatch's Southside, AL Solar Company Rankings FAQs
Which solar panel installer is the best near me?
In Southside, Storm Safe Roofing & Solar is the best local solar company. Our team of experts rates it 5.00 stars, so it's a great choice if you're looking to add solar panels to your house.
Are solar panels really bad for the environment?
Making solar panels requires chemicals and produces toxic waste that can be bad for the environment, which is the main drawback of solar panels.
How long does it take to see a return on your investment after buying solar panels?
Solar panels typically pay for themselves in about 7.7 years, but your solar payback period will vary depending on your utility costs. The more your typical electricity bill, the faster your solar panel system will pay for itself.
How often do solar panels have to be replaced?
On average, the lifespan of solar panels is about 25 to 30 years. Some even last up to 50 years, but efficiency goes down by about 0.8% each year. You can choose to replace them sooner if you want to maintain a higher amount of energy production.
Our goal is to reach as many people as we can with sensible solutions like solar energy. Our team of full-time local researchers collects solar price and installation data for every city in America then compiles it to create these digestible city guides. If you want to read our solar expert’s opinion on the top solar companies featured here, follow this link.
Company research was conducted by Melissa Smith and Karsten Neumeister. Local data analysis was conducted by James Savino. See something we missed or could do better? Email the editor.