Top 7 Best Solar Companies in Illinois (2023 Reviews)

SunPower combines high-efficiency panels with good customer service and system longevity, which helps promote long-term savings.

The company is on the expensive side, but we feel that the higher price per watt is justified, given the quality of the equipment and service you get.

Why We Chose SunPower as the Best National Provider

SunPower has been a major player in the solar industry since 1985, and it’s best known for its industry-leading panel efficiency — with solar panels now manufactured by its sister company, Maxeon. Maximizing panel efficiency ratings isn’t totally necessary in Illinois, but it can help reduce the size of the system you need to offset your electric bills, which is helpful in a place like Illinois that has below-average property sizes.

SunPower couples its high panel efficiency with outstanding warranty coverage, which is great news in Illinois, where intense tornadoes and thunderstorms can put rooftop panels at risk of damage. The warranty coverage provided is well above the industry average to provide maximum peace of mind.

SunPower accepts all four primary payment options for its systems, which is helpful for keeping clean energy as accessible as possible in an area where per-watt prices are above average like they are in Illinois.

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What We Don’t Like

The biggest downside to going solar with SunPower is that the price per watt of its systems is relatively high. An array of payment options might keep the company accessible to most, but the total installation costs will likely be higher than most competitors. Still, we believe the price is worth the investment for the quality and performance you get.

SunPower also only installs a single panel brand: Maxeon. While these panels are generally considered the best option in the solar industry, we do like to see companies providing access to multiple brands to make sure there’s something for everyone.

Read our full review of SunPower for more information.

Solar Products

SunPower only carries and installs Maxeon panels, which are manufactured by SunPower’s sister company. These have the highest efficiency rating in the industry — 22.8% — so they can make full use of the below-average amount of sunlight in the Prairie State. Higher efficiency ratings also mean greater energy savings in most cases.

These panels also come backed by stellar warranties that will help your system last longer than most other brands.

Below is a list of other products and services you can get access to if you choose SunPower to install your photovoltaic (PV) system:

• The SunVault, which is SunPower’s own solar battery
• WallBox Pulsar Plus electric vehicle (EV) chargers, which are great in Illinois, where EVs are becoming wildly popular
• The MySunPower solar monitoring app

Financing Options

SunPower accepts all four main payment options, including cash, solar loans, solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs).

If you can make a cash purchase work, we recommend it most. This will produce the shortest panel payback period and the highest savings overall. A loan is more accessible with minimal down payment requirements, but the interest will reduce your savings a bit.

You can’t take the federal investment tax credit (ITC) with a lease or PPA, so these aren’t generally recommended. They also save less money over time. A lease will save slightly more, so that is preferred over a PPA.

Warranty Information

SunPower outperforms most of the competition when it comes to warranty coverage, including a 25-year warranty for the equipment, the panel production and the workmanship. The equipment warranty is average, but the other two coverages are longer than the industry average.

We believe the workmanship warranty is most helpful in Illinois, where extreme weather and above-average rainfall can put improperly-installed solar PV systems at an increased risk of damage.

On average, a system from SunPower should last for between 35 and 45 years, which is much longer than average.

Click here for a free quote from SunPower.

ADT Solar provides robust warranty coverage that should provide peace of mind to most Illinoisans and keep solar systems in the state fully protected from severe weather.

The company has a history of spotty customer service in some cases, but we still feel it’s a great option for solid warranty coverage.

Why We Chose ADT Solar as the Company With the Best Warranty Coverage

ADT Solar includes a 25-year comprehensive warranty that protects your physical equipment and guarantees the panel performance and the professionalism of the installation labor.

All of these coverages are great to have, but the workmanship warranty, in particular, should provide peace of mind that your system will stand up to the frequent inclement weather in Illinois. It’s also worth noting that the labor warranty is 2.5x as long as the industry average, making it one of the best you can get in the entire industry.

ADT Solar usually provides high-quality customer service, especially leading up to the completion of the installation. We’ll discuss some exceptions later but know that you’re signing up for a mostly positive customer service experience with ADT.

Finally, ADT’s pricing is lower than that of SunPower, so you could save some money on your installation by choosing this company over a more premium option.

What We Don’t Like

While ADT Solar usually provides great customer service, there is a history of delays when it comes to responding to warranty coverage. It’s important to note that the company doesn’t ignore warranty claims and usually provides a satisfactory resolution. However, you might find yourself waiting days or weeks for that resolution to come to fruition.

Additionally, ADT only accepts cash purchases and solar loans, so the lack of low-cost options like leases and PPAs will limit the company’s accessibility. We don’t recommend those payment options anyway, but it would be nice to have them available in case they’re the only ones that work.

Read our full review of ADT Solar for more information.

Solar Products

ADT installs panels that are manufactured by Canadian Solar, Silfab and QCells. All of these are tier-one brands, and while they’re not as high-performance as Maxeon panels, they do all boast above-average efficiency ratings of 21.4%.

We’d recommend the QCells panels of these three, as they more or less match the other two brand options in terms of performance, but they come at a lower per-watt price to help you save money on your clean energy system.

ADT also installs and offers the following products and services to customers:

• Tesla Powerwalls, which are the preferred battery option in the industry
• Enphase solar batteries
• The Tesla and Enphase solar monitoring mobile apps

Financing Options

ADT only accepts cash purchases and solar loans, which means its services won’t be as accessible as those from many other companies.

Of the two options available, we recommend a cash purchase if you can afford it. Paying in cash means you avoid paying interest, which means you reach your break-even point sooner and see greater net savings over time. Both options let you take the federal solar tax credit, which holds an average potential value of $6,143 in Illinois.

Warranty Information

As mentioned above, ADT’s warranty coverage protects the equipment and guarantees the installation labor and the panel performance for 25 years. The equipment warranty is in line with the national average. However, the performance warranty is five years longer than most companies offer, and the workmanship warranty is more than double the industry standard.

ADT Solar is known for slow response times to warranty claims, but it always provides a resolution to covered issues. You might have to wait for your problem to be fixed, but you can rest assured that it will be.

A system from ADT is expected to last for 25 to 35 years, on average.

Click here for a free quote from ADT Solar.

Blue Raven Solar changed the entire solar industry by implementing a revolutionary financing option that is now the gold standard for solar loans.

The company has limited service offerings, but in an area like Illinois, where net metering is mandated, this isn’t a huge downside.

Why We Chose Blue Raven Solar as the Company With the Best Financing Program

Solar equipment is expensive, even in areas like Illinois, where smaller system size requirements mean below-average costs. Cash purchases and loans are the only payment options we generally recommend, but even a standard solar loan can be prohibitively expensive for the average Illinois resident. That’s where Blue Raven’s BluePower Plus+ program shines.

This financing program requires no down payment, so upfront costs are non-existent. It also couples low interest rates with 18 months of interest-free financing. Over that first year and a half, you can accrue energy savings with your system — potentially more than $1,700, based on the average monthly electric bill in Illinois — to put toward your future payments. This program helps reduce ongoing costs as well as initial pricing, thereby maximizing accessibility.

Blue Raven is a large company, but it’s also well-known for providing great customer service, which is just a bonus upside to choosing this installer.

What We Don’t Like

Blue Raven Solar only installs solar panels, so system customization options are limited. This isn’t a huge deal in Illinois since the state-wide net metering program makes batteries a less appealing option, but we’d still love to see EV chargers and other services like energy audits added to Blue Raven’s product and service line-ups.

Additionally, Blue Raven doesn’t accept leases or PPAs. Again, this isn’t a major downside since the company has an industry-leading solar loan program to boost accessibility. Still, though, some customers may not qualify, which means these other low-cost options would be a nice addition.

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

Solar Products

Blue Raven Solar installs four tier-one monocrystalline solar panel brands, including Hyundai, Trina, Canadian Solar and SolarEdge. These are all reliable panel brands that should stand up to the severe weather in Illinois and provide years of substantial energy savings, given their above-average energy efficiency ratings.

The SolarEdge panels are the most affordable of the bunch, so they’re the option we’d recommend if you’re looking to minimize your total system costs. If you instead want to maximize your solar production, the Trina panels have the highest efficiency and will deliver maximum savings.

Unfortunately, Blue Raven doesn’t carry any other add-on products. It does, however, install Enphase inverters, so you can get access to the Enphase monitoring app through the company.

Financing Options

Blue Raven only accepts cash and solar loans through its in-house financing program, BluePower Plus+. We would like to see leases and PPAs offered for maximum accessibility, but we also feel that the loan program does help make solar more accessible throughout Illinois.

While we’re big fans of the BluePower Plus+ program, we do still recommend a cash purchase. This will still lead to higher overall savings on your electricity bills, and your panels will pay themselves off more quickly since they don’t also have to cover the interest from a loan.

Warranty Information

When you go solar with Blue Raven, your panels come with a 25-year manufacturer’s and performance warranty, the latter of which is longer than the industry standard.

Blue Raven also includes a ten-year workmanship warranty for the installation labor, which is in line with the industry average. However, in high-risk areas like Illinois, we really like to see longer coverage for complete protection. Tornadoes and thunderstorms put your system at an increased risk, and above-average labor warranty coverage would be welcome.

Still, the average system from Blue Raven should last for between 25 and 35 years.

Click here for a free quote from Blue Raven Solar.

StraightUp Solar provides the outstanding customer service you’d expect from a local installer with the pricing and availability of a national provider.

The company isn’t as accessible as others, given the limited financing options, but it’s still a great option for those that can pay in cash or qualify for a loan.

Why We Chose StraightUp Solar as the Best Regional Provider

StraightUp Solar is a regional company that has been serving Illinois since 2006 and has completed 2,300+ solar installations. The service is limited to Illinois and Missouri, which means you get local expertise rather than a more generalized company that installs throughout the country.

The customer service offered by this installer is outstanding and more in line with what you’d expect from a much smaller company. It maintains an incredible 4.9-star review on Google Reviews and a 4.55-star review on the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) website. Most customers are thrilled with the communication and overall professionalism of this provider.

The company’s reps are willing and able to help you take advantage of state and local solar incentives, and they can tackle a nice array of solar and energy efficiency services to make your home as efficient as possible.

What We Don’t Like

There isn’t much we can say about StraightUp that isn’t overwhelmingly positive. The only real downside we see is that it doesn’t accept leases or PPAs, so you’ll be limited to choosing a cash purchase or a solar loan.

Since a lot of customers understandably can’t make a cash purchase work and may not have the credit score to qualify for a loan, that does make the company a little less accessible.

The only other potential drawback is that the company doesn’t serve the entire state of Illinois, so you might not have access to this provider.

Solar Products

StraightUp Solar installs panels from a large variety of manufacturers. While most companies just carry a handful of brands, StraightUp prioritizes customization options and can get access to just about any tier-one residential solar panel you might want. Its design team can even compare brands for you to help you choose the one best suited to your energy needs.

In addition to solar panels, StraightUp Solar also provides access to the following products and services:

• Tesla Powerwalls
• Enphase IQ solar batteries
• Enphase islanding inverters to maintain power during blackouts, even if you don’t have batteries installed
• The Tesla and Enphase solar monitoring apps
• SPAN Smart Panel technology for improved system performance
• Commercial solar projects

Financing Options

StraightUp Solar only accepts cash purchases and loans. These are our only recommended options for most customers, but again, it would be nice for the sake of accessibility if the provider also accepted low-cost options like leases and PPAs.

Between a cash purchase and a loan, we’d recommend going with cash if you can afford it. Paying in cash yields the most benefits over time, like improved energy savings and a faster panel payback period.

Warranty Information

When you go solar with StraightUp Solar, you get an equipment warranty and performance warranty from the panel manufacturer. In most cases, these will last for 25 years each, although this can vary based on the panel brand you choose to install through the company.

StraightUp also includes a ten-year workmanship warranty, which is the standard in the industry. Again, we’d prefer to see a longer warranty for the labor, given the above-average risk of rooftop panel damage in Illinois. However, we do feel the company’s local expertise and experience should help prevent any from occurring.

Click here for a free quote from StraightUp Solar.

Momentum Solar is a regional installer that couples outstanding, hands-on customer service with above-average warranty coverage for peace of mind.

The company is in the middle of a racial discrimination lawsuit with several past employees, which is a significant and serious drawback, although the accusations haven’t been substantiated yet in a court of law.

Why We Chose Momentum Solar as the Best for Customer Service

Momentum Solar sets itself apart from the competition by providing industry-leading customer service, despite being a larger regional company. It does this, in part, by providing a concierge service with all of its installations. From the first call you have with the company to any warranty claims you might need to be addressed, you’ll have a single point of contact to remove confusion and provide continuity of service from start to finish.

Momentum Solar might serve multiple states, but its representatives are all trained experts on local laws and regulations. That means your rep can help you find any and all state and local incentives available to you to help you save money on your conversion.

Momentum also provides 25 years of warranty coverage for all aspects of your system, which is ideal for ensuring your equipment stands up to the extreme weather in Illinois for years after the installation is completed.

What We Don’t Like

The biggest reason we see not to hire Momentum is that it is currently wrapped up in a lawsuit for racial discrimination against past employees. There hasn’t been a resolution yet, but, of course, we’d prefer not to see allegations made in the first place. We like to promote companies that are environmentally and socially sustainable, and Momentum falls short when it comes to the latter.

Additionally, Momentum has limited service offerings, as it only installs panels and batteries. Other add-on products like EV chargers, which are massively popular in Illinois, aren’t available, so you’ll need to choose a different provider if you’re looking for more system customization options.

Read our full review of Momentum Solar for more information.

Solar Products

Much like StraightUp Solar, Momentum works with a wide variety of panel brands and can get you access to most options you might be interested in. The company does mention that it only works with tier-one monocrystalline panels, which we recommend, but within that category, you’ll have plenty of brand options from this installer.

The selection available means you can either optimize for production to maximize savings or for price to minimize your upfront system costs.

Momentum only includes one other product and an additional service aside from solar panel installations:

• Enphase solar batteries
• The system monitoring mobile app from Enphase

Financing Options

Momentum keeps its products and services accessible by accepting a wide range of financing options, including cash purchases, loans, leases and PPAs.

We recommend against a lease or a PPA unless these are the only options you can make work. These deliver much lower savings than the other options and prevent you from taking the federal solar tax credit, which holds an average value of over $6,100 in Illinois.

A cash purchase will provide more savings than a loan, but a loan is more widely accessible due to the upfront payment being much lower — sometimes as low as $0.

Warranty Information

Momentum Solar includes a 25-year warranty with all of its systems, which covers the equipment, the panel production and the workmanship.

In an area like Illinois that sees above-average rainfall and frequent extreme weather, we think the labor warranty is the most valuable. The equipment warranty can also protect you from related issues, like falling tree branches or blown debris from tornadoes.

Overall, we’d expect a solar array from Momentum to last for between 25 and 35 years, which is outstanding.

Click here for a free quote from Momentum Solar.

Windfree Solar is a small local installer that employs experts on local weather conditions, energy needs, incentives and more.

The company only accepts cash and loans and has a limited service area, but it’s still an excellent option for most Illinoisans, in our opinion.

Why We Chose Windfree Solar as the Best Local Installer

Windfree Solar is headquartered right in Chicago and has been serving Illinois solar customers since 2009. With over a decade of localized experience, the representatives understand the needs of IL residents and can custom-fit solar solutions that are designed to meet them.

The reps are knowledgeable about local incentives, including those offered by individual utility companies and municipalities. They can help you file for all applicable perks, which can help you save money overall and get the most value out of your solar array.

Windfree delivers the kind of stellar customer service you’d expect from a smaller local company. It maintains a 4.7-star rating on Google Reviews, plus an A+ rating from the BBB.

The provider also includes a 15-year workmanship warranty, which is longer than average and ideal in an area like Illinois, where panels are at an above-average risk of damage and roof leaks.

What We Don’t Like

Windfree Solar doesn’t serve all of Illinois, so there’s a chance you’ll fall outside of its service area. This isn’t a major downside, but it is something to keep in mind if you’re considering this provider.

Additionally, it doesn’t accept leases or PPAs, much like most local installers. These payment options aren’t recommended anyway, but they’re lower-cost options than cash payments and loans, so their inclusion can help keep clean energy more widely accessible throughout the state.

Solar Products

Rather than working with a small number of panel brands as so many other installers do, Windfree instead takes a one-off design approach, choosing and installing panels for your specific solar array, energy demands and budget.

This keeps your options totally open, so whether you’re looking for low-cost solar panels to keep your installation total down or you want to maximize your solar production with a high efficiency rating, Windfree will likely be able to accommodate you.

In addition to solar panels, Windfree installs some solar batteries and provides access to solar monitoring apps:

• LG Chem solar batteries
• Enphase IQ batteries
• The Enphase solar monitoring app
• Commercial solar projects

Financing Options

Unfortunately, Windfree Solar only accepts cash purchases and solar loans. These are somewhat accessible in Illinois, where system prices are lower than the national average, but we’d still prefer to see leases and PPAs offered to improve that accessibility.

Of the two options available, we strongly recommend a cash purchase if you can make it work. Paying in cash will lead to immediate panel ownership and help you avoid interest, meaning the greatest financial benefit over time. A loan can also be a great option, though, if you can’t make a cash purchase work.

Warranty Information

Windfree includes a 25-year warranty for the equipment and production provided by the panel manufacturers with which it works. The equipment warranty is average, but the efficiency guarantee is a little longer than the industry average.

Windfree also shines when it comes to the workmanship warranty. In a state like Illinois, where the risk of panel damage and roof leaks from improperly installed panels is relatively high due to the extreme weather and heavy rainfall, the above-average 15-year workmanship warranty offered by Windfree is outstanding.

Click here for a free quote from Windfree Solar.

If you’re looking for a company with decades of local experience to ensure a safe and efficient installation, AES is one of the best companies we can recommend.

The company only includes a less robust labor warranty than we’d like to see, but we feel that the experience speaks for itself and should keep your system protected.

Why We Chose AES Solar as the Company With the Most Local Experience

AES Solar is a small local company that has been serving Southern Illinois for over 24 years. Since 1999, this installer has solely worked in the Prairie State, so its technicians and representatives have extensive experience in the area.

They not only understand the local needs of Illinois solar customers in the face of the state’s extreme weather, but they are also intimately familiar with local solar incentives offered by individual municipalities and electric companies. The reps are always willing to help you file for as many rebates and perks as possible to save you money.

Not only that, but those same reps deliver outstanding customer service, as you’d expect from such a small company.

Unlike most local installers, AES accepts all four standard solar payment options, so it keeps its incredible service available to most residents.

What We Don’t Like

The only thing we’d consider a real downside is that the installer only offers a ten-year workmanship warranty. Again, this is the standard in the industry, but we like to see longer coverage in areas with extreme weather and heavy rainfall, like Illinois. Still, we do think the company’s local experience should mean your system will be professionally installed, meaning you shouldn’t run into any issues.

Another thing to consider is that this is a small company, so it only operates in Southern Illinois. This kind of limited service area is expected from a local provider, but it’s something we feel we had to mention.

Solar Products

AES Solar carries panels from a few different manufacturers, including Trina, LONGi, Silfab and SolarEdge. These are all great options, in general, and they provide a nice array of choices to help optimize for cost, efficiency and other performance specifications.

We recommend the LONGi panels if you’re looking to maximize solar production. These come with a peak efficiency rating of 22.6%, which almost matches the highest in the industry. The SolarEdge panels will likely be the most affordable option, so we’d recommend those to keep your costs down.

Below is a quick list of other products and services you can get via AES Solar:

• LG Chem batteries
• Enphase solar batteries
• The Enphase solar monitoring mobile app
• Ground-mount solar
• Off-grid systems
• Commercial solar projects

Financing Options

AES Solar accepts all four of the main solar payment options. We love to see this many options, as it gives all homeowners the best chance of being able to afford clean energy solutions.

We recommend a cash purchase if you can make it work or a solar loan if you can’t pay in cash. These options both give you access to the federal credit, and they lead to panel ownership and the highest savings overall. A lease can be a decent option if cash and a loan won’t work, and we generally don’t recommend PPAs due to the minimal savings they provide.

Warranty Information

You get a 25-year equipment warranty through AES Solar, which is in line with the industry average, as well as a 25-year production warranty, which is five years longer than average. The workmanship coverage is also average at ten years.

We will reiterate that we’d prefer a longer coverage term for the workmanship in Illinois. The state is prone to severe weather and sees above-average rainfall each year, so longer coverage is preferred. However, we do feel that the company’s decades of local experience mean you’ll get a high-quality installation that should hold up to the weather in the area.

Click here for a free quote from AES Solar.