15 Best Solar Companies in Carol Stream, IL (2024 Reviews)
We analyzed over 1500 solar companies in the nation,
and have selected the top 15 in Carol Stream based on:
Customer review scores- Service area for Carol Stream, IL
- Company policies and services offered
- Accreditations and certifications
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Average Carol Stream homeowner saves $1,273/year with solar panels
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Best Solar Companies in Carol Stream
When choosing between the best solar installers, Carol Stream homeowners have more options to choose from than ever before, which can be a lot to consider, but we’re here to make adopting solar energy simpler. Installation costs can be high, but switching to solar will save you money on your utility bills in the long term. In fact, you can potentially save about $15,000 over 20 years.
As you begin your search for the best solar companies in Carol Stream, you might realize that there are a large number of providers to choose from. So, we’ve organized an expertly curated list of the top solar companies in the area.Continue reading to see our picks for the top solar companies in the city, or get connected to a vetted solar company near you right away by clicking the button below.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
EcoWatch Rankings for Solar Companies in Carol Stream
SunPower by Sun N Us
Informative Resources- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
Limited information available on website
Services Offered
Consultation- Panel Installation
Illinois Solar Express, LLC
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Permit Assistance
- Panel Installation
Reficiency Solar
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Consultation
- Panel Installation
- Skilled Repairs
- Battery Storage
Kapital Electric, Inc.
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Panel Installation
- Tesla Powerwall
- Permit Assistance
- Consultation
- Battery Storage
Phoenix Exteriors Roofing & Solar
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Financing Assistance
- Skilled Repairs
- Panel Installation
Rethink Electric
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Permit Assistance
- Panel Installation
- Skilled Repairs
- Financing Assistance
- Solar Panel Upgrades
Semper Solr
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Consultation
Unity Solar Group
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Consultation
- Financing Assistance
- Panel Installation
- Off-Grid Solar Systems
JD Pro Electric Inc
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Skilled Repairs
Nelnet Renewable Energy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Consultation
- Battery Storage
- Financing Assistance
TruHome Pros Solar
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Skilled Repairs
- Consultation
- Panel Installation
- Financing Assistance
- Grid-Tied Solar System
- Battery Storage
Greencore Solar, Inc.
- Informative Resources
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
GoSolar
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
ilumen Solar
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Financing Assistance
- Battery Storage
- Permit Assistance
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Grid-Tied Solar System
- Consultation
- Skilled Repairs
- Panel Installation
Sunset Solar
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Consultation
- Panel Installation
- Permit Assistance
Methodology: How We Ranked the Best Solar Companies in Carol Stream
EcoWatch's solar experts analyzed each solar company in Carol Stream 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 Carol Stream
Below are some the criteria we examined specifically for Illinois 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 Carol Stream
While solar panels can save you money on power bills over time, it’s necessary to take into consideration the upfront costs.Some important things that affect the upfront cost and potential savings over time include:
- Your income and budget: This affects what model of solar panels you can buy.
- Your location: This affects the average daily sunlight your roof gets, which helps determine how many panels you need.
- Incentives: Those who install a solar system this year can save 0 of their overall solar costs by taking advantage of the federal solar investment tax credit. You can also save about $15,000 on your energy bills over 20 years without incentives.
- How much energy you use: If your family needs to use a lot of energy, you'll benefit more from switching to solar.
Thanks to the cost of solar panels being lower than before as well as local and federal solar incentives, they are a solid investment for most homeowners.
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Adopting green energy can greatly impact both the environment and your utility bills. To see how much, try out the calculator below. You can also view our solar panel cost guide for Carol Stream, IL.
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Solar Incentives in Carol Stream
Switching to solar power has plenty of wonderful benefits. Not only can it help protect the environment, but you can also save a decent amount of money on your installation with various government incentives.No matter what state you live in, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which will allow you to claim 0 of how much you paid for your solar installation on your tax return, reducing the amount of taxes you owe that year. Plus, there may be some local incentives you can benefit from too. Our article on solar incentives has more detailed information on the incentives you can find in Carol Stream.
Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Carol Stream
There are many reasons to make the switch to solar energy, like saving money on utility bills and helping to reduce your carbon footprint.A question many homeowners might be wondering about is how much can they really help the environment by going solar anyway? Something that can severely influence your carbon footprint is your commute time and how much you drive generally. If you install solar panels and have an electric car, you can greatly decrease your carbon dioxide emissions by charging your car at home.Since solar panels don’t release carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere when producing electricity, they’re a good swap for traditional energy sources. In fact, you could be looking at reducing your carbon dioxide emissions by about 90 pounds each year. Since solar power is plentiful and produces electricity without a carbon footprint, making the switch to solar power is one easy step you can take to help preserve the planet.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
EcoWatch's Carol Stream, IL Solar Company Rankings FAQs
Which solar panel installer is the best near me?
The top local solar company in Carol Stream is SunPower by Sun N Us, with a rating of 3.00 stars.
What is the negative environmental impact of solar panel manufacturing?
Solar panels can be harmful for the environment when manufacturers use toxic chemicals in the manufacturing process. Chemicals can make solar panels difficult to dispose of safely once they’ve reached the end of their lifespan. Solar panel manufacturing uses a lot of energy as well. The energy payback period is about 1 to 4 years.
How long does it take for solar to pay for itself?
The average payback period for solar panel installation is about 16.5 years, but the exact period varies by local electricity costs, incentives and net metering programs.
How efficient is a solar panel system?
For the most part, solar panels are about 15 to 25% efficient, which means they can convert that percentage of the sun’s energy into usable electricity.
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.