15 Best Solar Companies in South Ottawa, IL (2024 Reviews)
We analyzed over 1500 solar companies in the nation,
and have selected the top 15 in South Ottawa based on:
Customer review scores- Service area for South Ottawa, IL
- Company policies and services offered
- Accreditations and certifications
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Average South Ottawa homeowner saves $1,165/year with solar panels
Why you can trust EcoWatch
Best Solar Companies in South Ottawa
When deciding on the best solar panel companies, South Ottawa homeowners have more choices than ever before, which can be a lot to take in, but we’re here to make adopting solar energy simpler. After 20 years of offsetting your energy costs with solar panels, you can save about $14,000 on your power bills.
To help you navigate through the huge variety of South Ottawa solar installers, we’ve narrowed down a list of the top ones.To get free quotes from the best solar companies in South Ottawa, you can click "get quote" below.
Best National Provider
SunPower
- Most efficient panels on the market
- National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
- Expensive
- Customer service varies by local dealer
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 South Ottawa
SunPower by Legacy Solar, LLC
Free Quotes- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
Limited information available on website
Services Offered
Financing Assistance- Panel Installation
Sunrun Solar
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Battery Storage
- Permit Assistance
- Skilled Repairs
- Consultation
- Panel Installation
- Grid-Tied Solar System
- Cleaning and Maintenance
YellowLite
- Informative Resources
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
Summit Solar
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Grid-Tied Solar System
- Panel Installation
Independence Renewable Energy, LLC
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Permit Assistance
- Skilled Repairs
- Consultation
- Panel Installation
CF Solar Power
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Battery Storage
- Tesla Powerwall
- Permit Assistance
- Financing Assistance
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Panel Installation
Reficiency Solar
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Battery Storage
- Consultation
- Skilled Repairs
SOLAR PANTHER
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Consultation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Permit Assistance
- Battery Storage
- Panel Installation
- Skilled Repairs
- Financing Assistance
- Grid-Tied Solar System
Sun Collectors
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Consultation
- System Decommissioning
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Grid-Tied Solar System
StraightUp Solar of Bloomington
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Consultation
- Grid-Tied Solar System
- Battery Storage
- Financing Assistance
- Panel Installation
Illinois Solar Express, LLC
- Informative Resources
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Permit Assistance
ROUTE 66 SOLAR
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- System Decommissioning
- Grid-Tied Solar System
- Panel Installation
- Financing Assistance
Solar Joe's Inc
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Permit Assistance
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Panel Installation
- Community Solar Projects
- Consultation
Solar Service Solutions LLC
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
Safeguard Solar LLC
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Panel Installation
- Financing Assistance
- Consultation
Methodology: How We Ranked the Best Solar Companies in South Ottawa
EcoWatch's solar experts analyzed each solar company in South Ottawa 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 South Ottawa
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 South Ottawa
For the majority of homeowners, the decision to invest in solar panels depends the most on the cost.There are several factors you should take into consideration when determining costs and your potential savings, such as:
- Choice of solar panels: The kind of solar panels you buy will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels will cost more upfront but can also lead to more savings over the lifetime of your system. If space isn't a constraint for your project, you can go with a higher number of more affordable panels.
- Electricity consumption: The average household in South Ottawa uses a decent amount of, and as a result may save on their energy bills.
- The amount of sunlight your area gets: Due to South Ottawa’s high amount of average daily sunlight, you should be able to save a decent amount on your power bills.
- Incentives: Something that can save you money on your solar project is the solar investment tax credit (ITC), which is a tax credit that lets you deduct from your taxes a percentage of the project cost. You can also save a decent amount of money on your energy bills, which can generate an average of $14,000 of savings over 20 years.
Solar is a profitable investment for most homeowners. You can make your own electricity instead of paying for it from a utility company and benefit from solar incentives, all while helping preserve the environment.
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Solar Incentives in South Ottawa
Although solar power is typically a $15,000 to $25,000 investment, it can save you much money over several years due to smaller energy bills and government incentives.When you install a solar panel system on your home, you become eligible to claim the federal tax credit, or ITC. This credit currently lowers your tax bill by 0 of the cost of your solar panels. In addition, there are often some regional incentives that you can take advantage of to further cut back on the cost of solar of solar panels. You can find out about the incentives you can use in our article on solar incentives
Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in South Ottawa
An important reason so many homeowners are considering going solar is to help lower their environmental impact.Many homeowners might be wondering how much exactly they can impact the environment by switching to solar in South Ottawa, though. Your energy usage is a significant factor to think about. The more electricity your household consumes, the larger your impact when you make the switch to solar power.In fact, if you adopt solar power, you could lower your carbon dioxide emissions by about 100 pounds each year. As you can see, using solar power has so many other perks beyond saving money. One of the primary ones is that you can help save the Earth too.
Best National Provider
SunPower
- Most efficient panels on the market
- National coverage
- Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
- Great warranty coverage
- Expensive
- Customer service varies by local dealer
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 South Ottawa, IL Solar Company Rankings FAQs
Which solar power company is the best near me?
The top local solar company in South Ottawa is SunPower by Legacy Solar, LLC, with a rating of 4.80 stars.
Are solar panels actually environmentally friendly?
Manufacturing solar panels uses chemicals and produces toxic waste that can be dangerous for the environment, which is the main drawback of solar panels.
Is it worth putting solar panels on my home?
Solar panels call for a considerable upfront investment that usually costs at least ten thousand dollars, but whether or not solar panels are worth it depends on a variety of factors like local electricity rates and the amount of direct sunlight your roof gets.
What are the different kinds of solar panels?
There are three main types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film. In terms of efficiency and price, monocrystalline has the highest for both, then polycrystalline, and then thin-film. The best choice for you is highly influenced by your roof layout, how much you're willing to spend and how much efficiency you're looking for.
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.