Sunrun Solar Review (2023 Cost, Panels & More)
By Dan Simms /
In this EcoWatch guide on Lumina Solar, you’ll learn:
This guide has helped thousands of northeastern homeowners decide whether Lumina Solar is the best installer for each of their homes. Let’s get started!
Just about every list of the best solar companies in Maryland includes Lumina Solar in the top few — a feat the company has achieved in just four years of operations. This comprehensive Lumina Solar review will discuss everything about the company, from pricing and services to reliability and customer ratings.
Founded in 2018 in Baltimore, Lumina Solar has a founding and management team with 150+ years of experience in the industry. In just two years of Lumina’s operations, the Baltimore Business Journal recognized founder Michael Kirby as a candidate for its 40 under 40 list.1 The salespeople at Lumina are considered prompt, courteous and transparent. Additionally, almost the whole team of operations at Lumina Solar is led by women.
But the greatest achievement of Lumina Solar is its exceptional customer ratings. The company has repeatedly been praised for its transparency, responsiveness and speed of installation.
Lumina Solar Fast Facts | |
Year Started | 2018 |
Service Areas | 4 states: MD, VA, PA, DC |
Services Offered | Solar panels; solar battery installations |
Types of Solar Equipment Offered | REC, Canadian Solar, Enphase, Tesla, Silfab Solar, SolarEdge |
Certifications | Tesla Powerwall certified installer, installation technicians certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) |
Better Business Bureau Rating | A+ |
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
Cons
Based on rave reviews given by almost all of its customers, it can be safely said that Lumina Solar is a great company to go solar with.
Among Lumina employees, there is something called the “Lumina 2.0 Solar Pledge.” This pledge entails “offering better products, newer technology, and the best customer service possible.” In just a few years, Lumina has become one of the highest-rated solar providers in the mid-Atlantic. This indicates that its teams are adhering to the pledge.
Lumina Solar Pros | Lumina Solar Cons |
Great warranty coverage | Relatively young company |
Easy and efficient consultations | |
Has a referral program | |
Makes charitable contributions |
Category | Lumina Solar Star Rating |
Reputation | 4.0 |
Cost & Financing | 4.0 |
Services | 4.5 |
Installation Process | 5.0 |
Customer Experience | 5.0 |
EcoWatch Rating | 4.5 |
You can get a free quote from Lumina Solar or any other solar power company serving in your area — just click below to connect with an installer.
Lumina offers residential and commercial solar installations. It also installs solar batteries, notably the Tesla Powerwall solar battery. In fact, Lumina was the first solar company in the state to become a certified Powerwall installer. Here’s an overview of a typical installation experience when you go solar with Lumina:
1) Consultation and Design: In the first step, once you have submitted your address, phone number and energy bill data, the Lumina team creates a preliminary design and pricing. This is followed by a proper site survey to collect information about the roof and other aspects of your home. This information is passed to the design team to prepare a final design.
2) Permitting: In this step, Lumina will assign you a personal “Customer Success Manager” to handle the permits and paperwork needed by your city and local utility company. This representative will also help apply for any solar incentives or tax credits you are eligible for. Your Customer Success Manager will be available throughout the whole process to answer any questions you have.
3) Installation and Activation: Finally, Lumina’s technicians and electricians install the solar panels, inverter and other equipment on your property. The company claims to install a solar system in just four to six hours, which is much faster than the industry average. Once that is done, your local utility and municipality will grant “Permission to Operate” (PTO) for your system. After this, you are all set to save money and enjoy your energy independence with solar.
See what an example of a finished product looks like below.
Since the very beginning, one of Lumina’s most important goals has been “providing the best possible customer service.” A large number of Lumina’s reviews point out its impressive customer service. The company not only answers every question during the entire process, but it also addresses any concerns that may arise after the installation.
Lumina Solar is not the cheapest solar installer in Pennsylvania or the DMV, but it is also not among the expensive ones. When it comes to solar energy, the cheapest is not always the best. Lumina offers some of the highest-quality solar panels, inverters and batteries on the market.
Several customers state “fair pricing” as one of the traits of the company. There are clean energy companies in the country that charge much lower than Lumina, but we think its remarkable service quality justifies slightly higher costs. The company also has a referral program through which it gives $500 to the referrer when a referred customer gets solar panels installed.
Lumina Solar also provides a variety of purchasing models. Let’s take a look at those.
While a cash purchase is the best option when buying a solar system, it is not always feasible. Keeping that in mind, Lumina Solar offers four purchasing models. Here’s a table showing all four options and how they differentiate from each other.
Cash Purchase | Solar Loan | Solar Lease | Solar PPA | |
System Ownership | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Maintenance Included | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Upfront Cost | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Added Property Value | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Eligible for Tax Credit | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Payment Due to | Solar Installer | Loan Provider | Solar Installer | Solar Installer |
Choosing the correct purchase model when going solar may feel like a difficult task. Check out our comprehensive solar financing guide for complete clarity before getting your solar panels.
Lumina’s website might not have much information on the kind of warranties it provides, but the company offers warranties as per the industry standard. The individual components it sources from other companies come with their original warranties, such as 25-year warranties on panels and 25-year inverter warranties.
Aside from the above, Lumina offers a 10-year workmanship warranty on every installation. Lumina also offers a Solarinsure 30-year extended warranty. This is one of the longest, most extensive coverage options in the industry. It covers the cost of parts, labor, roof penetrations and ownership transfers.
The one thing that separates Lumina Solar from almost all other solar energy companies is its staggering number of 5-star reviews! Here are a couple of examples.
Most of the positive customer reviews for Lumina Solar highlight the company’s transparency, low-pressure sales approach and excellent customer service. Take a look at these examples:
“I am very satisfied with the process; it was smooth from the beginning till the end. Super friendly staff and ready to explain whatever question you have. I will definitely recommend it. It is a 100/100 for me.”
– Sogbade Y. via Yelp
“We had a wonderful experience with Lumina! … [My representative] came over and was able to explain everything very clearly for us, and it was not high-pressure sales, which I appreciated… Overall, the team was quick, efficient, professional and met every expectation I had. My wife and I would recommend them to anyone interested in solar, especially if they need a new roof as well.”
– Gary E. via BBB
In what is a rare occurrence, we could not find any negative reviews for Lumina Solar. The young company has (so far) managed to achieve the near-impossible with its game-changing customer service.
Going solar is an important decision. A typical system lasts over 25 years, making it crucial to choose an installer that is perfect for you. This means you can never rely on just one consultation when getting your system — it works best if you explore multiple companies before narrowing it down to one. Take a look at this chart where we have compared Lumina Solar with two other companies serving in similar areas and having similar services.
Lumina Solar | Solar Energy World | Celestial Solar Innovations | |
EcoWatch Rating | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Year Started | 2018 | 2009 | 2013 |
Services Offered | Solar panel and solar battery installations | Solar panel and solar battery installations | Solar panel installations |
Service Areas | MD, VA, PA, D.C. | D.C., DE, PA FL, MD, NC, NJ, SC and VA | MD |
BBB Rating | A+ | A+ | A+ |
Payment Options | Cash, loan, lease | Cash, loan, lease | Cash, loan |
Compare Pricing |
Here’s a quick look at some of the most common questions about Lumina. If you have specific questions that aren’t answered here, reach out to our team of solar experts at solar@ecowatch.com.
Lumina Solar is a fully legitimate company registered with Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). It has been operating legally and fairly for a few years now, having installed plenty of solar systems in four states.
Lumina has made a name for itself with its transparency, professionalism and speed, becoming one of the most dependable companies in the areas it serves. For all the advantages it offers homeowners, its pricing is reasonable, making it a good deal for homeowners.
Any quality solar system installation will reduce your energy bill by a significant margin. Lumina installs high-quality systems that generate enough power to offset a noticeable chunk of your electricity bill, if not the entire thing.
Lumina Solar uses good-quality equipment and a highly trained and experienced staff to design and install solar panels or batteries. It does this with notable transparency and provides excellent customer service. Considering these perks and comparing Lumina’s pricing with the average cost of solar panels in Maryland, Lumina Solar is not expensive.
Lumina Solar operates in the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and Virginia. It has its main office at 3600 Commerce Dr. Ste 601, in Baltimore, along with an office each in Pennsylvania and Virginia.