Top 7 Best Solar Companies in Massachusetts [2022 Reviews]

How Can You Save Money When Hiring A Solar Company In Massachusetts

There are a few ways to save money when converting to solar in Massachusetts, which most residents will want to take advantage of. The average cost of installing solar equipment in Massachusetts is around $19,110. This assumes the average local cost of $2.94 per watt and the typical system size of 6.5 kilowatts (kW).

The per-watt price in Massachusetts is well above the national average of $2.66, although the all-in cost is a few thousand below the U.S. average. This is due to Bay Staters using below-average amounts of electricity each month and requiring smaller systems than most Americans.

Still, the upfront price of solar in Massachusetts can be prohibitively expensive on its own, in which case we recommend considering the below tips to help bring your all-in costs down and raise your long-term savings:

• Take advantage of the two tax credits and other incentives available in Massachusetts
• Choose a high-efficiency panel brand
• Size your system appropriately
• Get multiple quotes

Take Advantage of the Available Solar Incentives

In our opinion, the best way to keep the cost of your solar panel system to a minimum is to make sure you take advantage of the many incentives Massachusetts has to offer for PV equipment. We’ll include a quick breakdown of the incentives offered to Bay Staters below, but you can get more information by checking out our guide to solar benefits in MA.

Choose a High-Efficiency Panel Brand

Next, we recommend you opt for a high-efficiency panel brand when converting to solar energy in Massachusetts. The state receives around the average number of sunny days per year — 200 as opposed to 205 in the rest of the country — but maximizing energy production is essential for minimizing your energy bills.

Massachusetts residents pay an average of 22.89 cents per kWh, which is nearly double the national average of 13.66 cents.³ Despite residents using far less energy than average, they still see the fourth-highest monthly energy bills in the nation as a result of the per-kWh cost.

Opting for a high-efficiency panel like SunPower, Panasonic or Tesla will likely drive up your initial costs. However, these options will more swiftly pay for themselves over time, as they will provide more energy for the space, boosting your long-term energy savings.

Size Your System Appropriately

The size of your rooftop solar system should be based on your monthly energy consumption, your home size, how much sunlight your roof gets and more. Unfortunately, undersizing your system can lead to paying for a solar system and an expensive utility bill, and oversizing it means you’ll unnecessarily pay for more expensive equipment with no upside.

We recommend choosing one of the reliable and experienced installers we’ve mentioned above. These companies all have technicians who understand the needs of Massachusetts property owners and can ensure your system is sized accordingly.

Get Multiple Solar Quotes

Finally, we recommend getting a few quotes from different companies to save money on your system.

Massachusetts is home to over 150 solar providers, all of which charge different prices for labor, carry different equipment and offer varying levels of help in taking advantage of local incentive programs. These seemingly small differences can lead to paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars less for your system.

As such, we suggest you get a few quotes and compare them based on the overall cost and the quality of the equipment and service you get for the price.

For more information about how to estimate the cost of your solar equipment and how to save throughout the installation process, you can use our solar calculator.

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value In Massachusetts?

Yes, installing solar panels on your home in Massachusetts is expected to make your home more valuable.

While there are a few things to consider when estimating the value added, research conducted by Zillow suggests that homes with panels are around 4.1% more valuable.⁴ In MA, where the average property value is approximately $581,095, that’s a bump of about $23,800.⁵

One thing to consider is that some property owners inevitably won’t like the appearance of solar panels, especially on the front of the home. As solar is becoming more widely popular in Massachusetts — with more installations occurring in 2021 than ever before — that stigma is expected to change, which means solar may boost value even more going forward.

Another thing to consider is that solar is more popular — and more valuable — in high-density areas, which often have above-average energy rates as well. It’s reasonable to expect a higher value increase in more populated cities like Boston, Marlborough and North Andover.

Should Massachusetts Residents Hire a Professional Solar Installer Or DIY?

In most cases, we strongly recommend hiring a professional rather than trying to save money with a DIY installation. Although DIY installation is more affordable, there are a few reasons we recommend against it. We’ll discuss these briefly below.

Panel Efficiency

First off, DIY panels usually have a lower efficiency rating than professionally-installed panels. In an area like Massachusetts, where electricity rates are abnormally high, getting every drop of efficiency out of your panels is crucial for saving money over time.

While DIY panels might be more affordable upfront, the lower efficiency will very likely diminish your long-term energy savings and could end up being more expensive overall.

Warranty Coverage

Secondly, DIY panels often have far less attractive warranty coverage, and you get no coverage for the labor since you’ll be doing the work yourself.

Professional installers can offer up to 30 years of coverage for physical damage, energy production and labor. DIY panels often have up to 10 years for physical damage and efficiency and offer no labor coverage.

Massachusetts is prone to hurricanes, tropical storms and nor’easters that can put your panels at risk of damage and your roof at risk of leaking.⁶ As such, robust warranty coverage can end up saving you the cost of replacing or repairing your system or your home and end up being more affordable over time.

Installations Require Permits

Finally, all municipalities in MA require building permits for solar system installations. Not only can the permitting process be challenging to navigate for those unfamiliar, but you can also run into issues with your own installation that could cause delays in your project. In some cases, you may need to hire a professional after all to get the installation up to code.

In either case, going through the permitting process yourself can be time-consuming and expensive. We recommend saving yourself the headache and paying a premium to have an experienced professional do the work and the permitting for you.

What Should Massachusetts Residents Look For in a Solar Installer?

Choosing a single installer out of the 150+ that serve Massachusetts is difficult, but there are a few factors we recommend you prioritize. Narrowing your search based on the below things will help you choose an installer that will provide a positive experience and maximize your savings:

• Solar panel pricing
• Warranty coverage
• Local experience
• Reputation and customer reviews

Solar Panel Pricing

One of the first things we recommend you look at is the average cost per watt of a company’s equipment and what you get for that price. This is important everywhere but especially in Massachusetts, where the cost per watt is the third-highest in the country.

In addition to the cost of the equipment, we suggest you consider the quality of the panels and the service. Paying more for one of the best solar products is often a good financial decision in the long run.

Warranty Coverage

Next, we suggest you consider warranty coverage — and read the fine print. Solar warranties often cover some combination of the following:

• Physical damage to your panels
• The efficiency of the equipment
• The labor charges included in the installation cost

All of these are important, but we suggest you prioritize efficiency and labor. High-efficiency panels are more likely to save you on energy bills over time. Workmanship warranties will also help reduce the risk of roof leaks and other issues, an important thing to consider in MA, where the average rainfall is around 1.5x the national average.⁷

Local Experience

With the demand for solar conversion growing in Massachusetts, more and more companies are popping up to turn a profit. While this indicates a strong local solar market, it also puts unwitting customers at risk of below-average customer service and voided warranties from newer companies that don’t last.

We suggest you choose a company that has been serving the Bay State for at least five years. This gives you a better chance of the installer sticking around but also helps you choose one that understands local needs and can size your system appropriately.

Reputation and Customer Reviews

Finally, we suggest you look at the company’s overall reputation and read through some online reviews. Getting a sense of the quality of service and communication you can expect from an installer can help you weed out companies that are less likely to provide a positive experience.

Best National Provider

5/5

National coverageGreat warranty coverageMost efficient panels on the market

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Solar Veteran

4/5

Many financing optionsFamily-owned and -operatedMakes charitable contributions

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Best Regional Coverage

4.5/5

Great warranty coverageRepresentatives are experts on local policiesConcierge service ensures steady communication

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Methodology: How We Ranked Massachusetts’ Solar Companies

We strive to bring you the best solar providers possible and ensure you have a good experience and save money with your solar system. In pursuit of that goal, we rank companies based on several criteria, including:

• Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications (20%)
• Solar Warranty & Customer Support (20%)
• Solar Payment Options (15%)
• Experience (15%)
• Availability (10%)
• Solar Services (10%)
• Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Factors (10%)

Most importantly, we never let commercial partnerships affect our ratings or our methodology. As a result, you can always rest assured that the companies we recommend will provide a quality solar energy system and excellent service.

Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications

First off, we look at how qualified a company is and the reputation it holds in your area. Massachusetts is home to over 150 installers, some of which provide poor customer service, rarely respond to warranty claims and offer unprofessional installations that can cause roof leaks and other property damage.

We first rank companies based on their online reviews, Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings and reviews on other sites, like Yelp. We check for NABCEP certification and certification from other industry organizations that suggest quality installations.

Finally, we reconsider companies that have any history of lawsuits or repeated BBB complaints. This is one reason why you rarely see companies like Vivint or Sunrun in our rankings.

Solar Warranty & Customer Support

Next, we consider the warranty coverage and the company’s likelihood to respond to warranty claims. Massachusetts residents pay above-average per-watt prices for their solar panels. Not only is PV equipment expensive, but it’s also at risk of damage in the area from extreme weather, like hurricanes and tropical storms.

We give precedence to companies that offer robust warranty coverage, particularly those that cover production guarantees, equipment damage and/or labor for 25 years or more. We also read through dozens of reviews to see how likely a company is to respond to an issue covered by warranty and how quickly a resolution is offered.

Cost and Solar Financing Options

As mentioned above, solar is more costly in Massachusetts on a per-watt basis than it is in most states. For that reason, we look at each company’s overall cost and the payment options they provide.

Companies that keep per-watt costs down by offering discounts or lower installation charges get ranked higher. Similarly, we rank companies higher that provide access to a variety of payment options to keep solar accessible to all situations.

Experience in Massachusetts

Next, we look at local experience. A company gets a perfect score in this category if they have ten or more years of experience, specifically in New England and Massachusetts. Companies with fewer than five years get docked points, while companies with between five and ten years are considered average in our book.

Availability

Massachusetts is a relatively small state, but some solar panel installers in the area only serve heavily populated areas like Boston, Worcester and Cambridge.

While companies that specialize in these areas will obviously appeal to the most people, we rank those higher that offer service throughout the state.

Solar Services

Not every solar provider in MA offers the same services and equipment, so we consider the offerings of each company next.

Most installers will provide access to panels and batteries — like the Tesla Powerwall — but we rank companies higher if they offer other add-ons. These can include EV chargers, solar roof shingles, efficiency upgrades, general contracting and more. The more services offered, the more likely a company is to appeal to homeowners.

Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance Factors

Finally, as a website that focuses on environmental friendliness, we rank companies higher if they take action to promote home energy efficiency and renewable energy in general.

Many companies are just in the industry to turn a profit, so those that donate to pro-solar funds, offer solar solutions to low-income residents or align themselves with industry organizations will always get a boost in their rankings.

Read More About Going Solar in Massachusetts

• Is Solar Worth It in Massachusetts?
• Massachusetts Solar Incentives Guide
• Find Cost Savings on Solar Panels in Massachusetts