Top 6 Best Solar Companies in Maryland (2023 Reviews)

In this guide on Maryland’s best solar installation companies, you’ll learn:

  • What are the best solar panel installation companies in Maryland?
  • How can you save money when choosing a solar provider in Maryland?
  • What factors are most important when picking a solar provider in Maryland?
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Each product and or company featured here has been independently selected by the writer. You can learn more about our review methodology here. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

What Are Maryland’s Top-Rated Solar Companies?

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), there are around 100 installation companies that serve Marylanders.1 Choosing the best of these for your purposes is challenging and time-consuming, and the effort required can be a deterrent for many would-be solar customers.

We’ve done a lot of the hard work for you, as we’ve researched the top providers in your area and have ranked them based on how likely they are to provide outstanding service and high-quality equipment. Below are the top six solar providers we have identified in Maryland:

You can use the convenient drop-down menus below to get more information on each of these providers to see which is best suited to meet your needs.

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Lumina Solar

Outstanding Regional Installer

Regional Service

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Pros

  • Comprehensive service offerings
  • Offers products from leading manufacturers
  • NABCEP-certified technicians

Cons

  • Relatively young company
  • Slightly limited service area
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Trinity Solar

Solar Veteran

Regional Service

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Pros

  • Many financing options
  • Family-owned and -operated
  • Makes charitable contributions
  • Relatively short workmanship warranty

Cons

  • Limited service area
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Solar Energy World

Outstanding Regional Installer

Regional Service

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Pros

  • Excellent reputation
  • Independently owned and operated
  • Offers products from leading manufacturers

Cons

  • Some reported communication issues
  • Less personalization than competitors offer
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SunPower

Best National Provider

Nationwide Service

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Read full review now

Pros

  • Most efficient panels on the market
  • National coverage
  • Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
  • Great warranty coverage

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Customer service varies by local dealer
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Celestial Solar Innovations

Outstanding Local Installer

Local Service

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Pros

  • Representatives are experts on local policies
  • Many financing options
  • Educational, no-pressure sales approach

Cons

  • Limited service area
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Edge Energy

Outstanding Regional Installer

Regional Service

EcoWatch rating

Average cost

Pros

  • Offers products from SunPower
  • Comprehensive service offerings

Cons

  • Limited brands of solar equipment available

How Can You Save Money on Maryland’s Best Solar Companies?

best solar installers in maryland

The average solar energy solution in Maryland costs around $19,390 after the federal tax credit — or $27,700 before any rebates or tax credits. This price assumes that you need the standard 10 kilowatt (kW) system to offset your energy bills and that you pay the average of $2.77 per watt for your equipment.

The national average is a bit lower, mostly because the price per watt in Maryland is around $0.11 higher than in the rest of the U.S. Given the high cost of solar conversion in Maryland, most Maryland homeowners understandably look for ways to keep the installation price down. Below, we’ll share some tips for how you can do this when choosing an installer.

  • Choose an installer that understands federal, state and local solar perks
  • Choose an installer with robust warranty coverage
  • Avoid installers that push solar batteries

Choose a Provider That Can Help You Take Advantage of Solar Incentives

Solar benefit programs provide the best ways to save money on your solar conversion no matter where you live. With the right perks, you can take thousands of dollars off of your effective system costs.

We strongly recommend choosing an experienced solar installer and specifically one that has local experience in Maryland and its SREC market. This gives you a better chance of getting a company that can help you take advantage of incentives to save money.

The table below provides a quick breakdown of the available solar incentives in MD.

Incentive Description
Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) This federal solar credit is for 30% of your entire system price, including panels, inverters and batteries. It gets applied to your tax liability, which effectively saves you money on your installation costs. The average credit amount in MD is $8,310, making this one of the best benefit programs available.
Sales Tax Exemption MD waives all sales tax on PV equipment. This helps keep the cost of converting to solar as low as possible.
Property Tax Exemption This policy prevents your property taxes from increasing after going solar. Normally, any home improvement that raises your home value — like solar conversion — would bump up your taxes.
Net Metering Solar net metering is a billing policy offered by utility companies. It lets you overproduce energy and bank the excess with your electric company for later use. Those credits can pay down future bills to help increase long-term solar savings. Net metering is mandated in MD, and credits are offered at the full retail rate, which is outstanding.
MD Energy Storage Tax Credit This is a statewide tax credit for solar batteries. In addition to the ITC, you can take this credit for battery installation only. It’s for 30% of your total battery costs. For reference, the credit for a single Tesla Powerwall would be around $3,000.
SRECs Although Maryland’s SREC market is oversaturated, homeowners can still secure decent value through the SREC market. The bid price at the time of writing was $59. This means that solar customers in MD can effectively make an additional $59 per each MW of electricity their system generates.

Avoid Installers That Push Solar Batteries

Solar battery systems seem like a great investment in MD because power outages are more common than in many other states.6 While batteries will allow you to maintain electricity through outages, they really only pay for themselves in areas where net metering isn’t available.

Net metering is mandated for all utility companies in Maryland, and customers get credited at the full retail rate for excess energy, which is the best-case scenario. This policy helps reduce your panel payback period and maximize long-term savings. Batteries can do the same in states where this policy isn’t available.

If you’re dead set on installing batteries, by all means, choose an installer who offers them. You can even take advantage of the energy storage credit offered in Maryland to save money. However, if you run into a company that pushes solar batteries, we recommend opting for a different, more reliable one.

best solar companies maryland

Choose a Solar Installer With a Good Warranty

MD residents experience their fair share of extreme weather, including hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical cyclones and severe thunderstorms. All of these weather events can put your panels at risk of damage from fallen trees and blown debris.

Choosing a company that offers a solid physical protection warranty will provide peace of mind that your solar investment is protected even in the most extreme conditions.

It’s also great to have a workmanship warranty, as this helps ensure that the installation process is done well. Maryland solar solutions are at high risk of roof leaks because of the above-average amount of rainfall — nearly double the national average.5 A company that offers a workmanship warranty is less likely to leave you with these costly problems.

Read Also: Calculate How Much You Can Save By Going Solar

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value In Maryland?

Yes! Installing solar equipment on your Maryland home is expected to bump up your property value by around 4.1%, according to research from Zillow.7 In MD, where home values average around $406,000, that’s an average increase of around $16,500.8 This is well above the national average for value increase, making MD a great place to convert to solar energy.

Since solar provides value benefits based on home value, cities in MD that have above-average property values will naturally see more value increase. Below is a list of some of the cities in the Free State that should see more value from panel installation:

  • Baltimore
  • Gaithersburg
  • Rockville
  • Takoma Park
  • Cooksville
  • Garrett Park
  • Brookeville
  • Boyds
  • Annapolis

Additionally, Maryland home prices have risen by over 8% in the last year or so, so the return on investment is just getting higher and higher.

DIY vs Professional Solar Installation in Maryland

DIY solar installation often seems like a great option in Maryland because the cost is significantly lower than hiring a professional. Unfortunately, there are some significant downsides to installing your own equipment. Below, we’ll provide some reasons why DIY installation can often end up costing you more and why we recommend against it for most residents.

  • DIY installations lead to a higher risk of roof leaks
  • DIY solar warranties are much less impressive
  • DIY solar panels usually have a lower efficiency and poorer performance

DIY Panel Installations Are More Likely to Leak

Roof leaks are one of the most common issues solar customers experience. Thankfully, professional installers use high-quality materials and specific techniques to reduce the risk of roof leaks. The same cannot be said about DIY installations.

Roof leaks are always a concern, but they’re more likely to occur if an inexperienced DIYer completes the installation. While you’ll save money on labor, you could end up paying those savings or more repairing water damage or replacing your roof.

Roof leaks are especially prevalent in MD, where the average annual rainfall is nearly double the U.S. average. As such, we always recommend a professional installation in MD.

DIY Panel Warranties Are Less Than Ideal

As we mentioned above, solar warranties in Maryland are crucial. Physical warranties help protect your investment from damage from MD’s extreme weather, efficiency warranties help ensure your system will continue to offset the above-average energy bills in MD and workmanship warranties help prevent damage from the excessive rain in the area.9

Unfortunately, the warranties that come with DIY panel kits are far less robust and last for much less time than the ones you get with most professional installations. DIY kits usually come with a warranty for manufacturer defects only for around five years. Professional systems can have total coverage for up to around 25 years.

DIY Panels Aren’t As Efficient

Finally, since energy bills in Maryland are above the national average, most residents find it important to install efficient panels that can help offset the high energy costs in the area. DIY panels usually have lower efficiency ratings than most professional systems, which means your kit will generate less energy and offset less of your bill if you install it yourself.

Most solar companies also use advanced software to design systems to maximize sunlight exposure based on the pitch and azimuth of your roof. DIY installations will not be as effective in generating energy long-term.

While professionally-installed solar arrays almost always cost more, the average system in Maryland will pay for itself and save an additional $21,395, on average. This is typically above what a DIY panel kit will save due in part to the difference in efficiency rating.

What Should Marylanders Look For in a Solar Installer?

top rated solar providers maryland

There are a few things we recommend you look for in a solar installation company if you live in MD. We’ll list the factors that we believe are most important below, and we’ll explain why each is crucial in the sections that follow.

  • Good product warranties to protect against local extreme weather
  • Good pricing and financing options
  • Good customer service and fast response times

Product Warranties

We often advise prospective solar customers in MD to prioritize warranty coverage when choosing an installer.

The Free State sees frequent extreme weather that can put panels at risk of damage from fallen trees and other issues. A warranty that protects your panels from damage can provide peace of mind through hurricanes, tropical cyclones and other major weather events.

It’s also not a bad idea to look for lengthy labor warranties. Solar panel companies that guarantee their workmanship are more likely to carry out a successful installation that won’t be prone to water intrusion. This is especially important in MD, where the annual rainfall is significant.

Price and Financing Options

The average cost per watt for solar equipment in MD is around $0.11 higher than the national average. For the typical 10 kW system, that comes out to a total of $1,100 more that you’ll be paying than what other U.S. residents would pay for the same system.

Since local prices are relatively high, it’s wise to look for companies that keep costs low by discounting equipment or offering deals for installation. It might also behoove you to choose an installer that accepts financing, leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs), as these payment options are more accessible than cash payments.

Customer Service

Finally, in an area like MD, where there are so many solar installers available, many companies fight for new customers and fall short on service for existing customers.

We recommend choosing an installer that provides good customer service through the installation process and beyond. This helps ensure you have a positive experience and get a fast response to any warranty claims you may need to make. You can gauge a company’s service by reading through some positive and negative customer reviews.

Methodology: How We Ranked Maryland’s Solar Companies

When we conducted our research on solar providers in MD, we looked for a few specific things that are likely to lead to you having a positive experience when you do decide to go solar. We’ll list some of these characteristics below and explain why we believe each is important in the sections below.

  • Local experience and knowledge of solar incentives in MD
  • Years in the industry
  • Commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness

Warranty Coverage

One of the first things we look at when assessing Maryland solar providers is the warranty coverage provided. Maryland solar systems are at high risk of damage due to the extreme weather in the area, and poor workmanship can lead to roof leaks, especially since Maryland sees more rain than most states.

Companies that provide robust warranty coverage — including warranties for your equipment, panel efficiency and labor — are best, especially if they have a history of responding quickly to warranty claims.

Knowledge of Local Incentives

Next, we prioritize companies that have localized experience and teams that are knowledgeable when it comes to federal, state and local incentives.

Companies that understand the needs of Maryland residents, in particular, are more likely to provide you with an appropriately-sized system that will serve you well for decades.

Additionally, companies that are new to Maryland may not understand the local incentives like SRECs that can save you money. As such, we push companies that are familiar with the area and can help you take advantage of benefit programs and rebates to keep costs down.

Overall Mission Statement and Commitment to Sustainability

Finally, we give preference to solar companies that push sustainability and are in the industry for more than just profit. Recommending companies that care about the environment and energy efficiency means you’re more likely to get an installer that sizes your system appropriately, doesn’t overcharge you for your equipment and provides high-quality panels.

It’s challenging to identify these companies, but we look for signs that an installer cares about the environment. These include affiliations with organizations and non-profits in the solar industry, certifications from organizations like NABCEP and a high overall value-to-cost ratio.

Read More About Going Solar in Maryland

FAQs: Best Solar Companies in Maryland

Below, we’ll answer some of the most common questions we see about the prospect of going solar in MD.

Blog author image
Article author
Dan Simms is an experienced writer with a passion for renewable energy. As a solar and EV advocate, much of his work has focused on the potential of solar power and deregulated energy, but he also writes on related topics, like real estate and economics. In his free time — when he's not checking his own home's solar production — he enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, skiing and rock climbing.
Reviewer image
Expert reviewer
Karsten is an editor and energy specialist focused on environmental, social and cultural development. His work has been shared by sources including NPR, the World Economic Forum, Marketwatch and the SEIA, and he is certified in ESG with the CFA Institute. Before joining EcoWatch, Karsten worked in the solar energy sector, studying energy policy, climate tech and environmental education. A lover of music and the outdoors, Karsten might be found rock climbing, canoeing or writing songs when away from the workplace.

Comparing authorized solar partners

EcoWatch rating
Average cost
Pros
Cons
BBB Rating
Year founded
Service Area
Brands of Solar Equipment Offered
Warranty Coverage
  • 4.5
    • Comprehensive service offerings
    • Offers products from leading manufacturers
    • NABCEP-certified technicians
    • Relatively young company
    • Slightly limited service area
    A+
    Outstanding Regional Installer

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