11 Best Solar Companies in Columbia, MD (2023 Reviews)

We analyzed over 1500 solar companies in the nation,
and have selected the top 11 in Columbia based on:

  • Customer review scores
  • Solar installers near you
  • Company policies and services offered
  • Accreditations and certifications

By EcoWatch Local Advisors

Data Analysis: James Savino

Ranking Methodology: Karsten Neumeister

Updated March 14, 2023

Why you can trust EcoWatch

We work with a panel of solar experts to create unbiased reviews that empower you to make the right choice for your home. No other site has covered renewables as long as us, which means we have more data and insider information than other sites. Our rankings are never affected by revenue or partnerships.

Best solar companies in Columbia

Hoping to obtain energy freedom in Columbia? Installing solar panels can be a rewarding home project since you can enjoy a lot of perks after adopting solar power. Installation costs can be high, but switching to solar will save you money on your power bills over many years. In fact, you can look forward to saving about $14,000 over 20 years.

The cost of installing solar panels can vary significantly depending on your home's setup and your household energy requirements. Continue reading to see our picks for the top solar companies in the city, or get connected with a vetted solar company in your area right away by clicking the button below.

Best National Provider

SunPower

★★★★★
5.0

  • Most efficient panels on the market
  • National coverage
  • Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
  • Great warranty coverage
  • Expensive
  • Customer service varies by local dealer

Best Technology

Tesla Energy

★★★★★
4.5

  • Price-match guarantee
  • Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
  • Best solar battery on the market
  • Some reported issues with customer service
  • Customer service varies by local dealer

Best for Leasing

Sunrun

★★★★★
4.0

  • 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 Columbia

Best Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
GreenBrilliance logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

GreenBrilliance

  • Pros icon Licensing and credentials transparency
  • Pros icon More transparent pricing than competitors
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon NABCEP-certified technicians
  • Pros icon Assists with maximizing rebate
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Solar Batteries
  • Service icon Solar Panels
  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services

Website: http://greenbrilliance.com/
Address: 1015 15th St NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 953-1006
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Colgan Solar logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Colgan Solar

  • Pros icon More transparent pricing than competitors
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Can browse portfolio on website
  • Pros icon NABCEP-certified technicians
  • Pros icon Assists with maximizing rebate
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Maintenance and Repairs
  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: http://www.colgansolar.com/
Address: 16 Pickwick Ln, Lincoln University, PA 19352
Phone: (215) 837-4054
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
SunRayzor logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

SunRayzor

  • Pros icon More transparent pricing than competitors
  • Pros icon Offers a free quote process
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Can browse portfolio on website
  • Pros icon Assists with maximizing rebate
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Roof Shingles
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: https://sunrayzor.com/
Address: 9701 Apollo Dr, Bowie, MD 20721
Phone: (240) 249-5827
Experienced Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Energy Select LLC logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Energy Select LLC

  • Pros icon Can browse portfolio on website
  • Pros icon NABCEP-certified technicians
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Custom system designs
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Removal & Reinstallation
  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Batteries
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: https://www.energyselectllc.com/
Address: 22815 Washington St, Leonardtown, MD 20650-3897
Phone: (301) 475-6727
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Got Electric, LLC logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Got Electric, LLC

  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: https://gotelectric.net/
Address: 9609 Dr Perry Rd, Ijamsville, MD 21754
Phone: (301) 515-8676
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Power-On logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Power-On

  • Pros icon Licensing and credentials transparency
  • Pros icon More transparent pricing than competitors
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon NABCEP-certified technicians
  • Pros icon Assists with maximizing rebate
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: http://power-on.co/
Address: 4640 Forbes Blvd Suite 120J, Lanham, MD 20706
Phone: (301) 615-0404
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Sustainable Energy Systems LLC logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Sustainable Energy Systems LLC

  • Pros icon More transparent pricing than competitors
  • Pros icon Offers a free quote process
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Family owned and operated
  • Pros icon Can browse portfolio on website
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: http://sustainableenergysystems.net/
Address: 4509 Metropolitan Ct unit h, Frederick, MD 21704
Phone: (301) 788-4003
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Maryland State Solar, LLC logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Maryland State Solar, LLC

  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: http://www.mdstatesolar.org
Address: 14405 Laurel Pl Ste 203, Laurel, MD 20707-6102
Phone: (301) 812-4786
Experienced Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Mountain View Solar logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Mountain View Solar

  • Pros icon Can browse portfolio on website
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Makes charitable contributions
  • Pros icon Custom system designs
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Solar Batteries
  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: http://www.mtvsolar.com/
Address: 11500 Valley Rd, Berkeley Spgs, WV 25411-3151
Phone: (304) 258-4733
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
Gordian Energy Systems logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

Gordian Energy Systems

  • Pros icon Can browse portfolio on website
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon More transparent pricing than competitors
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services
  • Service icon Solar Roof Shingles
  • Service icon Solar Panels

Website: http://www.gordianenergysystems.com/
Address: 3915 Coolidge Ave, Baltimore, MD 21229
Phone: (410) 242-2449
Outstanding Local Installer
ecowatch badge icon
American Design and Build logo

Local Service

EcoWatch Rating

star-full star-full star-full star-full star-full

American Design and Build

  • Pros icon Offers a free quote process
  • Pros icon Educational sales approach
  • Pros icon Excellent reputation
  • Con icon Limited information available on website

Services Offered

  • Service icon Maintenance and Repairs
  • Service icon Solar Panels
  • Service icon Solar Roof Shingles
  • Service icon Commercial Solar Services

Website: https://www.adbuild.com/
Address: 221 Gateway Dr, Bel Air, MD 21014
Phone: (410) 557-0555

Solar Company Ranking Methodology


Click here to see a more detailed overview of our solar company ranking methodology.

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Columbia

For the majority of homeowners, whether or not you should invest in solar panels depends the most on the cost. There are quite a few factors you should take into consideration when trying to determine the overall cost and how much you can save, including:

  • Choice of solar panels: The type of solar panels you get will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels are more expensive 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.
  • How much energy you use: If your family needs to use a lot of energy, you'll reap more rewards from switching to solar.
  • The amount of sunlight your roof gets: If your roof doesn't see much direct sunlight, your solar system won't be able to produce as much energy, which will leave you with lower savings on energy bills than a roof that gets a lot of sunlight.
  • Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit, which everyone in the U.S. is eligible for, lets you deduct 30% of the cost of your solar system installation from your taxes. Plus, not including incentives, you can save about $14,000 over 20 years on your energy bills.

So is installing solar panels worth it? Whether you'd like to reduce your electric bills, carbon emissions or both, solar panels are a solid investment for many Columbia homeowners.

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Solar Incentives in Columbia

In an effort to increase the adoption of solar power, federal, state and local governments — and even some utility companies — offer incentives to help make switching to solar power more economical and accessible. When you install a solar panel system on your house, you can take advatage of the federal tax credit, or ITC. This credit currently lowers your tax bill by 30% of the cost of your solar panels. Additionally, there are often some regional incentives that you can benefit from to further cut back on the cost of solar of solar panels. For more information about local incentives, see our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Columbia

If you're planning on adding solar panels to your home, one of the major reasons why may be to reduce your carbon footprint. You may be asking yourself — how much does going solar do for the planet anyway? In a city like Columbia where energy use is rather high, making the switch to solar power is a fantastic plan for people who care about the planet. In Columbia, the average resident can lower their carbon footprint by 60 pounds a year after going solar. For homeowners who are worried about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for the offset carbon emissions.

Best National Provider

SunPower

★★★★★
5.0

  • Most efficient panels on the market
  • National coverage
  • Cradle to Cradle sustainability certification
  • Great warranty coverage
  • Expensive
  • Customer service varies by local dealer

Best Technology

Tesla Energy

★★★★★
4.5

  • Price-match guarantee
  • Sleek, efficient, and durable solar panels
  • Best solar battery on the market
  • Some reported issues with customer service
  • Customer service varies by local dealer

Best for Leasing

Sunrun

★★★★★
4.0

  • Expansive service area
  • Many financing options
  • Some reported issues with customer service
  • Some reported issues with door-to-door sales

EcoWatch's Columbia, MD Solar Company Rankings FAQs

Which solar power company is the best in Columbia?

The top local solar company in Columbia is GreenBrilliance, with a rating of 5.00 stars.

What are the best and worst things about solar power?

A few of the biggest pros are that it reduces your power bills, it's eco-friendly, and it provides a good return on your investment (ROI). The most notable cons are that solar panels don't work as well when there's limited direct sunlight, the startup costs are high and solar panels aren't always aesthetically pleasing.

How long does it take to see a return on your investment after getting solar panels?

The average payback period for solar panel installation is about 13.0 years, but the exact period varies by local electricity costs, incentives and net metering programs.

What are the different kinds of solar panels?

The different types of solar panels are monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film. Monocrystalline panels are more efficient but also more costly. Polycrystalline panels are cheaper but also less efficient than monocrystalline. Thin-film solar panels are flexible, so they can be used where the other kinds can't, like on curved surfaces or cars, but they are also less efficient. The best one for you depends on your budget, the layout of your roof 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.

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