Top 5 Best Solar Companies in New Hampshire (2023 Reviews)

How Can You Save Money When Hiring A Solar Company In New Hampshire

The typical cost of solar panel systems in NH is around $18,915 before any solar benefit programs.

The cost per watt in the Granite State is well above the national average — $2.66 — and typically falls around $2.91. Despite a higher cost per watt, systems are more affordable overall because the low energy consumption in NH demands a smaller system — around 6.5 kilowatts (kW) — than the average of 9 kW in the U.S.

Although the total cost to go solar in NH is a few thousand dollars below the national average, it’s still far more than many New Hampshirites can afford to pay upfront. As such, most look for ways to save money when choosing an installer. Below are some tips for minimizing your initial and long-term costs:

• Take advantage of the many solar incentive programs available in NH
• Consider installing a solar storage solution
• Choose a high-efficiency panel brand
• Get a few different free quotes

We’ll explain why these strategies tend to save you money in New Hampshire below.

Take Advantage of Local Solar Benefit Programs

No matter where you live, taking advantage of the incentives available for going solar is one of the best ways to bring down your initial costs and maximize your long-term savings. In the table below, we’ll include all of the incentives available to NH residents and explain how each can affect your system total.

Consider Installing a Solar Battery

Solar batteries will undoubtedly add to your system total, but they can pay for themselves in some cases and add even more to your home value, making them a good option for some in NH.

Specifically, you might want to consider an energy solution for storage if you’re an EverSource customer. This utility company provides cashback perks for solar customers who install a battery and allow the company access to the stored power during times of high demand.

Not only can a battery earn you some additional money, but it can help offset your energy bills by minimizing how much power you pull from the grid at night, on rainy days or when snow is covering your panels. Ultimately, a battery makes it easier to eliminate electric bills or come close to it in NH.

Choose a Highly Efficient Panel Brand

Choosing a solar installer that offers high-efficiency panel brands is a great way to pay off your system more quickly and earn more in energy savings over time.

New Hampshire sees heavy snowfall every year, and snow coverage can decrease power production. Not only that, but the state sees a below-average number of sunny days per year, which also drives production down.

High-efficiency panels will help keep your overall production up, which means greater savings on your energy bills and a faster panel payback period.

Get Multiple Free Quotes

Finally, we suggest you get a few different free quotes from installers in your area. NH is home to 20 solar providers, and you’re likely to get 20 different prices from these installers for the same system due to differences in equipment costs and labor costs.

Getting a handful of free quotes from companies that service your area is a good way to get an idea of where your pricing should be. You can then rule out more expensive companies or those that don’t provide the same value for the price.

You can use our solar calculator to see average solar panel costs in your area and to get an idea of how much you can save by converting to solar in New Hampshire.

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value In New Hampshire?

The average property value in NH sits at around $440,602, and solar is expected to raise this value by around 4.1%.³,⁴ That’s an average increase of approximately $18,000. Given that the typical system costs far less than this after the federal tax credit is taken, the return on investment (ROI) for solar in NH is outstanding.

There are a handful of municipalities in NH that have adopted solar on a city-wide level.⁵ While this doesn’t always mean that solar will be more accepted and more valued by residents as well, it is a good precursor for a higher ROI on residential solar systems. These municipalities include:

• Concord
• Durham
• Hanover
• Keene
• Lebanon
• Lee
• Nashua
• Peterborough
• Plymouth and
• Stratham

Should New Hampshire Residents Hire a Professional Solar Installer Or DIY?

Although the cost of going solar is well below the national average in NH, many residents are still tempted to attempt DIY solar panels and installations because they are significantly cheaper than hiring a professional. Unfortunately, there are a few reasons why DIY solar arrays aren’t ideal in New Hampshire, including:

• Less appealing warranties on DIY equipment
• Lower panel efficiency for DIY solar kits
• A higher risk of property damage resulting from a lack of experience

We’ll explain these drawbacks in greater depth in the following sections.

Warranty Coverage Is Less Appealing

The most significant downside to DIY installations in New Hampshire, in our opinion, is the lack of warranty coverage you get. Professionally installed panels typically come with 25 years of protection for physical damage, ten years of protection for the installation services and between 20 and 25 years of protection for the panel efficiency.

In New Hampshire, we believe efficiency and installation guarantees are the most important. Efficiency warranties help ensure you can offset the well-above-average energy rates for years after installation, thereby maximizing your savings.

Labor warranties help protect against damages from roof leaks and other issues, which are more common in New Hampshire due to above-average precipitation.

DIY panels come with no labor warranty, and their efficiency warranty often only lasts for around ten years. You might pay less for a DIY solar system initially, but your long-term outlay of cash could be significantly higher.

DIY Panels Aren’t as Efficient

We’ve mentioned above that panel efficiency is an important consideration in New Hampshire. This is true not only because your panels receive below-average amounts of sunlight due to cloudy days and snow coverage in the winter but also because the cost of pulling power from the grid when your panels underperform is about 49% more costly than it would be in other states.⁶

DIY panels usually have efficiency ratings closer to 15% but up to about 20%. Professional panels go up to 22.7% and often sit above 20%. DIY panels also tend to degrade in efficiency more rapidly and have efficiency warranties that last around ten years on average. Professional panels can have efficiency warranties for 90% efficiency for up to 25 years.

It might be tempting to pay less for DIY panel installation. However, you’re more likely to start at a low efficiency and lose efficiency more quickly with DIY panels, yielding lower overall savings vs an efficient professional solar panel.

Property Damage Is More Likely With DIY Installations

Finally, property damage from improper panel installation is a serious concern no matter where you live, but especially in New Hampshire. This is primarily because rainfall and snowfall are far above average in the area, making roof leaks more likely.

Even experienced DIYers will have minimal experience installing solar equipment, in particular. A lack of experience will significantly increase the risk of property damage. Again, you might save money upfront by installing your panels yourself, but the resulting property damage could prove to be more costly overall than hiring a professional.

What Should New Hampshirites Look For in a Solar Installer?

New Hampshire residents have unique needs when it comes to PV panels, so there are a few things we recommend looking for in a solar panel installation company in your area. These include:

• Lengthy warranty coverage
• High-quality panel brands
• Lots of experience in the industry and in NH, specifically

We’ll explain why we think these are the most important qualities to look for in a New Hampshire installer below.

Good Warranty Coverage

First off, we suggest prioritizing labor and efficiency warranty coverage in your installer.

Labor warranties help protect you against issues with the installation, specifically roof leaks that could result from improper technique. They also help ensure you’re not choosing a company that is inexperienced and new to the industry, as these installers rarely offer good labor warranties.

Panel efficiency warranties can help make sure your system continues to serve you and save you money for years to come. Some companies even offer performance warranties guaranteeing that your system will provide the exact amout of power as outlined in your estimate. This is especially crucial in areas throughout New England, which has some of the highest electricity prices in the country.

High-Quality, High-Efficiency Panel Brands

For similar reasons, we recommend choosing an installer that uses durable, high-quality panel brands that boast above-average efficiency. High efficiency means better energy production, which can offset losses from snow coverage and frequent cloudy days.

Some panels that work well for NH residents’ needs include:

• SunPower/Maxeon (the highest-efficiency panel brand in the industry)
• REC
• Panasonic
• Silfab
• Trina
• Canadian Solar
• Q Cells

Experience

Finally, we suggest you choose a company that has several years of experience — at least five but, ideally, ten — in the industry and in NH, specifically. An experienced company is less likely to run into hiccups with permitting and offers a lower risk of poor installation technique.

Plus, well-established companies are less likely to go out of business, which means your warranties are more likely to remain in effect.

Outstanding Regional Installer

4.5/5

Many financing optionsCompetitive pricingGreat warranty coverage

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Social Impact

4.5/5

Comprehensive service offeringsCertified B CorpMany years of experience

Get Free Quote

Outstanding Regional Installer

4.5/5

Full-service home energy solutionsExcellent reputationNABCEP-certified technicians

Get Free Quote

Methodology: How We Ranked New Hampshire’s Solar Companies

Our top priority when ranking the top solar providers in New Hampshire is to equip you with the information you need to get the best and most financially beneficial solar system possible. In order to achieve that goal, we assess companies based on factors we believe are most important in your area and weigh those factors accordingly.

Our methodology is never affected by partnerships in the industry, so you can rest assured that the information we provide is unbiased and truly aimed at getting you the best value for your money. Below are the criteria we’ve used to rank the companies we recommend for your solar project:

• Solar Products & Services (20%) 
• Solar Warranty & Customer Support (20%)
• Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications (15%)
• Experience (15%)
• Availability (10%)
• Solar Financing Options (10%)
• Environmental & Social Impact (10%)

Solar Products & Services

First off, we look at the products and services offered by each company. We give precedence to installers that provide high-efficiency panels that can produce sufficient energy to offset the above-average electric rates New Hampshirites typically see. This helps maximize your savings over time, which is obviously an important thing to consider.

We also look at the services available, as companies with more services to offer will appeal to more customers. The baseline services we look for include panel and battery installations, as well as energy audits. We rank companies higher if they also offer things like ground-mounted panels, plumbing and electrical services, roof services and more.

Full-service companies like ReVision scored highest in this category because the installer offers standard solar services plus progressive offerings like water heater and heat pump installations for improved home energy efficiency.

Solar Warranty & Customer Support

After solar products and services, we assess each company based on warranty coverage and customer support after installation. We look for at least the industry average for warranty protection, which includes:

• 25 years of protection for equipment
• 20 to 25 years for panel efficiency
• 10 years for installation labor

The companies that offer more protection than this and respond quickly to warranty claims are best suited to protect NH residents from property damage and panel repairs and replacements over many years.

Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications

A great way to choose a company that is qualified to provide outstanding service and workmanship is to look for certifications and a positive industry reputation. As such, these are the next things we adjust our rankings for.

Some specific things we look for include:

• Certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)
• Green Building Certification from Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Accreditation from the BBB
• High ratings and numerous reviews on Google, Yelp and other review sites
• Electrician or general contractor licensing

Experience in New Hampshire

Since the solar industry is just starting to pick up in New Hampshire, there are a lot of companies popping up with minimal experience that are just looking for profit in a booming market.

Companies with fewer than five years of experience are more likely to cause issues stemming from inexperience. They’re also more likely to void warranties by going out of business.

We use a baseline of at least five years of experience to rank local companies and give perfect scores in this category to companies with at least ten years of experience.

Availability

New Hampshire is largely rural in nature. Combined with a relatively low demand for solar, this leaves means it’s often not worthwhile for companies to expand their service area to the entire state. Many focus on single cities or areas where demand is high.

Since installers with larger service areas appeal to more of our readers, we rank those highest that provide solar services to the entire state.

Solar Financing Options

Solar equipment in NH is more expensive on a per-watt basis than it is in most other states. That’s why we rank companies higher if they maintain average or below-average prices and offer a wide range of payment options. Installers that have in-house financing with low interest rates and low or no down payment requirements score the highest.

We give points to providers that accept leases and PPAs, which are some of the most accessible financing options. However, since we don’t recommend these to most property owners, we don’t take points away if an installer doesn’t offer these.

Environmental & Social Impact

Finally, we look for companies that have a positive impact on the environment and the communities they serve. Some things we give higher ratings for include:

• Public data disclosure
• End-of-life and old solar equipment recycling efforts
• Offers low-cost solar to low-income individuals
• Engages in charitable donations