Top 5 Best Solar Companies in Oregon (2023 Reviews)

How Can You Save Money When Hiring a Solar Company in Oregon

Solar power systems in Oregon cost around $24,700 before tax credits, assuming the typical system size of 9.5 kilowatts (kW) and the average local price per watt of $2.60. This is below the national average, but it’s still quite expensive in the grand scheme of home improvements.

While solar power systems save over $15,000 in most cases on utility bills after paying for themselves, many customers naturally still look for ways to save on system costs to help keep solar accessible and affordable.

Below, we’ll include a quick list of some things you can do to help keep your system total down. We’ll follow that with more thorough explanations of each tip.

• Take advantage of Oregon solar perks
• Pass on solar batteries, if you can
• Choose high-efficiency panels

Take Advantage of OR Solar Incentives

The best thing you can do to bring down your initial costs and maximize long-term savings with your solar system is to take advantage of the solar benefit programs in your area. Thankfully, OR is a relatively solar-friendly state when it comes to incentive programs, so you should have no shortage of perks and benefits to explore.

Below, we’ll include a table with the most important and helpful solar incentive programs in Oregon that you should be sure not to miss out on.

Consider Solar Batteries Carefully

Generally speaking, we typically don’t recommend that solar customers install solar batteries along with their panels. They add thousands — and, often, tens of thousands — of dollars to your total system cost, and they provide minimal value in areas like OR that have access to net energy metering.

In states that don’t have net energy metering, batteries can store your produced energy for later use, which effectively provides the same benefit as net metering. While net energy metering might go away in OR or become less beneficial — by dropping below the currently mandated full retail rate for energy credits — it currently makes batteries mostly obsolete.

With that being said, batteries can allow you to go off-grid so that you can generate power for your home during blackouts. Systems with panels only cannot maintain electricity during power outages.

Still, it’s usually not worth the added money to install batteries just to keep the power on through blackout conditions, even though OR has the tenth highest rate of blackouts in the country.⁴

Choose Panels With a High Efficiency Rating

Finally, it’s very important that you install PV panels that have a high efficiency rating. This metric should be included on your solar panel spec sheet, and it tells you what percentage of the incoming solar energy can be harnessed for electricity production.

Panel efficiency is so important in OR because residents in the state see far less sunshine than property owners in other areas throughout the U.S. In fact, OR ranks as the fifth cloudiest state in the country.⁵ PV panels can drop down to about 10% efficiency in cloudy conditions.

High-efficiency panels always maintain greater production levels, which means they can offset more of your energy bills in cloudy conditions. That means greater savings and a better chance to reduce your energy bills in a place like OR.

Solar Veteran

4.5/5

Many years of experienceOffers products from leading manufacturersExcellent reputation

Get Free Quote

Best National Provider

5/5

National coverageGreat warranty coverageMost efficient panels on the market

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Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

Competitive pricingExcellent reputationIndustry-leading in-house financing

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Will Solar Increase Your Home Value in Oregon?

Yes! Installing PV panels on your home is expected to raise your property values by around 4.1%, according to property data made available by Zillow.⁶ The average property value in OR is around $515,000, and that number has risen around 9% in the past 12 months.⁷

Rising property values and a 50% drop in local solar costs in OR over the past ten years mean that solar equipment is more valuable than ever before.⁸ Panels are expected to boost your home by approximately $21,100 in The Beaver State. If you consider the value bump and the credit from the federal tax credit, your solar PV system is recouped nearly instantly.

OR residents also see more value in solar because of the wide range of solar incentives available. Since educated buyers will know they’ll have access to perks like net energy metering (NEM), most will assign more value to PV equipment than buyers in other states.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the value added by panels is based on your home value, so higher-value areas like the ones listed below are likely to see the largest jumps in value after you go solar.

• Portland
• Bend
• Durham
• Oregon City
• Cannon Beach
• Gresham
• Gaston
• Ashland
• Brookings
• Eugene
• Tualatin
• Hillsboro

Should Oregon Residents Hire a Professional Solar Installer or DIY?

If you’ve been comparing prices of installing your own solar array or having a professional install your system, you probably already know that a DIY solar installation is far more affordable. However, that’s not to say that doing a DIY installation is a better idea.

Generally speaking, we recommend going with a professional for the reasons below, which we’ll explain in greater depth in the following sections.

• Electrical permits are required
• Access to high-efficiency panels
• High risk of roof leaks
• Better warranty coverage

Permitting Can Be an Issue

First off, solar panel systems almost always require building permits to be filed with your local building department before any work begins. This is the case in all municipalities across Oregon. The state requires that an electrical permit be filed before any solar PV system can be deemed legal.

This is an issue for DIYers. While you can carry out the actual installation process yourself, you’ll still need to hire a professional to sign off on the system. This will drive up the cost of DIY solar conversion, so it’s important to consider the electrical underwriter’s certificate when estimating the cost of a DIY installation.

Getting a permit pulled and signed off on in OR can also be problematic if you make mistakes during the process of installing your panels. In our opinion, it’s worth paying for a professional to do the work to ensure it only needs to be done once.

High-Efficiency Panels

As we mentioned above, it’s important to choose a panel brand with a high efficiency rating in OR. Doing so will ensure that your system generates enough electricity to offset your energy bills, even in the frequently cloudy weather in the area.

Unfortunately, the efficiency of most DIY solar brands — like Renogy and Grape Solar — pales in comparison to that of SunPower, Tesla, Panasonic and other top brands that require professional installation. Residents in OR might not be able to offset enough of their electric bills using DIY equipment, given the lower efficiency ratings.

Risk of Roof Leaks

OR residents experience above-average rainfall, and many cities — particularly those in the eastern parts of the state — experience above-average snowfall as well.⁹ An overall above-average amount of precipitation means that roof penetrations through the shingles, which are required for solar panel installations, put OR homes at an elevated risk of roof leaks.

Roof leaks are one of the leading issues with solar panel systems installed by professional companies. If installations done by professionals with years of experience aren’t immune to roof leaks, then the risk of experiencing leaks when you install panels yourself is naturally even higher.

The elevated risk of roof leaks in OR is another one of the top reasons why we recommend professional installation over a DIY job for most homeowners.

Better Warranty Coverage

Finally, solar installation companies typically provide warranty coverage for equipment and panel efficiency that lasts for between 20 and 30 years. By comparison, the large majority of DIY panel brands usually have warranties that last for around five to 10 years.

Additionally, when you install your own PV panels, you get no warranty for the workmanship. When you hire a professional, you can get up to around 25 years of coverage for the workmanship.

Overall, you’ll get far better warranty coverage and more peace of mind if you hire a professional to install your panels rather than trying to do it yourself.

Solar Veteran

4.5/5

Many years of experienceOffers products from leading manufacturersExcellent reputation

Get Free Quote

Best National Provider

5/5

National coverageGreat warranty coverageMost efficient panels on the market

Get Free Quote

Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

Competitive pricingExcellent reputationIndustry-leading in-house financing

Get Free Quote

What Should Oregonians Look For in a Solar Installer?

Since there is a wide range of solar providers available in OR, and because you might not want to pick one of the companies above, it’s useful to have a list of qualities to look for when deciding on a company to hire for your solar project.

We’ll include some of the top factors to consider below, and we’ll explain each of these in greater depth in the following sections.

• Panel brands available
• Efficiency warranties
• Size of the company
• Year founded
• Industry affiliations

Panel Brands Available

Solar panel installation companies don’t all offer the same brands of equipment. Some companies stick to just one or two brands, while others have many to choose from. A wider array of equipment brands typically leads companies to score higher in our rankings because they allow more customers to balance specific energy needs, durability and budget.

In Oregon and much of the Pacific Northwest, we strongly recommend choosing a company that carries high-efficiency panels, like Maxeon from SunPower, Panasonic and Tesla. These companies all provide panels with above-average efficiency ratings that are more likely to produce sufficient energy in the low-sun conditions in OR.

Efficiency Warranties

Given that OR residents see less than 75% of the sunny days that the rest of the country does each year, the efficiency of the panels you install is a critical consideration.

While high efficiency ratings for panels are important, we also recommend considering the efficiency warranty included with your PV equipment. This tells you how much of that efficiency your panels are guaranteed to retain over the first 15 to 30 years of your panel ownership.

Size of the Company

The size of the solar provider you choose to work with can have a substantial impact on your experience.

Larger national companies often have lower pricing and better availability because they buy equipment in bulk and have greater resources for scheduling and installing. However, they usually come with less appealing customer service and might not have the same knowledge of local solar perks.

Smaller local companies typically have superior customer service and maintain better communication throughout the process, but they almost always come at a higher price and have less availability. Smaller companies are better for some homeowners looking for more guidance when applying for the federal tax credit (ITC) or local rebates, and they tend to have better customization options for your solar project.

Some can also expedite net metering or grid connection because they have closer relationships with local utility providers like PGE.

Year Founded

As solar power gains popularity in Oregon, more and more fly-by-night companies are popping up throughout the state to capitalize on demand. Unfortunately, these companies are often driven by nothing more than the profit motive, and their longevity in the industry is likely to be severely limited.

This is an issue for two reasons. First, it typically means poor customer service, especially after installation. Second, it means your warranties will be voided if the company goes out of business.

We recommend choosing companies that have more than five years in the industry, and especially those that have decades of experience and a proven history.

Industry Affiliations

Some PV companies are heavily invested in providing clean energy for a healthier environment or have philanthropic mission statements that suggest they don’t only care about profit. A good way to determine if a company aligns with these worthwhile values is to look at affiliations with solar organizations and associations.

Companies that are affiliated with organizations like the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA) and the Oregon Solar and Storage Industries Association (OSSIA) usually rank higher in our ratings for these reasons.

Methodology: How We Ranked Solar Companies In Oregon In 2023

With around 55 local installers that serve Oregon and even more national and regional companies, we spent a lot of time and energy finding the best companies to recommend to you. Below is a list of the things we prioritized that we believe are most important to Oregon residents. We’ll explain why we chose each of these factors below as well.

• Solar Equipment Brands (20%)

• Add-On Equipment Offered (20%)

• Solar Warranty Coverage (15%)

• Solar Financing Options (15%)

• Qualifications and Certifications (10%)

• Commitment to Environmental Friendliness (10%)

• Availability (10%)

Solar Equipment Brands

One of the first things we look at when assessing Oregon solar companies is the range and quality of the solar equipment brands offered. Oregon residents see just 143 sunny days per year, which is well below the national average and one of the lowest numbers in the country.

Minimal sunlight demands high-efficiency equipment to ensure your panels offset your energy bills and save you money. For that reason, we give a strong preference to companies that offer high-efficiency panel brands. These include Maxeon, Panasonic, LG, REC, Tesla, Q Cells and more. These will help make the most of your solar installation in a place like OR.

Add-On Equipment Offered

Oregon residents experience more power outages than most states. Although solar batteries add to your system cost, they can provide power through blackouts, often for up to several days.

Not only are solar batteries convenient in a place like Oregon, but they’re also incentivized by the state. Residents can take the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate to help bring down the cost of solar batteries and maximize the benefits they see from this equipment.

Since batteries are a great option in Oregon, we rank companies that offer them a bit higher than panel-only installers.

Solar Warranty Coverage

Most solar installers will offer warranties for physical damage to equipment, efficiency or their labor, and the best companies offer some combination of the three. In Oregon, we believe efficiency ratings are the most useful because they help guarantee that your panels will supply sufficient energy, even given the low-sunlight conditions in the area.

We prioritize companies that have solid efficiency warranties, but we also love to see labor warranties. Given how much rainfall OR sees each year — well above the national average — having a company guarantee that its installation process will be done professionally and correctly provides much-needed peace of mind when converting to solar energy.

Solar Financing Options

The average cost for a solar panel system in Oregon is around $24,700, which is prohibitively expensive for most residents to pay upfront.

Since solar loans often drop initial payments to $0 but still lead to panel ownership and massive energy savings, we give preference to companies that have affordable financing solutions and accessible down payment requirements.

We also rank companies that offer leases and PPAs a touch higher. We don’t generally recommend these options, but they do help keep renewable energy accessible.

Qualifications, Certifications and Experience

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are over 50 installers that service OR. With so many options, it’s helpful to narrow down your search by prioritizing companies that have industry affiliations, certifications and years of experience. These installers will be more likely to provide great service, high-quality equipment and a professional installation.

We rank companies higher that are certified by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), B-Corp, and local pro-solar organizations, like the Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association (OSSIA).

Commitment to Environmental Friendliness

As a website dedicated to promoting environmental friendliness, we, of course, prefer to recommend companies that are committed to eco-friendliness and promoting clean energy. Of course, many solar companies at least partially fit into this category, but we look for installers that go above and beyond to make the planet a better, cleaner place to live.

Some things we look for, in particular, include providing access to other energy efficiency home improvements and affiliations with eco-friendly companies and organizations in the area.

Availability

Finally, we look for installers that have wide availability throughout Oregon. Many installers focus on the cities located around the Puget Sound, as these are some of the most populated areas. Companies that service the entire state will naturally appeal to more homeowners, so we rank them a bit higher.

Solar Veteran

4.5/5

Many years of experienceOffers products from leading manufacturersExcellent reputation

Get Free Quote

Best National Provider

5/5

National coverageGreat warranty coverageMost efficient panels on the market

Get Free Quote

Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

Competitive pricingExcellent reputationIndustry-leading in-house financing

Get Free Quote

Read More About Going Solar in Oregon

• Is Solar Worth It in Oregon?
• Oregon Solar Incentives Guide
• Find Cost Savings on Solar Panels in Oregon
• What to Know Before Buying Solar Panels in Oregon