Best Solar Companies in South Carolina (2022 Rankings & Reviews)

You can find plenty of reviews for solar companies in South Carolina online, but unfortunately, most don’t consider some of the most crucial local factors. For example, rooftop solar installers with long-lasting equipment warranties are more valuable in SC because of the extreme weather that puts panels at increased risk of damage.

Due to South Carolina’s 25% residential tax credit, the state has a very competitive solar market, so there are many excellent companies to choose from. The EcoWatch team very carefully assesses each one to determine those best suited to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.

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What Are the Top 6 Solar Companies in South Carolina?

The table below provides a quick, at-a-glance view of the top five solar panel installation companies in South Carolina.

As you’re looking through our ratings, you might be surprised not to see some of the more popular companies, like Vivint Solar, SunPro Solar and SunRun. Vivint and several other companies have been purposefully excluded for one of several reasons, including ongoing lawsuits with solar customers, below-average customer service in South Carolina, specifically, or other issues that could lead to poor customer care or problems down the road.

Want to find the ideal solar installer for your needs and get a free, no-obligation quote? Because EcoWatch maintains so much brand authority in the world of solar, we’re often able to get our readers the best deals and lowest prices for going solar.

1. Summit Solar

Summit Solar is a local South Carolina company that has quickly established a nationwide presence. It still maintains outstanding customer service, especially in the state where the company was founded. In fact, it scores very high in just about all of our criteria for choosing solar companies.

Summit Solar provides an abundance of solar services, including the usual offerings like solar panel and solar battery installation, as well as less common options like rodent barriers and efficiency monitoring. The breadth of service proves that it really knows the ins and outs of the industry and isn’t after cramming as many panels as possible on customers’ roofs.

The warranty coverage is excellent, especially for roof penetration, which is crucial in a rainy state like South Carolina. It carries many of the most efficient solar panel brands and the most popular products, like the Tesla Powerwall.

To top it all off, Summit Solar accepts most financing options, including cash purchases, solar loans, and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Combined with state tax credits and other incentives, it’s one of the most accessible companies for SC solar.

Pros for Summit Solar

Summit Solar is a local-company-gone-national that still maintains excellent customer service. It provides many services and equipment options, has promising warranties and makes solar accessible with numerous financing options.

• Outstanding customer service
• Impressive selection spanning home efficiency, roofing shingle installation and repairs, energy storage and EV charging
• Offers some of the best solar panels, including SunPower and LG
• This is a large company with an HQ in South Carolina, great for locals!
• Many financing options

Cons for Summit Solar

There are very few negative things to say about this company. If we had to choose some, they would be the somewhat limited time in the industry and the relatively high cost of the products and services.

• Products can be expensive
• Only six years of experience

Facts and Figures: Summit Solar

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2. SunPower

SunPower is a large national company based in California that has been in the solar industry since 1985. For decades it has manufactured some of the highest-quality solar panels with the best energy efficiency on the market. Now, SunPower handles all the installations and installs panels from its sister company, Maxeon.

SunPower provides a comprehensive 25-year warranty that covers production and damage to the panels. This provides peace of mind to homeowners in an area like South Carolina, where extreme weather — including hurricanes and tropical storms — is common.

SunPower’s panels are the most efficient options on the market, but they’re also quite expensive.

Click here for our full SunPower review.

Pros for SunPower

SunPower produces some of the most efficient solar technology available. The panels and equipment are covered by a robust warranty, and the company accepts numerous financing options to make going solar more accessible.

• Most efficient solar panels on the market
• All aspects of the solar energy system are covered under one all-inclusive warranty
• Great selection of technology and financing options

Cons for SunPower

SunPower currently outsources all installations to third-party solar panel installation companies, which leads to below-average customer service in some cases. Its products are also some of the most expensive on the market.

• Expensive (though high-efficiency panels make up for upfront costs with more backend production)
• Quality of installation and service will depend on the local certified installer (though the selection is rigorous)

Facts and Figures: SunPower

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3. Blue Raven Solar

Blue Raven Solar is a massive national solar company that services most of the country, including all of South Carolina. It’s one of the very few national companies that still manages to provide outstanding customer service.

Blue Raven Solar also makes converting to clean energy more accessible than most companies, so it might be right for you if you’re on a budget. It only accepts cash purchases and solar loans, but it offers some of the best financing options via its BluePower+ program. Most homeowners can get a no-money-down loan with no payments for 18 months. The upfront cost is similar to leases, but you still get all the benefits of panel ownership — like the federal tax credit, property value increase and other solar incentives and rebates.

Where Blue Raven Solar excels in financing options, it falls short in the services provided. It only handles solar panel installation, so it won’t suit you if you’re looking to add solar batteries, electric vehicle chargers or other add-on equipment to your home solar project.

Click here for our full Blue Raven Solar review.

Pros for Blue Raven Solar

Blue Raven Solar maintains an excellent history of customer satisfaction despite its size. It has incredible in-house financing options, and it provides numerous high-quality solar equipment brands.

• Innovative financing model allowing flexible, $0-down financing. No payments required for the first 18 months allows customers to pay off around a third of their solar panel system on average by the time payments start
• Sleek, efficient tier-1 panels make for elegant designs with excellent performance
• Reportedly excellent customer service

Cons for Blue Raven Solar

Blue Raven Solar only manages solar panel installation, although it does plan on adding solar batteries to its lineup in 2022. It also has limited local experience in South Carolina, which could lead to longer installation and connection timelines for net metering via your inverter.

• Limited solar services. As of now, it only offers solar panels, though it says that energy storage will be an option for homeowners that want it
• Young company relatively new to South Carolina, lack of experience may lead to longer wait times for permitting and net metering

Facts and Figures: Blue Raven Solar

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4. POWERHOME SOLAR

For South Carolina residents looking for the best coverage in case of damage during extreme weather, POWERHOME SOLAR will likely provide the best peace of mind. It guarantees power production for up to 30 years, which is longer than most competitors. You’ll also get 25-year equipment coverage to provide protection from physical damage.

POWERHOME SOLAR provides the standard solar services, like solar panel installation and solar battery setups. It also completes energy efficiency assessments to lower your energy needs, thereby making solar cost less for you. This company gets the big picture and very clearly isn’t there just to make a profit.

There have been some complaints from customers about backup systems not functioning, although generally speaking, the reviews are mostly positive.

Pros for POWERHOME SOLAR

POWERHOME SOLAR is one of the best solar companies in terms of warranty coverage provided, with an incredible 30-year guarantee on performance. Most reviews for the company on customer service are positive, and the array of solar services is very broad.

• Up to a 30-year power performance guarantee
• Consumer reviews are overall positive
• SMARTPWR360° energy efficiency package provides simple but effective tools to reduce your electric bill, such as a Nest thermostat, LED light bulbs, smart power strips and water-heater blanket

Cons for POWERHOME SOLAR

As mentioned above, some customers have had issues with batteries installed by this company malfunctioning. Additionally, there have been some instances of below-average communication, in part because of the company’s primary location being outside of South Carolina.

• Some issues with battery malfunctions
• Some cases of spotty customer service

Facts and Figures: POWERHOME SOLAR

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5. Palmetto Solar

Palmetto Solar makes our list of the top five solar installers in South Carolina primarily because of its impact on the solar industry and solar customers. It leads the charge in installing clean energy tech across the United States to reduce our carbon footprint and improve sustainability. Palmetto Solar has B Corp certification, partners with many charities and has an incredible company outreach program to make renewable energy more accessible.

This company is headquartered in South Carolina, and while it now has a national reach, it maintains great customer service in SC, including major cities like Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach and more. It provides a good range of solar services, including panel and battery installation, repairs and maintenance, and while it only carries a few solar equipment brands, the list includes some of the more popular options.

Palmetto Solar offers a 25-year warranty on the equipment, although that doesn’t cover roof leaks or power production.

Pros for Palmetto Solar

Palmetto Solar is based in SC and has excellent customer service throughout the state. It has a large number of services available, and the company is B Corp certified and keeps reducing our carbon footprint at the core of all it does.

• South Carolinians enjoy Palmetto Solar’s in-state HQ location
• Offers comprehensive services including customizable solar solutions, backup batteries, roofing, pest abatement and more
• Certified B Corp guided by ESG principles

Cons for Palmetto Solar

Palmetto Solar only accepts cash purchases and solar loans, so financing options are limited. It also doesn’t cover roof leaks or power production in its warranties.

• Solar financing options are limited
• Warranty for equipment only

Facts and Figures: Palmetto Solar

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6. ADT Solar

ADT Solar is a well-known solar installer offering its service across twenty-one states. The company was founded in 2008 and quickly became an industry-leading provider in the U.S. ADT Solar prides itself on delivering on the entire process, start to finish, with no subcontractors.

Formerly Sunpro Solar, ADT Solar now combines its solar services with the #1 smart home security provider. This means that its customers enjoy security on a number of levels, including their energy source.

ADT Solar provides its customers with a handful of key benefits, including a wide selection solar panel brands (and energy efficiency ranges), competitive pricing, excellent warranty coverage (25-year on labor, production and defects) and a free solar quote to get started.

Click here for ADT’s full review.

Pros for ADT Solar

• Wide range of solar technology and brands
• Excellent warranty coverage
• Offers home solar with ADT’s home security services

Cons for ADT Solar

• Customer service will depend on your local ADT branch
• No leases or PPAs

Summary Facts and Figures: ADT Solar

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EcoWatch Criteria for Selecting the Top Solar Company in South Carolina

At EcoWatch, we go above and beyond to find the solar contractors that are most likely to provide outstanding service. To find the companies that stand out from the others, we assessed all of the solar installers in South Carolina based on the most crucial factors below. There are other factors considered as well, which you can read about on our methodology page.

Warranty

Warranties are one of the most crucial things to consider when going solar. Companies typically offer coverage for the installation process, power production or equipment, and the best provide all three.

For solar installers in South Carolina, we usually rank companies higher if they include robust physical coverage — to provide peace of mind through South Carolina’s extreme weather — as well as warranties for roof leaks, which are especially important given the high rainfall totals throughout the state. For example, Summit Solar’s coverage for roof penetration makes it one of the top solar installation companies in the state, in our opinion.

Year Founded

Solar is increasingly popular in South Carolina, which is terrific news. Unfortunately, there are many “fly by night” companies popping up to take advantage of the rise in demand.

We carefully consider the year a company is founded to rule out those that are just in the industry for profit. These installers tend to provide sub-par service and can even void your warranty if they don’t persist in the competitive industry.

Services Offered

Some companies — like Blue Raven Solar — only handle solar panel installations, which means they’re not right for you if you want additional services, like solar battery or EV charging station installation. Companies that provide a wide range of services will naturally appeal to more homeowners throughout South Carolina, so we tend to rank them higher.

Brands of Solar Equipment Offered

We always consider the brands of solar equipment provided by companies when creating our rankings. Some companies — like SunPower — carry just one equipment brand. Companies that include a more extensive selection of equipment can appeal to those looking for the most affordable solar equipment, the panels with the highest energy efficiency and something that balances power production with total cost.

Companies that offer multiple brands — especially if they include more popular equipment like Tesla Powerwalls — typically score higher.

Industry Affiliations

As a proponent of positive environmental impact and reduction of our carbon footprint, the EcoWatch team holds companies in high regard that have industry affiliations. Companies linked with associations like the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) or the South Carolina Solar Council (SCSC) prove that they care about more than profit and score higher because they’re pushing for positive change both socially and ecologically.

Size of Company

The size of the company you choose to install your panels can make a surprisingly significant difference in your experience and costs. Smaller local companies typically have higher prices, but they provide better customer service and more equipment options to customize your home solar project. They also tend to have better relationships with local utility companies, so they can sometimes expedite your connection to the grid for net metering.

On the other hand, larger companies often have lower prices and more flexibility for consultations and installation timelines. The size of the company you select should reflect which is more important to you.

Solar Pricing and Financing

Finally, we look at the overall price of a company, the value of its products and services as compared to the cost, and the financing options available to determine how accessible it will be to homeowners across South Carolina.

Of course, a lower cost of solar panels is great for South Carolina residents, but only if the equipment, warranty, and customer service provided are also decent. Companies that have good value for the cost and accept multiple purchase or lease options typically score higher.

EcoWatch Preferred Partners

Here is a list of preferred partners in this area.

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See also: Find out how much solar power your roof can produce with our solar calculator

Read More About Going Solar

• How Much Can You Save With Solar Incentives in South Carolina?
• How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in South Carolina?
• Is Solar Worth It in South Carolina?