5 Best Solar Panels for Homes (2023 Costs, Reviews & More)
By Karsten Neumeister /
In this review of solar panel provider Tron Solar, you will learn:
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.
Tron Solar launched in 2018 with just six people working in the founder’s basement, but has transformed into a 50+ employee company in a surprisingly short time. Today, nearly every Tron Solar review you can find highly recommends the company, making it one of the best solar companies in Illinois. In this article, we’ll go over the most important aspects of Tron Solar — its costs, services, customer ratings and major pros and cons.
Yes, Tron Solar is a reputable and highly successful solar installer. In just a few years, Tron Solar has installed over 800 solar energy systems across 11 states, though primarily in its home state of Illinois. Tron’s swift growth and dozens of excellent reviews suggest that it is certainly a good solar company.
Tron Solar was started in 2018 by founder Lester Gray in Illinois. It grew rapidly to become a full-fledged solar installer. Today, the company has completed thousands of kilowatts of solar panel installations and also has a partnership with national leader Sunrun. Besides Sunrun, Tron Solar uses equipment from reputed manufacturers such as Enphase, Talesun and Solaredge.
The company’s vision is big and goes beyond just renewable energy, with plans for offering smart home tech, security systems, electric vehicle accessories and more.
Tron Solar Fast Facts | |
Year Started | 2018 |
Service Areas | 11 States: Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. |
Services Offered | Solar panel installations; roofing services; maintenance and repairs |
Types of Solar Equipment Offered | Sunrun, Enphase, SolarEdge, Talesun |
Certifications | Sales team certified by National Customer Service Association (NCSA); certified Sunrun partner; Enphase Gold installer; American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) memberships |
Better Business Bureau Rating | A+ |
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
Cons
Tron offers both residential and commercial solar installations. The company also offers roofing restoration and maintenance services through its sister company Tron Restoration. For homeowners going solar, the process is relatively straightforward. Here’s how it works.
Here’s an overview of a typical installation experience when you go solar with Tron.
Once you’ve gotten in touch with Tron Solar through its online contact form, a solar energy consultant will get in touch to set up a free 30- to 60-minute meeting. They’ll get you up to speed on issues like whether solar is feasible for your home, what size system would fit your solar needs and approximate pricing, and will answer any questions you have from how solar panels work to how much you may save on your electric bill.
If you’re happy with the information and decide to go ahead, a team will conduct a site survey of your property and create a final design. Tron Solar provides custom designs based on customer preferences — for instance, putting the system on the back of the roof instead of the front to maintain aesthetics.
If you approve the company’s proposal, you’ll move into permitting. Local governments typically require solar installation projects to be permitted and approved in advance. At this stage, you’ll also generally apply for any available solar incentives in your state. The company assists you through this process.
Finally, Tron Solar’s technicians and electricians will install the system on your property. You generally will need to be home during this process to provide access to your home’s wiring. Once complete, you can get approval from your local electrical utility company to begin producing solar energy. You can also monitor the performance of your system through live apps that the operations team sets up for you.
Tron Solar’s many high customer ratings provide evidence that the company sincerely focuses on a positive customer experience. You can get answers to all of your questions before and during your installation, and multiple homeowners describe a good follow-up experience with the customer service team.
The cost of installing a solar power system with Tron Solar is roughly in line with the average cost of solar panels in Illinois. The typical system cost with Tron is around $20,000, though your actual price can vary based on the size and complexity of your system. Most customers state they’re happy with the Tron’s quoted costs.
Although cash purchase is the best option when going solar, most customers prefer not to pay all the cost up-front. Tron offers three different purchase models. As a homeowner, you can either pay for the system in cash up-front, or take out a solar loan to pay over time. Commercial customers may also have access to a solar lease program.
Cash Purchase | Solar Loan | Solar Lease (commercial customers only) | |
System Ownership | ✓ | ✓ | |
Maintenance Included | ✓ | ||
Upfront Cost | ✓ | ✓ | |
Added Property Value | ✓ | ✓ | |
Eligible for Tax Credit | ✓ | ✓ | |
Payment Due to | Solar Installer | Loan Provider | Solar Installer |
Deciding on how to buy solar panels can feel like a daunting task, especially when you consider the variety of purchasing models available. Check out our solar financing guide to choose an option with confidence.
A major advantage of choosing Tron Solar is its exceptional roster of warranties, particularly the company’s unusual but excellent roof warranty. Here’s a brief overview:
Tron Solar prides itself on its striking number of five-star reviews, but that doesn’t mean there is never a negative customer experience. Here are some positive and negative reviews for the installer.
Tron’s positive reviews mention the company’s honesty, speed and customer service. Take a look at a couple of examples:
“[Tron] has the kind of people you want in and on your house and working on your system. Fast, polite, professional, clean. No conduit running all over your roof. I even worked with them to have all my panels installed on the back side of my home so that you could not even see them from the street. The system is working well so far after two months. Highly recommended.”
– Michael Z via Yelp
“I was happy with the entire experience. Gary let me know step by step what to expect. The installation was done in one day and the team was great. Jason, Joe, Isaiah, and Marcos. Really appreciate the follow up after everything was finished to see if I had any other questions.”
– Erika Q via Google
A small number of customers did not have their expectations met by Tron Solar. Here are a few examples:
“I signed a contract back on July 16 for a solar system. I was told it would take about two months to get installed. It’s now almost [the] middle of December. After many calls, text messages and emails I keep getting the runaround. Since the first week of December I keep getting told ‘tomorrow someone will be there,’ ‘tomorrow we’ll get started,’ ‘no one has been out yet to your site?’ “We have you on the schedule but I don’t know what [will] happen,’ ‘I will get back to you’ and then no one calls back.”
– David N. via Google
“The time it took to install the [solar] system was seven months. Failed city inspections, connectivity issues, etc. As of 4-12-22, they still have not addressed electrical issues that I was not experiencing before they installed the new breaker box. One of the technicians informed us that the wrong gauge wire was present and needed to be replaced. If they were aware of this, they should have informed me earlier on in the process before they replaced the breaker box.”
– Philip D. via BBB
Tron Solar is a great company in many ways, but there may be aspects of it that don’t suit your needs, so exploring other companies makes sense. Here’s a table comparing Tron with two other companies you may want to know about.
Tron Solar | GRNE Solar | Windfree Solar | |
EcoWatch Rating | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Year Started | 2018 | 2012 | 2009 |
Services Offered | Solar panel installations; roofing services; maintenance and repairs | Solar panel, Battery and EV charger installations; maintenance and repairs; system monitoring | Solar panel, wind turbine and battery installations |
Service Areas | CO, TX, MN, IA, AR, WI, IL, IN, NC, SC, FL | IL, IN, IA, NE | IL |
BBB Rating | A+ | A+ | A+ |
Payment Options | Cash, loan, lease (commercial only) | Cash, loan, power purchase agreement (PPA) | Cash, loan |
Let’s go over some questions most people ask about Tron Solar. If you have specific questions that aren’t answered here, reach out to our team of solar experts at solar@ecowatch.com.
Tron Solar is certainly a legit company — it is a registered business with the necessary licenses to operate as a solar installer. There have been no reported issues regarding Tron’s legitimacy.
Any solar developer is a good deal for homeowners if it provides reliable, hassle-free service with a reasonable price tag. Tron Solar has so far ticked all the right boxes for most of its customers, making it a good deal for homeowners.
Tron uses high-quality equipment installed by trained technicians, so there is little chance of systems not performing as promised. Tron’s customers have witnessed a significant drop in electricity costs after going solar. That being said, how much money you save depends primarily on electricity prices in your location.
Tron Solar’s pricing can be described as middle-of-the-road. For a company that consistently has fully satisfied customers, the pricing can be described as fair. When you add in available incentives and tax credits, the price goes down even further.
Tron Solar operates mainly in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and is also growing in eight other states. Its main office is at 950 Corporate Woods Pkwy, Vernon Hills, IL 60061.