4 Best Solar Companies in New Mexico

In This Guide: Top Solar Companies | Solar Incentives in New Mexico | Conclusion | FAQs | Methodology

New Mexico is a solar energy powerhouse. Thanks to the Solar Rights Act of 1977, solar energy is a property right in the state. There’s also no shortage of sunshine, whether you live in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, or somewhere in between.

The This Old House Reviews team has researched the best solar panel installers in the United States, analyzing services, pricing, warranties, and more. This guide breaks down the best solar companies in New Mexico.

New Mexico’s Top Solar Energy Companies

These are our top picks for the best solar installers in New Mexico.

• Sunrun: Best Financing Options
• Palmetto Solar: Best Customer Service
• ADT Solar: Best Protection
• Green Home Systems: Best Solar Roofing Options

Sunrun

Score: 95 out of 100

Sunrun is a great choice for New Mexico residents looking for payment flexibility. It offers four financing options with full-service protection. 

Pros and Cons

✔ Includes theft and damage coverage

✔ Offers online chat for customer service

✔ Provides daily monitoring to ensure system health and functionality

✘ Has limited details about products and plans online

✘ Varies solar panel and battery availability by region

Sunrun Details

Sunrun offers four unique financing options: a full-system purchase, full-amount lease, monthly lease, and a monthly loan. Lease customers receive full coverage for damage, theft, and deterioration. Purchase and loan customers can add this coverage through the Protection Plus subscription service. Sunrun will fix your solar panel system for free if it experiences energy efficiency decreases.

Learn more: Sunrun review

Palmetto Solar

Score: 98 out of 100

Palmetto Solar provides multiple modes of customer support, including phone, email, and online chat. The company also offers a Palmetto Protect plan with system monitoring and solar discounts for customers and non-customers alike.

Pros and Cons

✔ Offers monitoring, protection, and maintenance to customers and non-customers

✔ Provides an online savings calculator

✔ Protects solar panels with a 25-year output warranty

✘ Doesn’t offer monitoring with standard service

✘ Isn’t available nationwide

Palmetto Solar Details

Palmetto stands out for its customer service. Representatives are available via phone, email, or online chat and will support homeowners through each step of the solar installation process.

Palmetto also offers a user-friendly online savings calculator that uses your address and monthly electric bill to project your solar savings.

The company provides a standard 25-year power production warranty to all of its customers. It offers an optional protection plan to Palmetto customers and other solar panel owners. The plan costs $12 per month and awards nearly $2,000 annually in discounted services such as panel cleaning, pest reduction, and panel removal and reinstallation. The Palmetto Protect plan also covers labor costs incurred from these services.

Be aware that Palmetto’s availability for solar panel installation in New Mexico depends on your utility company. The company works with the following utility providers for installations:

• El Paso Electric
• The Public Service Company of New Mexico
• Xcel Energy

Learn more: Palmetto Solar review

ADT Solar

Score: 78 out of 100

ADT Solar (formerly Sunpro Solar) is one of the best companies for system protection in the solar industry. The company offers a 25-year power production guarantee and an extended warranty for labor, panels, and inverters.

Pros and Cons

✔ Guarantees power production for 25 years

✔ Offers 24/7 system monitoring

✔ Provides flexible financing options

✘ Doesn’t provide comprehensive pricing information online

✘ Limited service from state to state

ADT Solar Details

ADT Solar is one of the more reputable solar panel installers. The company offers reliable installations, comprehensive customer service plans, and a wide range of financing options. ADT also offers great protection to ensure your investment is safe.

ADT’s power production guarantee promises your system will produce a projected amount of energy over 25 years. ADT will pay you $.10 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) if your system doesn’t meet that goal. The power production guarantee begins three years after your system is activated.

The company’s mobile app, Enphase MyEnlighten, allows customers to monitor their system’s energy production from anywhere in the world.

Learn more: ADT Solar review

Green Home Systems

Score: 78 out of 100

Green Home Systems is a great choice for customers wanting to maintain their home’s aesthetic while reaping the benefits of solar energy. GHS offers an innovative and attractive solar roofing system, helping to avoid the clunky look of traditional solar panels.

Pros and Cons

✔ Has high-rated customer reviews

✔ Offers solar energy storage and backup generators

✔ Provides an interactive project map for their services

✘ Products offered can be expensive

✘ Reviews mention long wait times for installations

Green Home Systems Details

Green Home Systems (GHS) offers a wide range of high-efficiency and high-quality solar panels. The company also provides a unique solar roofing system made of solar shingles that function as both your roof and small monocrystalline panels. These roofs protect your home from the weather while generating clean energy. They’re less noticeable than traditional solar panels and ideal for customers concerned with preserving their home’s look.

GHS provides a variety of solar batteries and backup generators. It has two financing options: full purchase and solar loan. GHS offers $0 down financing for qualifying loan customers.

Solar Incentives in New Mexico

There are many statewide and federal incentives that reduce solar panel installation costs. Here are the current rebates and solar incentive programs for New Mexico residents.

• Federal Solar Tax Credit: The federal solar tax credit, or Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), provides a reduction on federal taxes equal to 30% of solar system installation costs. The ITC will drop to 26% in 2033 and lower to 22% in 2034. It’s set to expire in 2035.
• Net-metering: Net-metering allows you to collect credit on your energy bill for unused energy produced by your solar power system. Unused credits carry over month-to-month and are paid to you at the utility company’s energy rate if unused.
• New Mexico Solar Easements and Rights Access: New Mexico’s Solar Rights Act established the right to use solar energy as a property right in 1977. This prevents neighboring property owners from building, planting, or installing anything that would block or restrict your access to sunlight. Though this isn’t a cashable incentive, it ensures your solar investment is protected and will continue to add property value to your home.
• Property Tax Exemption for Residential Solar Systems: Most home improvements are taxable in New Mexico, but solar energy systems are an exception. This means you can add value to your home without increasing your property taxes.

Our Conclusion

The best solar installation company depends on your budget, home, and energy needs. Sunrun is our top pick due to its flexible payment options, comprehensive protection, and excellent customer service. We recommend requesting a free quote from at least three companies on our list to compare pricing and services accurately.

FAQs About Solar Companies in NM

Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews Team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparent reviews and data to back up our ratings and recommendations. Our rating system for solar service providers is on a 100-point scale based on five factors:

• Payment options (40 points): Options include purchase, loan, lease, and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Companies receive points for each of the four options it provides.
• Solar services (30 points): Does the company provide in-house installation of solar panels and battery backups? Can the company also monitor energy production and perform energy-efficiency audits to ensure system performance? The more options available, the higher the score. 
• Warranty options (10 points): The success of a residential solar system depends on the workmanship, performance guarantees, and length of product coverage. We score companies based on the number of warranty options available. The more warranties a company offers, the higher the score it receives. 
• State Availability (10 points): We award the most points to companies with the broadest service area and state availability.
• Reputation (10 points): We factor in how the Business Better Bureau (BBB) scores each company. We deduct points for any alerts or pending lawsuits.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.