5 Best Solar Companies in Arizona

In This Article: Top Solar Energy Companies | Palmetto Solar | Vivint Solar | Sunrun | Blue Raven Solar | Trinity Solar | Our Conclusion | FAQs

Few places in the United States receive more annual sunlight than Arizona, with blue skies from Phoenix to Tucson. Not surprisingly, the state also has one of the highest solar power rates nationwide. The state also has a solid solar incentive program, offering a 25% tax credit for purchased home solar systems in addition to the 30% federal solar tax credit.

If you call the Grand Canyon State home and want to take advantage of the solar energy perks, our review of the top solar companies in Arizona will help you compare pricing, services, and products. The This Old House Reviews Team picked the providers below from among the top-rated solar companies in the country, including only those that service Arizona. 

Arizona’s Top Solar Energy Companies:

• Palmetto Solar: Best Customer Service
• Sunrun: Best Financing Options
• Blue Raven Solar: Best Benefits
• Trinity Solar: Most Experienced
• Elevation: Best for Whole-Home Integration

Palmetto Solar

Score: 98 out of 100

Palmetto Solar is a Florida-based company that provides design and installation of home solar systems. Each system is equipped with high-performance black rooftop panels, a power grid connection, and a standard inverter, which converts direct current (DC) power to alternating current (AC) electricity. AC electricity is the type of power used by home appliances and major systems. 

Pros and Cons

✔ Protects solar panels with a 25-year output warranty

✔ Offers the Palmetto Protect Plan, which includes additional monitoring services and discounts on maintenance services

✔ Provides 24/7 online chat support 

✘ Charges an additional fee for monitoring

✘ Doesn’t include prices on its website

Get your Solar quote today.

Palmetto Solar Details

Palmetto Solar tops our list of top solar companies in Arizona due to its focus on customer service. In addition to full-service installation and post-installation services, the company provides tools like an online calculator to estimate savings on electricity bills. Customer support is available via phone and email and on its website. 

Palmetto’s standout offering is its Palmetto Protect Plan. Offered in addition to its standard 25-year warranty for an additional $12 per month ($144 annually), the Palmetto Protect Plan covers labor for repairs or replacements. The plan also includes guaranteed service timelines and discounts on solar panel cleaning, panel removal and reinstallation, and pest abatement.

Like most solar companies, Palmetto Solar does not provide online estimates since pricing depends on each home’s layout and exposure to sunlight. However, Palmetto will provide you with a personalized solar panel installation quote following an in-person or virtual consultation to review your home. 

Palmetto Solar customers can purchase solar panels outright or through a loan, which allows you to own your system with no money down* through monthly payments. The company also offers leases and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). While leases and PPAs both constitute third-party ownership, lease payments are set at the same monthly rate. PPA payments, by contrast, vary each month depending on your energy usage, similar to an electricity bill.

*Subject to credit approval

Learn More: Palmetto Solar Review

Sunrun

Score: 95 out of 100

Capturing more than 14% of the residential solar system market, Sunrun is currently the largest solar provider in the United States. Sunrun primarily carries LG products but can accommodate customer requests for products from major competitor brands such as Tesla. 

Pros and Cons

✔ Protects Brightsave products with coverage for theft or damage

​​✔ Partners with LG to provide customers with a solar battery option

✔ ​​Offers online chat support

✘  Doesn’t offer a power warranty to customers who lease or purchase their panels 

✘  Numerous online customer reviews cite aggressive sales tactics

Get your quote from Sunrun today.

Sunrun Details

Sunrun is our pick for financing options since it was one of the first solar companies to offer a leasing program that made solar power more accessible to homeowners. In addition to a monthly payment lease option similar to other solar panel companies, the company has a 25-year prepaid lease. The prepaid lease comes with free monitoring and maintenance over the life of the contract. 

Customers also can purchase their solar panels with cash or through in-house financing at no money down for those who qualify. 

Sunrun has an optional “bumper-to-bumper” system warranty that covers 100% of equipment replacement and system repair costs for ten years. The warranty also includes proactive monitoring and a comprehensive insurance policy on your panels.

While you can get an instant online quote through Sunrun, keep in mind that these are general estimates. Sunrun cannot give you an accurate cost until completing an in-person or virtual home consultation. 

Learn More: Sunrun Review

Blue Raven Solar

Score: 83 out of 100

Founded in 2014, Blue Raven Solar sells and installs residential monocrystalline Tier 1 solar panels that blend seamlessly with your existing rooftop. Blue Raven typically installs Trina and Canadian Solar panels, both of which are relatively affordable compared to competitors. Although it is one of the newer companies on our list, Blue Raven is known for its quick turnaround time on installations. According to the company’s website, Blue Raven can usually install a solar panel system in less than one day. 

Pros and Cons

✔ ​​Provides free solar energy for 18 months with a BluePower Plus+ plan

​​✔ Includes a two-year power production guarantee with every installation

✔ Gives customers $250 for every referral that receives solar from Blue Raven

✘ Doesn’t offer solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) options

✘ Is a relatively new company compared to other providers in this review

Get your quote from Blue Raven today.

Blue Raven Solar Details

The company stands out for its BluePower Plus+ purchasing plan, which includes 18 months of free solar power, thus speeding up the return on investment. In addition to 18 months of deferred payments, BluePower Plus+ includes free upfront design work, permitting, and installation. 

Through its SmartStart financing, Blue Raven extends the usual 18-month period of promotional loan over five years and sends monthly reimbursement checks to offset the difference, so customers pay out the same amount for 42 months.

Blue Raven Solar products come with a 25-year manufacturer warranty, a 10-year workmanship warranty, and a two-year power production guarantee. Power production guarantees ensure a system will continue to generate close to 100% of its energy capabilities for the length of the guarantee period. 

The company can generate a basic online quote using your Arizona address, average monthly electricity costs, and credit score. However, you will only receive a detailed estimate following a home inspection. 

Learn More: Blue Raven Solar Review

Trinity Solar

Score: 83 out of 100

Founded in 1994, Trinity Solar is one of the industry’s longest-running solar contractors with the most years of experience. Trinity is the largest privately-held residential solar company in the nation and, to date, has completed more than 65,000 solar system installations in nine states.

Pros and Cons

✔ Gives customers $250 for every referral that receives solar from Trinity

​​✔ Includes a two-year power production guarantee with every installation

✔ ​​Has been in business for more than 25 years

✘ Does not include pricing information on its website

✘ Does not offer solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) options

Get your quote from Trinity today.

Trinity Solar Details

Trinity Solar offers one of the largest selections of panels in the solar industry, which provides a wider range of design choices and pricing plans. Customized solar systems that come with battery backup include your choice of the appliances and systems you want to energize during a power outage. Trinity promotes its battery as quiet and low-maintenance.

The company has a mobile app that allows customers to track energy use by month, day, or hour and check their system’s performance. 

Each Trinity residential solar system comes with a 25-year warranty that covers the panels, inverter, and other related equipment. Trinity also provides a five-year workmanship warranty on the solar installation that covers labor costs. 

The company provides no-money-down financing* for solar panel installations and a monthly solar loan plan. Customers can also opt to pay for their solar system outright.

Elevation

Score: 77 out of 100

Elevation focuses on helping homeowners upgrade their entire home’s energy efficiency. The company creates customized solar systems tailored to each homeowner’s needs. To further promote its “Elevated Home” concept, Elevation conducts energy efficiency audits to identify areas of energy loss in your home. The company’s in-house technicians handle the updates, improving your home’s comfort and reducing your energy bills. 

Pros and Cons

✔ Offers full-home energy efficiency audits
✔ Provides custom solar systems with energy storage options
✔ Sells energy-monitoring equipment with smart home technology

✘ Does not offer cost information online
✘ Some customer reviews noted communication issues with company reps

Elevation Details

Elevation custom builds its solar systems to meet each customer’s energy needs. Each system includes high-quality solar panels from leading manufacturers such as Panasonic and LG. Elevation also offers solar battery storage to save your excess energy for later use. 

Additional upgrades include the Curb Energy Monitoring system. This system tracks your energy usage, identifies energy-wasting appliances, and lets you remotely control SmartThings IoT devices. The company provides 25-year product and labor warranties. Your product warranty protects against any manufacturing defects or issues. The labor warranty covers all problems related to poor installation. The company offers two financing options: cash payment and solar loans. 

Elevation also offers energy efficiency packages focused on improving your entire home. Each package begins with an audit of your home’s current energy usage and physical condition. Its home performance assessment includes checks for air leaks, insufficient insulation, and poor air quality. Elevation’s in-house technicians identify and repair any efficiency issues.  

Headquartered in Chander, Arizona, Elevation has focused on educating Arizona residents on home energy since 2014. Elevation partnered with Arizona State University’s (ASU) Sun Devil Athletics to promote the importance of energy efficiency. The company offers free tickets to the Sun Devils Football game for completing a consultation with an Elevation energy consultant.

Our Conclusion

We have picked Palmetto Solar as a top choice for Arizona homeowners because of its focus on customer service and creating a seamless installation experience. However, we recommend requesting and reviewing quotes from at least three different solar companies before making a final decision. 

You should also take a close look at your monthly electricity bill and compare it against your state’s average cost of power. If you have consistently high payments or the cost of electricity is more expensive than in other areas, solar panels may be a good solution. If you have relatively low bills or can find ways to cut down electricity usage significantly, you may not see enough cost savings to justify the expense of installing a home solar system. We recommend getting at least three quotes to determine the best rates for your home.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Companies in AZ

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 those 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.