5 Best Solar Companies in South Carolina

In This Guide: Top Solar Companies | Solar Incentives in South Carolina | Conclusion | FAQs 

South Carolina is a great state to transition to solar power. Not only does it have some of the best state-level tax incentives, but it also ranks 14th in the nation for solar power, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

We’ve researched the best solar companies in the United States and narrowed down our top recommendations for South Carolina. Read on to compare each provider’s pros and cons.

South Carolina’s Top Solar Energy Companies: 

• Palmetto Solar: Best Customer Service
• Sunrun: Best Financing Options
• Blue Raven Solar: Best Benefits
• SunPower Solar: Most Energy-efficient
• ADT Solar: Best Protection

Palmetto Solar: Best Customer Service

Score: 98 out of 100

Palmetto Solar’s superior customer service record earns it the top spot on our list. The company offers several customer support options through phone, email, and online chat. It also provides a full-service installation process and a comprehensive protection plan.

Pros and Cons

✔ Online savings calculator

✔ Smart battery storage

✔ 25-year performance guarantee

✘ No lease or PPA options

✘ System monitoring costs extra

Palmetto Solar Details

According to Palmetto, South Carolina homeowners who go solar save an average of $18,210 on their energy bills over 25 years. The company guides customers through the entire solar project, from system design and installation to monitoring. It also offers additional services such as pest abatement, panel cleaning, and roof repair.

Palmetto includes a 12-year product warranty and a 25-year performance guarantee. You can pay for professional performance monitoring starting at $8 per month or up to $49 per month for the premium package.

There are typically four financing options for residential solar panels. You can purchase your panels outright, take out a loan, lease your panels, or enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Taking out a loan allows you to spread your payments over multiple installments but requires interest rates that increase your total price. A lease allows you to rent your panels by paying a set monthly rate, and a PPA allows you to pay only for the solar energy you use, similar to an electric bill.

Both a lease and PPA disqualify you from solar incentives because your provider retains system ownership. Palmetto only offers full purchases or loans, with loan payments as low as $85 per month.

Learn more: Palmetto Solar review

Sunrun: Best Financing Options

Score: 95 out of 100

Sunrun is ideal for homeowners looking for flexible financing. The company offers four payment options, including two lease types.

Pros and Cons

✔ Brightbox and Tesla Powerwall batteries

✔ Comprehensive service package

✔ Purchase, loan, PPA, and two lease options

✘ Doesn’t provide detailed product information

✘ Mixed customer reviews

Sunrun Details

Sunrun offers monocrystalline panels from various manufacturers, plus solar battery options from Brightbox and Tesla. It protects its systems with a 10-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, including free equipment replacement and parts and labor repairs. Its leased and prepaid products are also protected against theft or damage. Loan and full purchase customers can opt for these services through an added Protection Plus subscription.

Sunrun has various financing options to fit any budget. It offers full purchases, loans, PPAs, and two leases. The full-payment lease allows you to pay for 25 years of solar energy up-front, while the monthly lease allows you to pay a set monthly rate over time.

Learn more: Sunrun review

Blue Raven Solar: Best Benefits

Score: 83 out of 100

Blue Raven offers unique benefits and comprehensive warranties. Its BluePower Plus+ program provides 18 months of free solar energy.

Pros and Cons

✔ App for system monitoring

✔ Excellent customer reviews

✔ First 18 months free with BluePower Plus+
✘ Availability varies by ZIP code

✘ No leases or PPAs

Blue Raven Solar Details

Blue Raven’s BluePower Plus+ financing plan provides free solar power for 18 months with no up-front costs. You can also enter into the company’s SmartStart program, which keeps your monthly loan payments at a fixed, affordable rate for five years. 

Blue Raven provides a 25-year manufacturer warranty and a two-year power production guarantee. It also has an app to monitor system performance. Blue Raven is available to South Carolina homeowners in the Greenville, Columbia, and North Charleston areas.

Learn more: Blue Raven Solar review

SunPower Solar

Score: 82 out of 100

SunPower Solar is a nationwide manufacturer and distributor of high-efficiency solar panels. The company uses the latest technology to maximize energy generation and minimize panel size.

Pros and Cons

✔ High-efficiency panels

✔ Well-reviewed local installers

✔ 25-year comprehensive warranty
✘ Relatively expensive

✘ No leasing options in South Carolina

SunPower Solar Details

SunPower offers sleek, minimalist panels with some of the highest efficiency rates in the solar industry. Its former subsidiary, Maxeon, produces its panels. SunPower manufactures the remaining solar components in-house, ensuring all parts work optimally together. The company also offers solar batteries and various electric vehicle (EV) options.

While other solar panels reduce inefficiency by almost 20% over 25 years, SunPower claims its panels remain 92% efficient throughout their lifetime. The company protects its systems with a 25-year comprehensive warranty, including all solar system components, additional storage or charging add-ons, and required maintenance.

Sunpower uses two local installers to service South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia: South Coast Solar (SCS) in Columbia, South Carolina, and Tayco Electric and Solar in Indian Head, North Carolina. Both companies have excellent customer reviews.

Learn more: SunPower Solar review

ADT Solar

Score: 78 out of 100

Formerly known as SunPro Solar, ADT Solar offers residential solar panels that can be integrated with its other smart-home products and security systems. It provides the best protection of any provider on this list, with extended warranty coverage on labor, panels, and inverters plus a 25-year power production guarantee.

Pros and Cons

✔ Performance-monitoring app

✔ Price-matching guarantee

✔ 25-year power production and labor guarantees
✘ Mixed customer reviews

✘ No leases or PPAs

ADT Solar Details

ADT Solar provides an impressive 25-year warranty plus a 25-year performance and power production guarantee. These guarantee your system will produce a certain amount of energy for 25 years, or the company will pay you $0.10 for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) it falls short.

ADT Solar provides a mobile app for 24/7 system monitoring. It can easily integrate its solar products with its other smart-home or security systems. Finally, the company offers price matching, though it’s not transparent about its prices online.

Learn more: ADT Solar review

Solar Incentives in South Carolina

South Carolina offers several incentives to reduce solar panel system costs. Its state income tax rebate is one of the most generous in the country.

• Federal tax credit: The federal solar tax credit is available to solar owners nationwide. It provides a tax reduction equal to 30% of your solar installation costs. This credit can be applied once per system. Only homeowners who purchase their systems in full or take out a loan qualify.
• Net-metering: Utility companies such as Dominion Energy and Duke Energy offer net-metering programs. These programs allow you to sell excess energy your system generates back to your utility company for credit on your monthly electric bill.
• South Carolina state tax credit: South Carolina’s Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit provides a tax reduction equal to 25% of your solar installation costs, up to a maximum of $35,000. You can claim $3,500 or 50% of your annual tax liability for up to 10 years.

Our Conclusion

Though we recommend all providers on this list, the best solar company depends on your home and energy needs. Palmetto is an excellent choice for homeowners who value good customer service. Sunrun is ideal for those who want flexible financing, and Sunpower may be a better fit for those prioritizing high-efficiency systems. 

We recommend requesting free quotes from at least three solar companies before deciding. Remember that cost is not the only factor. If a company offers a price substantially lower than its competitors, you’ll want to research its product quality, warranties, and reputation carefully.

FAQs About Solar Companies in South Carolina

Our 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 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 they provide.
• 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. 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.