Given its extreme temperatures and frequent snowfall, Utah might not seem like the best place to install solar panels. However, the state actually receives quite a lot of sunshine. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), it currently ranks 12th in solar energy production in the United States.
We at the Home Media reviews team have spent hundreds of hours researching the best solar companies across the country. We’ve highlighted our top recommendations for providers in the Beehive State and answered some common questions about solar power in Utah.
Utah’s Top Solar Energy Companies:
Based on our findings, these are the seven best solar installers in Utah:
SunPower
- Warranty: 25 years (comprehensive)
- Panel options: Monocrystalline (Equinox)
Pros and Cons of SunPower
+ 25-year complete-system warranty
+ High-efficiency solar panels
+ Local Utah installer has nearly 30 years of experience
– Only sells SunPower products
– More expensive than competitors
SunPower Details
SunPower distributes some of the highest-efficiency solar systems on the market. Its manufacturing arm, Maxeon, produces Equinox solar panels and SunVault solar batteries, which SunPower sends to local solar contractors to install.
The company offers a comprehensive 25-year warranty covering equipment and workmanship, including panel repair and replacement plus shipping and rust damage. Its warranty comes with a production guarantee that states your system won’t lose more than 8% of its efficiency over 25 years. According to SunPower, conventional solar panels lose 19.3% efficiency in the same time period.
Local SunPower installer Custom Electrical Service LLC services all of Utah. The company also provides residential electrical services including remodeling, repair and upgrades. Custom Electrical has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has been in business for nearly 30 years. You can monitor your system using the mySunPower app and contact Custom Electrical for repairs and maintenance.
Services:
- Consultation and design
- Energy efficiency audit
- Solar panel installation through local contractor
- Mobile app
- 10-year warranty on monitoring hardware
- 25-year warranty on equipment and labor
Payment options:
SunPower offers full purchases, solar loans, and power purchase agreements (PPAs). It also has a leasing program with fixed monthly payments, though this may be subject to the local installer’s requirements.
To learn more: SunPower Solar review
Blue Raven Solar
- Warranty: 25 years (equipment), 10 years (workmanship)
- Panel options: Monocrystalline
Pros and Cons of Blue Raven Solar
+ Excellent customer reviews
+ First 18 months free with BluePower Plus+ plan
+ Mobile app for system control and monitoring
– No battery backup or EV charging
– No solar leasing or PPA options
Blue Raven Solar Details
Blue Raven Solar is a national provider with a strong Utah presence: It’s headquartered in Orem and has another location in Salt Lake City. The company installs monocrystalline solar panels, which are more efficient, last longer and take up less room than polycrystalline panels. Blue Raven exclusively installs Tier 1 panels, which are made using the highest-quality silicon.
Blue Raven’s 25-year equipment warranty covers manufacturing defects and its 10-year workmanship warranty covers labor and installation. The panels come with a 2-year production guarantee, though not all homeowners may qualify for it.
You can monitor your system’s energy production via the Blue Raven app. If your panels aren’t producing the amount of energy they should, company representatives will work with you to figure out the problem.
Services:
- Consultation and design
- Solar panel permitting and installation
- Mobile app
- System monitoring
- 10-year workmanship warranty
- 2-year production guarantee
- 25-year manufacturer’s warranty
Payment options:
Blue Raven offers up-front purchases and loans. Its unique in-house financing program, BluePower Plus+, provides 18 months of free solar energy. Its SmartStart program provides a low monthly payment for five years.
To learn more: Blue Raven Solar review
Palmetto Solar
- Warranty: 25 years (panels and performance)
- Panel options: Monocrystalline (Q Cells)
Pros and Cons of Palmetto Solar
+ 25-year performance guarantee
+ Excellent maintenance and protection plan
+ Additional home services such as pest abatement
– Little financing information available
– Must pay extra for protection plan
Palmetto Solar Details
Palmetto Solar sells and installs Q Cells solar panels, which are guaranteed to retain 98% efficiency for the first year, 93.5% for the first 10 years and 86% over 25 years. The panels are certified for extreme weather such as high winds and heavy snow. Palmetto also offers Enphase or SolarEdge inverters and Sonnen batteries.
Q Cells panels include a 25-year warranty for product and performance. The batteries have a 10-year or 10,000-cycle manufacturer’s warranty.
Palmetto’s app allows you to monitor your system and track your electric bill savings. You can also contact customer support or schedule maintenance from local solar providers. Whether or not you’re a Palmetto customer, you can purchase the company’s protection plan for system monitoring, annual inspections and cleanings, and priority customer service. Palmetto also offers pest abatement and roof-leak services, though these aren’t covered under the protection plan.
Services:
- Consultation
- Energy efficiency audits
- System design and permitting
- Solar panel and battery installation
- Panel inspection and cleaning
- Panel removal and reinstallation
- Mobile app
- Professional system monitoring
- Pest abatement
- Roof-leak repair
- 10-year battery warranty
- 25-year panel warranty and production guarantee
Payment options: Palmetto Solar offers four payment options: full payment, solar loans, solar leases, and PPAs.
To learn more: Palmetto Solar review
Tesla
- Warranty: 10 years (comprehensive), 25 years (performance guarantee)
- Panel options: Monocrystalline (Tesla)
Pros and Cons of Tesla
+ Price-match guarantee
+ Top-of-the-line Powerwall batteries
+ Transparent online pricing
– Some customer service complaints
– Vague warranty
Tesla Details
Though known primarily for its electric cars, Tesla also manufactures and sells solar panels, inverters and Powerwall batteries. Its panels are low-profile and have no visible grid, allowing them to blend more seamlessly with your roof. However, its panel configurations have limited customization, coming in packages of small (12 panels), medium (24 panels), large (36 panels) or extra-large (48 panels).
Tesla offers a lengthy 25-year performance guarantee, but the wording is vague and only guarantees 80% efficiency for your panels’ life span. It has a comprehensive 10-year warranty for panels, inverters and batteries plus roof problems caused by the panels.
You can monitor your solar system and any other Tesla products on the Tesla app, which shows your system’s production in real-time and allows you to set controls for efficiency and storage. Unlike some competitors, Tesla is transparent about pricing and offers instant quotes online.
Services:
- Consultation
- System design and permitting
- Solar panel and battery installation
- Mobile app
- 10-year comprehensive warranty
- 25-year performance guarantee
Payment options:
Tesla only offers full purchases and loans. It doesn’t offer leases or PPAs.
To learn more: Tesla Solar review
Smart Wave Solar
- Warranty: 25 years (comprehensive)
- Panel options: Various
Pros and Cons of Smart Wave Solar
+ Free emergency backup power
+ Good reputation for customer service
+ Locally owned and operated
– Estimates by bid instead of free quote
– Limited product information online
Smart Wave Solar Details
Serving only Utah and Colorado, Smart Wave Solar is a small company that handles the entire solar installation process in-house. It has strong customer reviews of 4.5 stars or higher across sites such as Best Company, SolarReviews and the BBB.
Smart Wave provides a free emergency backup battery if you purchase a solar system with 10 or more panels. This is a unique and valuable offering, considering most solar batteries cost between $7,000 and $14,000 each.
The company has a comprehensive 25-year warranty for labor and installation, plus a 25-year performance guarantee. However, details about its warranty are limited.
Services:
- System design and permitting
- Solar panel installation
- Emergency power supply backup battery
- 25-year comprehensive warranty
Payment options:
Smart Wave offers full purchases and solar loans with no money down. You can’t lease its systems or sign a PPA.
Creative Energies Solar
- Warranty: 25 years (manufacturing)
- Panel options: Monocrystalline (Maxeon)
Pros and Cons of Creative Energies Solar
+ 20+ years of experience
+ $400 referral reward
+ NABCEP-certified solar technicians and licensed electricians
– Limited information about its panels and warranties
– Not many customer reviews
Creative Energies Solar Details
A regional company that serves Utah, Wyoming and southern Idaho, Creative Energies installs both residential and commercial solar systems. It has more than 20 years of experience and is B Corp-certified, meaning it meets high standards of transparency, accountability, and social and environmental performance.
Creative Energies offers numerous solar energy solutions including on- and off-grid panel installation, solar batteries including the Tesla Powerwall and SolarEdge Energy Bank, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, energy audits, and system maintenance.
It is not accredited by the BBB and has limited customer reviews, but the reviews shared are largely positive. The company also offers $400 for referring new residential customers.
Services:
- Design and permitting
- Solar panel and battery installation
- System monitoring and maintenance
- Panel removal and reinstallation
Payment options: Creative Energies offers full purchases and loans.
Mynt Solar
- Warranty: 25 years (manufacturing)
- Panel options: Various
Pros and Cons of Mynt Solar
+ Excellent customer reviews
+ Locally based
+ Roofing services with 50-year roof warranty
– B- BBB rating
– Only in business since 2016
Mynt Solar Details
Headquartered in Lehi, Mynt Solar’s services are available in most locations across Utah, including Ogden, Provo, West Valley and South Jordan. It has customer ratings of 4.5 stars and above across sites such as SolarReviews and Best Company. However, it has a B- rating from the BBB.
Mynt exclusively operates in Utah and tailors its services to residents in the state. This means it has extensive knowledge of local tax incentives and rebates. It also provides energy audits and some roofing services with a 50-year roof warranty. It offers a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty but only a 1-year performance guarantee, which is lower than the industry standard of 5 to 10 years.
Services:
- System design and permitting
- Energy audits
- Roof repair and replacement
- Solar panel and battery installation
- Home energy monitor installation
Payment options:
You can purchase your Mynt Solar system in full or take out a loan. There are no lease or PPA options.
Solar Incentives in Utah
Utah residents can take advantage of a number of federal and state incentives to lower their solar installation costs.
- Federal solar tax credit: The federal tax credit, also called the solar investment tax credit (ITC), allows you to claim 30% of your solar installation costs as a deduction on your federal taxes. The credit will roll over to the next year if you owe less taxes than the credit is worth.
- Renewable Energy Systems Tax Credit (RESTC): Utah offers a state tax credit of $800 for systems installed in 2022 or $400 for systems installed in 2023. The credit is set to expire in 2024 but may be renewed.
- Net-metering: Some Utah utilities, such as Rocky Mountain Power, offer net-metering programs. These programs allow you to sell excess electricity generated by your solar system to your utility for credits on your future bill or annual payouts.
How To Choose the Best Solar Company
Here are some criteria to keep in mind while shopping for solar providers.
- Price: Solar panels are expensive, and budget can be a crucial factor. Make sure you balance price with other factors, such as longevity, customer support and additional services offered. The lowest price may mean sacrificing quality, while the highest price doesn’t necessarily equal the best value.
- Warranty: Most solar panels come with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty, but this won’t cover workmanship or power production. Look for installers that offer comprehensive warranties and be sure to read all the fine print.
- Additional equipment: Do you want a battery for backup power when the sun isn’t out? Do you want to be able to charge your electric vehicle from your system? Narrow down your choices by looking for companies that offer all of the accessories and equipment you want.
- Customer service: Solar is a long-term investment, so choose a provider that will support you throughout your system’s lifetime. Read online customer reviews on review websites such as the BBB and Trustpilot. Take note of both positive and negative patterns.
The Bottom Line: Which Is The Best Solar Company In Utah?
We’ve vetted all of the companies on this list. SunPower is our top recommendation due to its high efficiency rates, comprehensive 25-year warranty and experienced local Utah installer. Blue Raven is another great option if you want flexible financing, and Palmetto Solar offers a solid protection plan. Request quotes from at least three reputable solar installers to compare pricing and services before making a decision.
Methodology: Our System for Ranking the Best Solar Companies
We collected data on dozens of solar companies and created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings, grade each company and provide objective findings to our readers. The result of weighing a wide range of factors is a cumulative score for each provider.
We called companies and spoke with representatives to understand their products, services and solar installation processes. We also reviewed each company’s product, production and workmanship guarantees in detail, and we closely examined customer reviews to understand the customer service experience with each provider.
All company data is monitored on an ongoing basis to keep rankings and information up to date.
Once we gathered all relevant data, we used the following scoring system to grade each solar company on a 100-point scale. We then divided the points earned for each provider’s final score on a 5-point scale.
- Solar services (25 points): Does the company provide in-house solar panel installation 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 (15 points): Warranties for products, system output and workmanship and the length of these guarantees are significant factors in residential solar system performance. Warranties vary by company, so we score companies based on the number of options available. The more warranties a company offers, the higher the score it receives.
- Availability (10 points): Most solar companies are not available nationwide. We award the most points to companies with the most extensive service area and state availability.
- Experience (10 points): We rate solar companies based on the number of years they have worked within the industry. The more years a company has been in business, the higher the score.
- Payment options (15 points): For each payment option the company provides, it receives more points. Options include purchase, loan, lease and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
- Reputation (10 points): We factor in each company’s score on the Business Better Bureau (BBB) and deduct points for any alerts or pending lawsuits.
- Additional benefits (15 points): We evaluate solar companies based on added features and services such as a mobile app, virtual consultations, electric vehicle chargers and 24/7 live customer support. The more of these options a company provides, the more points it receives.