Best Solar Companies In Seattle

• Jet City Solar Experts
• Solora Solar
• Northwest Natural Lighting
• Switch Electric Home Energy
• Tesla Solar Seattle
• SolTerra
• Brimma Solar
• Canadian Solar Systems LLC
• Northwest Electric and Solar
• Solar Panel Installation, Tiny House RV & Van Conversion Off Grid solutions

During the solar research process, the most important thing any homeowner can do is find the best installation company. Here’s everything you need to know about the best solar companies in Seattle:

When choosing a solar installation company to service your Seattle home, there are several important things to keep in mind. The median Seattle household size is 2,041 square feet; this factor will drive what size solar system is best for your home. And with 105 solar companies in the area, you can better understand the number of options you’ll have when choosing an installer.

In addition to house size and solar companies in the area, here are some other essential consideration factors to keep in mind when looking for a solar installation company in Seattle.

Size of the System You Need

An important part of solar installation is determining what size system, or how many solar panels, will work best for your home. To best determine how many solar panels you’ll need, be ready to give companies the following information:

• How much available space is on your roof
• The amount of energy your household uses
• The average number of hours of sun that your home receives
• The wattage and relative efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) the type of solar panels you want to install

Finally, be sure to inform the company of the number of people that reside in your home.

Seattle has three people in the average household, so many installers will use this number as a benchmark for how much solar energy your home will require.

Solar Warranties

Solar companies offer different warranties on their products and services, but you can find some common themes among the most prominent companies. For example, most solar companies and vendors offer 25-year warranties for solar panel performance and factory defects. Warranties for other elements, such as battery and charge controllers, vary depending on the item and the manufacturer.

You may find that some companies also include extra insurance and protection options for situations like property damage during installation, since the installation process involves altering your existing structures to accommodate the technology and wiring. Workmanship guarantees usually come standard, but coverage length can vary as well.

If you plan to lease your solar system, most companies will cover all issues throughout the contract duration. Also, they will typically take responsibility for solar system maintenance.

Types of Solar Warranties

Each solar company offers a variety of warranty options for its panels and installation services. It’s common, however, for companies to extend a 25-year warranty that covers their solar panels’ performance as well as any factory defects. Conversely, different companies offer varying policies for solar batteries, charge controllers and other elements, depending on the manufacturer.

Some companies also offer additional protection packages for things like installer errors and property damage. The duration of coverage varies between businesses, but most offer standard workmanship guarantees.

If solar panel leasing is the best option for you, the company you work with will typically be responsible for any necessary panel maintenance or concerns.

Types of Solar Warranties

• Manufacturer’s Equipment Warranty (Product Guarantee): This coverage option typically provides 25 years of protection for high-quality solar panels against manufacturing defects and panel failure.
• Performance Warranty (Power Guarantee): This is a manufacturer’s guarantee that the solar panels will continue to perform at a certain percentage of the original levels. These warranties can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years, with about 90% capability after 10 years and 80% after 25.
• Workmanship Warranty: The final option, also known as an installation warranty, typically lasts anywhere from two to 15 years. It protects against damage that may have occurred during the panel mounting process.

Solar Panel Type

Choosing a solar installation company also means researching and deciding on the type of solar panels you want to install. There are three main types of solar panels available for residential use: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film. You also have a fourth option, solar roofing shingles, which is a newer and more expensive technology but could be a good choice for those who have the budget and want a solar solution that’s more aesthetically pleasing than traditional panels.

Monocrystalline solar panels are the front runner as the most commonly used and most efficient panels with efficiency rates of 20% and up. The downside is that these panels usually have a larger upfront cost because they’re more expensive to make.

Polycrystalline solar panels are overall less expensive to make and buy than monocrystalline panels. Physically, they look similar to their monocrystalline counterparts and last almost as long (warranties are in the 25-year range, but vary by brand). However, they’re generally less efficient, producing around 250 watts of power each rather than monocrystalline’s 300-plus.

Thin-film solar panels are the most affordable on average to consumers than the two types above and more lightweight. However, these panels are the least efficient of the three types.

Solar shingles are a more attractive option to those with the budget, but efficiency-wise, solar shingles are also only between 14% and 18% efficient, which is less efficient on average than monocrystalline panels.

Cost

Monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient, but they are also the most expensive type of solar panels, costing an average of $1 to $1.50 per watt. In contrast, a-Si thin-film is the least expensive option at $0.43 to $0.50 per watt.

Solar panels are less expensive than solar shingles, but shingles are a newer technology, and their installation process is more complex. However, many consider shingles more aesthetically pleasing as they’re more streamlined on your roof than traditional panels.

Seattle Home Energy Needs

Based on the size of the median Seattle household, which is 2,041 square feet, and the average energy usage per household in Washington, which is 984 kWh per household you can estimate how much energy your home might require. This information can help you determine which solar company can best take care of your home’s needs within your budget.

By identifying what’s most important to you and communicating that to each potential installer you speak with, you can find the best solar installer in Seattle. Here are some other tips for choosing the best solar installation company to meet your needs.

Get Multiple Quotes

Price shopping is a must when purchasing solar panels, since your total cost could vary greatly depending on the company. We suggest requesting quotes from at least four or five installers so you can get an idea of the average cost in your area and select a company within your budget. Also, keep an eye out for suspiciously low quotes—if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

Read Reviews From Seattle Homeowners

Reviews from past customers are often the best resource for selecting a qualified solar installation company. Use websites like Google and Facebook to read reviews from previous clients, and don’t be afraid to request past customer testimonials directly from the company.

Choose an Established Reputable Solar Company

The solar space is full of installers, some with long standing reputations, and some that are new to the scene. While newer companies are just as worthy of your consideration, you’ll likely be able to learn more about an older, more established company that has many past clients and lots of online reviews.

In addition to that, an older and more reputable company may service more areas and have more installers than a newer company just getting started.

In addition to the many other benefits of going solar, households with solar panels may receive a federal solar tax credit, or a credit for your income taxes, which can help lower your tax bill. So long as you have a newly installed solar system, or one that’s being used for the first time between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2023, you likely qualify for the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). However, the ITC is set to expire in 2024, unless renewed by Congress.

In addition to the ITC, there are some other incentive programs that, depending on your financial situation, could make installing solar something advantageous enough to consider. As an example, those who choose to go solar between 2022 and 2032 could receive a dollar-for-dollar (up to 30% of the system’s overall cost) solar tax credit.

Plus, there are some local tax advantages that many states and counties offer.
New York, for example, has some of the most expensive electricity of any state but offers solar households a dollar-per-watt rebate of up to $5,000 for homes that produce more wattage than they use. You can find information about Washington solar incentives in our local guide.

To calculate how much solar panels will cost in Seattle, calculate the average price for a solar system in Washington overall (6kW/8kW/10kW/12kW), and account for federal solar tax credits as well. To finish, find your average kWh usage per month using Seattle’s general average kWh as your starting point.

For reference, solar panels cost about $16,000 or anywhere from $3,500 to $35,000 depending on the model, manufacturer and type.

Size of Solar System - (kW)	Average Annual System Output* - (kWh)	Average Cost of Solar System - (Before Tax Credit)	Cost With (30%) Solar Tax Credit Applied
6 kW	8,000 – 10,000	' $15,575	' $10,903
8 kW	10,500 – 13,300	$20,767	$14,537
10 kW	13,200 – 16,700	' $25,959	$18,171
12 kW	16,000 – 20,000	' $31,151	' $21,806

* Depends on location and the amount of sun hours received

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A thorough assessment of the average cost per kilowatt-hour in Seattle, which is $0.13, in addition to the average household’s kWh usage per month in Washington—984 kWh—will help you determine how much energy you use in comparison to the overall price of grid power near you. Assuming that the solar panels will account for all of your electricity needs, the estimated amount you’ll save by going solar in Seattle is $1,064.

State-specific solar credits or incentives may also help you save money on panel installation costs.

Note: Remember to account for the 2.2% increase that typically affects utility rates every year.

Details	Costs and Savings
Average Cost of 6kW Solar System with Installation	$15,575
Tampa State Incentives (30%)	$4,673
Estimated System Cost (inc. Incentives)	' $10,903
Break Even Period	7.3 years
20-Year Savings	$21,270
25-Year Savings	' $26,588

* Depends on location and the amount of sun hours received

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While costs can be a lot up front, solar panels can help save you money on your energy bill in the long run. Considering that Seattle gets an average of 241 days of sun and the total potential savings of installing solar in Seattle, which is $1,064 annually, and how many solar installations occur in Seattle (around 1,569), you can determine if the cost and effort of installing solar will be worth the savings later.

For this list, Forbes Home analyzed the customer service quality of solar companies in Seattle. We ranked each solar company based on several data points related to customer experience.

Here’s the weighting assigned to each category:

Ratio of Low to High Star Ratings (35%)

We analyzed the number of Google reviews for each company against the ratings associated with those reviews. Companies with a higher percentage of positive reviews received more points than companies with a higher rate of negative reviews.

Response Time (25%)

Companies that offer speedy response times received more points than companies with longer or inconsistent response times.

Hours of Operation (10%)

Solar installers with longer operating hours were considered more accessible and thus received a higher score.

Ratio of Complaints to Reviews (25%)

We compared the number of complaints for each solar installer based on their reviews. A lower complaints ratio resulted in a higher score.

Offers a Website (5%)

Solar installers with an official website receive a higher score, as we believe it indicates professionalism and provides customers with additional information.

Other Important Methodology Notes

1. Bayesian rating: We computed a Bayesian rating for each solar installer based on their average rating and the total number of ratings. This provides a more reliable score than a simple average rating, especially when comparing businesses with different numbers of ratings.
2. Response time: We estimated each installer’s response time based on their reviews. A faster response time results in a higher score. We surmised that a solar company with more reviews and a higher average rating has a faster response time.
3. Total score: We then calculated the total score for each solar installer by applying the category weights to each data point.