Ratings Methodology & Advertiser Disclosure
This page explains exactly how we rate solar installers, the data we use, how we earn revenue, and how those things interact — or don't. We've written it to be honest about what our process actually is today, including its limits.
Advertiser Disclosure
SolarRatings.org is operated by the team at DirectSolar, a residential solar lead-generation platform. We earn referral fees when homeowners request quotes through links on this site. This compensation may influence which companies appear on the site and, in some contexts, the order in which they are displayed. It does not influence the editorial ratings produced by our weighted research framework — those ratings are based on equipment quality, customer feedback patterns, warranty depth, pricing and financing transparency, and licensing standing, as described below.
Installers cannot pay to raise their rating, add a badge, or remove a criticism from a published review. Always obtain multiple quotes and review all contract terms with a licensed local installer before making a purchase decision.
Editorial Estimates Built From Public Information
The 0–5 rating you see next to each installer is an editorial estimate produced by the SolarRatings Editorial Team. It is our team's informed assessment of publicly available information — equipment, warranty, pricing position, financing options, licensing standing, and patterns in public customer feedback — weighted using the framework below.
We want to be clear about what these ratings are not: they are not the output of a proprietary algorithm, they are not generated from a live data feed, and they are not based on quotes we collect from installers ourselves. They reflect human research of public sources at the time of each installer's last review.
Current coverage: 25 national residential solar installers, reflecting roughly 34,830 public customer-review data points considered across all profiles at last update. We expand coverage over time; this figure updates as the dataset grows.
The Five Weighted Criteria
Every installer is assessed on the same five criteria. The weights below describe the relative emphasis our team places on each factor when assigning a rating. They are approximate and reflect editorial judgment, not a published per-installer formula.
| Criterion | Approx. Weight |
|---|---|
| Equipment Quality | 20% |
| Customer Feedback Patterns | 25% |
| Warranty Depth | 20% |
| Pricing & Financing Transparency | 20% |
| Licensing & Standing | 15% |
Equipment Quality
20%Panel and inverter tier, efficiency, and warranty-grade hardware
We look at which panel and inverter manufacturers an installer commonly sources from, whether those manufacturers appear on widely recognized Tier-1 supplier lists, and the published efficiency and degradation figures for that hardware. We read manufacturer specification sheets rather than installer marketing summaries.
An installer that uses panels with somewhat lower published efficiency is not automatically penalized — we weigh quality against price. Installers that do not publicly disclose the hardware they install score lower on transparency under this criterion.
Customer Feedback Patterns
25%Volume and consistency of publicly available customer reviews
We review publicly available customer feedback across well-known third-party review platforms (for example, the Better Business Bureau, Google, Trustpilot, and similar consumer review sites). We do not rely on testimonials published on an installer's own website or marketing materials.
We look for repeated patterns — not isolated reviews — in both praise and complaints, with particular attention to installation timelines, communication, and post-installation service. The “reviews considered” count we publish for each installer reflects the approximate volume of public feedback our team reviewed at the time of the last update, not a count of reviews we host or verify ourselves.
Warranty Depth
20%Coverage scope, exclusions, and transferability
We compare the three warranty types that matter for residential solar: the manufacturer panel product warranty, the manufacturer performance/power-output guarantee, and the installer workmanship warranty covering roof penetrations, mounting, and wiring. We read the published warranty terms, not just the summary bullets.
We note exclusion clauses that materially limit coverage and whether the workmanship warranty transfers to a new homeowner at sale, which can affect resale value.
Pricing & Financing Transparency
20%Cost positioning, quote clarity, and financing disclosure
We position each installer on a relative pricing tier ($ to $$$$) using publicly reported price-per-watt ranges and regional cost data, benchmarked against published U.S. residential solar cost figures from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This is a relative positioning, not a quote — the price any individual homeowner receives depends on system size, roof complexity, and local permitting.
We also weigh how clearly an installer discloses its financing products (loan, lease, PPA, cash) and whether quotes are itemized. Installers that publish clear, itemized terms score higher than those that do not.
Licensing & Standing
15%Contractor licensing, certifications, and complaint history
We check installers against publicly available state contractor-license records for the states they operate in, look for NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certification where applicable, and review available BBB complaint history and any reported regulatory or consumer-protection actions.
Significant regulatory actions or a pattern of serious unresolved complaints lower an installer's standing and can trigger an out-of-cycle review.
Where Our Information Comes From
Our ratings draw exclusively on publicly available information. We do not use private or installer-supplied data to set scores.
Public customer-review platforms
Better Business Bureau, Google, Trustpilot, and similar consumer review sites — read for patterns, not republished here.
Manufacturer specification sheets
Published panel and inverter efficiency, degradation, and warranty documents from equipment manufacturers.
State contractor-license databases
Publicly searchable state licensing boards for the states each installer operates in.
NABCEP certification records
North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certification listings, where applicable.
NREL, EIA & DOE published data
U.S. residential solar cost benchmarks (NREL), electricity price and consumption data (U.S. Energy Information Administration), and general solar guidance (U.S. Department of Energy) used to sanity-check cost and savings statements.
Installer-published terms
Each company's publicly stated warranty, equipment, financing, and service-area information.
Cost and savings statements throughout this site are sanity-checked against published figures from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These are government and national-laboratory sources, not commercial estimates.
When and How Ratings Are Updated
Rolling Reviews
We review installer ratings on a rolling basis, targeting at least one refresh per calendar quarter per installer. A review begins with fresh data collection — updated public review patterns and a re-check of licensing records.
Event-Triggered Reviews
A rating may be updated at any time when a material event occurs: company acquisition, regulatory or enforcement action, significant warranty term change, or a sustained shift in public feedback that alters our assessment.
Accuracy Requests
Installers or homeowners who believe a published finding contains a factual error may email editorial@solarratings.org with supporting documentation. We review and publish corrections when warranted.
Questions About Our Process
Are your ratings computed by an algorithm or assigned editorially?
They are editorial estimates. Each installer's 0–5 rating is assigned by our research team using the weighted criteria on this page and the public data sources listed above. There is no proprietary algorithm or live data feed — the ratings reflect our team's review of publicly available information at the time of the last update.
Where do the customer reviews you reference come from?
From publicly available third-party review platforms such as the Better Business Bureau, Google, and Trustpilot. We read these reviews for patterns; we do not host, verify, or republish them. The 'reviews considered' figure shown for each installer is an approximate count of the public feedback our team reviewed, not a count of reviews we independently verified. We are also building a first-party homeowner review submission feature; reviews collected that way will be labeled as reader-submitted and are not currently factored into installer ratings.
Can an installer pay to improve its rating?
No. Ratings are produced using the weighted framework on this page and are not for sale. Participating in our referral network does not raise an installer's score.
Can an installer pay to remove a criticism?
No. Factual criticisms documented in our research stay published. An installer that believes a specific finding is factually wrong may email editorial@solarratings.org with supporting documentation; we review and publish a correction if warranted.
How are installers ordered on the site?
Default sort in our comparison table is by editorial rating, highest first, with sorting controls so homeowners can re-order by price tier or other factors. Referral compensation does not determine the editorial score. As disclosed below, compensation may influence which installers appear and, in some contexts, their placement.
How often are ratings updated?
On a rolling basis, with a target of reviewing each installer at least once per quarter. We also run out-of-cycle reviews after material events such as acquisitions, regulatory actions, significant warranty changes, or a sustained shift in public feedback.
Editorial Contact & Legal
For questions about a specific rating, factual correction requests, or editorial inquiries, email editorial@solarratings.org.
For privacy-related requests — including data access, deletion, or opting out of data sharing — see our Privacy Policy and Do Not Sell My Info page.
For general background on how this site operates, including our ownership and revenue model, see our About page.
The content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or contractor advice. Solar savings projections depend on many site-specific variables — always confirm estimates with a licensed local installer.