Top 5 Best Solar Companies in Kansas (2024 Reviews)

Watch Below: Learn How Kansas City’s Plan for the Nation’s Largest Solar Array Will Affect You

How Can You Save Money When Hiring A Solar Company In Kansas

The average cost of converting to solar in KS is around $28,800 before incentives, which is right in line with the national average. Although the pricing is on par with most other states, paying over $28,000 to convert to solar is still not possible or justifiable for many homeowners looking to adopt clean energy.

Thankfully, there are some ways to save money as you search for an installer to tackle your project. These include:

• Taking advantage of as many solar incentives as you can
• Ensuring you get good warranty coverage
• Getting a few quotes

We’ll explain these money-saving tips in greater depth below.

Take All of the Solar Incentives You Can

Most states and the federal government provide perks to incentivize homeowners to convert to solar power, which usually seek to reduce the financial burden of converting to solar. These can effectively bring down your conversion cost by thousands of dollars.

In fact, most solar customers in KS end up with savings that pay for their systems and save even more money over time. The table below includes a list of all of the available Kansas solar incentives you can take advantage of.

Make Sure You Get Solid Warranty Coverage

Another great way to save money in the long run in Kansas is to choose an installer with a robust solar warranty package. Specifically, physical protection for your equipment is crucial in KS.

We specifically recommend choosing a company with a performance guarantee of some kind as part of its warranty. These agreements add a clause to your contract stating that you will see the savings outlined to you in your proposal, or the company will cover the difference.

While it might cost a bit more initially for a solid warranty, it’s worth the peace of mind. Plus, if your system ever underproduces or experiences issues, you’ll likely save money by having a warranty in place.

Get a Few Different Quotes for Your System

Finally, we suggest getting a few quotes for your solar project. There are just under 20 installers that service KS, and each and every one of them will likely quote a different amount for your system. The variances come from differences in labor costs, equipment costs and warranty packages.

We recommend getting three to four free quotes from companies in your area and then comparing them based on cost and the value and warranty coverage provided. This can help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars and still get the system you need.

Still curious about what your system will cost and how much it will save you over time? You can use our solar calculator to see an estimated system total and your expected savings.

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value In Kansas?

Yes, installing solar panels on your property will increase the value of your home in Kansas. Estimates from research conducted by Zillow suggest that homes with solar systems are around 4.1% more valuable.³

Assuming that’s true, Kansas homeowners can expect to boost their home value by an average of $8,805.⁴ This is a huge upside of converting to solar, especially since the property tax exemption in the state prevents that bump in value from negatively affecting your taxes.

Property value increases are expected to be a bit higher in cities, mostly due to the above-average property values in those areas.

Additionally, Kansas City has been one of the most aggressive adopters of solar power. Solar panels and solar roof shingles are more widely accepted there, so the value bump will likely be more substantial within the city, providing a greater return on investment.

Should Kansas Residents Hire a Professional Solar Installer Or DIY?

Generally speaking, we recommend against DIY solar system installation in Kansas.

Although the cost to go solar in Kansas is below average, it’s still prohibitively expensive for many people to pay for upfront. One solution many homeowners turn to is DIY solar, which is often about half as expensive as a professional installation — closer to $15,000 as opposed to $30,000.

Unfortunately, Kansas isn’t a great place to carry out a DIY solar panel installation for a few reasons, including:

• The warranty coverage for DIY panels isn’t nearly as appealing
• The panel efficiency is almost never as good with DIY panel kits
• DIY installations come with an increased risk of property damage

We’ll explain these downsides in the sections below.

Warranty Coverage for DIY Panels Isn’t as Good

First and foremost, DIY panels usually include less appealing warranty coverage. The average warranties for DIY panels are as follows:

• 10 years for equipment
• 5 to 10 years for efficiency
• No warranty for workmanship

Most concerning in KS are the 10-year equipment warranty and the lack of a warranty for the installation.

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms put your system and roof at an elevated risk of damage, so having a lengthy equipment warranty is vital for maintaining peace of mind and avoiding repair and replacement costs over time. A professional installation may cost twice as much, but you also get protection for your equipment for twice as long.

Plus, having no coverage for the workmanship means any mistakes made during the process — which are more common with inexperienced DIYers doing the work — increase the risk of panels getting damaged or pulled off your roof in Kansas’s tornadoes. The industry standard 10-year warranty for workmanship provides some protection against this risk.

Panel Efficiency Is Lower With DIY Panels

Next, DIY panels usually have an efficiency rating between 15% and 20%, and some are even lower. Lower efficiency ratings mean your panels make less effective use of the available sunlight. On the other hand, professionally installed panels often sit above 20% and reach up to nearly 23%.

Although the difference in efficiency may seem minimal, those few percentage points can make a world of difference in the actual energy production numbers. In an area like Kansas, where net energy metering is available but doesn’t credit you for energy at the full retail rate, solar panels with higher efficiency ratings are superior and mean more savings in the long run.

DIY Installations Increase Your Risk of Property Damage in Kansas

Finally, inexperienced DIYers are far more likely to make mistakes during the at-home installation than a professional installer with years of experience behind them. While this is always an issue, it’s a severe risk in Kansas, specifically.

The tornado activity in Kansas puts all panels at risk of damage, but that’s especially true for DIY installations that are done incorrectly. Professionally-installed panels can usually withstand the winds created by Kansas tornadoes, but any mistakes made during the process by DIYers make issues more and more likely.

You might pay more to have a professional install your solar array, but you could end up saving money over time by avoiding costly panel issues and property damage.

What Should Kansans Look For In a Solar Installer?

Kansas residents have some specific needs that need to be met by solar providers in order to have the best experience possible when converting to solar. Below are a few things we recommend prioritizing when looking for a solar installation company in KS:

• Warranty coverage
• Experience
• High-quality panel brands

We’ll explain why we believe these factors are important in Kansas below.

Robust Warranty Coverage

First, and as we’ve mentioned, we suggest choosing a company that provides lengthy and comprehensive warranty coverage.

It’s usually a good idea to look for an efficiency warranty, which guarantees that your panels won’t fall below a specific efficiency rating for the given amount of time. Efficiency warranties are great in Kansas because they ensure that your panels will continue producing and offsetting your energy bills, which is helpful due to the below-average net metering policy.

Experience

Next, we recommend looking at a company’s experience level in the solar industry and in Kansas, specifically.

Installers with more experience are less likely to make mistakes when putting in and connecting your panels. This is always important, but it’s especially crucial in KS, where tornadoes can place immense strain on the integrity of your installation. While solar panels withstand severe weather conditions very well, the racking and structure of your array can also incur damage if installed incorrectly.

Additionally, with solar finally becoming more popular in KS, many installers pop up to take advantage of the demand before inevitably going out of business. Companies with at least five years in the industry are more likely to stick around for the long haul, which means your warranties will stay intact.

Panel Brands Offered

Finally, we suggest prioritizing companies that offer high-quality and high-efficiency solar panels. More efficient panels will often be a bit more expensive, but they tend to save you more in the long run in energy savings. Despite average electricity rates, this is especially true in areas like Kansas, where the net entering policy isn’t ideal.

Some of the best solar panel brands that provide above-average efficiency and work well for most KS solar customers include:

• SunPower/Maxeon
• REC
• Mission Solar
• Canadian Solar
• Qcells
• Silfab

Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

Competitive pricingExcellent reputationIndustry-leading in-house financing

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Outstanding Regional Installer

4.5/5

Comprehensive service offeringsExcellent reputationAward-winning company

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Methodology: How We Ranked Kansas’s Solar Companies

Our goal in providing these solar reviews for providers in KS is to promote clean energy while providing readers like you with the company that’s best fit to provide a system that saves money. Keeping that in mind, we’ve ranked the solar installers that operate in the Sunflower State based on the below criteria:

• Solar Warranty & Customer Support (20%)
• Experience (20%)
• Cost and Payment Options (20%)
• Solar Services (10%) 
• Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications (10%)
• Availability (10%)
• Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Factors (10%)

Our methodology is never affected by commercial partnerships, so you can always trust that the information we provide is unbiased and is geared toward helping you save. We’ll explain how we rank companies based on each of these factors below.

Solar Warranty & Customer Support

First off, we look at each company’s warranty coverage and assign a score based on how they cover equipment, panel efficiency and workmanship. These are crucial in KS because they keep your system protected and running as advertised for 25 years,. maximizing your long-term energy savings.

The industry standard we look for includes 25 years of coverage for the equipment, 20 to 25 years of coverage for the panel efficiency and ten years of coverage for the workmanship. Any warranties above and beyond these averages lead to a company scoring higher and moving up in our rankings.

Experience in Kansas

Experienced companies are less likely to make mistakes — which can lead to property damage, especially during tornado season — and are also more likely to provide a system that is tuned to meet your needs in KS. Plus, more established companies are less likely to go out of business and void your warranties.

Companies that have at least five years of experience get an average score here, while companies with ten or more years get a perfect score.

Cost and Payment Options

Next, we look at the average price charged by each installer for a typical system, as well as the payment options made available to solar customers.

The solar adoption rate has been unusually slow in KS, and the upfront cost is undoubtedly a big part of why so few people make the switch. Companies that keep costs below average rank a bit higher because they keep solar more accessible.

Similarly, we look for companies that accept a variety of payment options, including:

• Cash purchases
• Solar loans — with in-house financing options being a bit better
• Solar leases
• Power purchase agreements (PPAs)

Companies that offer in-house financing with low interest rates and flexible down payment requirements rank highest because they help customers access solar at the pace that works best for them.

Solar Services

We consider the solar services provided by companies next, as more services provided means the company will appeal to more of our readers.

Those that install panels and batteries and provide energy efficiency audits score a perfect score in this category. Batteries are a focus, specifically, because they help make the most of your solar energy in areas like KS, where the net metering program isn’t ideal.

We also give bonus points to full-service companies that offer unique services, like off-grid solar, solar water heater installations, solar monitoring and more.

Companies like Blue Raven that only offer panel installations score lower in this category because they’ll naturally appeal to fewer property owners.

Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications

Next, we consider the qualifications and overall reputation of each company. We assess how qualified a company is by looking for a few things, including:

• Years of experience
• Certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)
• Accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Certification from the Building Performance Institute (BPI)
• Electrician licensing
• General contractor licensing

We also gauge each company’s reputation by reading through dozens of customer reviews, ensuring a minimum of 4 stars on Google reviews, and checking for customer complaints on BBB.

Availability

Since solar has yet to become widely popular in KS, many companies choose to focus on a single major city — like Kansas City — where demand is highest. Since this means fewer customers will fall within the company’s service area, we rank companies that don’t serve the entire state a bit lower.

Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance Factors

Finally, we look at how each company affects the environment as a whole and the community it serves. Some things we consider include:

• A company’s willingness to reduce its own carbon footprint and maintain sustainable business practices
• Its attention to end-of-life products and recycling old solar equipment
• Membership with the Green Building Council or other pro-environment organizations

We also consider how a company gives back to its community through charitable donations, solar education programs or alignment with organizations that make solar accessible to all, including low-income households.

Read More About Going Solar In Kansas

• Is Solar Worth It in Kansas?
• Kansas Solar Incentives Guide
• Find Cost Savings on Solar Panels in Kansas

The cost information presented in this article is derived from a comprehensive analysis, incorporating data from multiple industry sources. The average cost per watt per state was calculated based on figures from Consumer Affairs, Energy Sage, and Berkeley Lab’s Electricity Markets & Policy Department. Additionally, monthly energy consumption and the average monthly cost of electricity were sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, ensuring a well-rounded and accurate representation of the information presented.