Top 5 Best Solar Companies in Kentucky (2024 Reviews)

Watch Below: Learn What To Know Before Going Solar in Kentucky

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

The average solar customer in Kentucky pays around $33,660 for an 11 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system, or $23,562 after the federal tax credit is taken into consideration.

The total solar installation cost in Kentucky tends to be higher than the U.S. average ($29,970 before the credit and $20,979 after the credit), but that’s because energy needs are higher in Kentucky than average. While the average American consumes 881 kWh per month and only needs a 9 kW system to offset their electricity, the average Kentucky resident consumes 1,073 kWh per month and needs an 11 kW system.

If you have lower energy needs, you can get away with installing a much smaller, cheaper system. Solar is priced on a per watt basis, and in Kentucky that cost is $3.06 per watt — much lower than the national average of $3.33 per watt.

There are plenty of ways you can save money going solar in Kentucky, including:

• Only installing as many panels as you need
• Taking advantage of local and federal solar incentives
• Putting as much money down as you can

Only Install As Many Panels As You Need

The average Kentucky homeowner needs to install an 11 kW solar system — about 32 panels — to offset their monthly energy consumption of 1,073 kilowatt-hours (kWh).² But you may not be on par with average.

Before you install solar panels, it’s important to check your electric bill to figure out your monthly energy consumption. For example, if your household uses 800 kWh of energy per month, you’ll only need an 8 kW system (about 23 panels), which costs $24,480 in Kentucky, or $17,136 after the federal tax credit is applied.

Take Advantage of Local and Federal Solar Incentives

We’ll be honest: Kentucky doesn’t have as many solar incentives compared to some other states. But there are still some programs to capitalize on.

The federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is the best financial incentive available to Kentucky homeowners. It’s a tax credit worth 30% of your total solar system cost, which in Kentucky comes out to about $10,098 — higher than the national average of $8,991.

To be clear, this isn’t a rebate — it’s a reduction to the federal taxes you owe and rolls over for up to five years. But most people in Kentucky take around 13 years to pay off their system, so the $10,000+ discount will surely help. If you owe at least $2,019 per year for five years following your installation, you should be able to take full advantage of this incentive.

Put As Much Money Down As You Can

Solar panel systems cost between $18,000 and $30,000 on average in Kentucky in most cases — that’s not cheap. We understand if you don’t have that kind of cash lying around ready to invest in solar panels.

Paying with a solar loan is a popular and more accessible option. However, the more you pay upfront, the more money you’ll save on going solar in the long run.

As you can see in the chart above, paying in cash allows you to save thousands of dollars that would otherwise cover the interest over the lifetime of a solar loan. Plus, you to begin saving money right away with your solar production rather than waiting for your monthly energy savings to cover your loan payments.

See Also: Calculate How Much You Can Save By Going Solar

Will Solar Increase Your Home Value In Kentucky?

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that solar panels can increase the value of your home. According to SunPower, installing solar in Kentucky can add up to $8,059 to your home’s resale value.³

Data from Zillow also backs this up. In a study, the real estate entity found that solar panels boost home value by 4.1% on average.⁴ With the average home value in Kentucky sitting at $194,848 as of January 2024, that’s an average expected value bump of $7,988.

Unfortunately the state of Kentucky does not offer a property tax exemption for solar homeowners, which means that your property taxes could increase alongside your home value increase, but it shouldn’t be more than a few hundred dollars a year, so the other perks should more than make up for that.

Should Kentucky Residents Hire a Professional Solar Installer Or DIY?

In the world of HGTV and YouTube, many of us like to tackle our own home improvement projects. But we wouldn’t suggest it when it comes to installing your own solar panels.

Here are the top reasons why DIY solar installation is a risky idea:

• Installing solar is a complex process
• You lose crucial warranty protection
• The savings likely don’t outweigh the workload

Installing Solar is a Complex Process

Solar installations are a lot more complicated than just nailing a solar panel onto a roof. Along with the panels, you have the mounting hardware, cables and inverters (also called charge controllers) that must be set up properly. One wrong move will not only inhibit your solar panels ability to generate electricity, but could also be extremely damging to your roof or home.

If you’re installing your own panels, you’re also the sole person in charge of securing the necessary permits, setting up interconnection and net metering with your utility company and seeking out solar incentives. If you hire a solar company, it will will take care of this for you.

You Lose Crucial Warranty Protection

If you buy solar panels for your home instead of hiring a solar panel company, there’s a chance the equipment you purchase will be covered under the product manufacturer’s warranty. But most solar manufacturers have a warranty clause that the panels must be installed by a professional solar technician. So if you’re installing them yourself, you’ll be out of luck here (unless you’re a solar technician).

Some solar panel brands may also offer a performance warranty, which typically guarantees 90% of solar electric production for 10 years and 80% at 25 years. And as we mentioned, workmanship and roof leak warranties are crucial in Kentucky to protect your payout in the event of a roof leak.

The Savings Likely Don’t Outweigh The Workload

The number one reason people try to DIY a solar panel installation is to save on installation labor costs. Well, let’s figure out how much labor costs to install solar panels in Kentucky.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, labor typically accounts for at least 10% of the total cost of solar installation.⁵ In Kentucky where the average installation costs $33,660, you stand to save about $3,366

That’s a pretty tempting savings. But, remember that the electricity savings potential from having professionally installed and designed panels in Kentucky is upwards of $25,000.

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you want to install your own panels or hire professionals. But we definitely recommend the latter.

What Should Kentucky Residents Look For in a Solar Installer?

Kentucky has 15 solar installers to choose from according to the SEIA. While most people focus on finding the best price, there are other factors you should consider when looking for a solar company to hire in Kentucky.

When looking for a solar installer in Kentucky, you should hire a company that has:

• A roof leak guarantee or strong workmanship warranty
• High efficiency solar panels
• Licensed electrician certificate

A Roof Leak Guarantee or Strong Workmanship Warranty

One of the most important considerations for Kentucky homeowners wanting to install solar is a roof leak guarantee. Kentucky is the twelfth rainiest state, and unfortunately, roof leaks can become an issue when installing solar.

On this list of best solar companies in Kentucky, Icon Solar is the only company that has a specific roof leak warranty, regardless of your roofing material.

We encourage you to ask your solar installer about coverage in the event of a roof leak. If they offer any kind of roof leak protection, make sure it’s included in your contract.

If they don’t have roof leak protection, make sure they have a strong workmanship warranty. Roof leaks are often the result of faulty solar installation and workmanship warranties cover improper installations.

High-Efficiency Solar Panels

Because Kentucky sees above-average rainfall and below-average sunshine, it’s beneficial to install high-efficiency solar panels. The higher the efficiency of the panel, the more energy they’re going to produce in shorter periods of time.

If you’re new to solar, think of it this way: one hour of sunlight with a high-efficiency panel may produce as much energy as three hours of sun as a panel with a lower efficiency.

The best solar panels on the market have an output of around 330 watts (W) to 360 W each, while the output of less-efficient panels can be as low as 250 W.

It’s also worth mentioning that most customers won’t need an installer that provides solar batteries right now because Kentucky currently has a statewide net metering program. However, with NEM 3.0 rolling out in California and other states seeing similar declines in their policies, we expect the future of NEM to have a similar fate in Kentucky. If and when the policy gets downgraded, batteries will become more of a necessity. At that point, you should consider choosing a company that offers solar batteries and paying more for solar storage.

Licensed Electrician Certificate

In Kentucky, a licensed electrician must be involved with the solar installation process.⁶ Your solar installation company should have a licensed electrician on staff, otherwise, you risk hiccups with permitting for your installation.

Best Solar Financing

4.5/5

National coverageGreat warranty coverageMost efficient panels on the market

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Solar Veteran

4/5

Competitive pricingExcellent reputationIndustry-leading in-house financing

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Methodology: How We Ranked Kentucky’s Solar Companies

When we rank our top solar companies, we start by identifying the factors that matter most when ensuring that our readers find a trustworthy, reliable and environmentally responsible installation. We’ve listed those factors as categories below. We then weigh these factors against the industry benchmark (a company meeting the industry standard in all categories would earn 4 stars in our rating system).

Our goal is to deliver unbiased reports and honest reviews, thus, our methodology is not affected by commercial partnerships and is specifically tailored to Kentucky homes.

• Solar Services (20%): Every solar company installs panels, but we add additional points for companies like Solar Energy Solutions, SunPower and Icon Solar who offer additional services like energy storage and EV chargers.
• Qualifications, Reputation & Certifications (20%): Solar contractors that have affiliations with renewable energy organizations usually rank higher because it’s a good sign that they are invested in the industry and aren’t in existence just to turn a profit. Some affiliations we look for are with the Kentucky Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) and the KY Conservation Committee.
• Solar Warranty & Customer Support (15%): Warranties provide peace of mind that your investment is protected for years to come. Production and roof leak guarantees are especially important in Kentucky because of the abundance of rain throughout the state, so we award higher scores for those offerings. But a warranty is only as good as the company’s customer service — if no one answers the phone for your claim, you may not get it covered.
• Solar Financing Options (15%): The cost of going solar in Kentucky is prohibitively expensive for many homeowners to pay in cash. Therefore, each solar panel company’s financing options are carefully considered to determine how likely it is to suit your budget.
• Experience (10%): With so many solar companies popping up, we give higher rank to those who have a bit more longevity in Kentucky.
• Availability (10%): Kentucky is a decent-sized state with many rural areas. As such, we award companies that serve more areas of Kentucky.
• Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Factors (10%): While going solar is great for money-saving benefits, we prioritize people and the planet alongside your profit. As such, we take each company’s ecological and ethical standards into account when ranking our top providers.

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.