Top 7 Best Solar Companies in Massachusetts (2024 Reviews)

Tesla’s solar systems offer a level of integration between parts that other companies simply cannot match. Tesla’s panels offerings, Powerwalls, EV chargers and solar monitoring app are literally made to be used together, and the integrative features they come with are impressive.

Tesla doesn’t always have the best customer service, but it’s still an excellent option.

Why We Chose Tesla as the Best Technology

Tesla’s products offer some unique features that can make energy independence a little easier for Bay Staters.

For example, the Powerwall batteries let you prepare for blackouts and customize your system’s production settings, and they automatically store excess power if a storm is coming your way. You can set your system to optimize for either storage or savings, which can be especially helpful for mitigating the high cost of electricity in Massachusetts. This is a huge plus in Massachusetts, where weather can get extreme.

Tesla also offers one of the best EV chargers on the market, although it’s only compatible with Tesla’s EVs unless you have a special adapter. Thankfully, this is an affordable add-on product. And it’s a welcome one in the area since the state ranks fourth in the country in terms of EV adoption.

One of the best parts about choosing Tesla is that the company offers price matching, which makes its services extremely affordable. This is a big benefit in Massachusetts, where the cost of going solar is well above the national average.

What We Don’t Like

Our least favorite thing about Tesla is that the company outsources its installations to third-party contractors. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, it means the service you get is highly variable and depends on the specific companies Tesla uses where you live. This makes it impossible to draw general conclusions about the service you’ll get when you purchase a Tesla system.

We also don’t love that Tesla only sells a single brand of equipment. This isn’t a huge deal since Tesla’s equipment offers above-average efficiency and unique features, but we still prefer companies that offer a wider selection of equipment.

Read our full review of Tesla for more information.

Solar Products

Tesla installs QCells panels that are extremely efficient and more than capable of providing enough energy to power your home, even with Massachusetts’ above-average rainfall and cloud cover.

The company also manufactures and sells solar roofs, which are by far the most popular solar shingle option on the market. A Tesla solar roof will cost you a pretty penny — especially in Massachusetts — but it’s more aesthetically appealing than a panel array, providing all the benefits of rooftop solar but with a sleeker appearance.

Tesla also provides the following selection of products and services:

• Tesla Powerwalls
• Tesla EV chargers
• Tesla solar monitoring app

As mentioned, the EV chargers are a nice addition in Massachusetts, as buying them with your panels instead of after lets you apply the ITC to them, effectively bringing down the cost by up to 30%. Batteries are also a nice-to-have now, but they could become necessary to see long-term solar savings if net metering in the state goes the way it has in other states, like California.

Financing Options

Tesla offers the four main payment options: cash, solar loan, solar lease and PPA. We recommend paying with cash or via a loan if you can. Both options lead to ownership and will save you the most money over the course of your system’s lifespan.

PPAs and leases are only a good option if you can’t afford to pay cash or won’t qualify for a loan. PPAs and leases won’t save you as much money and you don’t own the panels, which means that your panels won’t increase the value of your home.

Warranty Information

Tesla’s warranty covers equipment and production for 25 years and workmanship for 10 years. The performance guarantee is above average, but the equipment and labor coverage match the industry average.

Although the workmanship warranty is in line with the industry average, we’d really love to see lengthier coverage in a high-risk area like Massachusetts.

Click here for a free quote from Tesla.

Trinity Solar has installed more than 80,000 solar panel systems throughout New England since 2014, making it intimately familiar with the finer details of going solar in Massachusetts.

The company’s warranty leaves much to be desired, but its experience and local focus is a reasonable tradeoff.

Why We Chose Trinity Solar as Best Regional Provider

Unlike the companies we’ve covered so far, Trinity Solar primarily installs solar systems in the Northeast, which means it’s more familiar with the specific challenges associated with installing solar panels in Massachusetts than a national installer.

Trinity’s technicians and installers are local experts who understand what Massachusetts homeowners need to get the most out of their solar systems. They can also help you save money by helping you take advantage of Massachusetts-specific solar incentives like the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program and the Residential Renewable Energy Income tax credit.

There are local perks the techs might be more familiar with, as well, including incentives for efficiency upgrades from Hudson Light & Power, Concord Municipal Light Plant, Taunton Municipal Light Plant, Reading Municipal Light Department, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and Chicopee Electric Light.

Trinity also has a charity program that will donate $100 to a charity of your choice just for sitting down with a representative for a consultation. If you wind up installing a solar system from Trinity, the company increases its donation to $1,000. As such, the company has a positive impact on the community as well.

What We Don’t Like

The biggest downside to going with Trinity is the sub-par five-year workmanship warranty. We would much prefer to see Trinity offer at least a ten-year workmanship warranty, which is the industry average, or, ideally, something even longer.

Gambling with a shorter workmanship warranty may work out, but we don’t love the idea in a state that gets as much inclement weather as Massachusetts.

Otherwise, the only other thing you should know is that some customers report waiting longer than normal for warranty repairs.

Read our full Trinity Solar review for more information.

Solar Products

Trinity primarily installs QCells solar panels, which have an above-average 21.4% efficiency rating. This is only slightly below Maxeon’s efficiency ratings and should be more than enough to cover your energy bills in Massachusetts.

A big advantage of installing panels made by QCells is that they’re more affordable than panels from competing brands like Silfab, Canadian Solar and REC. This can be especially helpful in a state like Massachusetts, where solar equipment is significantly more expensive than average.

Trinity Solar installs a range of equipment and offers various services, including the following:

• Tesla Powerwalls
• Generac solar batteries
• Enphase and Tesla solar monitoring apps

Battery options are always nice, but they could become more valuable if the net metering credit rate ever dips in the area and demands batteries to see significant solar savings.

Financing Options

Trinity Solar customers can pay for their panels in cash, finance them with a loan or enter into a solar lease or PPA. We recommend paying in cash or via a loan since they offer better long-term savings than leases or PPAs.

However, the last two options come with the lowest costs, so they help make Trinity’s products and services more widely available. This is especially true in a state like Massachusetts, where solar equipment is relatively expensive, and it helps future-proof the company in case batteries ever become necessary and drive up installation costs.

Warranty Information

Trinity Solar’s warranty covers equipment and energy production for 25 years, but the company only offers a five-year workmanship warranty. The equipment warranty is average, and the energy-production guarantee is slightly above average, but the workmanship coverage is half of the industry standard.

We’d really like to see lengthier workmanship warranty coverage in a high-risk state like Massachusetts, although we do believe the company’s local experience should help provide some peace of mind.

Click here for a free quote from Trinity Solar.

Momentum is known throughout the solar industry for its renowned customer service. The company’s concierge service guarantees that you’ll only have one point of contact with the company throughout your installation, making the installation process more streamlined and less confusing.

Momentum was named in a racial discrimination lawsuit and recently settled, which is a pretty significant social downside related to this company.

Why We Chose Momentum as the Best for Customer Service

Momentum is one of the few large solar installation companies that manage to provide outstanding customer service. Customer reviews of Momentum Solar all mention how easy it is to get in touch with the company when they have questions or need to make a warranty claim.

Momentum’s concierge service puts you in touch with a single representative who handles your entire installation from start to finish. This gives Momentum unparalleled continuity of service and makes it easy to communicate with the company.

The care and attention to detail that Momentum provides are especially valuable when it comes to taking the most advantage of Massachusetts’ many solar incentives and tax credits. It’s nice to have a responsive company in your corner that can help you every step of the way.

What We Don’t Like

One pretty significant drawback to choosing Momentum is that the company was recently involved in a racial discrimination lawsuit. The allegations weren’t substantiated, but the company did settle. Of course, we prefer that the company wasn’t involved to begin with.

The company also lacks system customization. It carries relatively few products compared to its competition, only offering solar panel and solar battery installations. If you have an EV and want to install an EV charger in your home, you’ll have to go with another company. This is a major drawback to Momentum in a region like Massachusetts, where most people plan to own an EV in the near future.

Read our full review of Momentum Solar for more information.

Solar Products

Momentum offers a variety of panels from several manufacturers and doesn’t work with a limited selection of brands. The company only installs tier-one panels, which means pretty much all of the systems the company installs will work well in Massachusetts, where high-efficiency panels are a must.

One of the biggest advantages you get from Momentum’s wide selection of brands is the ability to prioritize upfront cost savings or long-term energy savings, depending on what you want. Choosing a lower-cost solar panel brand will make going solar more affordable, while purchasing a more efficient option will boost your lifetime savings.

In addition to solar panels, Momentum also offers the following products and services:

• Enphase solar batteries
• The Enphase solar monitoring app

The batteries will be a nice addition to have access to if net metering ever declines in the area, although we do wish there were EV chargers available as well, as that would allow customers to upgrade and apply the ITC to that piece of equipment, too.

Financing Options

No matter what type of system you choose, Momentum very likely has a financing option that will work for your budget. The company accepts cash, loans, leases and PPAs.

We don’t recommend choosing a lease or PPA if at all possible, as these prevent you from taking the federal tax credit. Purchasing your panels outright in cash or financing them with a loan will reap the greatest reward and make you eligible for the tax credit. Plus, paying in cash or with a loan will boost your home value, whereas a lease or PPA would not.

Still, the availability of options is great to see, and it will be especially helpful if batteries become the norm like we’re expecting and drive up installation costs by the average of $10,000 to $20,000.

Warranty Information

Momentum’s warranty covers its equipment, workmanship and energy production for 25 years. The equipment and labor warranty matches the industry average, but the production guarantee is more than twice as much as the usual ten years most companies provide.

In a state like Massachusetts, where electricity costs are significantly higher than the national average, a 25-year production guarantee is a major advantage. Plus, the labor warranty provides some peace of mind, even when the weather gets bad.

Click here for a free quote from Momentum Solar.

Boston Solar holds the honor of being the premier residential solar installer in Massachusetts, with more than 5,000 residential solar installations performed over its 11-year history.

The company’s warranty is a little lacking, and its selection isn’t as extensive as what you find from some larger companies, but we still highly recommend considering this company.

Why We Chose Boston Solar as the Best Local Installer

Boston Solar is based in Massachusetts and performs all of its installations using an in-house team of experts. The company’s technicians know what Massachusetts homeowners need from a solar installation and are an excellent resource for navigating Massachusetts’ sometimes-confusing solar laws and incentives.

The company’s warranty is in line with the industry standard, and its range of services includes unique options suited for Massachusetts homes, like installing critter guards and snow guards.

Contacting Boston Solar is easy, and the company is more responsive than larger companies. Customer reviews indicate that the company processes warranty claims quickly and that the customer support staff is both friendly and knowledgeable.

One aspect of using a smaller company like Boston Solar is that the company and the people who work there are part of the community. The company also gives back to the community by partnering with the Red Sox to help raise awareness of the benefits of going solar in Massachusetts.

What We Don’t Like

Choosing a local installer like Boston Solar requires making some tradeoffs. The company’s prices are a bit higher than the prices of its larger competitors, which can pose a problem for budget-conscious shoppers. This is especially true, given that the cost-per-watt for solar in Massachusetts is quite high to begin with.

Additionally, the company’s selection is limited compared to a larger installer like ADT, Trinity or Momentum. Most homeowners will find something that suits their needs from Boston Solar, but they won’t have as many choices as they would with larger providers.

Solar Products

Boston Solar used to partner with LG to source its panels, but with the latter company ceasing its solar panel manufacturing in 2022, Boston Solar now installs a variety of tier-one panels from several manufacturers. It prefers to use Trina panels, which have an above-average efficiency rating, but it can also provide access to other brands that might suit your needs better.

Keep in mind that Trina panels have an above-average per-watt cost, so they might be prohibitively expensive in Massachusetts, where photovoltaic (PV) equipment is already more expensive than normal.

The company also offers the following products and services:

• Enphase batteries
• Tesla Powerwalls
• Enphase and Tesla solar monitoring apps

We love the variety of batteries offered by Boston Solar, and this will probably be more beneficial to customers in the future, given the way the net metering policies have been changing across the country. We would love to see this installer add EV chargers, though.

Financing Options

Boston Solar accepts cash and solar loans but doesn’t offer leases or PPAs. We recommend paying in cash or taking out a solar loan anyway, so this isn’t a major drawback. However, if you can only afford to install solar using a lease of PPA, you’ll have to look elsewhere. There’s a greater possibility that will be the case if net metering ever declines like it has in other states.

A cash purchase will lead to the shortest possible panel payback period, and it will yield the highest savings overall. Loans are more accessible and still provide great benefits, but the interest will cut into your energy savings over time.

Warranty Information

Boston Solar’s warranty covers equipment and panel production for 25 years. The company also offers a 10-year workmanship guarantee. The equipment and labor warranties are average, but the production warranty is a little longer than most companies offer.

Boston Solar’s warranty coupled with its excellent customer service and local insight should give Massachusetts customers the confidence that their systems will continue to produce energy and save them money for years to come, no matter what problems should arise. Still, we would like to see a lengthier labor warranty to keep customers adequately protected through the extreme weather in the area.

Click here for a free quote from Boston Solar.