How to Choose a Solar Company in Pennsylvania: A 7-Step Checklist
You’re looking to install solar panels on your home and want to choose a qualified solar installer with years of experience.
There’s a ton of local solar installers to choose from in today’s market. So we’re going to break down how to choose a solar installer, what to look for, and exactly what type of questions to ask before you sign a contract. That way, you are confident you’re not only getting quality systems, but at a fair price!
Why the Solar Company You Choose Matters More Than the Panels
Installing a residential solar system is a 25-to-30-year decision and is largely commoditized, but workmanship warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it. What varies from local solar companies comes down to the quality of the solar energy system installation.
Finding a solar panel company with a proven track record is going to be the most important step of the process, given the time and investment involved.
Here are the key things to look for when making that decision.
Step 1: Verify Licenses, Registration, Certifications and Insurance
Licenses and insurance are the first filter, because this is what will help protect you as a homeowner from liability if someone is hurt or if the installation work is defective.
You should ask the solar company for copies of the general liability and workers’ comp certificates and to be named as an additional insured.
Beyond licensing, look for installers certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), a respected nonprofit that’s widely considered the “gold standard” among renewable energy system installers. Like us here at Ethical Energy Solar!
Step 2: Check Their Local Track Record, Online Reviews, and Crew
The track record of a company should have a heavy influence into the decision phase. Look at their online reviews and what people are saying about them. Read the customer reviews and look for specific patterns, not just the amount of stars they have on multiple different platforms such as Google, BBB, Yelp and even SolarReviews.
Find and see their previous work on solar panel installations and what projects they have worked on.
Also, look into if they outsource to subcontractors. If they subcontract it gives them less leverage, which makes it harder to hold crews accountable than if the team was made of in-house employees
Community ties and regional partnerships can also tell you how established a company is locally. For example, Ethical Energy Solar is the official solar partner of Penn State Athletics and Penn State Football. A partnership like that signals a company is well-known and invested in the region, but it isn’t proof of installation quality on its own
Step 3: Read the Equipment List and the Warranties
Know exactly what type of solar equipment is being used and installed. Once you get a quote, know exactly what make and model of panels, inverters, microinverters, and solar batteries are being installed. The word “premium panels” means nothing without the full context. Look into the type of solar panels being installed, too. Most residential systems use monocrystalline panels, which are the most efficient option for rooftops.
Get a comparison of each solar panel’s efficiency rating, wattage, and where exactly it’s manufactured.
For example, here at Ethical Energy Solar we are a Silfab Solar Registered installer. Which means the Silfab panels we install qualify for Silfab’s extended 25-year product warranty instead of the standard 12-year coverage with U.S made monocrystalline panels. As well as using Tesla powerwalls for our solar batteries.
The Four Warranty Layers (and Who Actually Honors Each)
A solar system isn’t covered by one warranty. It’s covered by several, and each one is backed by a different company. Here’s how they break down:
| Warranty | What it covers | Typical benchmark | Who honors it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product (equipment) | Manufacturing defects in the panels, like failed cells, cracked backsheets, or junction-box failures | 10–12 years standard; premium panels offer 25 years | Panel manufacturer |
| Performance (power output) | Guarantees panels keep producing a minimum percentage of their rated output as they age | 25 years, usually about 80% of original output at year 25 | Panel manufacturer |
| Inverter | Defects or failure of the inverter, microinverters, or power optimizers | String inverters: 10–12 years; microinverters and optimizers: often 25 years | Inverter manufacturer |
| Workmanship | The installation itself: roof penetrations, mounting, wiring, and leaks caused by the install | 1–10 years is typical; 10 years is a common standard | Your installer |
| Battery | Battery defects, plus a guaranteed minimum storage capacity over time | 10 years, retaining at least 70% of original capacity | Battery manufacturer |
Step 4: Compare Financing Options (Cash, Loan, Lease and PPA)
Here’s how each four options compare to each other:
Cash purchase
Who owns the system: You
Who gets the incentives: You (SREC income and net metering tax credits)
Upfront cost: Full system price
Ask this before signing: “What’s the total installed price, and what’s included for that price?”
Solar loan
Who owns the system: You
Who gets the incentives: You (SREC income and net metering tax credits)
Upfront cost: Often $0 down
Ask this before signing: “What’s the cash price of this exact system, and what’s the financed price? What’s the dealer fee?”
Solar lease
Who owns the system: The solar company
Who gets the incentives: Usually the solar company keeps the SRECs; confirm in the contract
Upfront cost: Often $0 down
Ask this before signing: “Is there an annual escalator on my monthly payment? What happens if I sell my home?”
Power purchase agreement (PPA)
Who owns the system: The solar company
Who gets the incentives: Usually the solar company keeps the SRECs; confirm in the contract
Upfront cost: Often $0 down
Ask this before signing: “What’s my per-kWh rate, how much does it rise each year, and how does the agreement transfer if I move?”
FYI – $0 down doesn’t mean free solar
If a salesperson pitches “free solar panels,” treat it as a red flag. Leases and PPAs can make solar possible with no upfront cost, but you’re still paying the monthly lease payment or a per-kWh rate for the usage. The company still owns the equipment, so it also keeps the incentives tied to ownership.
Before you sign, read two terms closely.
First, escalator is how much your payment or rate increases each year. Second, is what the buyer has to qualify for and agree to take over the contract.
Step 5: Get Three Itemized Quotes and Compare Them Side by Side
Never settle with just choosing one solar company. Get multiple solar quotes and compare each of them side by side. We would recommend at a minimum three itemized quotes.
What Every Quote Should List
Here is what every solar quote should contain the:
- Exact equipment models: The make and model of the panels, inverters or microinverters, and any batteries.
- System size (kW): The total capacity of the system in kilowatts.
- Estimated annual production (kWh): How much electricity the system is expected to produce each year, along with the assumptions behind that estimate, such as roof orientation, shading, and system losses.
- Total installed price and price per watt: Price per watt is the total installed price divided by the system size in watts. It’s the easiest way to compare quotes for systems of different sizes.
Important things to note are the permits, interconnection, electrical work (like a main panel upgrade) and roof work if needed before installation. If these aren’t listed ask whether they’re included within the price or billed seperately.
Discuss with your solar installer on a realistic timeline from signing to the day your system is turned on, including how long permitting and utility approval typically take in your area.
Compare Price Per Watt and Production, Not the Monthly Payment
A low monthly payment can hide a high total price, a long loan term, or an optimistic production estimate. To compare quotes fairly, use two numbers. The price per watt and estimated annual production.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends converting every quote to cost per watt. Here’s the formula:
Price per watt = total system cost ÷ system size in watts
(To get watts, multiply the system size in kilowatts by 1,000.)
For a national reference point, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s latest data shows a median installed price of $4.0/W for residential systems installed in 2024, with most falling between $3.0/W and $5.2/W. The same data also shows loan-financed systems were priced much higher than cash purchases ($4.7/W vs. $3.5/W), partly because loan fees get rolled into the price. That’s one more reason to ask for a cash quote even if you plan to finance.
This is a hypothetical example for illustration only. Your prices, system size, and production will vary based on your home, roof, energy use, and equipment.
A homeowner in York, PA, gets three quotes for similar-sized systems:
| Category | Installer A | Installer B | Installer C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 20 x 400W U.S.-made panels, microinverters | 20 x 420W panels, string inverter | 19 x 400W panels, string inverter |
| System size | 8.0 kW | 8.4 kW | 7.6 kW |
| Est. annual production | 9,600 kWh | 9,900 kWh | 10,600 kWh |
| Total price | $28,000 | $31,500 | $24,700 |
| Price per watt | $3.50/W | $3.75/W | $3.25/W |
| Warranty | 25-yr product, 25-yr workmanship | 25-yr product, 10-yr workmanship | 12-yr product, 5-yr workmanship |
| Financing | Cash and loan quotes provided | Loan only, no cash price given | 25-year loan, lowest monthly payment, no cash price |
| Service | In-house service team | In-house install, service subcontracted | Install and service subcontracted |
At a quick look, Installer C looks like the best. It has the lowest price per watt and the lowest monthly payment. But its production estimate is about 16% higher per kilowatt than the other two quotes.
It also offers the weakest warranties and no cash price, so you can’t see what the loan is really costing you.
Installer A comes out ahead once you weigh price, production, warranties, and service together.
Step 6: Ask Who Handles the Paperwork, the Roof, and Service After Installation Process
Know who and how they will handle all of the paperwork process. A local solar installer should manage the site assessment, municipal permits, engineering review, utility interconnection and net metering applications.
Step 7: Know the Red Flags
Here are some claims that should set off some red flags:
- You’ll never pay a utility bill again
- free solar panels, with no explanation of lease/PPA terms
- no written itemized propsoal
- refuses to name the equipment models
- talks only about the monthly payment
- unusually low pricing
- no license or insurance proof
- refuses references
- large deposit before work starts
Plan on Going Solar? Get a Free Estimate!
Now that you have a full checklist for choosing a solar company, put it to work, starting with us. Ethical Energy Solar was named a 2026 Top Solar Contractor by Solar Power World and is the official solar partner of Penn State Athletics. As a Silfab Solar Registered Installer, the Silfab panels we install qualify for Silfab’s extended 25-year product warranty. Every system is also backed by our 25-year performance guarantee.
Start at Step 1: check our credentials, read our reviews, and compare our quote side by side with others. Get your free solar estimate from Ethical Energy Solar today.
