Best Solar Companies in CT

Solar power in Connecticut? Really?

Yes, really! You may thing CT doesn’t have enough sun for solar power, but I hope by the end of this article I can convince you otherwise!

There are some outstanding solar companies in Connecticut, maybe more than in any other state, and in this article we’re going to take a look at a few of those. These companies are presented in no particular order, and it is not intended to be comprehensive. So with no further adieu, here we go!

Company: CTEC Solar 

Address: 1 Griffin Rd S Ste 200, Bloomfield, CT 06002

Years in Business: 14

Website:  http://www.ctecsolar.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (3 reviews), 5 / 5 Buildzoom (1 review), 3 / 5 Birdseye (14 reviews), 4 / 5 Facebook (21 reviews) 

 Business Quote: “The benefits of solar power systems are no longer a matter of opinion. Solar power is clean, efficient, reduces carbon emissions, and cuts costs for anyone who utilizes it. Read the most popular questions we get from our customers about Solar Panels and then contact us for more information.

CTEC is the authority in Solar Power Systems.”

The Good: Great looking website, doesn’t overload you with information but gives you what you need to know, lots of good reviews out there

The Bad: 3 complaints with the BBB

Summary: Despite a few bad reviews out there and a few complaints with the BBB, CTEC keeps coming up as one of the top solar companies in Connecticut no matter how research it. This is a definite one to look into, especially given their fairly centralized location, there’s a good chance they’ll service anybody in the state of CT. 

Company: Premier Improvements Solar 

Address: West Hartford, CT

Years in Business: ?? 

Website:  https://www.premierimprovementsone.com/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Solar Reviews,  5 / 5 Facebook (17 reviews), 5 / 5 Energy Sage (6 Reviews)

 Business Quote: “We will guide you through from one step to next. We constantly strive to surpass the expected allowing us to always extend our utmost on behalf of the customers. All of our Customers love us and you will too!”

The Good: Great reviews! 

The Bad: Cannot find this company on the BBB website

Summary: Another great looking company. Website is sharp, it says all the right things and offers all the normal services that come along with solar companies. I could not find this company on the BBB website, so it’s hard for me to give a complete review without checking into that. I will say that from what I can see, they look like a very solid company to do business with, so this one goes on the list. 

Company: Solar City CT

Address: 714 Brook St Ste 150, Rocky Hill, CT 06067

Years in Business: ??

Website:  https://energizect.com/solar-city

Reviews: 4.3 / 5 Birdseye (8 reviews), 5 / 5 Angi (2 reviews), 4.5 / 5 Facebook (5 reviews), 1.25 / 5 Better Business Bureau (250 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Use solar energy to power your home and reduce your dependence on the grid. Purchase solar at the lowest price of any national provider with Tesla’s price match guarantee and take control of your monthly electricity bill.”

The Good: Mostly good reviews for the local CT branch

The Bad: 2028 complaints with the BBB for the national brand, holy moly

Summary: So this one is a little different- Solar City is Tesla’s solar power division. They are a national brand with branches in many cities across the country, so you have an idea of what you’re getting when dealing with them. Unfortunately, the national brand has gotten a large number of complaints with the BBB for a litany of reasons, which doesn’t exactly give you resounding confidence. The Rocky Hill branch though seems to have outstanding reviews, so I wouldn’t judge them too harshly. 

Company: Last Stop Solar 

Address: 71 Raymond Rd, West Hartford, CT 06107

Years in Business: Unclear

Website:  https://www.laststopsolar.com/

Reviews: 5 /5 Facebook (15 reviews), 

 Business Quote: “The industry is primarily full of “summer sales reps” that only sell for a couple months of the year, and then go back to college. This makes it very difficult to stay informed with all the moving parts involved with the solar industry.

We have broken free from the “standard” solar business model, and put you, the homeowner first.”

The Good:  100% positive reviews (that I can find)

The Bad: Sparse internet presence

Summary: This is another one of those companies that has plenty of good reviews from their own Facebook page, they have a nice looking website that has all the usual information, and it also does a great job explaining the process of installation that many other solar companies don’t go into. The only red flag here is that I just can’t find much else about them out there, so you’re going to basically have to take their word for it that they’re the best choice. So as always: Do your research! 

Company: SAVKAT Solar 

Address: 36 Triano Dr, Southington, CT 06489

Years in Business: Unclear

Website:  https://savkat.com/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (6 reviews), 4.7 / 5 SolarReviews (37 reviews), 5 / 5 Energysage (1 review)

 Business Quote: “Over the years we have grown to include solar customers in five states. We have always been driven by customer interactions and focused on informing and empowering smart decision-making.”

The Good: Website says they have a 5 state range and they have a good number of positive reviews

The Bad: Could not find them on the BBB website

Summary:  Another great looking company with lots of positive reviews and very few negatives. Their website offers a “2 minute estimator” to help potential customers sort out how much their solar installation may cost, which is an interesting feature, as well as a really neat looking gallery of their past work. One of my favorite things about the site is that it makes it very clear that their service area extends across 5 states. Overall this company looks like another good one to get in touch with if you’re exploring the possibility of solar panels. 

Company: Earthlight Technologies

Address: 92 West Rd, Ellington, CT 06029

Years in Business: 14

Website:  https://www.earthlighttech.com/testimonials

Reviews: 4.2 / 5 SolarReviews (19 reviews), BBB 5 / 5 (2 reviews), 4.5 / 5 SunSolarCompany (79 reviews), 5 / 5 Facebook (20 reviews)

 Business Quote: “At Earthlight, our goal is to provide customers with the highest quality products, performance, consistency, and value. This commitment is rooted in our culture and is essential to our continued growth and success.”

The Good: BBB accredited, lots of web presence & good reviews, 14 years in business

The Bad: They do have 1 complaint with the BBB, but that’s really nothing to worry about

Summary: This is one of the most impressive companies I’ve seen. From their website, their reviews and their overall web presence, there is lots of good out there about this company. The company is family owned and has a great website with lots of information. I see virtually no red flags or negatives about this company to keep you from contacting them. 

Company Eco Smart Home Services

Address: 105A Clark Dr, East Berlin, CT 06023

Years in Business: 11

Website:  https://www.ecosmartct.com/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (10 reviews), 1 / 5 BBB (3 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Sun on your roof means money in your pockets!”

The Good: That quote screams capitalism and will appeal to most people

The Bad: A lot of complaints about the national brand

Summary: The entire focus of this company’s website is about saving & making money, and I’m ok with that. Going solar for most people is all about the money they’ll save and possibly earn in it, and this company tries to focus on that. Ecosmart is a national brand with multiple offices all across the country, so some of the complaints (probably most) about them are going to come from customers in other places, and you have to expect a certain amount when dealing with a big national brand like this. Still, a 1 / 5 star review on the BBB website does not bode well. Again, I’m not telling you to stay away from Ecosmart in any way, but make sure you check out your local office thoroughly before making a decision. 

:

Company: PurePoint Energy 

Address: 22 S Smith St, Norwalk, CT 06855

Years in Business: Unclear

Website:  http://www.purepointenergy.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (18 reviews), 5 / 5 Glassdoor (6 reviews), 4.5 / 5 SolarReviews (26 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Throughout the years, the plan remains the same: To leave the world a better place, making an environmental impact that will make our planet a safer place to live. This is accomplished by building the best solar and energy storage solutions.”

The Good: Moderate web presence; What they do have is good

The Bad: Not BBB accredited

Summary: Great looking website, really good reviews, hard to find anything negative to point out about this company. About the worst thing I can see is that they’re not BBB accredited, which is actually fairly common. Overall though this looks like a company that does solid work, as their testimonials and reviews will show, so I see no reason not to take a look at this one.

How much do solar panels cost in Connecticut?

Here’s the best part- Connecticut has some of the best solar rates in the whole country. Solar panels are generally priced by the watt, so a 250 watt solar panel (which is the standard size) in Connecticut may cost as little as $2.28 per watt- about $570 per panel. An average solar installation is usually somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 28 watts, meaning your solar panel cost could be as low as $11,400-  Over a thousand dollars cheaper than in many other states. 

What are the benefits of going solar?

Many states have various incentives for going solar, and Connecticut is no different. Here’s just a few of the bonuses you might need to know:

1. 26% federal tax credit- You can claim up to 26% of the total price of your solar installation as a deduction on your federal tax returns. This may not sound like much, but remember you’re talking about an amount in the thousands of dollars
2. Property tax exemption- The state of Connecticut does not allow property taxes to be reassessed due to the addition of solar panels. In other words, they won’t make your taxes go up, something we can all get behind.
3. Sales tax exemption- Your solar purchase is exempt from state sales taxes, which can save you hundreds of dollars on your purchase. 
4. Connecticut Green Bank Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP)- Homeowner can be compensated up to $0.42 for each watt of installed system size. For more details, see: https://www.ctgreenbank.com/rsip-resources/

Researching a Solar Company:

So I’ve presented some companies above and given you a few snippets about them, but in the end you’re the one who’s going to have to live with the company you choose. So what do you need to look for in a solar company? Here’s a few suggestions:

1. How long have they been in the business? Obviously even brand new companies may be great at what they do; However, you’ll have a lot more peace of mind about your investment if you can take a peek at a resume that includes many years of successful installations. 
2. Types of solar panels and quality: There are three kinds of solar panels generally available- amorphous, polycrystalline, and monocrystalline. Amorphous are the cheapest but least efficient kind of panels. Polycrystalline panels are bigger and a great choice for people with lots of space for panels, but somewhat more expensive than Amorphous. Monocrystalline are the smallest and most efficient panels, but also the most expensive by a good bit, and they are a great choice for people without a lot of space available to place solar panels.

3. Payment: A solar installation is going to be expensive any way you slice it. Some companies are going to want the whole thing up front, which might be impossible for some customers without some kind of loan. Other companies have payment options that may work better for you, so be sure you know what the company offers.

4. Warranties: Most companies have some form of warranty- in fact, I’d recommend avoiding companies that don’t. In some cases a company will warranty their work and your panels for their entire lifespan- usually 20-25 years. Solar panels are just like any other appliance, things will go wrong and you will need routine maintenance from time to time, so be sure you can live with a company’s warranty policy before laying your money down.

5. Reviews: Like most things in life, word of mouth is the best indicator of how good (or bad) a company is. They can have a fantastical website and outstanding youtube videos, but if 7 out of 8 reviews are 1 star, you might want to think twice about this one.  

Summary:

I wanted to focus on the solar companies in Connecticut in this article, because there are a lot of them out there and most of the ones I looked at seemed to be very good. Your job, as the consumer, is to review your options and pick the one that works best for you.