Best solar companies
See which solar companies actually install in your area, proven by public records, not ads. Then let vetted installers compete on your project, with your best price guaranteed.
New data study: what 155,000+ published reviews reveal about California solar companies.
Read the California Solar ReportInstaller reviews
| County | Systems | Active installersEvery company that filed an interconnection in 2025, including small and occasional operations. | % leasedShare of recorded systems that are third party owned: a lease or power purchase agreement. The remainder are customer owned. | Median installed price ($/W)Median reported cost per watt from owned-system California interconnection filings. Actual quotes vary with roof, equipment, battery, utility, and site conditions. | Solar.com base price ($/W)Starting price before site-specific adders such as roof complexity, electrical work, and batteries; final quotes vary. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego CountyA mature SDG&E market where high rates and the Net Billing Tariff make solar plus storage the normal design.285,020 systems548 active installers23.4% leased | 285,020 | 548all sizes, 2025 | 23.4% | $4.82/W | $2.53/W48% below median |
| Riverside CountyBig inland loads, low base pricing, and a sharp split between SCE battery economics and Riverside Public Utilities municipal rules.198,935 systems514 active installers44.6% leased | 198,935 | 514all sizes, 2025 | 44.6% | $4.13/W | $2.41/W42% below median |
| Los Angeles CountyThe largest installer field shown here, with SCE territory plus municipal pockets like LADWP, Glendale, Pasadena, and Burbank.190,760 systems744 active installers35.1% leased | 190,760 | 744all sizes, 2025 | 35.1% | $3.99/W | $2.54/W36% below median |
| San Bernardino CountyFoothill and Inland Empire homes with large summer loads, SCE exposure, and one of the highest TPO shares in the dataset.142,132 systems444 active installers45.5% leased | 142,132 | 444all sizes, 2025 | 45.5% | $4.25/W | $2.54/W40% below median |
| Orange CountyA dense coastal and inland market where SCE dominates, with Anaheim Public Utilities as the big municipal exception.129,570 systems621 active installers28.3% leased | 129,570 | 621all sizes, 2025 | 28.3% | $4.13/W | $2.54/W38% below median |
| Fresno CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 96,749 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records.96,749 systems281 active installers34.5% leased | 96,749 | 281all sizes, 2025 | 34.5% | $3.85/W | $2.65/W31% below median |
| Kern CountyPG&E and SCE territory with 90,384 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records.90,384 systems302 active installers39.0% leased | 90,384 | 302all sizes, 2025 | 39.0% | $3.73/W | $2.59/W31% below median |
| Contra Costa CountyPG&E territory with 89,151 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records.89,151 systems364 active installers23.2% leased | 89,151 | 364all sizes, 2025 | 23.2% | $4.54/W | $2.57/W43% below median |
| Santa Clara CountyPG&E territory with 86,450 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records.86,450 systems370 active installers18.7% leased | 86,450 | 370all sizes, 2025 | 18.7% | $4.58/W | $2.57/W44% below median |
| Alameda CountyPG&E territory with 75,871 recorded home solar systems in public interconnection records.75,871 systems348 active installers18.6% leased | 75,871 | 348all sizes, 2025 | 18.6% | $4.58/W | $2.59/W43% below median |
% leased counts systems recorded as third party owned, meaning a lease or power purchase agreement. The remainder are customer owned. Active installer counts include every company that filed an interconnection that year, down to small and occasional operations. Counts come from PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E interconnection records; homes served by municipal utilities like LADWP, SMUD, and city power departments interconnect through their local utility instead, so companies focused on those territories show fewer records here. Star ratings and review counts are from Google.
The Solar.com Installer Score
Sales integrity, price transparency, communication, timeline reliability, workmanship, and long-term support. A company can carry a strong star average while one category tells a different story; that gap is usually where the real story is.
Reviews with no concrete facts don't count toward category scores. Recent reviews weigh more than old ones, and reviewers with real track records weigh more than drive-by accounts. Companies with fewer than 20 analyzed review texts are not yet scored, rather than scored badly.
Scores appear on county rankings with side-by-side comparison and on installer review profiles, rolling out market by market as each area's full review record is processed. Any scored company can bid on your project through solar.com.
Read the full methodology: how the Solar.com Installer Score works →
What to compare
A familiar name on the truck does not decide your price, your equipment, or your warranty. The contract does. Every solar.com proposal comes with these four locked in writing.
Solar.com price
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Los AngelesLA County
IrvineOrange County
RiversideRiverside County
Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino County
San DiegoSD CountyLocal rankings
Search city pages, compare scored installers, and then run your address for direct bids.
We separate two questions: what customers report, and who should bid on your roof. Public ranking pages order scored companies by the Solar.com Installer Score, keep unscored active companies visible below them, and show verified interconnection activity alongside the score. Address-level matching adds license, insurance, workmanship history, bid accountability, and ongoing review.
No. Public placement is not for sale. Solar.com Scores are computed from review evidence and utility-record track record, and solar.com vetting is separate from paid advertising.
Every grid-tied solar project files an interconnection record. That makes the data a useful way to see who is actually building systems in a county instead of relying on review counts or sponsored lists.
Compare all-fees price per watt, equipment class, roof and electrical adders, workmanship warranty, manufacturer warranties, monitoring, and whether the offer is owned solar or a lease-style structure.
No. A low bid still has to use bankable equipment, a clean design, clear warranty coverage, and an installer that can stand behind the work. The right number is a direct, accountable bid, not just a cheap teaser.
The table shows recorded install volume. Your address determines roof geometry, utility, usage, battery need, and which vetted installers can bid through solar.com. That is where price becomes real.
Run your address and see direct pricing in about two minutes. No sales call required.
946,000+ home solar systems appear in California public utility records through May 2026. We use those records, not ads or paid reviews, to see who actually installs in each market. San Diego County is the largest market shown here with 285,020 systems, while San Benito County has the lowest median installed price at $3.06/W per watt in owned-system public records. Active installer counts include every company that filed in 2025. The ranked lists cover the established companies in each market: scored companies first, followed by not-yet-scored active companies ordered by recent installs.
Methodology: Counts are residential PV interconnections in investor-owned-utility territory (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) per CPUC Rule 21 public records through May 2026. Postal and name variants are merged. Municipal utility territory such as LADWP, Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Anaheim, and Riverside Public Utilities is not included in those CPUC counts. Counts show recorded installations, not quality ratings. Reported costs are self-reported on owned-system interconnections. No installer can pay for placement.
Who we are: Solar.com is a solar marketplace — we connect homeowners with installers and earn a fee when projects move forward. These rankings and scores are computed from public installation records and published customer reviews. No installer can pay for placement, and no installer — including those we work with — can pay to change a score.