How to Choose a Solar Company in New York
Every "best solar companies" list you will find is ordered by commission, including, in fairness, the incentives on this site. So instead of a ranking, here is the framework we would use ourselves.
The most useful checks on a New York solar company are: NYSERDA participating contractor status, which is required for the state rebate; NABCEP certification of the people doing the work; current licensing and insurance; and whether installation is performed in-house or subcontracted.
Why rankings are not worth much
Solar is a high commission industry. A single residential lead can carry a top-of-page bid above sixty dollars, which tells you how much a customer is worth. That economics shapes almost every ranked list you will encounter.
We are in that industry too. We earn a fee when someone we refer goes ahead. The honest response is not to pretend otherwise, it is to give you the evaluation method rather than a conclusion.
The four checks that actually matter
NABCEP directory
Check whether the individuals doing your installation hold the industry standard credential. NABCEP certifies people, not companies, which is worth knowing when a company advertises it.
NYSERDA participating contractor list
In New York this is not optional. The NY-Sun rebate is only available through an approved contractor, and the state tax credit is calculated after that rebate.
Your state licensing board
Verify electrical licensing, and ask for current certificates of general liability and workers compensation insurance before work starts.
Third party review platforms
Google, the Better Business Bureau and EnergySage carry real customer reviews. Read the negative ones and look at how the company responded.
Business models, and their structural trade-offs
| Model | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| National installer | Scale, standardised process and financing depth. Less local knowledge of your utility's interconnection quirks and town permitting. |
| Regional or local installer | Knows your utility and building department. Smaller service footprint, and long-term warranty depends on the company surviving. |
| Sales organisation with subcontracted install | The company selling is not the company on your roof. Ask who performs the work and who honours the workmanship warranty. |
| Lease and PPA specialist | No upfront cost and the owner claims the federal credit. You do not own the asset and the agreement runs 15 to 25 years. |
Questions worth asking any of them
- Is this a purchase, a loan, a lease or a power purchase agreement? The answer changes everything else.
- If financed, what is the dealer fee, and what is the cash price of the identical system?
- If leased or a PPA, what is the annual escalator and what does the payment look like in year 20?
- Who actually performs the installation, the company or a subcontractor?
- What does the workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and who honours it?
- What production is guaranteed, and what happens if the system underperforms?
- Is a service upgrade included or excluded from this price?
- How does the agreement transfer if I sell the house?
Questions people ask about this
We are not going to name one, because we earn referral fees and any ranking we published would be shaped by that. What we can tell you is what to verify: NYSERDA participating contractor status, NABCEP certification, current licensing and insurance, and whether installation is in-house or subcontracted.
Both work. National companies bring scale and financing depth. Local companies know your utility's interconnection process and your town's permitting office, which is where most solar timelines slip. The more important question is who physically performs the installation.
Two or three is plenty to see the range. Beyond that you are mostly adding sales calls. Compare on net cost per watt and check inclusions line by line, because headline totals are not comparable between different system sizes.
Pressure to sign at the first visit, particularly paired with a discount that expires that day. A solar system is a 25 year decision. Any legitimate company will let you read the contract.
It matters that you know. Subcontracted installation is common and not inherently a problem, but you should know who will be on your roof and who is responsible if something needs fixing years later.
How to check any solar contractor
This is a new site with no customer reviews, so we are not going to show you any. What we can do is tell you exactly what to verify about whoever contacts you, and where to look it up. That applies to the installer we refer you to and to every other quote you get.
NABCEP certification
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is the industry standard credential for solar installers. It certifies the individual professional who holds it, not the company, so a firm advertising it may have one certified person and twenty who are not.
How to check. Ask which named individual holds it, then search that name in the directory.
Search the NABCEP directoryNYSERDA participation
Registration in the state's NY-Sun programme. This one is not a nice to have: the New York State incentive is only available through an approved contractor, so using an unregistered installer forfeits it. Some also hold the Quality Solar Installer designation, which requires at least 12 NY-Sun projects in the past year and an average of 4 out of 5 on NYSERDA's own field inspections.
How to check. Search the company name in NYSERDA's list before you sign anything.
Check NYSERDA's contractor listLicensing and insurance
Appropriate electrical licensing for the work, plus general liability and workers compensation cover. A contractor without workers compensation can leave you personally exposed if someone is injured on your roof.
How to check. Ask for certificates of insurance naming you, and check the licence with your town or county before work starts. Do not accept a policy number alone.
Local experience
Interconnection is where most New York solar timelines slip, and it is handled very differently by Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, RG&E and PSEG Long Island. Permitting varies again by town.
How to check. Ask how many systems they have energised on your specific utility in the past year, and for two addresses in your county you can drive past.
NY Solar Finder is operated by RBR Growth Consulting. We are not a solar installer, we hold no industry certification, and we do not guarantee the credentials of the company that contacts you. We name these standards, and link to the bodies that issue them, so that you can check that company yourself before you sign anything.
Related reading
See what solar would look like on your roof
One local installer, one free consultation, one written proposal. Your details are never sold.