Solar Power World, the solar industry’s leading business-to-business publication, today announced the release of its 2019 Top Solar Contractors list. The Top Solar Contractors list is the most recognized annual listing of solar contractors in the United States working in the utility, commercial and residential markets.
“Solar Power World enjoys assembling the Top Solar Contractors list each year, and our 2019 edition features hundreds of companies making big impacts in local energy markets,” said Kelly Pickerel, editor in chief of Solar Power World. “Solar power is becoming competitive with traditional electricity sources in more markets, and cities and states are demanding more renewable energy options. It’s a great time to be a solar installer, and we’re happy to highlight the best installation companies in the country on our list.”
The U.S. solar market is expected to see 14% growth in 2019, with over 12 GW of new solar power added to the grid this year. This increase in installations is attributed to strong residential solar interest and a rush to get projects in before the 30% federal investment tax credit steps down to 26% next year.
The emerging energy storage market will also influence solar installations going forward. In markets that encourage grid service applications like time-of-use (TOU) shifting, self-consumption and backup power, battery systems paired with solar arrays are attractive options for home and business owners looking to save costs. Solar Power World included the first Solar+Storage Installer sublist in the 2019 Top Solar Contractors edition in recognition of solar installers’ early efforts at coupling the two technologies for customers.
“It’s exciting to see the majority of companies on our list come back every year with even stronger numbers,” Pickerel said. “This year we included a Solar+Storage Installer list for the first time, and it’s great to see solar companies venturing into other areas to provide customers with more energy choices.”
Companies on the Top Solar Contractors list are grouped and listed by specific service (developers, electrical subcontractors, EPCs, installation subcontractors, rooftop installers), markets (commercial, residential, utility) and states by 2018 installed capacity (in kWdc).
Here are some ways to interact with the 2019 Top Solar Contractors list:
- Go to the web-based 2019 Top Solar Contractors list
- Read all of our Top Solar Contractor features from the magazine
Lists of contractors by market:
Lists of contractors by service:
- Top Solar Developers
- Top Solar EPCs
- Top Electrical Subcontractors
- Top Installation Subcontractors
- Top Rooftop Contractors
- Top Solar+Storage Installers
Individual lists of contractors in all 50 states and 4 districts/territories:
Other interesting facts about the 2018 Top Solar Contractors list:
- The 2019 Top Solar Contractors class installed solar in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories: Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- 89% of 2019 Top Solar Contractors work in the commercial market; 77% completed residential work last year; 36% worked on at least one utility-scale project.
- 52% of 2019-listed contractors installed 100% of their 2018 solar projects in the state that they’re headquartered.
- 75% of installers surveyed before May 31 said they’re primarily installing energy storage with brand new solar projects; 14% said they’re primarily installing energy storage with existing solar arrays in retrofit situations.
For more information on the annual Top Solar Contractors list, please read our FAQs.
Thank you for all of your hard work to create this list. I always find both the hardcopy and digital copy of the list very valuable when assessing what companies we want to get a bid from for a project we are looking to develop and finance. Keep up the great work! The solar industry appreciates it.
What a great list! How does a solar contractor get listed and rated?
Hi Harry, thanks for the kind words! Here’s all the info about how the list is compiled and how to apply: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/faqs-top-solar-contractors-list/
Wondering if you’d consider adding solar thermal installations to your list?
We have had solar thermal lists in previous years, but it was difficult to list BTUs or thermal installations in a measurable way. And as a PV-focused magazine, we have decided to just stick to what we know best.