There are many ways products can aid installation in the residential market, whether its software that makes designing easier or mounting systems with fewer parts to assemble. For the 2024 Top Products, our residential judges assessed products on their originality, market promise and benefits to installers and developers. These are the highest performing products, as averaged by the scoring completed by our judges. Congratulations to the Residential Best in Show winners!
Also be sure to see our Honorable Mention awards in the residential market here.
Aurora Solar – Lyra
The top-ranked product for the residential market as chosen by our judges is Lyra’s plan set, now part of Aurora Solar’s software offering. The product was first publicly released in 2019 but was integrated into Aurora Solar’s popular platform in the summer of 2024, bringing it to a much larger customer base.
Lyra’s software helps solar professionals automate, create and export permit-ready plan sets quickly, typically in less than 60 seconds. Solar permitting can be challenging for homeowners and installers alike. Complex requirements from AHJs and the industry’s reliance on manual data entry contribute to significant delays and costs to solar installations. Lyra alleviates these challenges by providing almost-instant, permit-ready plan set packages.
Lyra uses advanced automation to generate compliant plan sets with minimal manual input. By integrating Lyra’s technology with Aurora Solar’s platform, solar professionals can deliver projects faster and cheaper, enabling more solar installations.
Lyra’s technology evolved over the past five years through market research, customer testing and product feedback. Lyra originated as SolarDesignTool before transforming into instant plan set software. Throughout the journey that eventually led to an Aurora acquisition, Lyra listened to customer feedback to provide a valuable product to contractors and installers navigating difficult and varied permitting requirements. To-date, Lyra has generated thousands of instant plan sets across the United States, and its recent integration into Aurora Solar’s platform will mean millions of installations in the next few years will save time and money with this important product.
“The industry has been waiting for a tool like Lyra. In just a few minutes, one can create a complete permit package that meets all manufacturer specs, is compliant with electrical, fire and structural codes, and is ready to submit to the AHJ and utility.”Kate Collardson, judge
King Products – Permanent Roof Anchor
An installation aid for the residential solar market, the Permanent Roof Anchor from King Products is one of this year’s Best-in-Show award winners. The fall protection solution for solar installers was first introduced this year and is a necessary piece of equipment for any solar installer working on sloped roofs.
Reliable roof anchors are difficult to find in the solar industry. Existing options are often incompatible with all roof types, and their installation frequently results in roof leaks due to improperly sealed penetrations. Their temporary nature also means that each time maintenance or cleaning is required, new anchors are installed, adding more holes to a roof and increasing the risk of future leaks.
Due to these challenges, solar installers may instead practice unsafe measures, like tying off to unsecured solar racking or skipping fall protection entirely. Additionally, ensuring proper compliance with safety inspections has been cumbersome. Logging these inspections has traditionally been unrealistic, leading to missed inspections and non-compliance.
Engineered for long-term, permanent installations, the King Products anchor is compatible with wood and metal substrates and installed with included fasteners and an adhesive membrane backing, ensuring a water-tight seal. The steel D-ring and stainless-steel lags provide durability and meet ANSI’s 5,000-lb requirement for safety.
The Permanent Roof Anchor also conveniently has a built-in digital inspection system. By scanning a QR code, users can log and track inspections, streamlining maintenance and compliance processes. The Permanent Roof Anchor is not just a tool used in solar installation; it’s a comprehensive system designed for the future of roof maintenance, cleaning and repairs — services that many residential solar installers are adding to their business offerings.
King Products partnered with Petzl America to gather feedback from solar installers to understand the limitations of existing roof anchors. The input helped shape the Permanent Roof Anchor’s design, and third-party testing ensures it has passed all safety compliance tests.
The Permanent Roof Achor by King Products has already been widely adopted on residential solar installations across the United States. Its permanent nature streamlines future visits, saving time and labor costs and encouraging better safety compliance.
Infinity Rack – Canopies and Carports
Canopies and carports are growing in popularity for the residential market. Infinity Rack’s small-scale offering is a Best-in-Show winner for 2024.
Infinity Rack offers durable, easy-to-install and aesthetically pleasing designs for even the smallest spaces. The innovative framing of the solar pergolas creates watertight BIPV designs, transforming environments into beautiful, functional spaces. Infinity Rack fully encases all wiring into its framing, and any framed solar module can be used in the setup.
Under development for the last decade, Infinity Rack’s design first started as a custom wood structure before progressing to aluminum glazing to best protect solar equipment for the long-term. Infinity Rack today offers five customized canopies: SunLounge, Aluminum Carport, Cantilever Carport, Dual Cantilever Carport and Super Span. The SunLounge is designed for residential outdoor living spaces, while the carport and super span structures are for multi-car parking areas. All designs center around Infinity Rack’s RoofBeam, a 14-ft (or longer) rafter that holds the solar modules. Modules are further supported by bonding rails, which can accommodate power optimizers and wire management clips. EPDM gaskets slide into slots on the rails’ top caps for a watertight seal, and a wire trough conceals wiring. Post bases can accept conduit or plumbing to bring electric and other utilities directly into the frame.
“Over the years, I have installed numerous solar carports and awnings and have noticed several consistent challenges. First, they often lack aesthetic appeal, as they tend to resemble basic carports. Second, the installation process can be time-consuming and complex. Third, installers typically have limited control over the design, as manufacturers often provide predetermined specifications, which restricts flexibility and creativity in adapting designs to unique locations. Infinity Rack offers a refreshing approach with a sleek, modern aesthetic and a watertight design. The modular components simplify installation and accommodate a range of structures, from small awnings to large carports. They also provide discreet options for wiring and the addition of LED backlit lighting. The manufacturer-provided design tool gives installers and designers greater creative freedom, enabling more customized solutions. While many manufacturers have made impressive contributions to the carport and awning market, Infinity Rack introduces valuable innovations that stand out.”Kevin King, judge
Enerflo – Sales and Project Management Platform
There are multiple areas in residential solar that benefit from software optimization, so it’s no surprise that software products would take two Best-in-Show awards this year. Enerflo’s sales and project management platform streamlines workflows to help installation companies close more deals, complete more projects and get paid faster — just as much of a business necessity as solar design software.
Enerflo first came on the scene in 2019, but its latest interpretation bundles canvassing, lead management and design proposals into one offering. The open API software platform built for the residential solar market consists of three primary components: Sales Core supports canvassing through project submission, Wingman supports the install process from project submission to PTO, and Customer Portals support the homeowners’ experience as their dedicated information and communications hub for the status of their solar project.
After experiencing first-hand the inefficiencies in the solar sales and install process, Enerflo’s co-founders designed their product to be an open API platform from the beginning. Enerflo identified gaps left by siloed apps and tools, and strategically created native platform features to fill in the picture — including its solar finance platform Lendflo and its document and contracting tool Docflo. Because no two Enerflo customers are exactly the same, the Enerflo support, strategy and development teams constantly incorporate partner feedback and suggestions into platform improvements, with the goal of making Enerflo the most user-friendly solar software platform available to solar companies of all sizes.
Enerflo is offered on a volume-based subscription plan that includes unlimited users, proposals, contracts and customer portals. The flat monthly rate ensures Enerflo partners get the most out of the platform with a competitive, predictable bill each month. Solar installers can focus on scaling their business instead of juggling multiple subscriptions to complete one job.
“Enerflo streamlines the solar installation process by integrating every critical platform, from sales to maintenance, into one seamless solution, empowering teams and customers to work together efficiently, ensuring smoother project management for growing companies.”Kevin King, judge
Lumos Solar – SolarPort
Aesthetics and ease-of-installation are important characteristics for any top product in the residential market. The SolarPort carport solution from Lumos ticks both those boxes and is a Best-in-Show winner for 2024.
The free-standing SolarPort is equally suited as a carport or backyard pergola and designed to be installed in just one day. The shade structure does not require heavy equipment or special fabrication skills and can easily be assembled through its bolt-together design.
SolarPort only accepts Lumos Vision solar panels, but the resulting sleek appearance is a selling point of this turnkey solution. Developed with almost two decades of experience in building architectural commercial solar carports, the SolarPort from Lumos fills a hole in the market for beautifully designed solar pergolas in the residential and small commercial segment. SolarPort also includes optional LED lighting, gutter and downspouts for further aesthetic charms.
Coming in three colors (black, white, gray) of powder-coated steel, SolarPort is offered in two configurations: SolarPort Single supports 12 Vision solar panels (4.26 kW), and SolarPort Double supports 24 Vision solar panels (8.52 kW). The carport has been installed in multiple residential and commercial applications already and successfully survived 4-ft snow loads and 100 mph wind speeds at a mountainous location in Colorado. SolarPort is built to last.
“SolarPort brings solar covered parking to residential applications. It’s an interesting option for homeowners without carports or garages. With EV charging and built-in LED lights, it provides an option for solar generation on sites that might not have suitable roof space available.”Kate Collardson, judge