Solar Power World, the premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market and publisher of the annual Top Solar Contractors List, is proud to support the third year of its product-related awards program for the U.S. solar and storage industry: Top Products presented by Solar Power World.
The Top Products presented by Solar Power World contest celebrates the most innovative and significant products available to the U.S. solar and storage industry in 2026. This competition is judged by industry professionals with experience in all markets, representing the research, product development and installation sectors. Awarded products are assessed on their originality, market promise and benefits to installers and developers. See the 2025 winners here.
Submissions for the 2026 Top Products program are no longer being accepted. Winners will be revealed in our November magazine and online.
The 2026 Top Products program will follow two tracks: residential and large-scale. The categories are:
- Solar Panels
- Inverters + Power Electronics
- Racking + Mounting + Tracking
- Software + Apps
- Balance of System (BOS)
- Energy Storage
- EV + Grid Integration
- Installation Equipment
- Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Tools
Entries submitted must be products that are commercially available in the United States and have been installed/used in real-life situations (no products only in testing or trial phases). The entry deadline is Sept. 4, 2026, with an entry fee of $375. Late entries, with an increased fee of $475, will be accepted until Sept. 30, 2026.
Best submissions should include the following:
- A basic description of the product in fewer than 250 words.
- High-resolution (300 dpi) product photo and companion data sheet (if relevant).
- Description of the product’s purpose: What problem does it solve? How does it improve on older products? How is it different from competing products?
- Information on the product development process: Was there any customer input? How was it tested?
- Real-life examples: How has the product already been installed or used by customers in the United States? How has it improved final projects, ROI or installation effort?
Winners of the 2026 Top Products contest will be announced online and in our printed magazine in November.
Product Examples (not exclusive nor limited to these examples):
| Category | Residential | Large-scale |
| Solar Panels | Traditional solar panels, BIPV | Large-format panels, bifacial |
| Inverters + Power Electronics | Microinverters, MLPE, string inverters, power optimizers, rapid shutdown devices |
String inverters, central inverters |
| Racking + Mounting + Tracking | Sloped roof mounts, racking, flashing | Ground-mounts, trackers, foundations, ground screws, flat roof mounts, floating PV |
| Software + Apps | Design software, sales software, drones used in design, VPP programs |
Community solar billing programs, tracker design software |
| Balance of System (BOS) | Wire clips, conduit mounts, gateways, critter guards |
Cable management, transformer skids, combiner boxes |
| Energy Storage | Residential ESS | Large-scale ESS |
| EV + Grid Integration | Residential EV chargers, bidirectional chargers |
Commercial EV chargers, fleet V2G programs |
| Installation Equipment | Torque tools, pile drivers, module lift devices, installation robotics, safety harnesses, measurement devices |
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| O&M Tools | O&M software, aerial analytics, drones, inspection robotics, mowing devices, panel cleaning aids |
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