What is the Top Solar Contractors List?
Solar Power World, the leading solar publication covering technology, development and installation, publishes the Top Solar Contractors List annually. The list includes hundreds of solar contractors and developers in the United States, listed and categorized by state/territory, service and market.
How does a company get on the Top Solar Contractors List?
Any U.S. company wanting to take part in the Top Solar Contractors campaign must fill out an application every year. It is free to apply, and the application is released online at the end of February. Companies are listed by their kilowatt capacity installed in the previous year, verified against state interconnection records.
Who can apply for the Top Solar Contractors List?
The list includes solar PV companies that provide the following services: EPC contracting, development, construction/installation, electrical work and/or rooftop-specific installations. Companies can do work in any market segment, including utility, commercial, community and residential. As a list focused on contractors physically completing installations, companies performing engineering-only tasks or offering only O&M services are not accepted.
How are companies on the Top Solar Contractors List determined?
Companies are listed according to the kilowatt capacity of projects they installed, developed or helped construct in the previous year within the borders of the United States and its territories (global installations are not counted, including installations in Canada). Each company is listed multiple ways: by state/territory, market and service. We also have a Top Solar + Storage Installer List that incorporates storage kilowatt-hours.
Only new and re-installed kilowatts installed in the previous calendar year can be submitted for each list. Re-installed kilowatts (in the case of re-roofing or other solar removal tasks) must be proven by supplemental information. O&M/post-installation-serviced kilowatts are not accepted. If you have acquired operational solar projects in the last calendar year, you cannot include those kilowatts in your application as you were not the initial development or installation company. This list is only for projects directly completed by developers, installers and subcontractors. No O&M or acquired projects are permitted.
What are the different solar service definitions?
- Developer – A company that secures financing for solar installations, often owning the result, and may or may not build the project, sometimes contracting with local EPCs.
- EPC – Responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction of non-residential solar projects. Often the primary contractor and will sometimes appoint subcontractors to do aspects of installation or electrical work. EPCs must perform some aspect of installation.
- Installer – A solar installer that works primarily on either residential or commercial rooftop installations or other small-scale systems.
- Electrical Subcontractor – A company that performs specialized work related to the installation of electrical systems, often under contract with the developer or EPC, up to transformer hookup. This role for the Top Solar Contractors List does not include transformer-only work.
- Installation Subcontractor – A company that often works under a developer or EPC on a specific aspect of a solar array, such as pile driving or panel installation. Engineering and civil construction firms completing non-solar-specific tasks (access road construction, land grading) without participating in hands-on solar installation cannot apply.
- Sales Partner – A company that only handles the sales process (usually within the residential market) and hands off the installation to a reputable installation partner.
What are the different market divisions?
The main list is separated into four main markets: Utility, Commercial, Community Solar and Residential. Kilowatts will be sorted into their appropriate market category, based on descriptions included in the submitted data documents. For example, a company may perform work in the Commercial, Community and Residential markets and will be listed accordingly in the three markets based on the kilowatts installed in the previous year within those markets individually.
Applicants will be asked to choose their “primary project type” for each market — tracking system vs. fixed-tilt within the utility market, and rooftop vs. ground-mount in the commercial, community and residential markets. These choices will not be reflected in new Top Solar Contractors sublists but will instead be included as secondary identifiers on the market lists for educational purposes.
General market definitions:
- Utility – Multi-megawatt ground-mounted projects, or smaller projects specifically completed for a utility.
- Commercial – Mid-size projects (roof or ground-mount) completed for a commercial entity, an industrial site, municipality or a nonprofit.
- Community Solar – Typically mid-size projects that have community solar subscribers.
- Residential – Any project completed for an individual home or housing complex.
How do I apply for the Top Solar Contractors List?
Applying is easy. The application is open from late February to late May every year. The 2026 application portal is now closed. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2026 List.
Can my company review the questions prior to filling out the application?
Yes. Each year we provide the application in PDF form to review. Here is the 2026 PDF, but note that we are no longer accepting applications, and the 2027 application may be different.
What information do I need to apply?
In addition to basic company information (number of employees, address, etc.), applicants must submit documented proof of installations in an Excel document. Data must be submitted to support claimed kilowatt installation numbers. We require for each project: project size (DC kilowatts), project location (city and state) and installation completion date (between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025 for the 2026 list).
For subcontractors unaware of project commissioning dates, please include your work completion date along with the name of the general contractor or project owner, so we have secondary information in case we need to follow up.
Please note, your provided information will not be used for any other purposes or provided to anyone else for solicitation. Your information will be destroyed after your number is verified.
Five documents or datasets may be submitted with applications to show 2025 projects, although we require at least one Excel document. Submitted data will be verified with state interconnection records and utility records. We will use context clues if your submitted completion date doesn’t exactly match official records. We have the right to remove companies from our list if we feel they have exaggerated numbers or cannot adhere to our data request.
Please format your Excel documents to at least show these specific data columns (yellow storage columns are only required if wanting to be included on our Solar + Storage Installer List):
PLEASE submit your data as closely to this example as possible. We require state and market distinctions.
When will the 2026 Top Solar Contractors List be published?
The 2026 list will be revealed in late July 2026.
Where can I see previous Top Solar Contractors Lists?
Previous lists are available on the Solar Power World website. Here are the lists for 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
Will there be a Top Solar Contractors Gala in 2026?
Kind of! We will continue the tradition of holding a virtual Gala in July 2026, and we will host an in-person reception at RE+ in Las Vegas in November. Further information about our Top Solar Contractors celebrations will be announced as we get nearer publication date.
I have a question that wasn’t answered.
That’s OK! Send us an email at [email protected].