Finding Hawaii Solar Installers
How do I find a reputable solar installer in Hawaii?
Finding a solar installer is easy, but finding an installer who you trust to provide the best service at the best price is a tall order.
This page is intended to serve as a general primer on choosing an installer, but you can also check out our complete list of solar companies in Hawaii.
There are a number of important things to consider when looking for and choosing an installer:
- Do I know anyone who installed a system with this company?
- Are there any online reviews of this company?
- Is this company a general contractor installing solar or a professional solar company (there’s a difference)?
There are two components to the last question, because when a solar system is installed it’s being built onto the roof. That means you’ve got both general contractor/construction work being done, as well as all the intricacies of designing the system (which is a skill).
How do I know they won’t leave holes in my roof?
To underscore the point: if you’re working with a contractor here you’ve got to take into consideration the same things you would with an everyday contractor. There are a number of resources to help you find good contractors, and our list of solar companies linked above provides links to both the Better Business Bureau and the Yelp ratings of all the solar installers we know about in Hawaii.
How do I know they understand solar power?
Beyond the roof question, you’re going to find two general types of installers in Hawaii: local general contractors installing solar panels and honest to goodness solar companies, like SolarCity and Mercury Solar. These are large, national companies that have a local presence on the islands, and there’s a lot to be said for going with a big company since they have access to bulk pricing on components and have (hopefully) a good track record installing systems.
How do I find a solar installer in HI?
There are a couple things you can do here.
#1. Ask you friends – who do you know that has installed panels? Even if you don’t know everyone in your neighborhood it’s likely that someone has put panels on their roof. Meet the neighbors and learn about their experience, what company they used, and whether or not the recommend the same installer.
#2. Check out our complete list of solar installers – you might consider choosing an installer based on the rankings on Yelp and BBB. Word of mouth is always going to be better than an online review service (remember, negative reviewers are actually more likely to seek out a place to complain than satisfied customers), but you can still learn a lot from these sites. Call up a few companies and ask about how they do business. Ask for a quote. The only trouble here is the time involved in working with multiple installers. It’s likely they’ll want to come out to your home and do a shade analysis of the roof (this is important) as well as try to sell you a system (their job).
#3. Fill out the interest form on this site – Your information will be reviewed and a free online quote will be prepared for you, so you can get all the same information without the work (or anyone hard-selling in your living room). You’ll also have the chance to talk to a solar professional on the phone who can answer your questions about installers as well as anything else you might want to know about solar and your home.