15 Best Solar Companies in Fort Collins, CO (2024 Reviews)
We analyzed over 1500 solar companies in the nation,
and have selected the top 15 in Fort Collins based on:
Customer review scores- Service area for Fort Collins, CO
- Company policies and services offered
- Accreditations and certifications
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Average Fort Collins homeowner saves $1,491/year with solar panels
Why you can trust EcoWatch
Best Solar Companies in Fort Collins
Looking to go solar but not sure which company would be the best one for your needs? Although it can be difficult to choose a solar company, the effort will pay off because going solar has many good perks. With high amounts of average daily sunlight in Fort Collins, the solar industry is doing fairly well. An overlooked reason for this growth has been national incentives that help with residential and commercial solar projects.
To help you search through the huge amount of Fort Collins solar installers, we’ve come up with a list of the top ones.To get a sense of what it would cost to put solar panels on your roof, you can click the button below to get a quote from a certified installer near you.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Best Social Impact
Palmetto Solar
- Expansive service area
- Makes charitable contributions
- Certified B Corp
- No leases or PPAs
- Quality of installation may vary by location
EcoWatch Rankings for Solar Companies in Fort Collins
Smart Wave Solar
Prompt Service Delivery- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
Limited information available on website
Services Offered
Battery Storage- Financing Assistance
- Panel Installation
Next Energy Solar
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Panel Installation
Alt E Wind & Solar, Ltd.
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Financing Assistance
- Consultation
Solar Pathways Energy & Electrical
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Solar Panel Upgrades
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Panel Installation
- Skilled Repairs
- Solar Carports
Solargize, LLC
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Financing Assistance
- Panel Installation
REenergizeCO - Fort Collins Insulation & Solar
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- System Decommissioning
- Panel Installation
Sandbox Solar LLC
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Consultation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Skilled Repairs
- Permit Assistance
- System Decommissioning
- Battery Storage
- Panel Installation
- Off-Grid Solar Systems
Klick Solar
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- Financing Assistance
- Consultation
Columbine Roofing & Solar
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Family-Operated Business
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Skilled Repairs
- Panel Installation
- Consultation
- Financing Assistance
Progreen Solar
- Reliable Customer Support
- Informative Resources
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Free Quotes
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Off-Grid Solar Systems
- Panel Installation
- Battery Storage
Independent Power
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Free Quotes
- Reliable Customer Support
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Off-Grid Solar Systems
- Financing Assistance
- Panel Installation
- Battery Storage
The Electric and Solar Specialist
- Reliable Customer Support
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Free Quotes
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
Photon Brothers
- Reliable Customer Support
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Informative Resources
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Solar Panel Upgrades
- Tesla Powerwall
- Financing Assistance
- Panel Installation
- Battery Storage
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Skilled Repairs
- Consultation
Vanguard Solar Services
- Informative Resources
- Reliable Customer Support
- Prompt Service Delivery
- Free Quotes
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- System Decommissioning
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Consultation
Apollo Energy
- Reliable Customer Support
- Free Quotes
- Informative Resources
- Clear Pricing Policy
- Limited information available on website
Services Offered
- Panel Installation
- System Decommissioning
Methodology: How We Ranked the Best Solar Companies in Fort Collins
EcoWatch's solar experts analyzed each solar company in Fort Collins based on criteria such as its reputation in the industry, customer reviews, services, warranty coverage and financing. Using this solar methodology, we used the data we collected to rate and rank each company and narrow down our picks for the best solar companies in Fort Collins
Below are some the criteria we examined specifically for Colorado solar companies
- Brand reputation and certifications (20%): We take each company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) score into consideration, as well as how long the installer has been in business (at least 5 years is required, 10 preferred) and what type of solar certifications it holds.
- Customer reviews (20%): Trust is a top priority at EcoWatch, so we take customer experience under close consideration. We scour different review sites and customer testimonials when ranking our top solar companies, checking sites such as Trustpilot and Google Reviews. We also consider any potential complaints or lawsuits filed against these companies and award or remove points accordingly.
- Warranty (20%): A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers 25-year warranties that cover performance, product and workmanship. The industry standard that we measure companies against is 25-year product and performance warranties, along with a 10-year workmanship warranty. We also look closely into the track record of the post-installation support each company provides in terms of honoring its contracts
- Solar services (10%): All of the companies we review install solar panels, but we award companies higher points if they offer additional services for customers, like battery installation, energy-efficiency audits, and EV chargers.
- Pricing and financing (10%): It's hard to get exact quotes for solar projects, but we use marketplace research to determine how each company prices its equipment and installation services. Additionally, companies that offer more help for panel financing — like in-house loans, leases, or PPAs — score higher than those that don't.
- Availability (10%): The bigger the service area, the higher the company will score.
- Transparency and accessibility (5%): Solar installers that offer free consultations and easy contact methods score higher in this category.
- Environmental, social and corporate governance factors (5%): A company earns a perfect score in this category if it offers public data disclosure, addresses end-of-life (EOL) products or processes, and demonstrates a commitment to uplifting the communities that it serves.
The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Fort Collins
We get that for many homeowners, the decision to invest in solar depends on installation costs.There are several factors you should take into consideration when determining the overall cost and how much you can save, including:
- Incentives: Tax-paying citizens who install a solar system this year can save 0 of their total solar spend by using the federal solar investment tax credit. You can also save about $18,000 on your energy bills over 20 years not including incentives.
- System size and type: Some models are more expensive than others, so the one you decide on can raise or lower your initial investment. Plus, the more solar panels you need to get, the more it'll cost.
- Average daily sunlight: Since Fort Collins gets a decent amount of average daily sunlight, your solar panels can generally produce enough energy to power your whole home, which impacts how much your solar panels can save you on your electricity bills.
- How much power your household needs: If your home uses a lot of energy, you'll reap more rewards from going solar.
Although a solar panel system costs a sizable chunk of money upfront, it can save you thousands of dollars in the long term. The question of how much, though, depends on a number of factors, including the kind of solar panels you get and incentives.
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Solar Incentives in Fort Collins
There are a lot of reasons why adopting solar power is beneficial. One of them includes some government incentives that can help save you some money.Regardless of what state you live in, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which will allow you to claim 0 of how much your solar project cost on your tax return, reducing the amount of taxes you owe that year. In addition, there may be some local incentives that stack with the ITC too. You can find out about the incentives you can take advantage of in our article on solar incentives
Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Fort Collins
An important reason so many consider adopting solar energy is to help bring down their environmental impact.Something many might be wondering about is how much can they really help protect the environment by going solar anyway? Using green energy for electricity in place of burning fossil fuels is an impactful way to lower your carbon footprint if you're conscious of Fort Collins' large level of greenhouse gas emissions.While solar panel production releases carbon dioxide emissions, the panels make up for it by significantly lowering the amount of CO2 you would have been responsible for if you still used nonrenewable energy. In Fort Collins, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 100 pounds a year with solar panels. For homeowners who are worried about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for offsetting your carbon emissions.
Best Solar Financing
Blue Raven Solar
- Industry-leading in-house financing
- Competitive pricing
- Excellent reputation
- Doesn't offer solar batteries
Best for Leasing
Sunrun
- Expansive service area
- Many financing options
- Some reported issues with customer service
- Some reported issues with door-to-door sales
Best Social Impact
Palmetto Solar
- Expansive service area
- Makes charitable contributions
- Certified B Corp
- No leases or PPAs
- Quality of installation may vary by location
EcoWatch's Fort Collins, CO Solar Company Rankings FAQs
What is the best solar company in Fort Collins?
In Fort Collins, Smart Wave Solar is the best local solar company. Our team of experts rates it 4.80 stars, so it's a solid choice if you're planning on installing solar panels on your house.
What are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of switching to solar?
A few of the biggest pros are that it lowers your electricity bills, it’s environmentally friendly, and it can provide a significant return on your investment (ROI). The most notable cons are that solar panels don’t produce electricity at night, they cost a lot upfront and solar panels aren’t always aesthetically pleasing.
Are solar panels worth it?
Solar panels call for a considerable upfront investment that costs over ten thousand dollars, but whether or not solar panels are worth it depends on a variety of factors like local electricity rates and the amount of direct sunlight your roof gets.
How often do solar panels need to be replaced?
On average, the lifespan of solar panels is about 25 to 30 years. Some even last up to 50 years, but efficiency decreases by about 0.8% each year. You can choose to replace them sooner if you want to maintain a larger amount of energy production.
Our goal is to reach as many people as we can with sensible solutions like solar energy. Our team of full-time local researchers collects solar price and installation data for every city in America then compiles it to create these digestible city guides. If you want to read our solar expert’s opinion on the top solar companies featured here, follow this link.
Company research was conducted by Melissa Smith and Karsten Neumeister. Local data analysis was conducted by James Savino. See something we missed or could do better? Email the editor.