Momentum Solar Vs. Vivint: Which Company Should You Choose? (2024 Guide)

Cost Comparison: Momentum Solar Vs. Vivint

Solar equipment is expensive, but you can sometimes keep costs down — or at least stay within your budget — by choosing a company that prices its services around where you can afford.

Below, we’ll discuss some reasons why your solar power system might cost different amounts from different providers. We’ll also compare Momentum and Vivint based on pricing.

Costs and Financing Options

The first thing that can impact your solar panel system pricing is the brand of equipment that you choose. There are quite a few panel manufacturers in the solar industry, and those that guarantee a high efficiency rating or above-average durability tend to be more expensive. 

However, they’re also more valuable and can increase your long-term energy savings.

Every company also charges unique prices for its labor, which can swing prices up or down by thousands in some cases. Solar energy companies that manage an in-house installation team usually have more overhead and, therefore, higher prices. Companies like Tesla that outsource work can often provide below-average prices for labor.

Finally, the financing options available from a solar company can affect what you pay and when. We’ll discuss these options briefly below:

• Cash purchase: Highest payment pre-installation but best long-term return on investment
• Solar loan: Low or zero-money down pre-installation but with slightly higher costs overall due to interest paid
• Solar lease: Low-to-no upfront payments, but the long-term savings are minimal relative to cash or loans
• Power purchase agreement (PPA): Similar to leases

If you do think a lease is the right option for you, we recommend that you watch this video first. 

Which Company Is Cheapest, Momentum Solar or Vivint?

Momentum Solar doesn’t post the brands of solar equipment it installs and instead offers to customize your system based on your preferences, your energy consumption and your property. However, it does only install tier-one monocrystalline panels.

Vivint historically installs solar equipment from the below brands:

• LONGi
• Costco
• Tesla Solar, including Tesla Powerwalls, panels and electric vehicle (EV) chargers
• Enphase microinverters and inverters

The equipment you can expect from these solar panel companies is about equal in value. However, Vivint installs it for slightly lower prices. Both companies offer free quotes, so you can compare on a more personal level if you need to.

Our Pick For Best by Cost – Vivint

If you’re choosing a company strictly based on cost, then Vivint is the way to go. Both companies accept cash, loans, leases and PPAs to keep renewable energy accessible, but Vivint has slightly lower prices overall.

Warranties Offered: Momentum Solar vs Vivint

The warranties provided with your photovoltaic equipment can provide you with peace of mind and assurance that your system will produce sufficient power for your home for years to come. Solar warranties protect your equipment, your system’s performance (power output) or the workmanship involved in the installation. The best warranties cover all three.

Momentum Solar provides a 25-year warranty that covers the equipment, plus a 25-year workmanship warranty. It also includes the manufacturer’s coverage, which typically protects the equipment and manufacturer defects only for between 10 and 25 years.

If you purchase or finance your panels through Vivint, you’ll get the manufacturer’s warranty only. However, if you lease your panels or choose a PPA, you’ll get a 25-year warranty for equipment, workmanship, energy production and roof leaks. This is outstanding, but it’s only available for the less appealing financing options.

Our Pick for Best Warranties – Momentum Solar

If you buy or finance your panels, Momentum Solar has superior warranty coverage that includes workmanship. If you lease your panels, Vivint has a far superior warranty. However, since we don’t recommend leasing, we have to go with Momentum for warranty coverage.

Coverage Area: Momentum Solar vs Vivint

Most solar companies don’t serve the entire country and instead are licensed and insured in just a handful of states. It’s a good idea to check the coverage area of an installer before looking further into its services, as this can save time during the research process.

Momentum Solar is a regional company that serves ten states via an in-house installation team. The states serviced include:

• Arizona
• California
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Massachusetts
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Texas

Vivint — through Sunrun — serves a more impressive 20 states, which include:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Vermont
• Wisconsin

Vivint also provides solar services in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Our Pick For Best Coverage Area – Vivint

Vivint has Momentum beat when it comes to coverage area. It serves two U.S. territories, plus more than twice the number of states Momentum covers.

Solar Panel Performance: Momentum Solar Vs. Vivint

Solar panel performance is something we strongly recommend considering before choosing a solar provider. Not only can your panels’ efficiency affect how many panels you need to install and, therefore, the cost of your solar energy system, but it can also have an impact on your long-term energy savings and how well net metering serves you if it’s available.

Momentum Solar and Vivint both install tier-one solar panels, which will rank similarly in terms of efficiency ratings. Specific production capacities will depend on the brand you actually have installed. Overall, though, your production will be similar regardless of which of these installers you choose.

Our Pick For Best Panel Performance – Momentum Solar

Momentum and Vivint are both about equal in terms of panel performance and energy production for similarly-sized rooftop solar systems. We would rank Momentum a bit higher, though, as some of its panel brands — like LG and Panasonic — have better ratings.

Best Regional Coverage

4.5/5

Great warranty coverageRepresentatives are experts on local policiesConcierge service ensures steady communication

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Best for Leasing

4/5

Expansive service areaMany financing optionsBBB Status: A-

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Customer Experience: Momentum Solar Vs. Vivint

The customer service offered by a solar installer isn’t always seen as a financial factor, but it certainly can be. Companies that offer good customer service are more likely to respond to warranty claims and fix issues, meaning your system will function as intended for longer.

In the sections below, we’ll provide some insight into how Momentum and Vivint conduct business and treat their customers.

What Customers Say About Momentum Solar

Momentum Solar has amassed an impressive number of positive company reviews for such a large company. Countless customers have noted that the concierge service is outstanding, leading to several benefits, including:

• Fast response times to inquiries
• Open scheduling availability for consultations and installations
• The employees’ ability to help take advantage of the federal tax credit and other solar incentives and rebates
• Overall positive experiences from start to finish

Of course, no company completely escapes bad customer reviews, and Momentum is no exception. Some customers have complained about spotty customer service and communication issues arising from the company’s size. Others have mentioned aggressive sales tactics, missed appointments and frustration with scheduling.

Below, we’ll include some customer reviews of this company to help you decide if it’s the experience you’re looking for.

“Wonderful experience from start to finish. Mina, the sales rep did a great job explaining the entire process in a way I was able to understand. We discussed the many benefits of solar energy from saving money to saving the planet! The installers were fantastic as well. They were polite and did a great job! I was so pleased that I bought the crew lunch! I would highly recommend Momentum Solar to anyone who is looking to make the switch!”

— Daniel Kappes via Google Reviews

“Absolutely horrible experience. 10 phone calls a day. Actually gave them a shot and had a presentation. Rep became hostile when we were hesitant to sign up on the spot. We were promised a 50 dollar gift card for the consultation. The appointment was back in August and we still have not received anything except for more phone calls to schedule an appointment. I would not trust this company to touch my house!!! They have no idea what they are doing!”

— Christopher Whetstone via Google Reviews

What Customers Say About Vivint

Unfortunately, Vivint has amassed countless negative reviews over the years. Customer complaints include:

• Harassing phone calls and door-to-door salespeople
• Misleading marketing tactics
• Poor customer service
• A lack of communication, especially after the installation process is completed

Vivint does have some positive reviews that seem to come from homeowners who have gotten a good representative assigned to their solar project. Additionally, customers who favor leases despite them being less appealing tend to rate Vivint positively.

Below are some reviews of Vivint/Sunrun to give you an idea of what to expect from this solar installer.

“My Sunrun panels have been active for over 5 years now, No problems, and thousands of dollars saved. The installation team was very effective and paid attention to every detail.”

— Leif L. via Better Business Bureau (BBB)

“First off, I am satisfied with the solar panels but unhappy about some of the service provided. Had to get the roof replaced due to damage. Sunrun had good response time for estimate and removal process. The nightmare started trying to get panels reinstalled. It took over 6 months to get panels reinstalled and never received an invoice to submit to insurance for claim. It took another 6 months just to get an invoice. Be sure to check all solar options before going with Sunrun or Vivint.”

— William B. via BBB

Our Pick for Best Customer Experience – Momentum Solar

Momentum Solar is a far better choice if you’re looking for a positive customer service experience. Vivint and Sunrun have both been riddled with complaints about poor customer service. While Momentum has its fair share of negative reviews, it provides much better customer support overall.

Which Company Is Best? Momentum Solar Vs. Vivint

Neither Momentum nor Vivint is the best solar company, but we’d recommend Momentum over Vivint for most homeowners. The table below provides a quick side-by-side look at these two providers.

Our Top Pick: Momentum Solar

Overall, we feel more comfortable recommending Momentum Solar. This company has far better customer service, provides slightly higher-quality solar equipment and it offers a much more appealing warranty.

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