Is Solar Worth It in Nebraska? (2024 Homeowner’s Guide)
By Dan Simms /
In this guide to Nebraska’s best solar companies, you’ll learn:
Each product and or company featured here has been independently selected by the writer. You can learn more about our review methodology here. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Despite solar’s lack of prominence in the state, Nebraska is still a great place to go solar. The Cornhusker state sees more sun than the national average at 223 sunny days per year.1 Switching to solar in Nebraska creates a potential energy savings of roughly $735 per year and total savings of around $18,399 after the system pays for itself.
Going solar in Nebraska is often an easy choice to make, but choose an installer to get there is much more complicated. So, what are the best solar companies in Nebraska? The EcoWatch team has ranked each of Nebraska’s solar installers based on who provides the best service specifically to Nebraska homeowners. Here are our top six picks:
Read on if you’d like to learn more about why we picked these companies as the best solar installers in Nebraska. You can click on the free quote button at any time to get connected with the most reputable installers in your area and find out how much you can save by installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
Cons
For a relatively small regional company, GenPro Energy has a big solar presence throughout North America, likely because it is trusted to tackle utility-scale and commercial solar installations. However, it takes great care of homeowners who want to go solar, too, which is why GenPro Energy Solutions was one of EcoWatch’s highest-scored solar companies in Nebraska.
GenPro maintains a good reputation for quality customer service, and its technicians are professional, timely, communicative and certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
Along with carrying a wide range of products, GenPro can tackle many different solar services, including the routine installations of panels and solar batteries, plus less-prevalent options like electric vehicle chargers, solar monitoring, energy audits and more.
The inclusion of solar batteries is especially important in Nebraska because the state as a less-than-ideal net metering program. Most customers receive net metering but get credited for excess energy at the avoided-cost rate, which isn’t as good as the full retail value. The policy will still save you money, undoubtedly, but you might also need to install solar storage to boost those long-term savings. Additionally, net metering policies have been on the decline in the U.S., so there’s a chance Nebraska’s net metering incentive will be discontinued. If that happens, batteries will become a necessity, and companies that install them, like GenPro, will be even more appealing than they are now.
Like many other companies in the area, GenPro Solar doesn’t accept leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs). We think this is fine now, as cash and solar loans are far more beneficial for most homeowners. However, if batteries do become the norm, they’ll add between $10,000 and $20,000 to the average installation costs, which would make solar less accessible overall. At that point, leases and PPAs, which help keep solar MORE accessible, would become more common and beneficial than they are now.
GenPro’s equipment warranties also only cover performance, which is great, but many Nebraska homeowners look for physical protection given the risk of tornadoes in the area. However, your homeowner’s insurance should cover storm damage to your panels.
Despite being founded in South Dakota, GenPro Energy has installed far more solar projects in Nebraska. In fact, out of all the states GenPro Serves, Nebraska is its second-biggest market, second only to Arizona.
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Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) |
Solar Services |
4.5 |
A+ |
$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, Generators, Energy-Efficiency Audits, Community Solar |
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
Cons
GRNE Solar, which recently rebranded to Nelnet Energy, is another regional company that serves all of Nebraska. It has a stellar reputation for above-average customer service, maintaining near-perfect reviews online from hundreds of customers. Plus, it maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
This company’s technicians are professional, friendly and knowledgeable. Plus, they’re reportedly easy to contact before, during and after installation, which is extremely important for homeowners new to solar energy.
Nelnet Energy offers a good number of services that can provide some customization, including installing electric vehicle chargers, ground-mounted solar panels, ballasted arrays and more. Importantly, Nelnet carries and installs Tesla Powerwalls, which are the most popular solar batteries in the industry. Again, batteries are helpful now for maximizing savings, given Nebraska’s less favorable avoided-cost net metering rates, but this will be an exceptional service addition in the future if and when the credit rate gets downgraded or abandoned, as it has in many other states.
The warranties included with all installations are along with the industry standard, including 25-year coverage for the equipment and 10-year coverage for workmanship.
In our opinion, the biggest disadvantage for Nelnet Energy is that its headquarters, and most of its installations, are located out of state. It focuses primarily on Illinois installations, so Nebraskan customers may not get its A-team when it comes to technicians and customer support.
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Solar Services |
4.5 |
A+ |
$$$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries, EV Chargers, Maintenance & Repairs, System Monitoring |
Regional Service
Average cost
Pros
Cons
Everlight Solar is an award-winning regional solar installer with a strong presence in the Midwest, including all of Nebraska. Everlight used to be praised for its excellent customer service, although the average ratings have come down in the recent past. It does still have an A+ rating with the BBB, though. The company’s positive reviews still mention prompt responses, attention to detail and consistent communication.
The solar technicians at Everlight are also always willing to help secure financing and take advantage of Nebraska incentives and tax exemptions, including the federal tax credit. Nebraska isn’t home to many state solar incentives, but the techs might be able to help you file for other local perks related to solar and energy efficiency upgrades, potentially saving you some additional money.
Everlight only accepts cash purchases and solar loans, so customers who want lease options or power purchase agreements (PPAs) — which we don’t recommend anyway — will need to look elsewhere. However, if net metering declines as we expect it to and batteries become more of a necessity in the state, the lack of leases and PPAs could leave more customers unable to afford solar.
A disadvantage to Everlight is that the company currently only carries a few solar panel brands and not many of the more popular options. However, it is a Tesla and Generac certified installer, so you can expect top-of-line solar energy storage systems, which is great news for homes in storm-prone Nebraska. These are also great for maximizing your solar savings, given the low net metering credit, and they’re likely to be the best options for maintaining significant solar savings if and when the net metering policy is abandoned in Nebraska.
It’s worth noting that Everlight was only founded in 2017, so the company doesn’t have a long-standing track record for great service like many of its competitors in Nebraska. But in its years of operating throughout the Midwest, customer feedback has been generally positive.
Everlight Solar offers industry-standard warranty coverage, including a 25-year performance guarantee and 10 years of coverage on equipment and workmanship. Based on customer comments, the company is easy to contact and quick to respond to warranty claims after installation.
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Solar Services |
4 |
A+ |
$$$$ |
Solar Panels, Solar Batteries |
Regional Service
Average cost
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Cons
Solar Omaha, formerly Solar Heat & Electric, was established back in 1983, so it has extensive experience with solar arrays in Nebraska. It’s based in Omaha (as the name suggests) but has expanded its services to all of Nebraska and three additional states.
Currently, this company only provides solar panel installations and maintenance, so customers looking for add-on products — like solar batteries or electric vehicle chargers — won’t find what they’re looking for with Solar Omaha. This is a pretty significant drawback, in our opinion, as most Nebraska customers get a less-than-ideal net metering rate, which means batteries are more beneficial here than in many other states with better NEM policies. We trust this will be a bigger sticking point if net metering gets discontinued, which we expect in the coming years, and we’d love to see Solar Omaha start offer storage solutions.
However, the company does tackle ground-mounted panels and offers great customization and design options for a unique solar panel system tailored to your specific needs and property. It also specializes in agricultural solar projects for farmers and ranchers.
Another downside is that Solar Omaha doesn’t offer any additional warranties for its solar panels, which means the manufacturer’s warranty is the extent of the coverage you’ll get. Although physical protection is included in that warranty, a guarantee for workmanship would be a nice addition, especially since the industry average for that coverage is 10 years.
Solar Omaha also only accepts cash purchases, although solar loans are available through third-party lenders. This is going to be more of an issue once batteries are the norm, as they make solar less accessible and can increase your installation costs by 50% or more in Nebraska.
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Solar Services |
3.5 |
A+ |
$$$ |
Solar Panels, System Monitoring, Agricultural Solar |
Local Service
Average cost
Pros
Cons
Great Plains Renewables is a large, regional solar company that services at least four states in the Midwest. However, it’s headquartered in Gretna, Nebraska, and delivers quality customer service throughout its home territory.
The company carries a good selection of panel and inverter brands, so you can optimize your system for efficiency, budget or both. Unfortunately, the variation in services provided is minimal, as Great Plains only tackles solar panel installs. Customers looking for energy storage solutions or electric vehicle chargers will need to choose a different solar installer.
Once again, this is a pretty significant drawback, given how valuable batteries are with the avoided-cost rate Nebraska mandates for NEM. If and when that rate goes down further like it recently did in California with NEM 3.0, or it’s discontinued, batteries might be a necessity for any customers looking for a positive ROI.
Great Plains Renewables can handle both residential and commercial solar installations and specializes in agricultural solar, so it’s a great option if you own a farm.
This company, like most in Nebraska, doesn’t accept leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs). That means your only option is to purchase your solar energy system in cash or via a solar loan (which we recommend anyway, as it will give you the biggest return on your solar investment). That does, however, mean that this provider will become less viable of an option for most homeowners if the NEM policy changes for the worse.
Although the equipment you purchase through Great Plains Renewables will come with a manufacturer’s warranty for physical damage, there is no additional coverage included from Great Plains Renewables.
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Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating |
Average Cost ($-$$$$$) |
Solar Services |
3.5 |
A+ |
$$$$ |
Solar Panels, Agricultural Solar |
Watch Below: Learn How Solar Panels Are Becoming So Efficient
The average cost of a solar panel system in Nebraska is $37,275 before applying the federal solar tax credit, or $26,093 after the credit is considered. But these costs reflect a fairly large 10.5 kilowatt (kW) solar panel system (the size needed to offset the average monthly energy usage in Nebraska).
Solar panel systems in Nebraska are typically priced per-watt, with the average cost in Nebraska at $3.55 per watt, so if you consume less energy, you could install a smaller, less-expensive solar system. Solar system prices in Nebraska typically range from $28,400 to $49,700 before applying any financial incentives.
Unfortunately, solar in Nebraska is still quite more expensive compared to the national average of $3.33 per watt. That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth going solar in Nebraska, as many solar customers still see plenty of electricity savings. But it does mean you’ll want to pull out all the stops to save money on your solar panels by doing the following:
The federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is the best financial incentive available to Nebraska homeowners who install solar panels. It’s a tax credit worth 30% of your total solar system cost, which in Nebraska comes out to roughly $11,183 on average.
But we want to be clear that the ITC is not a rebate, but rather a reduction on income taxes that you owe. This credit gets applied to your income taxes for the year your system is installed.
The downside is that if you don’t owe $11,183 in income taxes, you won’t get the full 30% back. However, the credit can be rolled over for up to five years.
Importantly, the ITC applies to all solar equipment, including batteries, which are crucial to maximizing solar savings in Nebraska. The typical cost of batteries sits between $10,000 and $20,000, so the ITC can be worth an average of between $3,300 and $6,600 more than the figure above if you also install batteries.
While the ITC is the largest incentive for going solar in Nebraska, there are a few others. Below is an overview of what’s available:
NEBRASKA SOLAR INCENTIVE | DESCRIPTION |
Federal Solar Tax Credit (ITC) | The federal solar tax credit is the most significant solar incentive in Nebraska, where solar is still growing in popularity and prevalence. This credit gets applied to your federal income tax liability the year you convert to solar, and the credit amount is equal to 30% of your total solar energy system cost.2 This rate will drop to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034 before being phased out in 2035. |
Property-Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) | The PACE program affords unique solar panel financing options to homeowners and business owners looking to convert to solar. The loans cover all upfront costs for eligible parties and are repaid over time with relatively little interest.3 PACE loans are attached to the property rather than the individual, so the value of the home is often used as collateral rather than an individual’s credit score. |
Net Metering | Net metering is a billing policy that lets you pull energy from the grid when your panels underproduce and offset the costs of that energy by sending power to the grid when your panels overproduce.4 Ultimately, this policy helps reduce or eliminate electricity bills once solar is installed in your home. We’ll discuss the specifics of Nebraska’s net metering policy below. |
Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Community Renewable Energy Projects | Nebraska incentivizes community-based solar projects by waiving sales tax on related solar equipment. This policy helps reduce the cost of community solar and other energy-efficiency initiatives, including geothermal and biomass projects.5 This affects homeowners who can enjoy pass-through savings when committing to community solar. |
Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Generation Facilities | Nebraska provides a property tax exemption to prevent your taxes from increasing as a result of going solar, but only in some cases. This incentive only applies to systems greater than 100 kilowatts, which is far larger than any single home would have installed.6 Instead, this helps avoid your property taxes from going up if you opt into a community solar project. |
Most people don’t think of sunshine when they think of Nebraska, but it’s actually the 14th sunniest state in the nation.7 That means you don’t need the most expensive, highest-efficiency solar panels to get good energy creation out of your panels.
The price of going solar will vary based on the type of solar panel you choose. Most homeowners in Nebraska install monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panels.
Type of solar panel isn’t the only factor. Just like with clothes, different brands of solar panels each come with varying qualities and price tags.
Because Nebraska sees a good amount of sunshine, you may be able to save on solar panels by choosing more affordable solar panel brands like Silfab or Qcells.
Nebraska homes consume 1,013 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month, which is much higher than the national monthly average of 881 kilowatt-hours.8 So the average Nebraska homeowner will need a relatively big 10.5 kW solar panel system to offset all of their energy needs.
However, your energy consumption may fall below average, which means you could get away with installing a smaller (and therefore less expensive) system. The table below shows how the size of your solar panel system affects the total cost before and after applying the ITC.
Size of Solar Panel System | Nebraska Solar Panel Cost | Cost After Federal Tax Credit |
8 kW | $28,400 | $19,880 |
9 kW | $31,950 | $22,365 |
10 kW | $35,500 | $24,850 |
11 kW | $39,050 | $27,335 |
12 kW | $42,600 | $29,820 |
13 kW | $46,150 | $32,305 |
14 kW | $49,700 | $34,790 |
Nebraska has been slower to the solar revolution, with only 14 installers headquartered in the Cornhusker State according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).9 But, there are a few bigger companies that serve Nebraska, too, like SunPower and ADT Solar, that may not be included in that number.
Regardless, we recommend getting solar quotes from two or more of the companies featured in this review to ensure you’re getting the best value solar panels. If you prefer one company over another but it’s more expensive, use the lower quote as a bargaining chip to see if you can save some money on your solar installation.
See Also: Calculate How Much You Can Save By Going Solar
Adding a typical kW solar panel system to your home in Nebraska can increase your property value by $17,000, according to SunPower.10
Multiple studies have confirmed that solar panels do increase the value of a home. Research from Zillow also shows that homes with solar panels typically sell for 4% more compared to homes without.11 With the average home value in Nebraska sitting at $245,663 as of January 2024, the value bump could be a bit more modest at around $10,072.
Cost is the number one reason why homeowners hesitate to install solar panels — especially in Nebraska where it’s a bit more expensive compared to the national average — $3.55 per watt as opposed to the national average of $3.33 per watt.
You may be wondering if you could save some money going solar by installing your own solar panels. But is DIY solar panel installation a good idea?
To figure out how much you’d save by installing your own solar panels, we first need to know how much labor costs in a solar installation. The truth is that it varies by company, but according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, labor typically accounts for at least 10% of the total cost of solar installation.12
In Nebraska where the average solar panel installation costs $37,275, installing your own panels could save you about $3,725. So we can see while it’s tempting. But don’t let cost be the only deciding factor here.
If you’re a handy homeowner, you might be feeling confident in a DIY solar panel installation. After all, we’re all experts after watching a few YouTube videos, right?
Not so fast.
Installing solar is more complicated than you think. Unless you’re an electrician or certified in a similar trade, we don’t recommend installing your own solar panels. There’s a reason why solar technicians have to go through rigorous training and licensing — it’s not an easy job. Installing solar comes with a lot of risks to you and your home.
Solar installation companies also have fancy software designed to find the exact angle and placement of panels to maximize production, which can lead to savings of well over $3,725 when you consider 25 years of production.
If you install your solar panels improperly, you run the risk of losing out on major solar power benefits. And that’s not to mention the potential home and roof damage you could cause in the process.
If you buy solar panels for your home instead of hiring a solar panel company, the panels and equipment you purchase may still be covered under the product manufacturer’s warranty. That’s typically a 10 to 25-year guarantee that the panels won’t fail.
Some solar panel brands may also offer a performance warranty, which guarantees 90% of solar electric production for 10 years and 80% at 25 years.
However, many manufacturer and performance warranties include language that they’re only valid if the solar PV system is installed by a professional technician.
If you’re planning a DIY installation, be sure to call the manufacturer and ask for clarification on the warranty to make sure your solar investment will be protected. Even if you’re capable of installing the panels, you don’t want to run the risk of being out of luck if you have a faulty panel.
Bottom line: solar is a big investment. While you may be able to save a few thousand dollars by performing a DIY solar installation in Nebraska, consider that you may put yourself, your home and your solar equipment at risk. The smartest thing to do is to protect your investment by hiring a reputable solar company.
There are over a dozen solar companies in Nebraska to choose from. Aside from price, what factors should you consider when trying to decide which installer is best for you? We recommend finding a company that fits the following criteria:
Going solar isn’t cheap, so you want to get the most out of your investment. Your solar panels should last you at least 25 years, so you shouldn’t accept a panel warranty that’s any less than that.
Everlight Solar, Nelnet and ADT offer 25-year equipment or performance warranties, which is why they scored highly in this category. All three also offer workmanship warranties of at least 10 years, which is in line with the industry average and will ensure that your panels are properly installed.
Power outages aren’t incredibly common in Nebraska as a whole, but the state is certainly no stranger to severe weather conditions that may reduce your solar energy production for periods of time.
That’s why many Nebraska homeowners who install solar panels also install a solar battery storage system. Your panels are almost always going to produce more electricity than what’s needed to power your home during the day. If you have a solar battery, that excess energy is stored in your home for you to use at night or during periods of low to no sunshine.
With a solar battery storage system, you’re able to use your solar energy more often. This reduces your reliance on your utility company and reduces your electricity bills and carbon footprint. Batteries are likely going to be even more valuable in the future, as we expect the net metering policy to decline and eventually get discontinued in the state, as it has in other states.
The majority of Nebraskans don’t have $37,000 on hand to pay for their solar panel system with cash or credit. Good solar panel companies understand that and offer plenty of financing options to make going solar more affordable.
While you’ll see the biggest return on investment by paying for your system upfront, many homeowners find taking out a solar loan is far more feasible. Choose a solar company that offers a solar financing program that best suits your needs.
We don’t recommend taking out a solar lease or PPA in Nebraska, unless you can’t make a cash purchase or loan work, which is why the top companies featured on this page don’t have those options. However, we did list the lack of leasing options as a con because solar leases do help more people access solar energy, which is a win for the planet regardless of how little it may benefit the homeowner.
You may take a gamble on trying the hottest new restaurant in Lincoln before reading customer reviews, but we don’t suggest you do the same with solar panel companies.
We only recommend solar companies that have at least five years of experience in Nebraska. New businesses don’t necessarily mean bad business. But there’s a sense of security that comes with choosing a solar installer with a track record of positive customer experiences.
After you’ve received your solar quotes, you may want to ask your utility company what it thinks of the company, as it deals with solar companies all the time to set up net metering connections. And of course, read customer testimonials and reviews online for each solar company before you purchase panels.
The cost information presented in this article is derived from a comprehensive analysis, incorporating data from multiple industry sources. The average cost per watt per state was calculated based on figures from Consumer Affairs, Energy Sage, and Berkeley Lab’s Electricity Markets & Policy Department. Additionally, monthly energy consumption and the average monthly cost of electricity were sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, ensuring a well-rounded and accurate representation of the information presented.
Solar is still pretty underutilized in Nebraska, which means there aren’t as many solar installers to choose from. Fortunately, this means that we were able to dig a little deeper into each Nebraska solar company.
When we rank our top solar companies, we start by identifying the factors that matter most when ensuring that our Nebraska readers find a trustworthy, reliable and environmentally responsible installation. We’ve listed those factors as categories below. We then weigh these factors against the industry benchmark (a company meeting the industry standard in all categories would earn 4 stars in our rating system).
Our goal is to deliver unbiased reports and honest reviews, thus, our methodology is not affected by commercial partnerships and is specifically tailored to Nebraska homes.
The EcoWatch team gets lots of questions from Nebraska residents on a daily basis. Below are some of the questions we see most frequently, along with our responses. If you have specific questions that aren’t answered here, reach out to our team of solar experts at solar@ecowatch.com.
Based on our company reviews above, we have determined that GenPro, GRNE and Everlight Solar are the top three most reputable solar companies in Nebraska. These companies have been praised for providing outstanding customer service and maintaining constant communication throughout the entire installation process.
Everlight particularly stands out because it also has robust warranty coverage that provides peace of mind to Nebraska homeowners through tornado season. Everlight also has a great range of products and services for system customization, and its technicians have lots of local knowledge and experience behind them.
The most important factor to consider when going solar in Nebraska is the warranty coverage offered by the solar installer. Physical protection is crucial, given the risk of tornadoes, intense thunderstorms and other extreme weather events that occur frequently and put your equipment at risk of damage.
While solar panel warranties do not cover weather-related damage to your solar equipment, they can protect you in the event that your solar equipment causes roof leaks or damage. Damage to your panels themselves should be protected by your homeowner’s insurance
Beyond warranty coverage, you’ll also want to consider the total cost of the system, the value of the products installed, the customer service reputation of the company you choose, and more.
Based on internal research, we’ve found that GenPro Energy Solutions is the most affordable solar installer in Nebraska. However, solar panel installation companies can vary quite a bit in price, even from project to project.
To get even a baseline comparison, you’ll have to request customized free quotes from all installers in your area and compare them to find the most affordable option. This process is immensely time-consuming and tedious, and it won’t always leave you with the best installer for the job.
It’s a better idea to use our EcoWatch Rating system to find the company that can provide the most value and still falls within your budget. Or, you can use this tool to start receiving free solar quotes,
Solar Omaha is very likely the most experienced solar panel installer in Nebraska. This company is based right in Omaha, and it has been serving the state since 1983.
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