Green Matters Approved: The 10 Best Solar Companies for the Home

There are endless benefits to installing solar panels on your home, ranging from reduced energy consumption to lower utility bills. But did you know that the brand of solar panels you choose can make a difference in just how much money and energy you can save? Here are our picks of some of the best brands making solar solutions for the home.

The 10 winners of this Green Matters Approved contest are listed below. Read more about our Green Matters Approved contests here.

Mission Solar Energy, a subsidiary of OCI Holdings, manufactures residential, commercial, government, and utility solar panels. The company's product warranty is 25 years for solar panels manufactured on or after Aug. 1, 2019. All Mission Solar products are made in the U.S. and the company is dedicated to Fair Trade practices.

Palmetto offers various solar energy options either for purchase or financing via its Palmetto LightReach program. The company offers a 25-year solar panel warranty on every LightReach solar energy plan. Customers can also enroll in a program called "Give Solar, Get Solar" to help people in Africa obtain solar panels, in partnership with Solar Sister.

Canadian Solar makes commercial and residential solar panels as well as energy storage, modules, and inverters. Canadian Solar has a 25-year power output warranty and a 12-year materials and workmanship warranty. The company provides sustainability reports on its website and achieved "year-over-year reductions in GHG emissions" in 2023.

Panasonic installs solar panels, battery storage, and inverters. The company has eight styles of solar panels and a 25-year efficiency warranty for performance, product, parts, and labor. Panasonic's 12-year warranty covers home battery storage systems. The global company aims to reduce 300 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2050.

Green Home Systems installs residential and commercial solar panels, inverters, batteries, and more. The California-based company services 21 states, and carries five solar panel brands, including Mission and Panasonic. Green Home Systems offers a 25-year warranty and performance guarantee. Systems are installed by third-party contractors and can be purchased via cash or loan.

Longi Solar is best known globally for making and installing solar panels for commercial, residential, industrial, and utility-scale solar power plants. The company offers a standard 25-year performance warranty, though some products only have a 12-year warranty. Longi's sustainability efforts include reusing over 90 percent of its module panels. Additionally, Longi launched a 2023 project joining giant panda protection efforts at COP28 and has goals to reduce water and electricity consumption by 2025.

Qcells makes solar panels for residences, businesses, and utility projects that give back to communities. Projects include solar-powered, zero-emission river boats that are used to clean waste from the Mekong River in Vietnam, and the donation of solar power systems to hundreds of uncontacted communities and community development projects in East Asia. Qcells solar panel warranties depend on the model, with warranties ranging from 12 years to 30 years.

Elevation Solar installs solar panels, provides insulation services, and performs solar battery maintenance, amongst other procedures. The company is available in five states, is partnered with Energy Star (and was a five-time Contractor of the Year winner), and has a 25-year solar panel warranty.

Maxeon Solar Technologies makes residential and commercial solar panels. Maxeon offers a 40-year warranty, and has a Silver Cradle certification from Cradle to Cradle. All of Maxeon's cells are produced in LEED-certified gold facilities, and the company also has its 2022 sustainability report on its website. In 2020, Maxeon committed to the UN Global Compact corporate responsibility initiative.

REC Group makes solar panels for residences, businesses, and power plants in Singapore. REC has a 20-year product warranty and a 25-year power warranty. The company is guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and ESG policies. REC recycles 100 percent of its scrap modules, and has saved more than 142,000 cubic meters of water, as of 2023.