Best Solar Energy Companies (2026)

ByTodd Lavergne

This national guide is for homeowners comparing rooftop installers and the panel/inverter makers still operating in 2026 — see also Best Solar Companies in Dallas Texas (2026), How to Get the Best Deal on Solar in 2026, and How to Vet a Solar Company (2026).

Portable kits live in Best Solar Generators and Best Portable Solar Panels — the rest of this page is companies that put silicon or CdTe on buildings, not suitcase stations.

Rooftop Qcells install official photo
Photo: Qcells (Hanwha). Official site photo. us.qcells.com.

US rooftop solar still has real installers and real factories in 2026. Several national brands blew up. This is not a 1-through-5 ranking. What follows is how to tell an installer from a panel maker, what still operates, and which names on old “best of” lists are bankrupt, rebranded, or a different legal entity — not a paid trophy list, not 1-through-8 scores, and not a claim that we independently licensed anyone in all 50 states.

Last updated: September 1, 2026 (America/Chicago). Sources checked 1–2 September 2026. Recheck the relevant state contractor board, the IRS page on the Residential Clean Energy Credit, and each contract before you sign.

What changed

  • Installer and brand bankruptcies. SunPower Corporation Chapter 11 on August 5, 2024 (D. Del. 24-11649); operating platform sold to Complete Solaria for $45 million, sale closed about September 30, 2024. Sunnova Energy International Chapter 11 June 2025 (S.D. Tex. 25-90160); plan effective November 14, 2025; assets to Solaris Assets, LLC / operations transitioning to SunStrong. Freedom Forever LLC Chapter 11 April 15, 2026 (D. Del. 26-10522), converted to Chapter 7 effective August 7, 2026 — a different company from Texas Freedom Power. Lumio Chapter 11 2024 / liquidation 2025. Pink Energy (Power Home Solar) Chapter 7 October 2022. Mosaic (solar lender) Chapter 11 around the 2025 residential-finance crunch. See Bankruptcies and lookalikes.
  • Maxeon (the IBC cell/panel spin that used to make the high-efficiency “SunPower panels”) entered Singapore judicial management around April 9, 2026; Nasdaq trading suspended, OTC as MAXNQ around May 1, 2026.
  • ADT Solar (ex-Sunpro) was a corporate exit in January 2024, not a bankruptcy. Parent ADT still exists. Hardware warranties stay with OEMs. Do not list ADT Solar as a 2026 installer.
  • Federal 25D credit ended for 2026 homeowner-owned systems. The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit equals 30% for property installed 2022 through December 31, 2025. The credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Cite: IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit. A 2026 quote that still sells “30% federal tax credit” on a cash or loan purchase you will own needs a hard look. Leases and PPAs may still involve a business ITC (48E) for the system owner — that is not the homeowner’s 25D credit. Confirm with a tax pro.
  • Tesla rebuilt the solar business around Buffalo-assembled TSP-415/420 panels and Powerwall after killing Solar Roof as the headline SKU (Electrek, August 26, 2026). Product is still sold; who climbs the roof is ZIP-specific.
  • Qcells started cell production at Cartersville, Georgia, on June 9, 2026 — company language: America’s first and only vertically integrated solar factory at that site. Combined GA module-capacity target 8.6 GW.
  • Canadian Solar / CS PowerTech opened phase 1 of a Jeffersonville, Indiana HJT cell factory on July 24, 2026, intended to feed the Mesquite, Texas module plant (company: expanding toward 10 GWp in 2H 2026).
  • First Solar is still a utility-scale CdTe manufacturer. Series 7 TR1 is a large-format tracker module for the US utility-scale market, not a shingle-roof shopping SKU.
  • Solar Power World 2026 residential contractor ranking is self-reported kW in 2025. Sunrun and Tesla Energy are not on that table. Trinity Solar is #1 on that contractor list. It is not a complete market-share ranking and it is not this page’s ranking either.

How to read this list

This is not 1-through-8. Confidence below means “still operating in 2026 with a live site and US presence,” not “best quality.” National is not 50 states. Do the work below before any table row matters.

Installer vs manufacturer vs inverter vs marketplace. An installer quotes, permits, and puts panels on a roof (Sunrun, Tesla hybrid crews, SunPower Inc., Trinity). A module manufacturer builds panels that installers buy (Qcells, First Solar, Canadian Solar). An inverter / battery maker (Enphase) sells hardware through a certified-installer network — Enphase does not climb your roof. A marketplace (Palmetto is the example we are not featuring) matches you to partner installers; that is not an in-house national crew. The name on the quote is usually the licensed installer, not the panel brand.

  1. Three written quotes. Same kW, same battery yes/no, same roof scope, same monitoring term. Compare workmanship, not just module wattage.
  2. State license on the installer, not the panel brand. Qcells, Enphase, First Solar, and Canadian Solar are not your electrical contractor. License numbers below are company-stated where a company published them. We did not complete live state-board searches. Empty cells stay empty — we do not invent TECL, CSLB, or any other number. Recheck every number on the relevant state board before you treat anyone as licensed.
  3. NABCEP is a person credential, not a company license. Ask for the name and cert number of the person who designs or supervises, then look them up at nabcep.org. We quote a number only if a company published it. We do not invent one.
  4. 25D is dead for 2026 owned systems. Property placed in service after December 31, 2025 does not get the homeowner Residential Clean Energy Credit. If the quote still prints “30% federal tax credit” on a cash/loan system you will own, walk. TPO / lease / PPA is a different tax story (possible 48E for the system owner) — that is not your 25D credit.
  5. Who owns the system? Cash and most loans: you. Sunrun Subscription and similar TPO: the company owns it. Tesla lease (where offered) is a lease, not a Sunrun-style PPA shop in 2026 coverage. Transfer-on-sale, escalators, and who you call in year 8 all change with ownership.
  6. Warranty split. Manufacturer product/performance on the panel or microinverter is not installer workmanship. Get both in writing. Ask what happens if the installer dies, sells the book, or files bankruptcy.

Also operating, not in this table of eight: Palmetto (marketplace / partner network, not an in-house national installer); ION Solar (Solar Power World #2 residential 2026, multi-state, not 50-state); Silfab Solar (North American module maker). Do not feature: Freedom Forever, Sunnova, old SunPower Corporation, Pink Energy, Lumio, ADT Solar.

Honest comparison table

Not a ranking. Rows are companies we could corroborate as still operating in 2026 with a live site and US presence. Empty cells stay empty. Licenses are company-stated only — verify on the relevant board. “National” is not a claim of 50-state in-house crews.

Company Still operating (2026) What they sell US presence Licenses (company-stated; verify) Caveats
Sunrun Yes Home solar + battery install; heavy subscription / TPO (lease/PPA); also cash/loan in some markets Company: 22 states + DC + Puerto Rico (new-homes page). solar-by-state page also says “20 states.” Named on that page: CA, HI, NV, CT, MA, NH, RI, IL, MD, NJ, NY, FL, TX. Do not invent the rest of the 22. ZIP-check sunrun.com. Largest installed base, not necessarily cheapest. Lease/PPA escalators. Former Vivint Solar CA judgment notice still on homepage. 25D credit does not apply the same way on TPO. Not on SPW 2026 residential contractor table.
Tesla Energy Yes Manufactures TSP-415/420 panels (Buffalo, NY) + Powerwall; sells/installs via Tesla and certified partners. Solar Roof largely retired. Nationwide product availability claimed (pv magazine USA January 2026). Direct install vs partner is ZIP-specific; Tesla no longer publishes a state list. Lease only in Tesla direct territories (Electrek 26 Aug 2026). Hybrid crew quality. Workmanship often shorter than 25-year panel warranty in third-party reviews — get the contract. Not on SPW contractor list. Tesla.com 403’d from this research box; re-fetch live at tesla.com/solarpanels.
Qcells (Hanwha) Yes Panels (Q.PEAK DUO, Q.TRON) + some AC modules with integrated microinverters; storage/EPC at C&I/utility scale. Not a typical national home installer. Dalton + Cartersville, GA manufacturing. Sold through US installers. Lifestory Research 2026 “most trusted” solar-panel brand among shoppers surveyed. Homeowner buys Qcells through a local installer. Do not imply Qcells will show up to your roof. Domestic-content bonus language is variant-specific — do not promise a 10% ITC adder.
Enphase Yes IQ microinverters, IQ Batteries, EV charger, monitoring. Installer network (company: ~5.3M systems). Does not install your roof. HQ US; contract manufacturing TX (Salcomp) + SC. Q1 2026: 1.39M micros shipped from those plants. Name on the quote is usually the local installer. Enphase warranty ≠ workmanship warranty. US demand hit in Q1 2026 after 25D ended.
First Solar Yes CdTe thin-film modules for utility-scale (Series 7 TR1 up to 550 W / 19.7%, 30-yr linear). Factories OH, AL, LA; SC in build. Largest US-headquartered module producer. Not sold as a typical house rooftop kit. This is not a residential installer. Large-format tracker modules, not shingle-roof shopping.
Canadian Solar / CS PowerTech Yes Modules (residential SKUs exist in distribution) + utility/C&I + storage. US: Mesquite TX modules (expanding toward 10 GWp 2H 2026, company); Jeffersonville IN HJT cells (phase 1 opened 24 Jul 2026). US manufacturing + sales. Not a national rooftop installer. China remains a large part of the global footprint — check origin on the datasheet. Homeowner gets CSI/Canadian Solar from an installer/distributor. Brand name ≠ “made in Canada.”
SunPower Inc. (ex-Complete Solaria) Yes, with going-concern FLAG Installer / dealer of residential solar + storage (Enphase batteries on current site). Does not manufacture the old Maxeon IBC cells. Orem, UT HQ (1403 N Research Way). DBA via Complete Solar, Inc. Company licenses page lists CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NJ, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI — company-stated. Quote only from us.sunpower.com/licenses; verify on the relevant board. TX: Complete Solar, Inc. Electrical Contractor 35647 (company page). NABCEP PVIP PV-030423-013833 listed as “Nationwide” for Complete Solar, Inc. — that is a person credential; verify on nabcep.org. Do not treat the table as independently audited. Not SunPower Corporation (1985). 10-Q (period ended 28 Jun 2026): substantial doubt as a going concern; $4.1M cash, operating loss. Old warranties may not transfer 1:1. Maxeon (MAXN/MAXNQ) is a different company in Singapore judicial management.
Trinity Solar Yes Rooftop solar + batteries + roofing (in-house installer). Family-owned, est. 1994, Wall NJ HQ. Regional, not national. Company get-solar form: CT, DE, FL, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI. SPW 2026: #1 residential by 2025 kW (137,530 kW). Site: “licensed and insured in every state we operate in” — no numbers published on pages fetched. High volume, limited geography. Trinity’s own “#1 installer in the country” claim is SPW self-reported contractor kW, not Wood Mackenzie national share. Not Texas, not California, not 50-state.

Sunrun

Sunrun rooftop solar on a house, official company photo
Photo: Sunrun. Official homepage rooftop photo. sunrun.com.

Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) is a rooftop installer plus TPO (lease/PPA) plus storage company — not a panel fab. Site: sunrun.com. By-state: solar-by-state. New homes: new-homes.

What they sell: full home solar + battery systems; the Sunrun Subscription Plan (TPO: Sunrun owns the system); cash/loan also marketed. Add-on battery availability on the homepage snapshot we fetched included CA, FL, MD, NV, NY (PSEGLI), TX (Oncor, CenterPoint), HI, IL (ComEd) — treat as a snapshot, not eternal.

US presence: 22 states + DC + Puerto Rico on the new-homes page. The solar-by-state body copy also says “20 states.” Flag the conflict; ZIP-check. Named on that page: CA, HI, NV, CT, MA, NH, RI, IL, MD, NJ, NY, FL, TX. Do not invent the rest of the 22.

2026 corroboration: homepage Fortune 1000 2026; June 24, 2026 press release with Tesla and Renew Home on a 16+ GW flexible-capacity framework. IR language: “America’s largest provider of home battery storage, solar, and home-to-grid power plants.” Company claim of about 1 million homes is an installed-base claim, not a “cheapest” claim.

Caveats: TPO vs own-the-system math. Escalators. Transfer-on-sale process. Former Vivint Solar California stipulated judgment notice on the homepage (claims window to March 6, 2030). Not on Solar Power World’s 2026 residential contractor table (they often don’t report as a “contractor” the same way). 25D does not apply the same way on a TPO system you do not own. Licenses were not harvested from pages fetched — we do not invent TECL or NABCEP.

Tesla Energy

Tesla Energy (Tesla Energy Operations, Inc. / Tesla, Inc.) is a maker plus hybrid installer: Buffalo-assembled panels, Powerwall, Tesla and certified-partner crews. Sites: tesla.com/energy · tesla.com/solarpanels · tesla.com/powerwall. Official datasheet: Tesla Solar Panel / Panel Mount (PDF). Tesla.com 403’d from this research box; we did not invent a lifestyle photo and we did not grab a third-party news CDN. Re-fetch the live hero at tesla.com/solarpanels at publish time.

What they sell: TSP-415 (415 W, ≥20.3%) and TSP-420 (420 W, ≥20.5%) all-black panels, assembled Buffalo, NY; Tesla Panel Mount (rail-less); Powerwall 3; Tesla Solar Inverter. Solar Roof is no longer the growth product (Electrek, August 26, 2026: business rebuilt around panels + Powerwall after killing Solar Roof as the headline SKU).

US presence: product sold nationwide per January 2026 coverage (pv magazine USA). Who climbs the roof is ZIP-dependent (Tesla crew vs certified installer). Lease (25-year solar / 12-year Powerwall-only, 3% escalator, 5-year buyout option — Electrek citing Tesla support) only in direct territories. Do not claim 50-state in-house crews. Do not claim a Sunrun-style PPA. Tesla is not on the Solar Power World 2026 residential contractor list.

Caveats: 25-year panel warranty is not 25-year labor. Hybrid crew quality varies. Get the contract. Licenses were not independently verified — we do not invent them. Tesla Energy Operations, Inc. is named in the Sunrun June 24, 2026 release.

Qcells

Qcells Q.TRON solar module, official product photo
Photo: Qcells (Hanwha). Official Q.TRON product photo. Q.TRON page.

Qcells (Hanwha Q CELLS) is a residential / C&I / utility module manufacturer with Georgia factories. It is not a typical national home installer. Homeowner buys Qcells through a local installer. Do not imply Qcells will show up to your roof.

What they sell: silicon modules. Residential SKUs include Q.PEAK DUO BLK ML-G10+ (395–415 Wp, up to 21.1%, 25-year product + performance) and Q.TRON (up to 440 Wp / 22.5%, assembled Dalton, GA). AC module variant with integrated microinverter. Storage/EPC at C&I and utility scale. Product pages: Q.TRON · Q.PEAK DUO BLK ML-G10+.

US presence: Dalton, GA module plant (5.1 GW claimed after 2023 expansion) + Cartersville, GA vertical integration. Cells started June 9, 2026; company target full production Q3 2026; 8.6 GW combined GA module capacity. Sold via installers nationwide. Lifestory Research 2026 “most trusted” solar-panel brand among shoppers surveyed — that is a survey of shoppers, not our ranking. Cartersville news: June 9, 2026 cell-production announcement.

Caveats: manufacturer, not a door-to-door installer. Domestic-content bonus language is variant-specific — do not promise a 10% ITC adder. N/A as a home-installer license row; the electrical contractor on the job is whoever is on the permit.

Enphase

Enphase installer on a rooftop with microinverters, official company photo
Photo: Enphase. Official installer / microinverter photo. enphase.com/installers/microinverters.

Enphase Energy (Nasdaq: ENPH) makes IQ microinverters, IQ Batteries, and related hardware. It is not an installer. The homeowner’s counterparty is the certified installer. Homeowners: enphase.com/homeowners. Texas plant: enphase.com/manufacturing/texas.

What they sell: IQ8/IQ9 microinverters, IQ Batteries (LFP, modular), IQ EV Charger, Enphase Air, Enphase App. Compatible with “virtually all” panel brands (company). About 24,000 IQ Battery-certified installers worldwide (Q1 2026 release). Company: about 5.3 million systems.

US presence: designed in the US; micros and batteries built in South Carolina and Texas (Salcomp contract manufacturing in TX). Q1 2026 10-Q: revenue $282.9 million; 1.41 million micros / 627.6 MW DC shipped; US sell-through down after 25D expiration. Q1 2026: 1.39 million micros shipped from those US plants.

Caveats: name on the quote is usually the local installer. Enphase warranty is not workmanship warranty. US demand hit in Q1 2026 after 25D ended — relevant context, not a “best of” score. Certified-installer locator is on enphase.com. N/A as a home-installer license row.

First Solar

First Solar Series 7 large-format utility-scale CdTe module, official product photo
Photo: First Solar. Official Series 7 large-format module — utility-scale, not a house rooftop kit. Series 7 product page.

First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) is a utility-scale CdTe thin-film module manufacturer. It is not a home-rooftop installer. A homeowner comparing “best solar companies” should put First Solar in the manufacturer / utility column, not the “who climbs my roof” column. Manufacturing: Manufacturing. Series 7: Series 7.

What they sell: CdTe thin-film utility-scale modules. Series 7 TR1: 525–550 W, up to 19.7%, 30-year linear, 0.3% warranted degradation, US-only tracker market. Not a residential rooftop product.

US presence: factories in Ohio (multiple), Alabama, Louisiana (company: about 14 GW US capacity when fully up); South Carolina in build (Canary Media 2026). HQ US. Recycling program (Ohio + Vietnam). Largest US-headquartered module producer.

Caveats: First Solar is a utility-scale manufacturer, not a home installer. Large-format tracker modules, not shingle-roof shopping. N/A as a home-installer license row.

Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar products and solutions, official company photo
Photo: Canadian Solar / CSI Solar. Official products still. csisolar.com.

Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) / CS PowerTech is a module + cell manufacturer with US plants. It does not install US houses as a national brand. Homeowner gets CSI/Canadian Solar from an installer or distributor. Sites: canadiansolar.com · csisolar.com.

What they sell: PV modules (HiKu / residential SKUs in US distribution), cells, storage, project development.

US presence: CS PowerTech — Mesquite, Texas module factory (company: 5 GWp operating, expanding toward 10 GWp in 2H 2026); Jeffersonville, Indiana HJT cell factory phase 1 opened July 24, 2026 (target >6 GWp at full build). Cells intended to feed Texas modules.

Caveats: the name is Canadian; manufacturing is global (China + Southeast Asia + US). Origin is on the carton/datasheet. Brand name ≠ “made in Canada.” China remains a large part of the global footprint. N/A as a home-installer license row. We do not unsourced a 2025 US-revenue percentage; cite the 10-K if you use that number.

SunPower Inc. — going-concern FLAG

SunPower Inc. residential solar, current installer brand photo (not 1985 SunPower Corporation)
Photo: SunPower Inc. (ex-Complete Solaria). Current installer brand, not 1985 SunPower Corp. us.sunpower.com.

SunPower Inc. (Nasdaq: SPWR, formerly Complete Solaria) is a rooftop installer / dealer, not the 1985 manufacturer and not the Maxeon IBC cell fab. Site redirects from sunpower.com. HQ: 1403 N Research Way, Orem, UT. Licenses: us.sunpower.com/licenses. Investors: investors.sunpower.com. Warranty: warranty-and-resources.

What they sell: residential solar install + battery (current nav: Enphase 10C / 5P, “Monolith” panel). Installer/dealer, not a cell fab. Does not manufacture the old Maxeon IBC cells. Licenses held under Complete Solar, Inc. DBA SunPower.

The three-entity split readers still mix up:

  1. SunPower Corporation (founded 1985) — Chapter 11 on August 5, 2024, D. Del. 24-11649. Operating platform sold to Complete Solaria for $45 million cash; sale closed about September 30, 2024; liquidating plan confirmed October 2024. Lead case still open into 2026 for claims (ElevenFlo; court anticipated final-decree application by December 31, 2026).
  2. SunPower Inc. — Complete Solaria bought brand + Blue Raven + dealer network, rebranded, took the SPWR ticker. HQ Orem, UT. This is the 2026 installer on us.sunpower.com. Same logo, new balance sheet.
  3. Maxeon Solar Technologies — IBC cell/panel spin (2020). Singapore judicial management ordered about April 9, 2026; Nasdaq trading suspended, OTC as MAXNQ around May 1, 2026. Not the US installer. Old high-efficiency IBC “SunPower panels” manufacturer is distressed; panel warranty path is messy (manufacturer channel, not the Orem installer).

Going-concern FLAG: SunPower Inc. 10-Q for the period ended June 28, 2026: operating loss $42.7 million for 26 weeks; cash $4.1 million; accumulated deficit $444.6 million; “substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.” Nasdaq price deficiency / reverse-split discussion in August 2026 coverage. Still answers the phone. Financial risk is real. Do not treat today’s SunPower Inc. as the same 30-year panel company.

Licenses: company page only. Company licenses page lists CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NJ, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI — company-stated; tell the reader to verify. Texas: Complete Solar, Inc. Electrical Contractor 35647 (company page). NABCEP PVIP PV-030423-013833 listed as “Nationwide” for Complete Solar, Inc. — that is a person credential; verify on nabcep.org. We do not invent other numbers; we do not treat the table as independently audited.

Caveats: old SunPower Corp warranties are not automatically the new company’s problem. Company FAQ around the acquisition: pre-September 30, 2024 completed jobs were not assumed by the buyer in the way many homeowners hoped. Blue Raven was swept into that bankruptcy / asset sale — not an independent 2026 national pick. Acquisition note: SunPower acquisition announcement.

Trinity Solar

Trinity Solar roof installation, official company photo
Photo: Trinity Solar. Official roof-install photo. Regional installer (CT, DE, FL, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI) — not national. trinitysolar.com.

Trinity Solar is a high-volume regional rooftop installer plus roofing. Family-owned, established 1994, HQ Wall, NJ (2211 Allenwood Rd per BestCompany August 18, 2026). Service areas: service-areas. Get-solar state list: trinity-solar.com/get-solar.

What they sell: residential rooftop solar, batteries, roofing. In-house crews (company). “Up to 25-year parts & labor.” Site copy on homes installed varies (125,000–140,000+); we flag the conflict and do not pick a number.

US presence is CT, DE, FL, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI (get-solar form, fetched 2026). Not Texas, not California, not 50-state. Caption on any Trinity photo must not say “national.”

2026 corroboration: Solar Power World 2026 Top Residential Solar Contractors #1 — 137,529.72 residential kW DC in 2025, rooftop, installer. That is self-reported contractor kW, not Wood Mackenzie national share. Best as “highest-volume reported residential contractor in 2025,” not “best US solar company.”

Licenses: site says “licensed and insured in every state we operate in.” No numbers published on pages fetched. We do not invent them. BestCompany listed 5-year workmanship vs site “up to 25-year” — get the contract; we do not reconcile that in our voice.

Bankruptcies and lookalikes

Names from 2023–2025 “best solar companies” roundups that readers still mix up. None of these is a 2026 company to hire from this page. Freedom Forever’s Chapter 7 is not Texas Freedom Power (the Grapevine/Austin installer in the Dallas 2026 guide).

Name What happened Homeowner takeaway
SunPower Corporation (old) Chapter 11 filed August 5, 2024 (D. Del. 24-11649). Platform sold to Complete Solaria $45M. Liquidating plan October 2024. Lead case still administering claims in 2026. The 1985 SunPower Corporation is not the 2026 ticker. Warranties/service: check which legal entity is on the contract.
SunPower Inc. (new, SPWR) Operating installer; going-concern doubt in June 2026 10-Q. Still answers the phone. Financial risk is real. Not the 1985 manufacturer.
Maxeon Singapore judicial management April 2026; OTC MAXNQ. Old high-efficiency IBC “SunPower panels” manufacturer is distressed. Panel warranty path is messy — manufacturer channel, not the Orem installer.
Sunnova Energy International Chapter 11 June 2025 (S.D. Tex. 25-90160). Plan effective November 14, 2025. Assets to Solaris Assets, LLC / operations transitioning to SunStrong. Kroll: restructuring.ra.kroll.com/Sunnova Do not list as a 2026 company to hire. Existing customers: servicer is the post-sale manager, not “call Sunnova sales.”
Freedom Forever LLC Chapter 11 April 15, 2026 (D. Del. 26-10522). Converted to Chapter 7 effective August 7, 2026; trustee Alfred T. Giuliano. Kroll: Freedom Forever claims portal Do not list. Wood Mackenzie had them about 6.1% US residential share in 2025 (second to Sunrun). Not Freedom Power (Texas). Dallas 2026 covers Freedom Power.
Blue Raven Solar Swept into SunPower Corp bankruptcy / Complete Solaria asset sale 2024. Brand may appear under new SunPower Inc. dealer history. Not an independent 2026 national pick.
Lumio Chapter 11 2024; liquidation 2025 (industry closure logs). Do not list.
Pink Energy (Power Home Solar) Chapter 7 October 2022. Trustee still working claims; no customer repairs. Do not list.
ADT Solar (ex-Sunpro) Corporate exit January 2024, not a bankruptcy. Parent ADT still exists. Do not list as a 2026 installer. Hardware warranties remain with OEMs.
Mosaic (solar lender) Chapter 11 around the same 2025 residential-finance crunch (mentioned in Sunnova coverage). Financing counterparty risk; not an installer.

Texas lookalike: Freedom Power (ex-Freedom Solar Power, Grapevine/Austin) is not Freedom Forever. See Best Solar Companies in Dallas Texas (2026).

Quotes and contracts

  • Three written quotes. Same array size, same battery yes/no, same roof work, same monitoring term.
  • Contract should identify the licensed electrical contractor in the state where the roof sits — not the panel brand, not the inverter brand, not a marketplace logo. We did not invent license numbers; empty cells in the table stay empty.
  • If they still print “30% federal tax credit” on a 2026 system you will own, stop. IRS: the Residential Clean Energy Credit equals 30% for property installed 2022 through December 31, 2025. The credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit. TPO/lease may involve a business credit (48E) for the system owner. That is not your 25D credit. Confirm with a tax pro.
  • Who owns the system? Cash and most loans: you. Sunrun Subscription and similar TPO: they do. Tesla lease (direct territories only): lease terms, not a PPA shop. Escalators, transfer-on-sale, and who you call in year 8 all follow ownership.
  • Who holds workmanship vs who holds the 25-year panel warranty? If the installer dies, sells the book, or files Chapter 7, the manufacturer warranty does not automatically become a roof-climb. Get the workmanship path in writing. Freedom Forever’s 2026 Chapter 7 and old SunPower Corp’s 2024 sale are the object lesson.
  • Do not bid a phantom 25D on a 2026 owned system. Do not bid SRECs unless the contract names a buyer in your ISO.
  • Monitoring after year two: included, paid, or gone when the app login expires?
  • NABCEP: ask for the person’s name and number, then check nabcep.org. A company claiming “NABCEP-certified” without a person is marketing copy.

FAQ

Is First Solar a home installer?

No. First Solar makes CdTe thin-film modules for the US utility-scale tracker market (Series 7 TR1). It is not a home-rooftop installer and not a typical house-roof kit. Put First Solar in the manufacturer / utility column.

Is today’s SunPower Inc. the same legal entity as the 1985 manufacturer?

No. SunPower Corporation (founded 1985) filed Chapter 11 on August 5, 2024. SunPower Inc. (Nasdaq SPWR) is the former Complete Solaria installer that bought the brand and dealer network. Maxeon, the IBC cell maker, is under Singapore judicial management. Same logo, three stories. SunPower Inc. also carries going-concern language in its 10-Q for the period ended June 28, 2026.

Did Tesla stop installing?

No, but Solar Roof is no longer the product, and crews vs partners depend on ZIP. Tesla Energy still sells Buffalo-assembled TSP-415/420 panels and Powerwall. Direct Tesla crews vs certified installers is ZIP-specific. Lease is only in Tesla direct territories. Do not claim 50-state in-house crews. Tesla.com 403’d from this research box — re-fetch tesla.com/solarpanels live.

Can I still get the 30% federal tax credit?

Not for homeowner-owned systems placed in service after December 31, 2025 (IRS). The Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D) equals 30% for property installed 2022 through December 31, 2025 and is not available after that date. A 2026 cash or loan system you will own does not get 25D. Leases/PPAs may still involve a business ITC (48E) for the system owner — that is not the homeowner’s 25D credit. Cite: IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit. Confirm with a tax pro.

Is Freedom Forever still operating?

No. Chapter 7 as of August 7, 2026. Freedom Forever LLC filed Chapter 11 on April 15, 2026 (D. Del. 26-10522) and converted to Chapter 7 effective August 7, 2026. Trustee Alfred T. Giuliano. Claims: Kroll — Freedom Forever. This is not Freedom Power (Texas; ex-Freedom Solar Power). Do not hire Freedom Forever in 2026.

Should I buy Qcells or Enphase directly?

Usually through a licensed local installer. Qcells is a panel manufacturer. Enphase is a microinverter / battery manufacturer. Neither is your electrical contractor. The license, workmanship warranty, permit, and interconnection sit with the installer on the quote. Use Enphase’s certified-installer locator; buy Qcells as the module SKU on a local bid.

Is this a ranking of the eight best solar companies?

No. It is a still-operating list with caveats. This is not a 1-through-5 ranking. We did not score 1-through-8. Trinity’s Solar Power World #1 is self-reported 2025 contractor kW in ten states, not a national quality trophy. SunPower Inc. is on the list because it still operates — with a going-concern FLAG, not as a recommendation to ignore the 10-Q.

Is Trinity Solar available nationwide?

No. Company get-solar form: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Not Texas, not California, not 50-state.

What about portable power stations?

We also publish portable-kit guides. This page is rooftop installers and panel/inverter manufacturers — not suitcase stations. See Also on this site (portable kits).

Also on this site (portable kits)

We also cover portable solar generators and kits elsewhere on the site. Those are suitcase stations, not this article. The rest of this page is companies that put silicon or CdTe on buildings.

Sources

Company sites, SEC / 10-Q language, bankruptcy-court administrator pages (Kroll), Solar Power World 2026 contractor list, IRS, Qcells / First Solar / Canadian Solar / Enphase manufacturing announcements. Research compiled September 1, 2026 (America/Chicago); sources checked 1–2 September 2026 UTC. We did not complete live state-board searches, did not log into the NABCEP locator, and did not invent licenses. Tesla.com 403’d from this box; Tesla product facts are from Tesla Energy Library PDFs, Tesla IR language in the June 2026 Sunrun press release, Electrek August 26, 2026, and pv magazine USA January 29, 2026. EcoWatch and similar lead lists were not used as 2026 fact. Do not publish from the research file; this HTML is the draft post body only.

Also consulted (third-party 2026 coverage, not a ranking): pv magazine USA January 29, 2026 (Tesla Buffalo panels); pv magazine USA June 9, 2026 (Qcells cells); pv magazine USA July 27, 2026 (Canadian Solar Indiana); Electrek August 26, 2026 (Tesla solar after Solar Roof); Canary Media on US solar manufacturing 2026; Lifestory Research 2026 America’s Most Trusted Solar Panels (Qcells / Silfab / Canadian Solar among surveyed shoppers); ElevenFlo dockets for SunPower 24-11649, Sunnova 25-90160, Freedom Forever 26-10522; SunPower Inc. 10-Q period ended June 28, 2026; Enphase Q1 2026 10-Q.

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