Solar energy is one of the major alternatives sources of energy that can be installed for household or small business purposes. In recent years, solar panels are being increasingly installed for residential purposes in many countries, as innovations in technology are driving their costs down.
Vast availability of sunlight is one of the key factors behind large scale adoption of solar panels for residential use. Residential solar energy holds a huge potential to reduce the use of coal for power generation, resulting in the reduction of harmful emissions that endanger our atmosphere. Also, recent advancements in energy storage technologies have boosted the confidence in reliability of solar energy.
Here is the list of major residential solar power companies in the US:
SolarCity: Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SolarCity markets and installs residential and commercial solar panels in the US. It was founded in 2006. According to its website, the company’s customers include over 300,000 homeowners, more than 400 schools and universities, as well as a number of businesses and government entities. In March 2013, SolarCity installed over 4.7MW of solar panels on 12 Wal-Mart owned outlets in the state of Ohio. Its installed capacity stood at 870MW in 2015, according to report by the Solar Power World. The US-based automotive and energy storage company Tesla Motors agreed to buy SolarCity in a deal worth $2.6bn in August 2016.
Image: Tesla Motors agreed to buy SolarCity in a deal worth $2.6bn in August 2016. Photo courtesy of dan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Vivint Solar: Founded in 2011, Vivint Solar is a major full-service residential solar provider in the US. It got listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. With operations in more than 20 states in the US, the company designs, installs, and maintains the residential photovoltaic system. In 2015, the company had a installed capacity of 230.8MW. As of June 2017, it completed over 100,000 installations throughout the US. In March 2016, it terminated the merger deal with SunEdision, which agreed to Vivint Solar in the previous year in a bid to speed up its expansion in the residential solar market.
Sunnova: Founded in 2012, it is one of the leading residential solar service providers in the US. It offers rooftop solar service to homeowners in the US and its territories through our network of local sales and installation partners. In 2015, the company had ainstalled capacity of 119.3MW. As of June 2017, Sunnova Energy announced that it had raised aggregate capital of nearly $2bn to support its growth. Its launches include PowerStack, a solar+storage residential service.
Trinity Solar: Trinity Solar is one of leading designers and integrators of solar electric systems across the Northeast US. The privately-held company claims to offer a comprehensive solar installation package, including inspections and permitting as well as designing and installing systems tailored to client’s needs.The company, which started as Trinity Heating and Air, changed its name to Trinity Solar in 2004. In 2012, it moved its headquarters to Allenwood Road, New Jersey. In 2015, it had a installed capacity of 48.2MW.
Image: In 2012, it moved its headquarters to Allenwood Road, New Jersey. Photo: Courtesy of RK008/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Smart Energy Solar: Smart Energy USA manufactures, designs, and installs a range of solar power systems that are suitable for residential, commercial, and agricultural solar power applications.The company specializes in grid-tied solar electric systems and installation. It is one of the major solar contractors in Southern, Central & Northern California. The company has installed and serviced over 8,000 solar electric (photovoltaic) systems, solar pool heating and solar hot water systems, according to its website. Since 2013, it is Sunpower's premier dealer in California. It had a installed capacity of 36MW in 2015.
Powerhome Solar: Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Powerhome specializes in solar energy and roofing services. The company designs, permits, finances, sells, installs, maintains and monitors solar energy systems and panels for residential, commercial, utility, and government applications. Founded in 2006 as Rescomm, the company was rebranded as Powerhome Solar & Roofing in 2014. Powerhome expanded its presence outside of North Carolina and currently it operates in South Carolina as well as Michigan. Its installed capacity was 28.8MW in 2015.
Direct Energy Solar: Founded in 2008, Direct Energy Solar is a US-based solar energy company which was formerly known as Astrum Solar. In July 2014, it was acquired by Houston-based Direct Energy and in April 2015, was rebranded as Direct Energy Solar. For Direct Energy, the acquisition of Astrum Solar then marked its foray in the US residential solar market.Through its companies, Direct Energy claims to have served nearly five million homeowners across North America for over 15 years. Its service areas include Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Washington, D.Cand Pennsylvania Rhode Island. In 2015, it had a installed capacity of 18.3MW.
Image: Direct Energy Solar is a US-based solar energy company which was formerly known as Astrum Solar. Photo: courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Horizon Solar Power: It is one of leading designer and installers of residential and commercial solar systems in California since 2008. In August 2017, Solar Spectrum announced its merger with and Horizon Solar Power, with the combined entity becoming part of Sungevity brand. The combined company is expected to become the fourth largest residential solar system provider in the US. The merger will also result in making the combined firm as the second largest provider of residential solar systems in California. In 2015, Horizon Solar Power had a installed capacity of 16.9MW.