Company reviews
Equipment reviews
Individual panel prices
Prices of DIY kits
Installed system prices
2.63 611 Reviews
Silva,
3 weeks ago
We just had our Tesla solar panels installed and I want to give a big shout out to the Apollo crew! They were very professional and highly attentive to details. They even painted our conduit to match our house! Both Luc and Minh took time to educate us on our equipment as well as how best to maximum our energy with every day usage. Again a great big thank you to this team!! I am ready to start reaping the reward of solar energy!!
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Average cost (5kW system)
$10,000 ($2.00 per watt)
Silva, 3 weeks ago
We just had our Tesla solar panels installed and I want to give a big shout out to the Apollo crew! They were very professional and highly attentive to details. They even painted our conduit to match our house! Both Luc and Minh took time to educate us on our equipment as well as how best to maximum our energy with every day usage. Again a great big thank you to this team!! I am ready to start reaping the reward of solar energy!!
4.77 912 Reviews
Charles,
over 1 month
I used this company to have a basis for my solar panels on my new house. They did a great assessment of my usage, roof, and environment. They came to the house after numerous meetings online (COVID) to finalize the project and check if 100% everything was fine. Everything financially was reviewed. Before starting, they took over all the communication with the HOA. Once approved by the HOA, the project was started. I now have 28 beautiful Solar Panels which cover 100% of my yearly usage. Would I recommend Cape Fear Solar Systems: YES.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$19,950 ($3.99 per watt)
Charles, over 1 month
I used this company to have a basis for my solar panels on my new house. They did a great assessment of my usage, roof, and environment. They came to the house after numerous meetings online (COVID) to finalize the project and check if 100% everything was fine. Everything financially was reviewed. Before starting, they took over all the communication with the HOA. Once approved by the HOA, the project was started. I now have 28 beautiful Solar Panels which cover 100% of my yearly usage. Would I recommend Cape Fear Solar Systems: YES.
4.84 319 Reviews
William Hurley,
over 1 month
The Panasonic panels we had installed had better power generation than what the competition wanted to steer us towards, and a much longer warranty.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$21,700 ($4.34 per watt)
William Hurley, over 1 month
The Panasonic panels we had installed had better power generation than what the competition wanted to steer us towards, and a much longer warranty.
4.54 895 Reviews
Roger,
over 1 month
We have had Sunpower Solar now for a little over a year now and are more then just pleased. We produce much more then we use. In fact we have a nice credit built up with the electric company. So far we haven't had any problems with the system and would recommend Sunpower to anyone.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$24,550 ($4.91 per watt)
Roger, over 1 month
We have had Sunpower Solar now for a little over a year now and are more then just pleased. We produce much more then we use. In fact we have a nice credit built up with the electric company. So far we haven't had any problems with the system and would recommend Sunpower to anyone.
1.71 249 Reviews
SLS,
1 day ago
I live in a high demand home market where first time buyers get bullied out by cash offering investors. We found a place that had a sunrun system we inherited. It has always been pricey we use half the power the old owners due sunrun said before we purchased we would be assessed at a year for usage and may reduce the system to save us money if we always overproduce. A year later that was a lie no such assessment and we absolutely use less energy as we have an excess of 450-750 kWh a month. Last year sdge (utility) called me and asked why our power spiked out of control and asked us to check our pv to see if it was working. One of the inverters had died and the system is at half production. I called sunrun which is BS since they allegedly monitor the systems and they tested it over the phone and saw the system had failed. The person told me I’d receive a credit for under production and someone would be out in a month to fix it. A month later the tech was no show, I call and they reschedule a month later. That same call they tell me no such credit applies because i have a over production average. They average the monthly production over the term served in the agreement which we were in year 4-5. So the average was high from overproduction averaged over time since before we even owned the house. Next month comes tech was no show, called again rescheduled for the next month rep told me there was no appt for that month but doubled back when I gave them the date and they investigated. A month later they called same day of appt after a no show to reschedule a month later. A month later the tech bills sunrun for an hour of work after he called me saying he couldn’t do the repair because they never gave him the inverter. So here we are in the 6th month of half production with no current appointment for repair, paying 404$ a month to sunrun, a payment plan for our utility for 143$ because of the energy we used since our panels failed, plus another charge for the electricity we are still using. So we pay about $7-800 for electricity a month for a 2 bedroom home with mostly HE, or gas appliances. The year and a half before the inverter failed we never paid the utility for power and actually had a overproduction. This should be illegal if you get solar go with someone else, if you want a house with a sunrun system tell the owners good luck and go with a different home. If it’s not soon I will be paying a lawyer to review my agreement and the treatment we received. It would probably cost us less then what we currently pay for power.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$16,750 ($3.35 per watt)
SLS, 1 day ago
I live in a high demand home market where first time buyers get bullied out by cash offering investors. We found a place that had a sunrun system we inherited. It has always been pricey we use half the power the old owners due sunrun said before we purchased we would be assessed at a year for usage and may reduce the system to save us money if we always overproduce. A year later that was a lie no such assessment and we absolutely use less energy as we have an excess of 450-750 kWh a month. Last year sdge (utility) called me and asked why our power spiked out of control and asked us to check our pv to see if it was working. One of the inverters had died and the system is at half production. I called sunrun which is BS since they allegedly monitor the systems and they tested it over the phone and saw the system had failed. The person told me I’d receive a credit for under production and someone would be out in a month to fix it. A month later the tech was no show, I call and they reschedule a month later. That same call they tell me no such credit applies because i have a over production average. They average the monthly production over the term served in the agreement which we were in year 4-5. So the average was high from overproduction averaged over time since before we even owned the house. Next month comes tech was no show, called again rescheduled for the next month rep told me there was no appt for that month but doubled back when I gave them the date and they investigated. A month later they called same day of appt after a no show to reschedule a month later. A month later the tech bills sunrun for an hour of work after he called me saying he couldn’t do the repair because they never gave him the inverter. So here we are in the 6th month of half production with no current appointment for repair, paying 404$ a month to sunrun, a payment plan for our utility for 143$ because of the energy we used since our panels failed, plus another charge for the electricity we are still using. So we pay about $7-800 for electricity a month for a 2 bedroom home with mostly HE, or gas appliances. The year and a half before the inverter failed we never paid the utility for power and actually had a overproduction. This should be illegal if you get solar go with someone else, if you want a house with a sunrun system tell the owners good luck and go with a different home. If it’s not soon I will be paying a lawyer to review my agreement and the treatment we received. It would probably cost us less then what we currently pay for power.
2.74 624 Reviews
Barbara P in Fowler, CA,
1 day ago
My solar is a perfect fit for me as I am a senior citizen with no way of paying the cost of putting solar by my self and getting the full benefits before I have passed. Hopefully my true up bill will be very small or $0 as it has been for the last year and a quarter. Thank you
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Average cost (5kW system)
$22,350 ($4.47 per watt)
Barbara P in Fowler, CA, 1 day ago
My solar is a perfect fit for me as I am a senior citizen with no way of paying the cost of putting solar by my self and getting the full benefits before I have passed. Hopefully my true up bill will be very small or $0 as it has been for the last year and a quarter. Thank you
4.60 110 Reviews
Eric B,
over 1 month
NorthStar recommend Jinko based on their reputation and after about a month, all panels are working great.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$20,400 ($4.08 per watt)
Eric B, over 1 month
NorthStar recommend Jinko based on their reputation and after about a month, all panels are working great.
Best unit price
$562.50 ($1.50 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$11,931.63
($2.45 p/w)
LG375A1C-V5 overview
Rated power
375 watts
Efficiency
21.7
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$430.00 ($1.15 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$12,718.32
($2.61 p/w)
LG375Q1C-V5 overview
Rated power
375 watts
Efficiency
21.7
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$320.00 ($0.96 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,523.93
($2.49 p/w)
LG335N1K-V5 overview
Rated power
335 watts
Efficiency
19.6
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$473.34 ($1.30 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$13,025.23
($2.55 p/w)
LG365Q1K-V5 overview
Rated power
365 watts
Efficiency
21.1
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
KR
Best unit price
$291.18 ($0.88 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,008.02
($2.43 p/w)
VBH330RA03K overview
Rated power
330 watts
Efficiency
19.7
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Mono-crystalline Silicon
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$340.00 ($1.00 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$14,280.00
($2.80 p/w)
VBHN340SA17 HIT+ overview
Rated power
340 watts
Efficiency
20.3
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline/N-type
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$297.60 ($0.89 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$13,059.05
($2.60 p/w)
VBHN335SA17 overview
Rated power
335 watts
Efficiency
20
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$432.00 ($1.31 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,202.42
($2.47 p/w)
VBHN330SA17E overview
Rated power
330 watts
Efficiency
19.7
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$600.00 ($1.83 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$11,968.01
($2.44 p/w)
SPR-E20-327-COM overview
Rated power
327 watts
Efficiency
20.4
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$800.00 ($2.22 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,335.47
($2.45 p/w)
SPR-X22-360 overview
Rated power
360 watts
Efficiency
22.2
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$620.00 ($1.90 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$12,803.99
($2.61 p/w)
SPR-E20-327-D-AC overview
Rated power
327 watts
Efficiency
20.4
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$620.00 ($1.90 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$12,717.55
($2.59 p/w)
SPR-E20-327 overview
Rated power
327 watts
Efficiency
20.4
Number of Cells
96
Cell type
Monocrystalline
Manufactured
US
Best unit price
$205.00 ($0.58 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$11,951.44
($2.40 p/w)
CS3U-355PB-AG overview
Rated power
355 watts
Efficiency
17.7
Number of Cells
144
Cell type
polycrystalline
Manufactured
CA
Best unit price
$240.01 ($0.60 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.8kW system
$12,341.39
($2.57 p/w)
CS3W-400PB-AG overview
Rated power
400 watts
Efficiency
17.9
Number of Cells
144
Cell type
polycrystalline
Manufactured
CA
Best unit price
$207.90 ($0.66 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,561.32
($2.49 p/w)
CS3K-315MS overview
Rated power
315 watts
Efficiency
18.96
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono-crystalline Silicon
Manufactured
CA
Best unit price
$247.00 ($0.75 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,948.87
($2.62 p/w)
CS1H-330MS BLACK overview
Rated power
330 watts
Efficiency
19.57
Number of Cells
60
Cell type
Mono-crystalline Silicon
Manufactured
CA
Best unit price
$165.00 ($0.53 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.0kW system
$12,079.73
($2.44 p/w)
LR6-60-HPB-310M overview
Rated power
310 watts
Efficiency
18.7
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$196.11 ($0.65 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 5.1kW system
$12,310.27
($2.41 p/w)
LR6-60-HPB-300M overview
Rated power
300 watts
Efficiency
18.1
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$172.00 ($0.56 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$11,840.67
($2.43 p/w)
LR6-60-HPB-305M overview
Rated power
305 watts
Efficiency
18.4
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Best unit price
$228.00 ($0.60 per watt)
Best system price
Installed 4.9kW system
$11,854.42
($2.40 p/w)
LR4-60HPH-380M overview
Rated power
380 watts
Efficiency
20.9
Number of Cells
120
Cell type
Mono PERC
Manufactured
CN
Average inverter review score: 3.71
Average inverter cost per watt: $0.14
Best unit price
$137
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$0
$0.00 p/w
Table 1: IQ7PLUS-72-E-US overview
Inverter Type
Micro Inverter
Minimum Voltage
16 V
Maximum Voltage
60 V
Maximum Current
15 A
Peak Output Power
295 watts
Best unit price
$126
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$12,144
$2.43 p/w
Table 1: IQ7-60-E-US overview
Inverter Type
Micro Inverter
Minimum Voltage
16 V
Maximum Voltage
48 V
Maximum Current
15 A
Peak Output Power
250 watts
Best unit price
$3,152
$0.13 per watt
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$12,689
$2.54 p/w
Table 1: SYMO ADV 24.0-3 overview
Inverter Type
String Inverter
Minimum Voltage
500 V
Maximum Voltage
800 V
Maximum Current
49.5 A
Peak Output Power
24 kW
Best unit price
$3,116
$0.14 per watt
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$12,230
$2.45 p/w
Table 1: SYMO ADV 22.7-3 overview
Inverter Type
String Inverter
Minimum Voltage
500 V
Maximum Voltage
800 V
Maximum Current
49.5 A
Peak Output Power
22.7 kW
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$13,065
$2.61 p/w
Table 1: SPH6000TL BL-US overview
Inverter Type
Hybrid Battery Inverter
Minimum Voltage
150 V
Maximum Voltage
550 V
Maximum Current
16 A
Peak Output Power
6 kW
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$12,139
$2.43 p/w
Table 1: SPH5000TL BL-US overview
Inverter Type
Hybrid Battery Inverter
Minimum Voltage
150 V
Maximum Voltage
550 V
Maximum Current
16 A
Peak Output Power
5 kW
Best unit price
$41
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$12,997
$2.60 p/w
Table 1: TS4-R-S overview
Inverter Type
Power Optimizer
Minimum Voltage
16 V
Maximum Voltage
90 V
Maximum Current
15 A
Best unit price
$1,270
$0.16 per watt
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$13,047
$2.61 p/w
Table 1: SB7.7-US-41 overview
Inverter Type
String Inverter
Minimum Voltage
100 V
Maximum Voltage
550 V
Maximum Current
18 A
Peak Output Power
7.7 kW
Best unit price
$88
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$12,222
$2.44 p/w
Table 1: P860 (for 2 x 72 cell modules) overview
Inverter Type
Power Optimizer
Minimum Voltage
12.5 V
Maximum Voltage
60 V
Maximum Current
22 A
Best unit price
$85
Best system price
Installed 5kW system
$13,047
$2.61 p/w
Table 1: P400 (for 72 & 96 cell modules) overview
Inverter Type
Power Optimizer
Minimum Voltage
8 V
Maximum Voltage
80 V
Maximum Current
10.1 A
Average battery review score: 3.30
Average battery cost per kWh of usable storage: $1,256.63
Best unit price
$10,600
$785.19 per kWh
Table 1: POWERWALL overview
Type
Lithium-ion
Usable Energy (kWh)
13.50
Inbuilt Battery Inverter
Yes
Manufactured
US
Warranty (years)
10
Best unit price
$33,000
$2,750.00 per kWh
Table 1: ECOLINX 12 overview
Type
Lithium-ion Phosphate
Usable Energy (kWh)
12.00
Inbuilt Battery Inverter
Yes
Manufactured
US
Warranty (years)
15
Best unit price
$7,000
$714.29 per kWh
Table 1: LG CHEM RESU10H overview
Type
Lithium-ion
Usable Energy (kWh)
9.80
Inbuilt Battery Inverter
yes
Manufactured
KR
Warranty (years)
10
Best unit price
$11,360
$1,109.38 per kWh
Table 1: BATTERY-BOX H10.0 overview
Type
Lithium Iron Phosphate
Usable Energy (kWh)
10.24
Inbuilt Battery Inverter
Yes
Manufactured
CN
Warranty (years)
10
Best unit price
$1,294
$924.29 per kWh
Table 1: TR 12.8-110 LI-ION overview
Type
Deep-Cycle Lithium Iron Phosphate
Usable Energy (kWh)
1.40
Inbuilt Battery Inverter
No
Manufactured
US
Warranty (years)
8
Note: Prices for installed systems are shown after 26% federal solar tax credit. Prices for individual panels, inverters, batteries, and DIY complete system kits are shown before federal tax credit.
The economics of the solar panel installation varies by house, utility area, climate zone, and state. As such we have prepared state-based solar guides. These guides include localized solar panels production data, local rebates, and incentives as well as ballpark cost, savings and estimators that take local weather and utility electric rates in to account.
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Exact cost, savings and payback tailored for your homes location, roof and power use
In hybrid solar systems, rooftop solar panels are connected to both a solar battery and the electric grid. This reduces your reliance on the utility while also providing backup power when needed. Battery storage is still expensive but you may be able to reduce costs by using state incentives.
Solar panels are mounted on your roof and wired together in groups called solar arrays. The power they generate flows into a solar inverter, where the direct current (DC) is converted into alternating current (AC). The electricity is then either used by your home or exported to the electric grid.
Off-grid solar power involves meeting all your energy needs from the sun; there’s no utility to fall back on. The solar installation needs to power your home not just during the day, when the sun is shining, but after dark as well. This requires many solar panels, paired with a large battery system.
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