Complete Solar Review: Quality Hardware, but Limited Transparency
6.1
Complete Solar
Like
High-quality equipment
Solid product warranties
Flexible financing options
Don’t like
Uses subcontractors
No pricing information
Questionable customer reviews
Over the past decade, solar panel prices have dropped 40% and installations have risen 25%. As a result, solar power has become a more affordable and popular option for homeowners to reduce power bills and their carbon footprint. However, choosing the best solar company for you isn’t always easy, as differences in panel quality, warranties and customer service can impact your experience.
Complete Solar is a solar company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Utah. It offers high-efficiency REC rooftop solar panels and the Enphase IQ Battery 5P, found on our best solar battery list. While the company provides top products and equipment, it falls short in workmanship warranty coverage and price transparency. Customer reviews are also mixed, with Google reviews averaging 4.6 out of 5 stars, but some reviews and complaints on social media highlight service challenges.
Choosing the right solar installer is difficult especially when it comes to picking a local or a national company.
We recommend getting quotes from multiple solar companies before signing a contract. If you’re in Complete Solar’s service area, it’s worth getting a quote to compare pricing with other options in your state. However, don’t just focus on price — also consider the company’s reputation, product quality, warranties and customer reviews.
Our review is based on online data, discussions with the Complete Solar team who made a representative available to answer our questions and industry expertise. We haven’t personally gone through the full installation process with Complete Solar, so it’s important to do your own research to see if Complete Solar fits your needs.
What do I get from Complete Solar?
Complete Solar has a mix of in-house installers and contractors and requires local licenses. This mix means you may have varying experiences depending on who handles the installation. We usually suggest choosing a company with in-house installers as it may offer more consistency in installation quality and communication.
For payment options, you can choose between a solar loan, lease or power purchase agreement. The company partners with financial providers like Light Reach for PPAs and Mosaic for solar loans to provide options to fit your budget. A solar loan provides a better bang for your buck over time since you’ll own the system and qualify for tax credits.
Solar panels above parking spaces at the QCells solar panel manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia, in 2021.
What solar equipment does Complete Solar install?
Complete Solar offers high-quality solar panels from REC, specifically the REC 50 and 460 models. These made our best solar panels list and are known for a high-efficiency rating of 22.6% backed by REC’s 25-year ProTrust warranty. The company previously offered Hyundai and Aptos solar panels but is phasing them out. Complete Solar mentioned it will offer QCells solar panels in the future, another solar panel company on our best list.
Even though you have limited options for solar batteries and inverters, the company offers top-rated Enphase products. The Enphase IQ Battery 5p made our best solar batteries list for its 15-year warranty and 90% round-trip efficiency. The company installs Enphase microinverters with a 97.5% efficiency and 25-year warranty.
What warranties does Complete Solar offer?
Like most solar companies, Complete Solar provides standard manufacturer warranties for its products, along with a 10-year craftsmanship warranty and production guarantee. If you run into any issues within the first 10 years, Complete Solar will cover repairs and reimburse you for any lost energy production. The workmanship and weatherization warranty isn’t nearly as strong as rivals like Solar Energy World with its incredible 30-year Triple Platinum Warranty.
The REC panels come with a 25-year warranty, ensuring they’ll still produce 86% to 92% of their rated power by the end of the warranty period. The Enphase microinverters also have a 25-year warranty, which is notably longer than those offered by competitors like Tesla and SolarEdge. Enphase also offers a solid 15-year warranty on its solar batteries, which is above average, as most battery providers typically offer just 10 years.
Does Complete Solar offer monitoring services?
Complete Solar does not offer its own monitoring service. Instead, you can use the Enphase Enlighten app to monitor your energy consumption and system production. The mobile app has a 4.6-star rating in the App Store and a 4 out of 5 rating on Google Play.
The year 2024 will go down as a chaotic one for the US rooftop solar industry. The future isn’t super clear.
Does Complete Solar use subcontractors?
Yes, Complete Solar’s installation team is a mix of in-house and subcontracted installers. The company does not require the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certification. Instead, Complete Solar requires licenses at the local level.
The in-house and subcontractor mix might provide more flexibility in scheduling, but the quality can vary by project, depending on the installation team. A fully in-house team usually provides a more consistent experience in terms of the quality of the installation and communication.
How much do Complete Solar panels cost?
The cost of solar panel installation varies by location, system size and several other factors unique to your situation. The system customization and financing options make it challenging for solar companies to provide specific pricing details. The best way to get an accurate price estimate for your home is by requesting quotes from solar companies, but here are a few averages to compare too.
According to Wood Mackenzie, the average cost of solar panels in the US is around $3 per watt for an 8 kW system, which brings the total to about $23,920 before any solar incentives. Find Energy estimates a slightly higher average cost of $3.58 per watt, totaling $17,823 for a 5 kW system. While these figures offer a good starting point, we recommend getting multiple quotes to account for variations in financing options, system size and your home’s energy needs. This will help you identify outliers and get a clearer idea of what’s best for your situation.
What financing options does Complete Solar offer?
You can finance your system with a solar loan or choose a PPA or lease contract. Complete Solar partners with well-known financial companies like Mosaic and Light Reach. The company also mentioned that it will soon add GoodLeap and Enfin for solar loans, though no specific dates or time estimates were provided.
Solar loans are typically a better deal, even with interest fees, compared with PPAs or leases because you gain full ownership of the system. This means that after the loan is paid off, you’ll own the system outright and can apply solar incentives. PPAs and leases often have long-term agreements where you pay for the energy the system produces, but you don’t own the system or build any equity in it. While PPAs or leases may have lower upfront costs, they can be more expensive over time and don’t usually qualify for incentives.
Does Complete Solar operate in my state? How do I order?
Complete Solar operates in five US states.
You can schedule a free consultation with Complete Solar by filling out the online form with your contact information. A solar expert will then assess your energy needs and help you explore financing options. If you choose to move forward, they’ll guide you through the selection and installation process to ensure the system fits your home and budget.
Complete Solar reviews: What are customers saying?
Online customer reviews can give you a glimpse into other people’s experiences, but keep in mind that your experience might not be the same. Complete Solar is not rated and doesn’t have customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau website, so we found the following on Google reviews. Read the following for a well-rounded understanding of the customer experience.
One-star Complete Solar reviews
“Still waiting for Complete Solar to respond to my many complaints, phone calls, emails, messages and voicemails to resolve installment issues from April 2023. When it was first installed, the panels did not work for nearly six months. When I got a hold of them, they sent someone out who said it was an electrical noise issue. I insisted on a follow-up contact, information on the part needed for repair and if this was covered by the warranty. Never heard a word again. Now, their voicemail says the office is closed even during the hours of operation listed in the voicemail. They will hound you until paid and then you can expect to never hear from them again. If they contact me, I will update my review.” Jenae M. September 2024.
“Does this company even have a customer support or project coordination team? Completely unable to get anyone to answer the phone or call back. Project issues should have been simple to overcome with proper project coordination. Did not update and submit revised drawings, failed inspections, failed to show up for scheduled inspections and dozens of ignored phone calls. The project coordinator does not provide a direct phone number making ignoring customers that much easier.” Joe T. November 2023.
Five-star Complete Solar reviews
“Everyone at Complete Solar has been a pleasure to work with. Adriana and Josh have kept us informed on every step. They were both friendly and professional. It was really like working with old friends! The installation crew were top-notch also. I would highly recommend family and friends that are interested in Solar, talk to Complete Solar first.” Kevin H. November 2022.
“Our project coordinator has been a pleasure to work with. He always kept me informed and gave time frame options for parts of the project. He was always available to promptly answer my questions. The whole process has been as enjoyable as possible. Plus, the contractors they used were all very professional and efficient.” Edward W. November 2021.
Is Complete Solar the best choice?
Choosing the right solar company for your home depends on your budget and energy needs. Before committing to any large home upgrade, get quotes from several companies to compare prices, products and warranties.
Complete Solar offers high-quality products from reputable brands with solid warranties but has a limited selection of panel, battery and inverter choices. The REC solar panels and Enphase microinverters come with a strong 25-year product warranty. The company also provides multiple financing options such as a loan, PPA or solar lease. Complete Solar didn’t offer our team any pricing information, so it’s best to request a quote to understand the potential costs for your home.
If you choose Complete Solar, make sure to get clear contact information and know exactly who to reach out to if any issues arise during the installation process. With a mix of in-house and contracted installers, having a clear point of contact will help ensure smooth communication and a more reliable installation process.
Our team does not have first-hand experience through the purchase and installation process with Complete Solar, but our research is accurate based on research and industry experience.
Complete Solar pros and cons
Pros
Cons
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the top solar company in the US?
The best solar company depends on your preference for payment method, equipment and other preferences. We rate Palmetto Solar at the top of our best list for its history of excellent customer service, pricing transparency and high-quality products. If you don’t live in Palmetto’s service area, consider other top solar companies like Solar Energy World and Freedom Forever.
What warranty does Complete Solar offer?
Complete Solar provides a 10-year workmanship warranty and production guarantee. This is in addition to any manufacturer offers, such as REC’s 25-year solar panel warranty.
How we evaluate solar companies
Reviewing solar companies in a hands-on way is difficult. Accounting for all the differences project to project is impossible. To provide a helpful review, we focused on what we can measure and meaningfully compare among companies.
We focus on three buckets of criteria: equipment, warranties and service.
Within the equipment category, companies receive scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they install. Warranties include the guarantees on the panels, workmanship and weatherization against leaks. Companies earn points for service if they offer a price match, a meaningful level of price transparency and a well-rated app for monitoring solar production. They lose points if there are major issues pertaining to customer service (lawsuits, investigations or clear reputations for shoddy service). These issues will always be detailed in the review.
You can read a detailed look at how the scoring breaks down.
We don’t consider the average price of a company’s installations in their score. This information is difficult to find and hard to compare across service areas (and even roof to roof). Companies are often slow to disclose it too. We also leave out easily found but not useful information like how many states a company operates in.
Read more: If you want to find out more about the best solar hardware, take a look at our picks for the best solar batteries and most efficient solar panels.