ADT Solar (formerly known as Sunpro Solar) offers a 25-year warranty for its panels, performance, workmanship and microinverters, making it an investment that will give you peace of mind. While the industry average panel warranty is 25 years, most companies only offer five- or 10-year warranties for other system aspects.
Customer reviews applaud ADT’s 24/7 customer support, which makes it simple to schedule repairs or remedy faulty installations. However, our customer review analysis also showed that poor installation is a common customer complaint.
Our ADT solar review draws on insight from solar industry experts, our survey of 1,000 home solar customers and our rigorous methodology that rates solar installation companies on key specs to help you decide whether ADT is right for your solar project.
Our thoughts on ADT
We rated the company 4.4 out of 5 stars based on our methodology. We like its comprehensive warranty options that last longer than most other providers’.
ADT offers a 25-year labor and equipment warranty and an impressive 25-year power production guarantee. If you reside within ADT’s service area, you can take advantage of its warranties and system monitoring to ensure the long-term performance of your solar energy system.
ADT uses solar equipment from multiple well-respected manufacturers and offers three financing options. The company also provides transparent financing options and 24/7 customer support, giving you ample flexibility to schedule repairs and obtain information about any issues you may have.
However, it’s worth noting that some customers have left negative reviews citing slow installation or improperly installed panels.
What we like
The most impressive thing about ADT is its warranty coverage. Most solar installation companies include a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty, but their labor and performance warranties land closer to 10 years. By contrast, all of ADT’s warranties provide 25 years of coverage.
You’ll also be able to access customer support more readily than you might with other providers since ADT representatives are available 24/7, not just during regular business hours.
We also like that ADT has a compensation system if your panels underperform. As part of its 25-year power production guarantee, you’ll receive the difference in cash if your system doesn’t produce the amount of energy guaranteed in your quote.
What we don’t like
ADT has a mixed reputation across popular review sites, such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Many reviews mention poor installation quality or faulty installation that required ADT to return and do the job correctly.
We also found the ADT website confusing and difficult to navigate. Not only does the company not disclose much information about the solar brands it offers, but it’s easy to navigate away from the solar page to its home security pages.
Compare top solar brands
ADT’s 25-year warranties are some of the best on the market; most labor and microinverter warranties only last for 10 years or less. Here’s how ADT stacks up against top providers on key factors.
ADT solar services
ADT offers solar panels from reputable brands such as Qcells, Silfab Solar and Canadian Solar. These brands have maximum efficiency ratings ranging from 20.9% to 22.8%. ADT only sells monocrystalline solar panels from these brands that have an average life span of 25 to 40 years.
In addition, ADT sells Enphase microinverters that efficiently convert solar energy into electricity directly at each panel. With this technology, you can avoid the higher costs and complications that come with a system requiring multiple cables and junction boxes.
Solar battery installation
A solar battery is a device that stores the excess electricity your solar power system generates. It ensures an uninterruptible power supply to your home even when the solar panels do not produce electricity. This device can also provide electricity during power outages. ADT offers two types of solar batteries: the Tesla Powerwall 2 and the Enphase IQ.
The Tesla Powerwall 2 is a widely used battery among solar installers. It continuously releases 13.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy at a rate of 5.8 kVA or 7.2 kVA for 10 seconds, meaning you have more control over the power flow than with other solar batteries. The Enphase IQ provides 10.08 kWh at only 3.84 kVA, so it’s more limited than the Powerwall.
Mobile app active monitoring
ADT offers Enphase’s smartphone app for active solar system monitoring. This app allows you to track your system’s performance, view the flow of energy between your home, solar panels, and solar battery, and check the performance of individual panels.
Additionally, the app allows you to take your home off the grid and program your system to save you money based on your usage habits. Grid-tied energy will be more expensive and increase your utility bill, so determining how and when to use it rather than the energy produced by your solar panels will help you balance your bills.
Roofing services
In addition to solar panel installation, ADT provides basic roofing services through Buildpro. This company can help you install a new roof as you install solar panels. Alternatively, if roof repair is recommended during your solar panel installation home assessment, Buildpro can step in to assist.
ADT’s installation process
ADT follows similar steps as other solar providers when installing panels. One difference is that ADT claims to send a team of two or three people to your home for the initial site assessment rather than a single consultant.
- Site assessment: ADT will send a team of solar consultants to your home to evaluate if your house can support solar panels. The team will assess factors such as your home’s roof pitch, design and shade level.
- Design: After the evaluation, ADT’s expert design team will work with you to create the ideal solar array for your roof and energy needs. Before your installation can begin, ADT will acquire the necessary permits required by your municipality.
- Installation: Once your home is approved for installation, ADT technicians will install the selected solar panels and connect your system to the electrical grid. If you wish to store the excess energy collected by your solar panels, ADT offers battery backup installation.
- Final inspection and activation: ADT will work with a local building inspector to ensure that your system is up to code. After the inspection is approved, ADT will turn on your system, and you can connect it to your local utility company’s power grid.
Warranties
The thing we like the most about ADT is its warranties. The company provides a comprehensive 25-year warranty package for your solar power system. The package includes a 25-year labor guarantee for the workmanship of your system installation, a 25-year power production guarantee, a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty to cover any potential issues with your panels, and a 25-year warranty for Enphase microinverters.
Pricing and quotes
According to costs reported by homeowners in our October 2023 survey of 1,000 residential solar customers, homeowners pay an average of $11,409 for an ADT Solar system. This figure is well below the national average of $18,960 for a 6-kilowatt system, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Keep in mind that many cost factors determine your total price, such as average energy consumption, local utility rates and roof configuration.
When you choose to purchase your system in full or enter a solar loan with ADT, you qualify for the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC). The ITC is a government incentive program offered by the U.S. Department of Energy. The IRS offers a Residential Clean Energy Credit to promote the adoption of solar power systems. Under this program, solar system owners can claim a deduction from their federal income tax returns of up to 30% of the installation cost of solar energy systems.
ADT offers three solar financing options. It doesn’t offer a power purchase agreement (PPA) like other solar providers do. We don’t hold this against the company because PPAs are less cost-effective than solar loans or full purchases and tend not to benefit homeowners.
- Full purchase: This option is the most cost-effective in the long run. If you purchase your solar system upfront, you can save money by avoiding financing charges and interest rates. Additionally, you may qualify for federal solar tax credits and state incentives that are available in your area.
- Solar loans: When you take a solar loan, you will have to pay a monthly fee to own your solar panels. The payment amount will depend on your credit score. Because you own the panels, you become eligible for government incentives. However, you will have to pay interest on the loan, which means you will end up spending more money on your solar panel system over time.
- Solar leases: When you choose to lease solar panels with ADT, the company will take on the expense of purchasing and installing the solar panels. As you will not own the solar energy system, ADT will be the one to receive any solar incentives and rebates. Meanwhile, you will have the opportunity to enjoy solar energy at a monthly cost. The company doesn’t share a minimum term agreement, but most companies require at least one- or two-year contracts.
ADT availability
ADT serves nine states:
- California
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Ohio
- Virginia
- Florida
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Texas
Customer thoughts
ADT has an A+ rating on its BBB page and a customer rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars. Many reviews mention quality customer service and solar panels from the company, but other reviews say initial installations are poor, and there are challenges with getting a representative on the phone.
Though ADT promises to address any issues that arise, according to reviews, you have to go back and forth with customer service to fix them. The company was fairly responsive to complaints on BBB, but it also used cookie-cutter responses such as, “Thank you for expressing your concerns with ADT Solar. Your feedback is a valuable source of information in improving our service to our customers. Please accept our apology for the poor service you feel we have given.”
Final take: ADT offers some of the best warranties, but you may have issues with installation
Overall, we find ADT to be a good option for going solar if you care about long-term support and security. The company provides some of the most comprehensive warranties in the industry, keeps its installation crews in-house and provides customer service 24/7. You may have a less-than-optimal installation initially, but ADT seems to work with its customers to address these issues, and only some reviews mention these problems.
We recommend you look into your local ADT Solar branch to see whether its reputation is solid. Overall, the pros of ADT may outweigh the possibility of dealing with some initial headaches.
We encourage you to get at least three solar quotes from different providers to compare costs and service offerings.
Our rating methodology for solar companies
We rate and compare solar installers using our in-depth methodology. Installers are scored out of 100, and we then divide the final score by 20 to get the 5-star rating we include in our reviews.
We evaluate solar installers on a variety of key factors, including their customer service, breadth of services, consultation process, website experience, panel quality, payment options, financing availability and warranty coverage.
BBB information is current as of June 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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