Venture Solar, founded in 2015, is a relatively new player in the solar industry. The company stands out from some other competitors we’ve reviewed in terms of providing quality solar products with a solid installation team and financing options.
Venture Solar uses products from reputable brands, such as Tesla and SunPower, and it offers ongoing support with panel maintenance and care included in all payment options.
While Venture Solar has many positives, it doesn’t offer power purchase agreements (PPAs) — a common option with other solar companies. Some customers have also reported higher pricing compared to other installers. We recommend you weigh your financial goals when considering Venture Solar.
Our thoughts on Venture Solar
Venture Solar is a great option if you want personalized service and need a solar installer familiar with local codes and policies. The company provides customized, high-performance solar systems, and its staff easily assists you with applying for all available solar incentives and rebates. You may want that assistance because Venture Solar has a reputation for focusing on premium products, such as SunPower and REC solar panels, which causes some high pricing.
We find that Venture Solar provides a balance between a more regional solar installer and a national brand. Because of the various benefits and drawbacks this balance provides, the company scored 4.1 out of 5 stars based on our methodology.
What we like
One of the main things we like about Venture Solar is its focus on localized and personal service. The company limits its availability to 10 states, so its staff remains knowledgeable about local solar rebates, incentives and programs. Additionally, it only hires solar contractors certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) and aims to use reputable, premium brands for its products.
According to Will White, solar application specialist at Fluke Corporation, this is a serious perk, as he shared with us that it’s an excellent method to ensure you’re dealing with a trustworthy and reliable company. “They’re not really well known on the homeowner front, but they’re well known in the solar industry,” he shared, concluding that companies that use NABCEP-certified installers are a good starting point for deciding what installer to hire. These benefits mean you receive peace of mind regarding workmanship and savings.
A standout offering from the company is that it includes a protection plan in addition to its 25-year manufacturer’s warranties. Rather than offering a separate protection plan that costs extra, Venture Solar includes panel cleaning and maintenance with all its payment methods. You won’t find this benefit provided by many other solar companies.
What we don’t like
Unfortunately, premium products and included perks such as cleaning come with higher pricing. You could receive similar-performing solar panels for more competitive pricing in your area, so we suggest obtaining at least two quotes from other installers before moving forward with Venture Solar. Additionally, the company doesn’t offer a PPA, so you will need to consider another brand if you want to use this financing option.
The company also features mixed reviews across popular review sites. Namely, its Better Business Bureau (BBB) page mentions difficulty with communication and customer support.
Compare top solar brands
Venture Solar offers mixed customer service experiences but comprehensive warranty coverage. It also provides many standard solar energy services, such as panel and battery installation paired with active monitoring.
Venture Solar services
Venture Solar provides industry-standard solar panel installation services. The specific brand of solar panels Venture Solar sells you depends on your location and the supply chain when you order them. During our research, we noted that Venture Solar has previously supplied Maxeon, LG and REC monocrystalline panels. Monocrystalline panels provide the highest average efficiency ratings, 20%–25%, and SunPower Maxeon panels can reach up to 30%.
We also like that Venture Solar focuses on various solar panel system designs. For example, the company notes that it can install a reinforced frame design to help protect your solar panels from extreme weather such as a blizzard. It also mentions providing a no-front-side contacts system. This system threads the panels to increase efficiency by capturing more sunlight, which means your panels can take up less roof space.
The company’s focus on flexible system design paired with premium solar product brands echoes a benefit JD Dillon, chief marketing officer at Tigo Energy, mentioned: “It’s essential for homeowners to recognize the importance of high-quality system design and installation. Working with a reputable solar installation company that uses high-quality equipment, therefore, is one of the most important aspects of success with solar.” He said that one good method to ensure you receive such service is to ask the installer for documentation of continued industry training and evidence of having completed any manufacturer-provided certifications.
Working with a reputable solar installation company that uses high-quality equipment, therefore, is one of the most important aspects of success with solar.
JD Dillon
Solar battery installation
Venture Solar offers an optional add-on solar backup battery system if you’re looking for a reliable energy storage solution. You can pair either Tesla or Enphase with your solar panel installations. Venture Solar can even retrofit a solar battery if you already have a solar system. Solar battery systems provide emergency backup power during grid outages. It stores excess solar energy produced during the day for use at night.
The Tesla Powerwall and Enhase Encharge batteries are lithium-ion batteries with capacities ranging from 10–20 kilowatt-hours. Venture Solar handles the battery permitting, installation and activation, ensuring you have a renewable backup power source. The company’s offering of two different batteries and its installation process aligns with industry standards.
Mobile app active monitoring
After installing your Venture Solar panels, you can use a mobile application from either Tesla or Enphase to monitor and optimize the system’s performance. The installation includes integrated monitoring hardware that tracks your system’s production and real-time performance. You can also access detailed analytics on energy generation, consumption and battery charge levels through Venture Solar’s monitoring app.
The app will notify you of any maintenance issues, and Venture’s operations team will work remotely to troubleshoot problems and minimize system downtime. The active monitoring feature provides complete transparency into the operation of your solar system and helps you optimize its production proactively.
Venture Solar’s installation process
Venture Solar follows the standard solar panel installation process, including an in-home consultation and site assessment. An in-home consultation is an excellent sign of quality as it allows you to interact with and ask more questions of the installation company. We also like that Venture Solar focuses on providing you with the most solar tax incentives and rebates possible.
- Consultation: After you contact the company, Venture Solar schedules and conducts a free in-home consultation to explain the solar installation process and review your financing options. A sales representative will assess your home’s features and your financial goals to create an initial quote.
- Site assessment: If you decide to proceed with Venture Solar, another rep will visit your home to evaluate your roof and determine the amount of sunlight exposure it receives. Before starting the design and installation process, they’ll present you with a proposal and performance expectations, which you must approve.
- Design and permitting: The company finalizes your custom design and sends it to its design team to compile all the necessary components for your system. During this step, Venture Solar also deals with any necessary permits and paperwork required by your local municipality before you can start installation.
- Installation: Once you schedule an installation date with Venture Solar, it sends a team to install your solar panels and battery. Most installations are complete within a day, but larger and more complex projects could take three to four days.
- Inspections and activation: Venture Solar conducts a system inspection with your local utility company after installation. Once the final check is complete and all is approved, Venture Solar will receive permission to operate (PTO) and activate your system so you can start generating clean energy.
Warranties
Venture Solar offers a comprehensive 25-year warranty that covers all aspects of its systems. This warranty includes parts, labor, monitoring and coverage for power output. The parts coverage encompasses the panels, inverters and racking system.
A 10-year workmanship warranty also addresses any issues related to poor installation.
You won’t find many other solar providers offering a warranty as comprehensive as Venture Solar’s. With Venture Solar, you can rest assured that your investment is fully protected for the long term.
Pricing and quotes
Unfortunately, Venture Solar doesn’t provide much information about its pricing online. It has mentioned in a blog post that its residential solar panel systems in New York could cost anywhere between $15,000 and $100,000, with an average price of $30,000. This information isn’t particularly helpful, though. We expect Venture Solar’s pricing to align with recent reports from the Renewable Energy Laboratory that show solar panel installation for a standard 6-kilowatt system as $18,960 on average.
If you purchase a Venture Solar panel system upfront or take out a solar loan, you may be eligible for the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC), which can lead to substantial savings. The ITC is a tax incentive the Department of Energy and IRS facilitate for installing solar energy systems. Solar system owners can claim a tax deduction on some of their eligible solar expenses. Presently, the ITC covers 26% of the installation cost for solar systems. This benefit is only available if you opt for a full purchase or solar loan because these payment methods give full ownership to you rather than the solar company.
Venture Solar provides three payment methods for its solar energy systems: full payment, solar loan and solar lease. One unique feature of its financing options is that the company includes solar panel care and maintenance with all options. This benefit is unlike other solar installers that rely only on warranties for possible repairs or require you to enroll in an extra protection plan. Another major perk when using Venture Solar is that the company uses an in-house financing department.
- Full purchase: You can purchase a Venture Solar solar panel system by paying the full cost upfront. This option provides full ownership, maximum long-term savings, and eligibility for the federal tax credit and local incentives. This is the most expensive payment option but provides the most return on investment over your system’s lifetime.
- Solar loan: A solar loan is another option that gives you full ownership and freedom to use tax incentives. Venture Solar’s in-house financing team offers options for loans as low as zero dollars down with fixed interest rates for five- to 20-year loans. The biggest drawback is that you pay more over time due to the interest rate.
- Solar lease: If you care less about the financial perks of going solar and more about reducing your energy bills and generating renewable energy, a solar lease with Venture Solar is a great option. This option also includes zero dollars down upfront, and the company aims to require low monthly payments. However, you don’t receive full ownership of the system. Instead, Venture Solar remains the system’s owner, so you can’t apply for any tax incentives.
Customer thoughts
Venture Solar features an A+ rating and accreditation on its headquarters’ BBB profile. However, the company only has a 3.27 out of 5 star customer rating with 22 customer reviews. Ventures Solar receives a higher 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews at its headquarters in Brooklyn.
We found that many customers experienced an overall positive experience with Venture Solar and cited professional customer support and high-quality workmanship on their solar panel systems. Some customers were even impressed enough to share photos of the final product in their reviews, such as in the case of reviewer Anthony.
The negative reception we saw came from Venture Solar’s quoting process and pricing. Many customers seemed confused about their system’s total cost and mentioned a frequent back-and-forth over pricing. These reviews also mention constant delays in finishing installation due to these issues. For example, we found various Reddit threads about Venture Solar in which other solar customers and installers mentioned that Venture Solar has a propensity to focus on more premium products that lead to higher pricing when it’s not entirely necessary.
Final take: Venture Solar provides premiums systems great for full ownership but isn’t a top choice for other financing options
Venture Solar is ideal if you want full solar energy system ownership and to take advantage of local tax incentives and rebates. The company also provides quality solar panel installation services and some of the most high-performance systems on the market.
However, its focus on providing premium products makes for high pricing that might deter you if you’re trying to go solar on a budget. Furthermore, its leasing options are basic, and it doesn’t provide you with the option of a PPA.
We recommend getting at least three quotes from local solar installers to compare and contrast pricing, warranty coverage and service options.
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 and Google Reviews ratings are 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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