Independent measurement · July 2026
The solar companies AI actually recommends.
Homeowners don't just search anymore — they ask AI who to hire. So we measured the answer. We asked for the best solar companies in 30 markets, 4 different ways each — 204 checks in all — and recorded every company it named.
We show you the closest market we've benchmarked.
Only 1 in 10
of the 1,043 solar companies we benchmarked ever came up — just 10%. These are the ones homeowners are told to call.
1,043
solar companies checked
204
AI questions asked
30
markets benchmarked
10%
ever get recommended
We measure two kinds of solar work.
A homeowner pricing a new rooftop system and a homeowner whose panels are dusty and underperforming ask AI completely different questions — and it names completely different companies. So each market page shows two separately measured lists: solar installation, and solar panel cleaning.
Why these markets and not everywhere?
Solar doesn't pay off the same everywhere. We benchmark the 30 markets where it actually makes financial sense for a homeowner: strong sun, high power bills, or state rules that pay you fairly for the power your panels send back to the grid. Arizona homeowners can pay a system off in about three years. New Jersey and Massachusetts homeowners get there on high electricity rates and strong state programs instead of sunshine. Those are the markets where a good local installer is worth finding — so those are the ones we measure.
The most recommended solar companies, market by market
Every market is benchmarked the same way: 4 homeowner-style questions per service, every answer recorded. Pick yours to see the measured lists.
AI's answer moves between checks, so we publish how many of the 4 checks named each one instead of a rank that would change if we asked again.
Albuquerque, NM
7 of 41Named in all 4 checks: Positive Energy Solar and SunState Solar Inc
See the Albuquerque list →
Atlanta, GA
2 of 31Named in 3 of 4 checks: Better Tomorrow Solar
See the Atlanta list →
Austin, TX
6 of 39Named in all 4 checks: Freedom Power
See the Austin list →
Baltimore, MD
0 of 11No company was named more than once here
See the Baltimore list →
Boston, MA
0 of 31No company was named more than once here
See the Boston list →
Charleston, SC
1 of 29Named in 2 of 4 checks: Southern Current
See the Charleston list →
Charlotte, NC
4 of 35Named in all 4 checks: Sun Service Specialists and Top Tier Solar Solutions
See the Charlotte list →
Chicago, IL
7 of 42Named in all 4 checks: Property Refresh
See the Chicago list →
Dallas, TX
5 of 46Named in 3 of 4 checks: North Dallas Window Cleaning
See the Dallas list →
Denver, CO
3 of 45Named in all 4 checks: Superior Window Cleaning
See the Denver list →
Fresno, CA
10 of 42Named in all 4 checks: SunMade Smart Roofing, Solar Fresno & Electric
See the Fresno list →
Houston, TX
5 of 48Named in all 4 checks: A&E Solar Panel Cleaning
See the Houston list →
Jacksonville, FL
5 of 38Named in all 4 checks: Synergy Solar and Roofing
See the Jacksonville list →
Las Vegas, NV
2 of 28Named in all 4 checks: Beyond Energy Company
See the Las Vegas list →
Los Angeles, CA
4 of 45Named in all 4 checks: Valley Window Cleaning
See the Los Angeles list →
Miami / Fort Lauderdale, FL
1 of 17Named in 2 of 4 checks: Terra Energy
See the Miami / Fort Lauderdale list →
New York, NY
0 of 28No company was named more than once here
See the New York list →
Orlando, FL
7 of 38Named in all 4 checks: 3 Guys Solar, LLC
See the Orlando list →
Philadelphia, PA
1 of 34No company was named more than once here
See the Philadelphia list →
Phoenix, AZ
3 of 41Named in 2 of 4 checks: Rooftop Solar
See the Phoenix list →
Raleigh, NC
4 of 35Named in all 4 checks: 8MSolar and Emerald Energy
See the Raleigh list →
Richmond, VA
0 of 11No company was named more than once here
See the Richmond list →
Riverside / Inland Empire, CA
1 of 26Named in all 4 checks: Optimum Solar Power Inc
See the Riverside / Inland Empire list →
Sacramento, CA
2 of 44Named in 3 of 4 checks: Solectric
See the Sacramento list →
Salt Lake City, UT
0 of 15No company was named more than once here
See the Salt Lake City list →
San Antonio, TX
6 of 32Named in all 4 checks: Atma Energy
See the San Antonio list →
San Diego, CA
7 of 48Named in all 4 checks: Sunline Energy
See the San Diego list →
San Jose / Bay Area, CA
5 of 50Named in all 4 checks: Keep it Clean LLC and Smart Solar Panel Cleaning San Jose
See the San Jose / Bay Area list →
Tampa, FL
3 of 35Named in 3 of 4 checks: Florida Electric & Solar
See the Tampa list →
Tucson, AZ
7 of 38Named in 3 of 4 checks: AZ Solar Electric and Saguaro Solar Company
See the Tucson list →
Before you call anyone
What the work costs, what homeowners ask us most, and tools that give you a number in about a minute. Nothing here is a sales page and nothing asks for your phone number.
Common questions
Straight answers, written for the person paying — not a lead form and not a sales page.
Measured, never sold.
No solar company can pay to appear on these lists. A company is listed only because AI actually recommended it when we asked — more than once. We publish how many of the checks named each one, not a place, because the count holds up when we ask again and a place doesn't. That's the whole formula.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
How do you measure which U.S. solar companies AI recommends?
We ask leading AI assistants the questions real homeowners ask — like "Who is the best solar company near me?" and "I want to put solar panels on my house, who should I hire?" — 4 different ways for each kind of work (putting panels on a roof, and cleaning panels that are already up), and record every company it recommends. Each company on a list was named in more than one of those answers, and we publish how many named it rather than a place in a ranking — ask again and the top name often changes, but the count holds. We ran 204 checks for this edition and compared the answers against the 1,043 U.S. solar companies in our dataset.
Can a solar company pay to be on this list?
No. This list is measured, never sold. A company appears on it only if AI actually recommended it when we asked. Money cannot buy a place on this list. Sponsored blocks are labeled advertising and sit outside the ranked list.
What does it mean if a company is NOT on this list?
It means that when we asked leading AI assistants for a solar company in that company's metro, that company never came up. That says nothing about the quality of their work — only that homeowners who ask AI for a recommendation are being sent somewhere else. Most companies haven't shown up in AI answers yet, so the lists are short.
Do you only cover certain parts of the country?
Yes, on purpose. We benchmark the metros where home solar actually makes financial sense — strong sun, high power bills, or state rules that pay you fairly for what your panels send back to the grid. If your city isn't here yet, it's on the list for a future edition.
How often is this updated?
We re-run the same benchmark quarterly with the same methodology, so companies that improve their AI visibility can appear in the next update. This edition was measured in July 2026.
Do you run a solar company?
If your company isn't on these lists, homeowners who ask AI for a solar company are being sent to someone else. Find out where you stand — free.
See if AI recommends youThe free check is run by Fast Digital Marketing, the Tampa-based team behind this benchmark. How it works