Independent measurement · July 2026

The solar companies AI actually recommends.

Homeowners don't just search anymore — they ask ChatGPT 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

ChatGPT questions asked

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 ChatGPT completely different questions — and it names completely different companies. So each market page shows two separately measured lists: solar installation, and solar panel cleaning.

See the solar panel cleaning boards

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.

Albuquerque, NM

7 of 41

#1 most recommended: SunState Solar Inc

See the Albuquerque list →

Atlanta, GA

2 of 31

#1 most recommended: Better Tomorrow Solar

See the Atlanta list →

Austin, TX

6 of 39

#1 most recommended: Freedom Power

See the Austin list →

Baltimore, MD

0 of 11

Benchmark in progress — the measured lists publish here first.

See the Baltimore list →

Boston, MA

0 of 31

Benchmark in progress — the measured lists publish here first.

See the Boston list →

Charleston, SC

1 of 29

#1 most recommended: Southern Current

See the Charleston list →

Charlotte, NC

4 of 35

#1 most recommended: Top Tier Solar Solutions

See the Charlotte list →

Chicago, IL

7 of 42

#1 most recommended: RxSun

See the Chicago list →

Dallas, TX

5 of 46

#1 most recommended: Vantage Point Solar

See the Dallas list →

Denver, CO

3 of 45

#1 most recommended: Solar Wave

See the Denver list →

Fresno, CA

10 of 42

#1 most recommended: SunMade Smart Roofing, Solar Fresno & Electric

See the Fresno list →

Houston, TX

5 of 48

#1 most recommended: Freedom Power

See the Houston list →

Jacksonville, FL

5 of 38

#1 most recommended: Synergy Solar and Roofing

See the Jacksonville list →

Las Vegas, NV

2 of 28

#1 most recommended: Beyond Energy Company

See the Las Vegas list →

Los Angeles, CA

4 of 45

#1 most recommended: Haven Energy

See the Los Angeles list →

Miami / Fort Lauderdale, FL

1 of 17

#1 most recommended: Terra Energy

See the Miami / Fort Lauderdale list →

New York, NY

0 of 28

Benchmark in progress — the measured lists publish here first.

See the New York list →

Orlando, FL

7 of 38

#1 most recommended: Solaria Solar and Roofing

See the Orlando list →

Philadelphia, PA

1 of 34

#1 most recommended: Imperium Solar

See the Philadelphia list →

Phoenix, AZ

3 of 41

#1 most recommended: Rooftop Solar

See the Phoenix list →

Raleigh, NC

4 of 35

#1 most recommended: 8MSolar

See the Raleigh list →

Richmond, VA

0 of 11

Benchmark in progress — the measured lists publish here first.

See the Richmond list →

Riverside / Inland Empire, CA

1 of 26

#1 most recommended: Optimum Solar Power Inc

See the Riverside / Inland Empire list →

Sacramento, CA

2 of 44

#1 most recommended: Solectric

See the Sacramento list →

Salt Lake City, UT

0 of 15

Benchmark in progress — the measured lists publish here first.

See the Salt Lake City list →

San Antonio, TX

6 of 32

#1 most recommended: Atma Energy

See the San Antonio list →

San Diego, CA

7 of 48

#1 most recommended: Sunline Energy

See the San Diego list →

San Jose / Bay Area, CA

5 of 50

#1 most recommended: NRG Clean Power

See the San Jose / Bay Area list →

Tampa, FL

3 of 35

#1 most recommended: Florida Electric & Solar

See the Tampa list →

Tucson, AZ

7 of 38

#1 most recommended: Saguaro Solar Company

See the Tucson list →

Measured, never sold.

No solar company can pay to appear on these lists. A company ranks here only because ChatGPT actually recommended it when we asked — and companies named more often rank higher. That's the whole formula.

Read the full methodology

Common questions

How do you measure which U.S. solar companies ChatGPT recommends?

We ask ChatGPT 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 those answers; companies named more often rank higher. 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 here only if ChatGPT actually recommended it when we asked. Money cannot buy a place on this list.

What does it mean if a company is NOT on this list?

It means that when we asked ChatGPT 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 ChatGPT for a solar company are being sent to someone else. Find out where you stand — free.

See if ChatGPT recommends you

The free check is run by Fast Digital Marketing, the Tampa-based team behind this benchmark. How it works