Most of us have had a solar contractor show up at our doors trying to convince us to install solar panels on our homes. But solar contracting isn’t limited to the panels popping up on residential rooftops. Commercial solar contractors are helping governments, schools, developers, and communities make the switch to solar energy.
This article profiles the top commercial solar contractors driving the change toward renewable power.
Commercial Solar Industry and Outlook
The US solar industry is booming, with a 35% year-over-year growth in 2023. Solar energy represents nearly half of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the grid last year. Over 10,000 solar contracting companies employ 263,000 people. The demand for solar energy in commercial, industrial, agricultural, school, government, and nonprofit buildings is only growing due to net zero initiatives, evolving regulations, and tax credits, to name a few reasons.
Commercial solar contractors play a critical role in the shift to alternative energy sources. Their services are in high demand as they’re brought in on construction projects to:
- Design, install, and maintain high-producing commercial solar energy systems for both existing and new structures.
- Plan system configurations
- Measure and assemble support structures for solar panels
- Install solar modules and panels
- Connect panels to the electrical system.
Top 36 Commercial Solar Contractors
Solar Power World publishes a list of Top Solar Contractors every year. The 2023 list reached 420 solar energy providers, including residential, utility, and commercial solar contractors. It’s a lot to sort through, so we did a little digging to figure out which contractors are leading the pack when it comes to commercial solar energy.
We narrowed it down to 36 commercial solar contractors with 50 or more employees. Over a dozen of them are located in California and New York, two states leading the way in alternative energy. Collectively, these contractors installed over half a million new kilowatts (KWs) of solar energy in 2022, not including re-installation, service, and maintenance work.
Here’s our list of the top commercial solar contractors in the US.
6 Commercial Solar Contractors to Watch
Of the 36 top commercial solar contractors on this list, six companies really stood out to us—some because they’re notably the largest commercial solar contractors; others because they’re coming up in the ranks quickly, outpacing their competitors’ growth. Each installed over 30,000 KW of new solar energy in 2022.
These are the six commercial solar contractors we’ll be keeping our eyes on in the years ahead.
1. Freedom Solar Power
Headquarters: Austin, TX
Company Size: 760 employees
Freedom Solar Power is a full-service solar company that originated in Austin, TX, in 2007 as a small operation installing solar panels on homes across Texas. Today, it has 11 offices across five states and is the trusted solar partner for national brands like Whole Foods and Office Depot. With 760 employees, Freedom Solar Power is the largest commercial solar contractor in the US.
Freedom has both residential and commercial service divisions. Its commercial portfolio includes solar energy systems for auto dealerships, multi-family housing units, education and healthcare campuses, hotels, restaurants, manufacturing facilities, and retail and office buildings. Services range from sales and financing of solar panels all the way to installation and maintenance.
Learn more on Freedom Solar Power’s website.
2. Teichert Solar
Headquarters: Sacramento, CA
Company Size: 150 Employees
Teichert Solar is a division of Teichert Construction that was founded in 2018. It’s installed over 100 MW of solar energy in just five years. Customers often choose Teichert because of its parent company’s reputation as a civil infrastructure leader.
Teichert serves both commercial and industrial sectors throughout California. Its team primarily installs solar carport canopies, parking garage structures, ground-mount systems, and rooftop panels. It focuses on value-engineering systems to meet client needs and constructing them from start to finish.
Learn more on Teichert Solar’s website.
3. M Bar C Construction
Headquarters: San Marcos, CA
Company Size: 150 Employees
M Bar C Construction is a family-owned and operated business that started installing solar panels in 1997, well before solar power started gaining popularity. It runs Western and Eastern divisions out of California and Massachusetts, respectively, to serve clients from coast to coast.
M Bar C is known as the leader in reliable carport solutions. It serves commercial, industrial, and government sectors, including hundreds of schools and colleges. M Bar C’s solar contractors install nearly four million square feet of structures each year, incorporating solar efficiency into parking lot canopies, parking garage structures, and ground-mounted units.
Learn more on M Bar C Construction’s website.
4. John Mills Electric
Headquarters: Elmira, NY
Company Size: 125 Employees
John Mills Electric is a family-owned electrical and solar contracting company with a local footprint serving New York and Pennsylvania. The company first started as Cady Electric in 1946 and was incorporated under John Mills three decades later. It launched its solar division in 2007 after realizing the green energy movement was gaining ground.
John Mills takes on large-scale commercial, industrial, and community solar projects that typically include electrical installation and ongoing operations and maintenance. It operates a separate division, Twin Tier Solar, that serves the residential solar market. Playing a role in both commercial and residential markets means its team understands the unique energy consumption patterns and regulatory requirements of larger-scale projects and can better design solar solutions tailored to the needs of its clients.
Learn more on John Mills Electric’s website.
5. New Era Electric
Headquarters: San Marcos, CA
Company Size: 50 employees
New Era Electric is a premier renewable energy and electrical contractor. Launched in 2019, this is the newcomer on our list. The company has accomplished a lot in just five years with a team of 50. It’s already added nearly 100,000 KW of solar energy to California buildings since its founding.
New Era has served commercial clients the likes of Tesla, Apple, Marriot, Holiday Inn, and In and Out. It specializes in installing solar rooftops, solar carports, and solar ground mounts. Service lines include emergency services, maintenance, and repairs. New Era partners with innovative developers who are committed to building a sustainable future.
Learn more on New Era Electric’s website.
6. ReVision Energy
Headquarters: South Portland, ME
Company Size: 380 Employees
ReVision Energy is an employee-owned solar contractor in New England that’s 100% focused on renewable energy solutions. The company’s Certified B Corporation status is a testament to its commitment to people and the planet. Founded in 2003, it has five offices across Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts with nearly 400 employees. It has installed over 15,000 solar projects and eliminated 115,000 tons of carbon in its 20-year history.
ReVision serves both residential and commercial markets. On the commercial front, it helps businesses of all sizes transition to solar energy so they can gain energy independence, unlock savings, and contribute to a greener planet. It also builds large-scale, ownership-model solar farms for businesses that aren’t able to install rooftop solar solutions.
Learn more on ReVision Energy’s website.
What Every Solar Contractor Can Learn from These Leaders
Aside from the fact that these companies all provide commercial solar installation, they may not appear to have much in common. They run the gamut from century-old businesses to startups with just five years of experience. A few of them are major electrical contractors with retail and commercial solar divisions, and others only provide solar services for singular markets. But top contractors always leave a footprint for success.
The biggest commonality these commercial solar contractors share is their ability to recognize and pursue opportunity. As the world increases its focus on net zero energy solutions, builders and general contractors are seeking reliable partners to play a key role in developing sustainable solutions.
Offering the right service to the right market at the right time isn’t enough to make an industry leader, especially in construction. No matter how opportunistic contractors are or how great they are at their work, it’s still challenging to scale a construction company. It takes a long time for contractors and subcontractors to get paid, and the majority fail because they can’t afford to keep the lights on.
Smart subcontractors know this and get proactive about their finances from the beginning.
- They bid on projects from GCs that pay on time.
- They focus on managing cash flow and bids.
- And they use pay app tools like Siteline that help them get paid up to three weeks faster.
If you work for a subcontractor that could use help streamlining their financial workflows, check out Siteline to see if it's right for your business.
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