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7.3
Purelight Power
Like
- 25-year parts and production warranty
- Post-installation experience
- Doesn't use subcontractors
Don't like
- No lease or PPA payment options
- Don't use our top-rated solar panel brands
With solar and battery storage projected to make up 81% of new US electricity generation in 2024, it's clear that solar power is not just a trend; it's a core part of the clean energy transition. Rising electricity costs and climate change concerns leave Americans searching for ways to lower their bills and support the environment. Using solar energy to power your home instead of fossil fuels is an attractive option, especially with the help of federal solar incentives.
Purelight Power is a relatively new solar company, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Oregon. Despite its younger age, the company rapidly expanded into multiple states, offering solar installations through its in-house team. Purelight installs tier-one solar panels backed by a 25-year warranty.
Its team helps you throughout the process and doesn't leave you hanging after installation. "We take care of the customer all the way through the next time they need a new roof," said Ashley Drake, Purelight Power's director of project planning. The company has a post-installation team to "walk you through how the system works and get you set up on the inverter's monitoring app." Purelight also has repair tech teams in each state to provide speedy repairs if needed.
Workers install solar panels on the rooftop of a home in Poway, California on Dec. 5, 2023. Experts say its important to choose a good solar installer from the get go.
Installing solar panels is a major investment, so compare quotes from multiple companies to get the best price and service. Check out our list of the best solar companies and compare product offerings from national and local installers.
Whether you hope to lower your bills or reduce your carbon footprint, choosing the right solar installer is half the battle. We haven't gone through the entire installation experience with Purelight, but here's what we know about the company through chatting with its team, online research and industry expertise.
A solar panel installation taking place in North Carolina. Experts say future applications of AI could help streamline the installation process and speed up the process and costs.
What do I get from Purelight Power?
Purelight Power's in-house team manages the entire process from sale to beyond installation. The company has a "zero-down offer," which is the same as a solar loan. "We work with credit unions in different states and financing partners like Goodleap and Dividend," said Drake. Purelight doesn't offer solar leases or power purchase agreements, but you can make a cash purchase.
What solar equipment does Purelight Power company install?
Purelight Power installs tier-one energy trust panels from high-quality brands such as Silfab, SEG and Tesla Solar panels. These options aren't on our best rooftop solar panels list and have a pretty average production warranty level of 80% to 85%, but they are still reliable and well-known solar panel brands.
Your battery options include the Tesla Powerwall or Franklin Home Battery. The Tesla Powerwall is one of the best solar battery options and offers an 85% capacity after being used for 25 years. This percentage is standard in the industry, and you can add additional units to increase capacity. FranklinWH offers a 12-year manufacturer's warranty, higher than the 10-year industry standard.
The company prefers microinverters over string inverters for its installations. "For inverters, we use Hoymiles, but depending on the customer's needs we use a Tesla inverter," said Drake. String inverters serve a group of panels while microinverters attach to each panel making it the more efficient option. Purelight's 25-year performance guarantee extends to all equipment including panels, solar batteries and inverters.
Tesla is offering $500 back on any Powerwall installed and registered by the end of October.
What warranties does Purelight Power offer?
Most solar panel manufacturers offer at least a 25-year production warranty, with Silfab going up to 30 years. These warranties guarantee that panels still produce 80% to 85% of their rated capacity by the end of the warranted term. This production level is pretty average. Higher-end solar panels typically promise over 85% capacity, offering a bit more efficiency.
Purelight Power includes a 10-year warranty covering labor and protection against roof leaks caused by the installation. These warranties are standard in the industry, and few companies go beyond 10 years for labor or weatherization. Purelight also provides a one-year power production guarantee, which ensures your system performs as promised and offers support if issues arise within the first year.
Does Purelight Power offer monitoring services?
Like many other solar companies, Purelight Power customers can monitor their system's production through the inverter manufacturer's app. Hoymiles has a 2.3-star rating on the App Store and 2.9 on Google Play. The Tesla app gets a 3.8-star rating on the App Store and on Google Play.
Does Purelight Power use subcontractors?
Purelight's in-house teams manage each step of the process, from getting the lead to after the installation, ensuring a smooth process and clear communication. The company requires installers to complete the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fall protection certification and training. Once certified, installers complete two weeks of training with the team. Purelight's foremen also complete OSHA 10 safety training and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners solar installation boot camp.
The solar industry is contracting in 2024.
How much do Purelight Power panels cost?
A variety of factors determine solar panel costs, making each installation unique to the home. Purelight Power's solar panel prices also vary based on the service area. Drake mentioned, "Part of our strategy has been growing into low-competition markets like Montana to ensure we can scale at a relatively stable pace. But there are factors in those markets that cause prices to be higher than others."
She explained that costs range from $2.87 to $4.71 per watt, depending on location and installation labor. With these prices, an 8 kW solar panel system could cost between $22,960 and $37,680 before incentives.
Based on Wood Mackenzie data, the average solar panel cost in the US is $3 per watt for an 8 kW system, totaling $23,920, which falls within Purelights range. According to Find Energy, the US average solar cost is $17,903 based on a $3.58 price per watt. Purelight's price range is pretty on par with national averages, and we appreciate the company's transparency about how location affects costs.
Purelight offers price matching if you get a lower quote from another company for the same quality. However, the quote must be comparable. "It's not always apples to apples with solar companies. Our top-tier equipment and midrange pricing are not the same as those doing midrange price and low-end equipment," said Drake.
What financing options does Purelight Power company offer?
You can buy or finance your rooftop solar panel system from Purelight Power, though PPAs and solar leases are not available. However, owning your system typically offers better long-term value. Purelight Power partners with local banks to simplify the loan process, often allowing you to finance through a bank you already work with. If no credit union partners are available in your area, Purelight also offers financing options through partners like GoodLeap and Dividend.
Most Purelight customers finance with a loan to avoid significant upfront costs. You can still take advantage of solar incentives, but your savings over time will be less compared to paying in full due to interest fees.
Does Purelight Power operate in my state? How do I order?
You'll find Purelight Power in eight states.
Your solar journey starts by filling out the form on its website with basic contact information. Then, the team reaches out to set up a consultation and create a free solar design. The company website says you can decide if going solar is a good fit for your home without the pushiness or stress that you may find with other companies. Its team handles the permitting, inspections and installation process. Once you receive permission to operate and generate solar power, Purelight Power stays by your side to answer questions and make any needed repairs.
Purelight Power company reviews: What are customers saying?
Customer reviews offer insight into a real customer's experience and perspective but that doesn't mean you'll have the same experience. Reading reviews is helpful in understanding potential patterns rather than solely believing one customer's opinion. Here's an idea of the good and bad customer reviews from Purelight's Better Business Bureau page with light editing for clarity.
One-star Purelight Power company reviews
"My panels were installed and hooked up at the end of last year and that process was great! My panels showed an error on April 30, 2024. I contacted them (several times) and about three weeks later, they sent a technician out. He determined there was a loose connection, but wasn't able to fix it and now we had to cut all power to my shop (which powers the pump for my well water among other things). After contacting them multiple times, Purelight scheduled an electrician to come out today (June 28, 2024). So I took another vacation day off work. It's now two hours past when they were supposed to be here and I have yet to receive any word if they are ever going to show up. This is very frustrating." Nathan M. June 28, 2024
"If you want solar panels, shop around but don't under any circumstances use Purelight Power. Their customer service is abysmal. I've been calling them every week for eight months to fix my panels. Today I had an appointment and after an hour and a half, no one showed up. When I call customer service, it goes to voicemail." Mike G. April 04, 2024
Five-star Purelight Power company reviews
"I made contact with Purelight to install a roof array solar system. They were competitive in price and did the installation as quickly as county and power company permitting would allow. After installing the array, Purelight guided us through using the phone app to keep track of the production of the solar panels. From purchase through installation and startup Purelight was excellent to work with." Clayton B. Sept. 30, 2024
"I recently got a new system, but wanted to comment on how incredible the process has been so far. Their sales and project management team has walked us through every step of the process. They answered every question to my satisfaction. The install team was excellent and professional. The post-install meeting got me easily set up on the monitoring app for my system and made everything a breeze. The whole process has been straightforward and stress-free." Joshua H. Sept. 21. 2024
Last year, solar panels were responsible for over 50% of the annual additions to America's energy generation. There's a sunny forecast for solar this year, too.
Is Purelight Power the best choice?
The best solar company for you depends on your budget and home energy needs. Like with any major home investment, we recommend comparing multiple quotes before making a final decision. Purelight's price match offer is helpful if you enjoy your experience with the company but find a lower comparable price from another.
The company doesn't use subcontractors, which is a major plus. By keeping all of the work in-house, Purelight can better maintain installation quality, and it simplifies communication for a smooth customer experience. We also like how the company doesn't end its service once you have panels on your roof. They stick around for at least a year to ensure your panels work how they should and you feel confident in monitoring and maintaining your system.
While our team has not gone through the ordering and installation process, our research is accurate based on research and industry expertise.
Purelight Power pros and cons
Pros
- 25-year parts and production warranty
- Post-installation experience
- Doesn't use subcontractors
Cons
Is Purelight Power legit?
Yes, Purelight Power is a real solar company that installs panels in Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
What is the warranty on Purelight Power?
Purelight Power offers a 10-year workmanship and weatherization warranty for any roof leaks or installation errors. Panels, batteries and inverters have 25-year parts and production warranty. Purelight adds a one-year production guarantee that your system will maintain 90% efficiency.
How we evaluate solar companies
Reviewing solar companies in a hands-on way is difficult. Accounting for all the differences project to project is impossible. To provide a helpful review, we focused on what we can measure and meaningfully compare among companies.
We focus on three buckets of criteria: equipment, warranties and service.
Within the equipment category, companies receive scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they install. Warranties include the guarantees on the panels, workmanship and weatherization against leaks. Companies earn points for service if they offer a price match, a meaningful level of price transparency and a well-rated app for monitoring solar production. They lose points if there are major issues pertaining to customer service (lawsuits, investigations or clear reputations for shoddy service). These issues will always be detailed in the review.
You can read a detailed look at how the scoring breaks down.
We don't consider the average price of a company's installations in their score. This information is difficult to find and hard to compare across service areas (and even roof to roof). Companies are often slow to disclose it, too. We also leave out easily found but not useful information like how many states a company operates in.
Read more: If you're interested in learning more about the hardware Purelight Power installs, take a look at CNET's list of best solar inverters and best solar panels.