The 10 Best Solar Panel Installers in Chicago

Smart Sky Solar suits households in the northwest suburbs weighing a rooftop system against a ground-mounted one. The Schaumburg company installs both, for homes and businesses across Northern Illinois, and works with SolarEdge, Enphase and Tesla equipment. It also sets up EV charging stations backed by solar and battery storage. Financing runs through partner lender GoodLeap, so ask for the loan terms in writing next to the cash price.

Kapital Electric suits homeowners who want panels, a battery and an EV charger planned together by one electrical contractor. Locally owned since 2009, it installs Tesla, Q Cells and Solaria panels and pairs them with Tesla Powerwall batteries and SPAN smart panels. Its crews cover Chicagoland, Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana from a base in Bensenville. The company recommends buying rather than leasing, so expect a proposal built around owning the system.

GoSolar suits owners who care about the brands on their roof and the credentials of the crew. Its electricians are NABCEP certified and Tesla Energy certified, and the company is an Illinois Shines approved vendor. Equipment options run from Q Cells, REC and Jinko panels to Enphase, SolarEdge and SMA inverters and FranklinWH or Tesla batteries. A paid care plan covers monitoring and maintenance after the installation.

RxSun suits Chicago homeowners who want one company to take a rooftop system from design to utility hookup. It works only on homes, and its NABCEP-certified team handles permits, inspection, interconnection and Illinois Shines applications. Buyers can pay cash or choose a solar loan, a lease or a prepaid plan, and battery storage can be added. Installation takes one to three days within a process of two to three months, so start well before you want the panels running.

Unity Solar Group suits households checking whether they qualify for fully subsidized solar through Illinois Solar for All. Its site includes an eligibility checker, and homeowners who do not qualify can still buy, finance or lease a system. Renters and owners with unsuitable roofs can subscribe to a community solar farm instead. Every project uses the same standard set of panels, inverters and racking, with monitoring and maintenance support for the life of the system.

Ailey Solar suits nonprofits and businesses that need flexible financing, as well as homeowners who already have panels. Working in Chicagoland since 2007, it installs residential, commercial and nonprofit systems and handles every step in-house. Financing options include loans, PPAs, C-PACE, leases and lease-to-own programs. A separate detach and reset service removes and reinstalls existing panels, which helps when a roof needs repairs or replacement.

Certasun suits homeowners who want panels and a battery installed and serviced by the same employees. Founded in 2018 in Buffalo Grove, it installs with its own crews and no subcontractors across Chicago and northern Illinois. Batteries are Tesla Powerwall 3 or FranklinWH, and buyers can pay outright, finance or choose a prepaid plan in which Certasun owns and maintains the system. Its contracts include a production guarantee, so read how the shortfall is calculated.

Windfree suits income-eligible households and public buyers who want to use Illinois Solar for All. The Northwest Side company is an approved vendor for that program and an Equity Eligible Contractor certified by the Illinois Power Agency. Licensed as an EPC contractor since 2009, it builds residential, commercial and municipal systems with its own crews rather than subcontractors. Qualifying homeowners can also finance a system with no money down.

WindSoleil suits owners interested in more than rooftop panels, from small wind turbines to solar water and pool heating. The West Side company installs solar, wind and solar thermal systems for homes, businesses and municipalities, and it carries out energy audits and custom projects. It also repairs existing solar systems. Installations can start with no money down through payment plans, so ask for the full cost of the plan before committing.

FreeWorld Electric & Solar suits property owners who want solar from the same electricians who handle the rest of the building. The West Town company does residential and commercial electrical work, EV chargers and backup generators alongside solar installation. It also repairs and maintains existing systems, which helps owners whose original installer is gone. Its electricians are licensed, bonded and insured, and jobs carry a workmanship warranty on top of manufacturer cover.