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6.6

Overall Score

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LAST UPDATED: September 11th, 2023

The Boston Solar Company was founded in 2011 and offers solar services to residential, commercial and non-profit entities. Since 2011, the Massachusetts-based solar company has completed more than 1,800 solar installations and has become a major provider of solar services in the New England area.

Boston Solar has over 130 employees and was named the number one residential solar installer in Massachusetts by Solar Power World.

Read on to discover The Good, The Bad, and The Bottom Line about Boston Solar, as well as view Boston Solar reviews from verified customers.

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The Good

  • Accreditations and Accolades
  • Customer Feedback
  • Fantastic Payment Options
  • Solar Energy Storage with Tesla Powerwall
  • Inverters from Enphase

Accreditations and Accolades

Excellence can sometimes be measured by the recognition a company receives. And The Boston Solar Company has proudly earned the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) recognition, Solar Energy Business Association of New England, Mass Save Home Energy Services Program Participating Contractor and was listed in the Top 100 Residential Solar Contractors of 2014 (in the country and in Massachusetts).

Customer Feedback

The Boston Solar Company has an impressive list of positive customer testimonials on its website.

Additionally, the solar installation company has received exceptional customer feedback ratings on the public online forums. On such forums, whether the customer feedback was positive or negative, The Boston Solar Company strived to provide exceptional customer service and always replied to the customer with a solution (if there was a problem) and a thank you, which is what you would expect from a top-notch solar services provider.

Fantastic Payment Options

The Boston Solar Company offers a variety of payment options from which you each homeowner can choose for their solar panel system.

The clean energy company offers an outright purchase as well as 100% financing programs through its partners. With this option, you could make a profit in your first year, while also taking advantage of the Federal Tax Credit and other rebates that are available to you.

The solar company also offers a lease option, which simply means a third-party will buy the solar energy system and have it installed on your roof and you pay nothing. However, with a lease, the owner of the system keeps the rebates and incentives, but you will still get the benefit of lowered monthly electric bills based on the energy your rooftop solar panels produce. And with a lease, you won't be responsible for any of the system maintenance either.

Solar Energy Storage with Tesla Powerwall

Boston Solar offers battery storage from leading manufacturer Tesla. The Tesla Powerwall harnesses surplus power collected by the solar system that can be used for EV charging, or be stored for emergency use. Solar batteries like the Powerwall improve the system's overall energy efficiency and also help reduce the homeowner's dependence on the national grid.

Inverters from Enphase

While the specific brands of solar panels are not listed, Boston Solar explicitly mentions Enphase as its preferred solar inverter partner. Enphase builds some of the most efficient solar inverters available; its products are a great addition to any residential or commercial solar project.

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The Bad

  • Website Lacking a Few Pieces of Vital Information

Website Lacking a Few Pieces of Vital Information

In order for a customer to make an apples to apples comparison when looking at solar providers, they need as much information as possible so they know whether or not any given company is the right for their particular situation.

However, The Boston Solar Company's website is missing some vital pieces of information. The solar panel installation company has neglected to state whether it offers any type of moving service, which you will need if you ever have to relocate or replace your roof. Additionally, the company doesn't disclose whether or not your contract is transferrable to a new homeowner should you decide to sell your home.

That means you will have to note these questions and make sure you get the answers to them before making any final decisions. Then you will need to make sure that information is clearly written in your contract before you sign it.

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The Bottom Line

The Boston Solar Company appears to be a reputable solar services provider. And, it offers a wide variety of payment options as well.

However, we would like to see Boston Solar be a little more transparent by adding more information to its website regarding its monitoring systems, if any, its moving policies, and whether or not its solar contracts are transferrable to a new owner.

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Star Rating

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4.6

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17 Reviews

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3 grade

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2 grade

12%

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Dave Fobert East Weymouth, MA

I was referred to Boston Solar by my t-shirt. We had been seriously considering solar and had a few interviews with companies and I just didn’t have a good feeling from them. Then I noticed that Boston Solar was a sponsor for a 5K race I ran in my small home town and figured if they cared enough to sponsor our tiny charity race then I should do some research and give them a call. The reviews were good and we set up a meeting with their solar consultant. We met over Zoom due to the pandemic and it was fantastic. I hope they continue the Zoom option because it was a lot more low pressure than the in person meetings. Rick was our consultant and it didn’t feel like a sales pitch at all. It was all about problem solving. He had a plot of our house ready to go and put together a rough outline of how everything would look, went over the cost, the ROI, the incentives, and so on. Everything that we went over in terms of cost and array size lined up with the research that we had done on Project Sunroof and meeting with other companies so that was reassuring. We knew we wanted solar but we wanted to find the right company to do the work. I think the tipping point for us was the fact that Boston Solar does everything in house, they have no subcontractors and everyone you work with is employed directly by Boston Solar. Many of the other companies use subcontractors and I was concerned I might have the “lowest bidder” putting holes through my roof. Once we signed the contract we were assigned a coordinator Olivia who guided us through the process and who answered our emails and questions often within the hour. The installation took 2 days with supports/conduit being run on day 1 and the panels installed on day 2. I spoke with the foreman and the electrician and they were really knowledgeable and answered my questions about future projects. We may want to add an electric car charger and are panels someday in the future. They also worked with us to make a change to the plan as once they were on site they saw a better way to run the equipment than originally planned. I also appreciated how Boston Solar treated their team. The installation was in the summer and it was a hot day on a hotter roof and I noted that they were cycling people out, giving breaks, and drinking lots of water. It’s the right thing to do for people’s health and beneficial to the homeowner, if you are tired you are more likely to make mistakes. The day after installation we had torrential rains which was a good test as we observed zero leaks to the roof. The project passed inspection without issue, national grid swapped out meter, and we just turned the system on and are producing power. We are really happy with our decision to install a solar array. It will save us a significant amount of money long term while helping our community by taking demand off the grid and generating renewable energy. Definitely check out Boston Solar if you are considering it for your home.

2 years ago

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Gregory Pelletier Dudley, MA

Boston Solar hits it out of the Park. From start to finish the process was seamless n painless. All aspects of the project was described in detail, n boring as heck. I felt like a bobble head doll just shaking up n down. I finally told John my salesperson to just start giving me numbers. Cost, projected energy savings n excess energy resales. Bottom line 9 months no Electricity Bill from National Grid, Savings on the low side $100.00 per month, $1,200 per year, excess energy resale $305.00 per month, $3660.00 per year. Total savings per year $4,860.00 in my pocket. My loan cost per month from Umass Credit Union $253.00 yearly $3036 4860-3036= $1,824 my profit nice.

5 years ago

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Rich W Pembroke, MA

I was tired of getting calls from some of the “Big” Solar companies who were pushing no money down leases. After doing some research online for a local company then hearing their commercial on the radio, I called Boston Solar. The sales rep (Ray) was great, no pressure and very knowledgeable. Unlike others, Boston Solar sells more systems than leasing and although a lot of out of pocket money, first year tax benefit and short ROI due to Srec credits makes it affordable. Owning the system also helps resale value vs lease which can hinder sales. My ROI for a 10KW system is 4.5 years then it's all savings and profits while the SRECs last through year 10. Highly recommend Boston Solar but get 2-3 quotes and references.

7 years ago

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Carlton Boston, MA

Our 10 kW system was installed quickly and professionally. All of the employees were easy to communicate with and cared about their quality of work. My experience was similar to “Bibi188”, so I don't need to repeat. I will say that the workmanship warranty information (listed as one of the “Bad” items for Boston Solar on this review site) is included in the documentation that they provide before you sign the contract. Also, my advice to anyone who is considering solar is get recommendations from neighbors, friends, relative, etc. to find 3 or 4 Solar companies, and then get quotes from each of them.

7 years ago

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Nicole Revere, MA

Boston Solar installed my panels six months ago. I had nothing but great experiences with this company. The sales team was very informative and educating. The installation crew was very respectful and did a wonderful job. They were fast, professional, courteous, efficient and we're kind enough to take the time to answer any questions that I had. HIGHLY recommend this company. My electric company pays me now! Plus my system comes with a 20-year warranty.

4 years ago

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Sue Westwood, MA

Great experience beginning to present. Our sales rep was knowledgeable and ”normal,” not slick or pushy. He provided all the information we needed as we considered our options. We checked references w 3 people/parties who had gone with Boston Solar in the past year, all of whom were very happy. All steps from financing to inspections to installation to meter conversion to going “live” have been smooth, with great communication from Boston Solar thru each step. We have been very happy working with their team and now are waiting for more sunny days!

6 years ago

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Bibi188 West Roxbury, MA

We had panels installed by Boston Solar early this year. Everything went very smoothly and we were up and running ahead of schedule. Boston Solar customer service is incredible. We had a project manager assigned to us and was extremely responsive including weekends. They took care of all the permits, studies and loan application. They gave us the choice between different technology and were actually recommending the one that had a better return on investment, which was a surprise to us considering what we saw before with other providers. I highly recommend Boston Solar.

7 years ago

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David Hatton Wayland, MA

Not bad on the installation side, minor issues that could have been avoided with some project managment. Panels are producing, however continuing issues with the Sunpower PVS5X power monitor. Not impressed with the number of issues with the companies web site/reporting portal. Was sold on the fact that the data provided by this would show production as well as usage in real time. Now I find out that real time is thru my local server to their remote server and then back to my server, and the web site has tech. issues with missing data. i could run a cat 5 cable directly to the unit, but customer service at Boston Solar is telling us that the issue will be resolved in 3 to 5 business days? Not a good recomendation for a system that I fully expect to be in constant use for the next 25 years.

6 years ago

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Winfield Hill Cambridge, MA

Boston Solar installed our 34kW system 1.5 years ago and we're very happy with the job they did, and it's working well. We paid for it ourselves, keeping all the benefits. We didn't like the idea of anything on our house being owned by someone else.

7 years ago

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roby prentiss Amesbury, MA

I bought my panels they were very professional, at the time there was great tax incentives . They came in installed the panels quickly and neatly No electric bill since march 2017

4 years ago

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David Hatton Natick, MA

Update to my last review. Inverter failure has now been confirmed by Sun Power and 7 weeks later Boston Solar has not fixed the problem. Safety hazards on my roof and I just get voicemail prompts from the service department. Stay away from this company. The installation process was flawed, technical support is poor or nonexistent​. I have spent over 2 years trying to get my system to perform as listed on the permit. Save your money and go somewhere else. Inverters that are underperforming and will not produce rated output from the solar panels, loosing money everyday the sun rises, I'm reminded of my mistake choosing BS.

4 years ago

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Gretchen DeLutis Bridgewater, MA

Very quick turn around from signing to installation just over 2 months. Very responsive to questions/concerns prior and after installation. Great to work with. And lower priced for better panels than other quotes.

6 years ago

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Alan Corey Amesbury, MA

Boston Solar did a fantastic job with my house. They took care of everything and we are now in our 3 year and everything is functioning great. Thank You Boston Solar.

6 years ago

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Joan Elizabeth Collier Head of Westport, MA

Great customer service. It was a challenge , but Mali walked me thru all the paperwork. Great workmanship on all workers that put the panels up.

4 years ago

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Asad Khan Hudson, MA

Quality work. Easy to reach out to if and when needed.

6 months ago

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bob bland Acushnet, MA

I had them install a large residential system. I am not getting anywhere near the output they promised. They are trying to blame it on this years weather. Stay tuned!

6 years ago

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david landman Natick, MA

I had a 6.9 KW system installed 1 year ago,. It put out just over what they projected for the year. I am a mechanical engineer in the energy conservation field so I was and am pretty knowledgeable about this type of work. My only dissapointment was they couldnt get all cells on the west side due to skylight windows and a few exhaust fans. There have also been no leaks, which was very important to me since I have never had a roof leak in the 17 years I have lived here. I'd recommend them for residential solar.

6 years ago Edited September 14, 2021