Carolina Energy Conservation
Carolina Energy Conservation is a home improvement company that specializes in energy efficiency. The company uses high quality, eco-friendly products on home insulation and solar PV systems. Carolina Energy Conservation has been in business since 2009, and has an impressive resume of accreditations, certifications, and awards. These acknowledgements, coupled with generally positive customer reviews, highlight the credibility of the company.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Solar Services and More
- Products from Top Manufacturers
- Work Samples
- Awards and Certifications
Solar Services and More
Carolina Energy Conservation has many products and services that impact the energy efficiency of homes. The company does solar estimates and installation, but additionally it installs solatube lighting systems, solar star attic fans, battery backup systems, and garage fans. Carolina Energy Conservation can also do different types of insulation in the home, such as attic insulation, crawl space insulation, spray foam insulation, and blown-in insulation.
Products from Top Manufacturers
Carolina Energy Conservation works with a variety of solar manufacturers. The company is authorized to install panels from SunPower and SolarWorld, which are some of the most well-known solar panels in the industry. These brands are known for manufacturing affordable, high quality solar panels.
The company also provides solutions for solar battery backup systems. The batteries offered by Carolina Energy Conservation come from Tesla, Sonnen, and LG. The Tesla Powerwall is extremely popular and known for its high quality. With it being so popular, there may be other solar providers in the area that sell it too. It might be worth comparing price quotes to decide if Carolina Energy Conservation can give you the best value on its backup battery systems.
Work Samples
The company’s website includes testimonials, reviews, before and after photos, case studies, a photo gallery, and videos that highlight past projects. This builds a strong portfolio of work samples and shows credibility.
Carolina Energy Conservation also has reviews on Google and on the company’s Facebook page. This combination of company and customer provided reviews give potential customers confidence in working with Carolina Energy Conservation.
Awards and Certifications
In July 2021, Carolina Energy Conservation was placed on the list of Top U.S. Solar Installation Contractors. The Carolina Forest Chronicle awarded the company First Place Best Solar Company in early 2021 as well. Carolina Energy Conservation has a history of all the awards that company has won over the years on its website.
Most importantly, Carolina Energy Conservation employs contractors that are NABCEP certified. This is the most notable certification in the solar industry. Carolina Energy Conservation is also affiliated with the Building Performance Institute.
The Bad
- Unclear Purchasing Options
- Undisclosed Warranties
- Small Service Area
Unclear Purchasing Options
The Carolina Energy Conservation website references financing and tax incentives. However, the website does not disclose what options customers have for purchase. It is uncertain whether Carolina Energy Conservation offers leases or Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
The company claims to finance through EnerBankUSA, United Consumer Financial Services Company, and GreenSky Home Improvement Finance. Carolina Energy Conservation helps customers take advantage of state and federal tax incentives, as well as the Santee Cooper rebate.
While the website does not specifically say this, the financing information available implies that customers can finance a loan for purchase. There is no information that indicates that the company offers leasing options.
Undisclosed Warranties
There is no information on the Carolina Energy Conservation website about warranties. As the company’s primary solar panel manufacturers are SunPower and SolarWorld, the panels likely have a 25-year warranty — but it is not clear if these warranties are honored by Carolina Energy Conservation.
Solar companies typically vary when it comes to workmanship or labor warranties. A typical workmanship warranty is a 10-year warranty, but there are also workmanship warranties out there that are three years, and others that are 30 years. As you can see, with workmanship warranties, there is quite a range. Without any information about the workmanship warranty on the website, it is difficult to know what you are getting with Carolina Energy Conservation.
Small Service Area
Carolina Energy Conservation is based in South Carolina. The service area listed on the website includes parts of North Carolina and Georgia — however, the company only does solar projects in South Carolina.
The Bottom Line
The service area of Carolina Energy Conservation limits the customers that can be served by the company. However, potential customers in the South Carolina area have a wealth of resources about the company’s work to inform their decision. Typically, small local solar companies don’t have years of experience or a portfolio of numerous projects.
We recommend Carolina Energy Conservation because it has the strong customer service of a small company, along with the expertise and experience of a large solar company.
