Overview
Solar Optimum
American-Made Panels
Enphase, Tesla
Tesla, Enphase
25 Years
25 Years
No
Lease, PPA, Loan, Cash
17 Years
SunPower
SunPower
SMA
Enphase
25 Years
25 Years
Yes
N/A
15 Years
Ratings
Solar Optimum
SunPower
Pros & Cons
Solar Optimum
PROS
- Several Flexible Payment Options
- Premium EPC Company
- Certified Battery Installer for Tesla, Enphase, and Panasonic
CONS
- Only Serves Four States
SunPower
PROS
- High-Efficiency Panels
- Solar Monitoring with Panel Level Data
- Industry-Leading Warranties
CONS
- Customer Service Complaints
Reviews
Solar Optimum
Reviews
SunPower
Reviews for Solar Optimum
Helpful Favorable Review
Richard Gomez
October 14th, 2025
DETAILS
I went solar on my FL home with Solar Optimum, and they were great to work with. Everything I read about them was on point. My rep was great, and the installation crew was professional. There was a bit of a delay in the installation, but that was due to my utility company. Definitely a solid company with a good reputation.
Helpful Critical Review
Ted Efthemeou
June 5th, 2024
The system they put up on top of my roof is not putting out enough energy for my needs. The salesman misled me and lied to me about the refund process and they've already had it come out and replace the whole panel and I'm not getting compensated for any payments that I have paid
Reviews for SunPower
Helpful Favorable Review
sharon b
April 16th, 2024
DETAILS
The installation crew was right on time, thorough, courteous and knowledgeable. The crew left no mess. They answered all our questions and let us know the next steps in the process of inspection by Blue Raven and the city, installation of a new meter and start up by our utility. Couldn’t ask for a better installation experience.
Helpful Critical Review
Mi-Seon Kong
March 19th, 2025
Salesman lied and kept lying about everything. They said they installed solar on my neighbor’s home but when I spoke with the neighbor found out that was false. They said I could depreciate and get 70% back from my income taxes; This is a lie. The system size they quoted me was half the panels of other quotes and they said it would offset 100%. Don’t think I can trust that when everyone else is saying something different. They were also priced much higher price per watt anyway.
The Final Word
You can't go wrong with either of these options. But there are a few distinctions between Solar Optimum and SunPower that may make a difference to you as you compare companies.
Roofing
If you live in Nevada or California, you can work with either of these companies, but you'll want to consider what sets Solar Optimum apart: roofing services. Where a roof's material, age, and condition can be crucial factors in a solar installation, hiring a roofing professional can give you peace of mind and present opportunities for a roofing purchase in tandem with solar.
Option to lease
While we generally recommend purchasing solar to get the financial benefits of ownership (alongside the federal tax credit, where applicable), some consumers aren't in a position to pay for solar upfront or take out a loan. There are leasing and power purchase agreement (PPA) options for these situations. Solar Optimum does not offer leasing and PPAs, but SunPower does.
Equipment
Both companies provide highly reviewed equipment options but consider the different brands in case you have a preference.
SunPower provides the highest-efficiency solar panels available, reaching up to 22.8 percent efficiency and carrying a temperature coefficient of -0.26, meaning there is a minimal impact per degree of temperature change. SunPower offers its own SunVault Storage system including the SunVault Battery and Hub+.
Solar Optimum is an Enphase Platinum installer and a Tesla-certified battery installer.
Reviews
While both companies have an impressively high overall star rating, Solar Optimum has a slight edge over SunPower within our sentiment criteria, as you can see in our rating chart above. Where SunPower has an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars within the criteria of value, quality, service, and trustworthiness, Solar Optimum has an average of 5 out of 5 stars.
The bottom line
It's too close for us to make a call between these two companies. They are neck-and-neck in regard to customer satisfaction, quality of materials and service, and the warranties they offer. We recommend obtaining quotes from both companies so you can see how a system (and loan, if applicable) from each of these companies compares.
Note that if you live outside of Nevada or California, Solar Optimum can't help you, so see if SunPower is available in your state.
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