We at Green Energy Times sent out a 2021 solar survey asking every solar installer or developer what they accomplished in the past year. These are businesses we know and would suggest you look into to see how they might be helpful for you and your particular circumstances. There have been other lists of top installers that you may have seen. Our goal was to let you know about the installers we feel are trustworthy in our region.
Community Solar: Community solar array in Mechanicville, NY has 18,500 panels producing 6.12MW, enough power for 1,000 residential customers. (Photo: Chris Cusack). www.bit.ly/GET-Community-Solar-4-2020.
Our list is not rated. It is more about where they are and the things they do that would be most helpful to you. They are listed in alphabetical order. Our goal is to help you create a cleaner power supply for our energy grid that will not only help reduce emissions and save our planet in a time crisis, but more important, will help each of us reduce our cost of living.
Please note the following abbreviations: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC), kilowatt (kW), kilowatt-hour (kWh), megawatt (MW), megawatt-hour (MWh).
3rd ROC Solar is in Pittsford, NY. It has grown every year since it was founded, in 2017, and has installed 2 MW of systems altogether, including 980 kW in 2021. It does EPC and contractor work in New York. It can install off-grid systems and grid-tied systems with battery backup, in addition to conventional systems. It will provide service for existing systems and can monitor systems remotely. “We use Tier 1 panes, optimizing inverters and micro-inverters. We specialize in both roof mount and ground mount systems.” The website is www.3rdROCsolar.com, and the email address to contact is sales@3rdROCsolar.com.
603 Solar is in Exeter, NH. It was founded in 2018 and has grown since then “through being honest, transparent, providing great customer service and giving people the best return on investment possible.” 603 Solar serves New Hampshire and Maine, giving EPC and contractor services for both commercial and residential customers. It has installed 4.766 MW of solar systems since its inception, with 1.799 MW of that in 2021. It does not provide off-grid systems, but can install battery backup for grid-tied systems. “We just recently completed a 48.8 kW array on a brand-new NH State Liquor store in Concord, NH.” The website is 603solar.com, and customers can email it at Zach@603solar.com.
Aegis Renewable Energy is in Waitsfield, VT. It started business “in 2011 as a commercial wind turbine installation and service company, but we quickly expanded into the community and commercial-scale solar markets.” Its business is now 100% solar. It serves customers in ME, NH, VT, and NY, as a developer, doing EPC, as a contractor, and providing asset management, operations, and maintenance. It services all markets, except residential, with rooftop and ground-mounted systems, including at farms and on landfills. It does not install off-grid systems but does do battery backup on grid-tied systems. It services existing systems and can monitor systems remotely. It has installed 38 MW of solar overall, with 6.8 MW in 2021. Its website is www.aegis-re.com, with email at info@aegis-re.com.
Barrington Power, LLC is located in Barrington NH. Founded in 2007, it owns and operates “over 4 MW of solar, providing discounted power to municipal, school, and commercial clients.” It also has industrial clients. Its customers are in Vermont and New Hampshire. It provides developer and EPC services and has installed 5.5 MW over its history. Of that, 1.5 MW was installed in 2021. It can provide service for existing installations and can remotely monitor the systems it services. Some of its work is described in the “Profile School Solar” article on page 34 of this issue of Green Energy Times.
Commercial Solar: RGBC Associates in Keene, NH installed a 107kW solar array on the EMF building. (Photo: Albert Karevy). www.bit.ly/GET-Commercial-Solar-4-2020.
Catamount Solar’s office is in Randolph, VT. It was founded in 2011 with three partners and is cooperatively owned, with nine employee-owners and eleven employees who are on track to become owners. Its customers are in Vermont and New Hampshire. It provides EPC and contracting services for just about any sort of customer, including residential. In its history, it has installed 17 MW of solar systems, including 1.8 MW in “more than 110 discreet solar projects completed in 2021 – all types and sizes, from small off-grid cabins to large commercial rooftops and solar fields.” It can install off-grid systems and grid-tied systems with battery backup, EV charging and cold climate heat pumps. It helps customers get easy low-rate financing via VSECU. Its website is catamountsolar.com, and its email is info@catamountsolar.com.
Encore Renewable Energy has its office in Burlington, VT. “Encore Renewable Energy is a leader in community scale renewable energy with a proven track record in solar development from concept to completion. Founded in 2007 as Encore Redevelopment, its team specializes in the design, development, financing, permitting, and construction of solar and energy storage projects on landfills, brownfields, rooftops and carports. As a values-led company, Encore is committed to revitalizing communities and creating a cleaner, brighter future for all.” Encore provides developer and EPC services to customers in ME, NH, VT, and NY. While it does not do off-grid or residential systems, it does work ranging from larger grid-tied systems with battery backup to agrivoltaic systems on farms. It is currently looking for employees. Its website is encorerenewableenergy.com, and the email address is Info@encorerenewableenergy.com.
Granite State Solar is in Bow, NH. Founded in 2008, it installed about 10.68 MW in 2015 – 2021 and 2.4 MW in 2021. It offers EPC services to residential and commercial customers in New Hampshire. It will service systems it did not install and can monitor systems remotely. It also installs EV chargers for solar customers and can help some customers find financing. One upcoming project is a residential system in Hampstead, NH with 78 panels (34.71kw) Its website is granitestatesolar.com, and it can be contacted online at info@granitestatesolar.com.
Grassroots Solar, Inc. has its office in East Dorset, VT. It opened in 2014 and provides EPC services to commercial, municipal, non-profit, and residential customers. It will do both off-grid installations and grid-tied systems with battery backup, in addition to standard systems. It will service existing systems and can monitor the systems it maintains. “Current solar trends are towards making your own energy and storing it and using it for your maximum benefit. We enjoy helping customers do that! Another trend is people adding to their existing system as they add heat pumps or EV’s.” Email can be sent to info@GrassrootsSolar.com, and the website is www.GrassrootsSolar.com.
Residential Solar: The Ouellette home features 27 solar panels along with two Powerwall batteries. (Courtesy photo). www.bit.ly/GET-RooftopSolar-Nov2020
Green Earth Energy, the Renewable Energy division of McKernon Group, is in Brandon, VT. The division was opened in 2006. It provides developer, EPC, and contractor services to commercial, industrial, municipal, non-profit, and residential customers in Vermont. Historically, it has installed 11 MW of solar systems, of which over 500kW was installed in 2021. It installs roof and ground mounted PV systems, back-up and off-grid battery systems, cold climate heat pumps, and spray foam insulation. It will take on service of existing systems and can monitor the systems it services. Its email is mail@greenearthenergyvt.com, and its website can be visited at https://www.greenearthenergyvt.com/.
Green Lantern Solar has its office in Waterbury, VT. Its business was founded in 2011. It provides EPC and developer services for customers in ME, NH, VT, and NY. It provides installations for nearly all sorts of customers except residential. It does not do off-grid installations, but does do installations that are grid-tied and have battery backup. “Green Lantern Solar currently has over 100 solar projects operating throughout the Northeast [with] another +15MW of solar capacity in development around the Northeast.” It does solar project financing, asset management, 24/7 operations and maintenance. “We have created a financing solution that allows all customers zero cost, guaranteed savings!” Its website is www.greenlanternsolar.com. Its email is info@greenlanternsolar.com.
Green Mountain Solar is in South Burlington, VT. It provides EPC services for commercial and residential customers in Vermont. It was opened by Paul Lesure in 2017, and by 2018 was installing batteries as well as solar panels. “By 2022, we have grown to about 30 people. Everyone is dedicated to providing the best solar experience for our customers. And our growth has only been possible with help from our amazing customers who tell their friends and family about their experience with Green Mountain Solar.” It does not install off-grid systems, but does install systems with battery backup, heat pumps, and EV charging systems. It will service existing systems and can monitor the systems it maintains. The website is greenmtnsolar.com, and email is info@greenmtnsolar.com.
HAREI.org (Hillsborough Area Renewable Energy Initiative) is in Mont Vernon, NH. It is an independent non-profit organization that was founded in 2012. “HAREI has grown from a small seed of five individuals to a thriving volunteer organization with more than 30 active volunteers and hundreds of interested alumni.” It offers EPC services for residences in New Hampshire. “2020 was the biggest year for HAREI solar installations with 15 completed projects and 153 KW of installed solar. About one third of those projects were ground mount arrays the rest being rooftop.” It can install off-grid systems and grid-tied systems with batteries. HAREI provides education, guidance, and other resources to people who are also willing to help others. The website is www.harei.org, and email can be sent to info@harei.org.
Maine Solar Solutions based in Freeport, ME was founded in 2012. “With almost ten years of experience installing solar electric systems, we’ve helped almost 1000 residents and businesses in Maine make the switch to solar.” Its growth can be attributed to our commitment to customer satisfaction. “Our customer base is residential homeowners and the commercial market such as office and retail buildings, agricultural businesses, manufacturing, and commercial enterprises. Our solar solutions help our customers contribute to the health of the environment and our communities while saving money.” It installed 9.3 MW since it opened, of which 2.4 was in 2021. It installs off-grid systems, systems with battery backup, and EV chargers. The website is www.mainesolarsolutions.com, and email can be sent to info@mainesolarsolutions.com.
School Solar: Phillips Exeter Academy is home to the largest New Hampshire school solar array with 1,552 panels. (Photo: ReVision Energy). www.bit.ly/GET-School-Solar-2-2018.
New England Commercial Solar Services is based in Holderness, NH. It was founded by Ted Vansant in 2014. It provides commercial, industrial, and municipal/non-profit customers in ME, NH, and VT with EPC services. Since it started business, it has installed 35 MW of solar systems, with 5 MW of that amount in 2021. It provides maintenance services and can monitor the systems it maintains. Its website is necsolarservices.com, and it can be reached by email at tec@necsolarservices.com. Some of the work it has done is described in the “Profile School Solar” article on page 34 of this issue of Green Energy Times.
New Hampshire Solar is in Sky Pond, NH. It was founded in 2017. “New Hampshire Solar is a small company in central New Hampshire focused on installation of bi-facial-ground mounted arrays, grid-tied systems with energy backup in batteries, and installation of off-grid systems for residences.” Since its inception, it has installed systems to produce about 5MWh, and the systems installed in 2021 will produce about 1.3MWh. “If you are within a 40-mile radius from the center of New Hampshire (New Hampton) and have a question regarding a new solar installation, don’t hesitate to call!” (603-968-6031). The website can be seen at www.bit.ly/NH-Solar-ref and email can go to peter@nh.solar.
Norwich Solar has its office in White River Junction, VT. It was founded in 2011. Norwich Technologies is the subject of articles on pages 7 and 8 of this issue, and there is a lot of information about it there. In a nutshell, this company is a technology leader, with highly educated leadership. It provides development, EPC, and financial support to its customers. It does not do residential installations or off-grid systems. It has installed over 40MW of solar systems since it started, including 7MW in 2020 and 9.2MW in 2021. Asked if it had newsworthy projects coming up in 2022, its one-word reply is “Yes!” The website is norwichsolar.com, and email can be sent to info@norwichsolar.com.
The Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI), based in Plymouth, NH, started operations in 2004. PAREI provides “Solar and energy efficiency education and project coordination/consultation, solar PV installations for residential/non-profit members (10 to 12 annually).” It has installed 1.2 MW since 2009, when it started with solar photovoltaics, with 153 KW of that in 2020 and 2021. It does not do battery or off-grid installations. “We provide services to residential and non-profit organizations in the Plymouth, NH and adjoining towns.” Its main website is plymouthenergy.org, but the website for the solar section is nhsolarshares.org. Email can be sent to sandra@plymouthenergy.org.
ReVision Energy is in South Portland, ME and four other locations in ME, NH, and MA. Founded in 2003, it is employee owned. It does developer, EPC and contracting, serving commercial, industrial, municipal, non-profit, and residential customers. It has installed 135 MW of solar panels since 2003, and 29.7 MW in 2021. It installs grid-tied systems, including those with battery backup. It also provides an array of other clean energy systems. “We offer free site evaluations where we discuss any clean energy technologies that our customers may be interested in, including battery backup, heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and EV chargers. We also offer financing for our products sold, assistance with REAP grants, and power purchase agreements for nonprofits/municipalities.” Email contact is hello@revisionenergy.com and the website is www.revisionenergy.com
Church Solar: The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Upper Valley has a rooftop array consisting of 45 panels providing a total power of 15.75 kW DC. (Photo: Norwich Technologies). www.bit.ly/GET-Church-Solar-1-2019.
Solartech is located in Sutton, VT. It was founded in 2009. Since that time, its growth has been driven by satisfied customers who shared its contact information, and it now has five employees. It focuses on design, installation, and service to residential customers in Vermont. It installs off-grid and grid-tied systems and can include battery backup. It can provide service for existing systems and can monitor the systems it maintains remotely. Solartech is an independent, family-owned small business run by people who have lived an energy-independent lifestyle for over 25 years, with home and office powered by the sun. The website is solartechvt.com and email should be directed to rich@solartechvt.com.
South Pack Solar is in Peterborough, NH. Since it opened in 1998, it has installed about 500 systems. Its work has been primarily in New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region, but it has done work in MA, CT, VT, MD, CA, and CO. It provides developer, EPC, and contractor work to commercial, industrial, municipal, non-profit, and residential customers. “We typically build between 30 and 40 systems a year all in conjunction with local craftsman. This relatively small scale allows us to take the necessary time to design and construct the best built and best value system for our customers using the appropriate technology for the particular site.” It can do off-grid systems and install battery backup on grid-tied systems. The website is www.southpacksolar.com, and email can be sent to greg@southpacksolar.com.
Southern Vermont Solar is in Westminster West, Vermont. It was founded in 2017. “We’ve experienced steady growth since we started SVTSOLAR in 2017. We are committed to serving our local area in order to provide optimal solar and battery storage services and a personalized, responsive, and thoughtful customer experience.” Its work is primarily in Vermont, but it will work in other states in the G.E.T. distribution area. Its specialties are solar installation and battery services for residential, utility, non-profit, and commercial systems. SVTSOLAR does not install off-grid systems. It can service existing systems and can monitor systems for current customers. Its website is svtsolar.com, and it can be contacted at info@svtsolar.com.
SunCommon is based in Waterbury, VT. It went into business in 2012. “Homeowners and businesses in Vermont and New York have responded really well to the top-quality service and products we offer, allowing us to grow every year.” It provides developer, EPC, and contractor services to commercial, municipal, non-profit, and residential customers. It can install grid-tied systems with battery backup. In 2021, it installed 10 MW of residential and commercial solar, and energy storage at nearly 200 homes. It can service existing systems and can monitor them remotely. “We offer financing to all of our customers, making it easier to go solar, install energy storage or install EV chargers.” Its website is suncommon.com, and its email address is solar@suncommon.com.
Sundog Solar has its office in Searsport, ME. It was founded in 2009 by a father-and-son team, Chuck and Danny Piper. Their goal is to make solar energy affordable and available throughout Maine. “We have since installed hundreds of solar energy and heat pump systems and are one of Maine’s most experienced solar companies. We service Bangor, Ellsworth, Rockland, Camden, Rockport, Bar Harbor, Bath, Augusta, Maine, and surrounding areas.” Sundog Solar provides developer, EPC, and contractor services to commercial, municipal, non-profit, and residential customers. Over its history, it has installed over 56 MW of solar systems, with a total of 9.7 MW installed in 2021. It will install off-grid and battery backup systems, EV chargers, and heat pumps. It helps with power purchase agreements and financing.
“Our motto is, ‘There is never enough solar until every rooftop, parking lot, and sustainable space is being used for our clean energy future.’”
We at G.E.T. hope you will use this list. It will be available on our website. And watch for feature articles on these installers in future issues of Green Energy Times, so you can know them better and understand what they do. To our solar installers, we say, “Thank you for all you are doing.” And to our readers, “Thank you for considering installing solar and your support for clean, renewable energy.”
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