Green Home Systems
Green Home Systems offers more solar product brands than any other providers we’ve reviewed, making it one of the best options for customizable solar systems.
Our rating: 4.1 out of 5
Best for: Solar equipment variety
Average cost per watt: $3 to $4
Green Home Systems at a glance
Green Home Systems (GHS) is one of our top solar providers. It services 21 states, maintains above-average customer reviews and offers a wealth of equipment brands that make it the best solar provider for system customization.
Fast facts
- Green Home Systems was founded in 2010 in California and has since expanded to 21 states.
- Green Home Systems carries five solar panel brands, six solar battery options and four inverters.
- The company has many quality ratings from third-party reviewers, including 4.31 out of 5 stars from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a Trustpilot score of 3.4 out of 5.0.
What we like
I’m pleased that Green Home Systems has high customer ratings on sites like the BBB, Trustpilot and Google Reviews, where it maintains an above-average 3.9 stars out of 5.0. This means you’re likely to get better customer service from the provider than some of its competitors. The company also has a few impressive add-on options, such as roof replacement and repair and backup generators, making it a one-stop shop for solar and emergency backup power.
What we don’t like
In June 2024, the Better Business Bureau* took away Green Home Systems’ high rating due to false advertising on its website, such as claiming ‘5-star ratings’ when they did not have all five stars. The company now holds an F with the BBB. The BBB serving Los Angeles and Silicon Valley asked GHS to modify its content so there are no more false claims. As of June 28, 2024, Green Home Systems has yet to respond or change its content. This lack of accountability impacts my trust in the company.
Green Home Systems only accepts cash purchases and solar loans, and it doesn’t offer leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Owning your solar system is better in the long run because it adds value to your home, provides more significant savings over time, and lets you take advantage of state and federal solar incentives. However, leases and PPAs make renewable energy more affordable because they don’t require homeowners to make large down payments or pay overwhelming installation fees. Green Home Systems is only a good option if you know you want to pay outright for your system or can qualify for a loan.
* BBB ratings are accurate as of August 2024.
Green Home Systems pros and cons
Green Home Systems has more equipment and solar panel brands available than any other provider I have reviewed, so you can customize your system more than you could with other companies and optimize for what’s most important to you, like upfront cost or efficiency and performance.
GHS provides warranty coverage through the panel manufacturer. For example, as a Panasonic Elite installer, GHS offers a “triple guard” warranty that covers materials, performance and labor for 25 years. While that’s satisfactory protection, your manufacturer determines your coverage. Mission Solar panels, for instance, don’t include coverage for labor and instead just cover the materials and production for 25 years.
Pros
- Five panel brands and five battery options available for customization
- Some brands come with above-average warranty coverage for peace of mind
- Above-average customer review ratings
Cons
- Your labor warranty depends on the panel brand you choose
- Doesn’t accept leases or PPAs, so up-front costs will be significant
- BBB noted that GHS falsely advertises its product
How much does Green Home Systems cost?
Unfortunately, Green Home Systems doesn’t publicize any pricing information on its website. Most solar installers leave cost as an open question because so many factors — shading on your roof, monthly electricity consumption, home size and equipment specifications, for example — make each installation unique. But GHS doesn’t even include a typical range for its services, so the only way you can even get a rough idea of pricing is to request a formal quote.
Based on our research, the average cost for a solar array is $2.82, but is often between $3 and $4 per watt, which would put the price of an 6-kilowatt (kW) system between $18,000 and $24,000 before any incentives.
Savings and discounts
Like most solar providers, Green Home Systems doesn’t advertise savings or discounts on its equipment or installation services, but you can save money in a few ways. Such as:
- Take advantage of the federal investment tax credit (ITC). The ITC is a solar incentive available from the federal government that lets you reduce your income tax liability by 30% of your total solar installation cost, including panels, batteries, electric vehicle (EV) chargers and all other equipment.
- Seek out other local incentives. You can check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) for information on additional incentives available in your local area or from your utility company. These could include rebates, tax credits, net metering programs and more.
- Choose a more affordable equipment brand. Green Home Systems has a larger array of product brands than most competitors. That means you can customize your equipment to optimize for upfront prices to keep costs down.
- Choose better warranty coverage. GHS’s warranty coverage depends on the product brand you choose. Opting for a brand with lengthier and more comprehensive coverage might cost more up-front, but it could save you money over time if it prevents you from paying out of pocket for damages.
What services does Green Home Systems offer?
Green Home Systems provides access to the typical solar equipment, including solar panels, mounting racks, inverters, wiring and conduit. It offers five solar panel brands: Panasonic, QCells, URE, Mission Solar and LONGi.
Unlike most other providers, it offers rooftop systems and ground-mount solar arrays, providing even more flexibility in installation options.
Green Home Systems services
|
Offered?
|
|
|---|---|
| Solar panels | Yes (Panasonic, QCells, URE, Mission Solar and LONGi) |
| Solar shingles | No |
| Microinverter | Yes (Enphase) |
| String inverter | Yes (SolarEdge, Tigo and Solis) |
| Solar battery | Yes (Enphase, Tigo, SolarEdge, LG Chem and FranklinWH) |
| Full cash | Yes |
| In-house loan | Yes |
| Lease | No |
| Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) | No |
| Other financing | No |
| Free energy consultation | Yes |
| Inspection scheduling assistance | Yes |
| Permitting assistance | Yes |
| Roof repair | Yes |
| Power production guarantee | Yes (25 to 30 years, based on brand) |
| Workmanship warranty | Yes (12 to 30 years, based on brand) |
| Micro inverter warranty | Yes (5 to 25 years, based on brand) |
Green Home Systems add-ons and optional features
In addition to the basics, Green Home Systems installs five brands of solar batteries, including Enphase, Tigo, SolarEdge, LG Chem and FranklinWH. It also installs four brands of inverters: Enphase, SolarEdge, Tigo and Solis. The one backup generator is from Generac. These products and services make Green Home Systems a full-service installer, but it doesn’t install EV chargers.
Green Home Systems also handles roof replacements and repairs in-house, saving you time and frustration if you need your roof replaced before going solar since you won’t need to coordinate with another company.
GHS installs SPAN Smart electrical panels, which count as an efficiency upgrade that gives you access to electricity consumption and management right from your mobile device. Depending on which inverter brand you choose through GHS, you can also access mobile apps from Enphase and SolarEdge. These apps let you track production and consumption, which can help boost home efficiency through changes to consumption habits.
What does Green Home Systems not cover?
Green Home Systems doesn’t appear to install EV chargers. A 2022 press release mentions the option, but it’s not listed in the company’s services. I also called and reached out via email and online chat several times, but GHS was unresponsive.
Not having access to EV chargers isn’t a big deal because you can always install one later, but if you bundle one with your panels and batteries, you can apply the cost of the charger to the ITC, saving you more money.
Green Home Systems customer experience
You can contact Green Home Systems by phone, email or via the online contact form on the company’s website. There’s also an option for an online chat with an actual human representative. The website is easy to navigate and has all the information you need about products and services readily available. There is no mobile app or online portal, though, so making payment may not be as convenient as it is with providers who offer these options, like Momentum Solar.
I called Green Home Systems twice as a secret shopper and at different times of the day. I wanted to evaluate the company’s customer service and response times. Unfortunately, the phone rang five times, and then it directed me to voicemail, so I couldn’t get in touch by phone. I used the chat feature on the website and could contact a friendly and helpful representative instantly. However, I reached out several more times with a specific question on the availability of EV chargers, and the company wasn’t responsive even after several days of reaching out.
My limited interaction with GHS doesn’t give you the entire story, though, so I included one positive Green Home Systems review and one negative one below.
Understanding Green Home Systems installation process
Green Home Systems’ website doesn’t have a clearly defined installation process like some competitors’, but the process will be about the same as it would with other companies.
- Initial inspection: To begin, a representative from GHS will look at your electric bill to gauge your average monthly consumption and complete an in-person inspection to check the age and condition of your roof, assess the shade on your property and take measurements of your roof to aid in the design process.
- System design: Next, your rep will design a system that fits on your roof, meets your energy demands and fits your budget. The company maintains that it can get a customized quote for you within 24 hours, so the design process will likely be much faster than it would with competitors.
- Contract signing: Once you approve the design, you’ll get contracts. If you read through the terms and agree, you can sign and make the deposit, if necessary.
- Permitting: All solar installations require building permits, so GHS will pull those for you. Depending on how busy your building department is, the permitting process can take anywhere from a day or two to several weeks.
- Installation: Once permits are approved, GHS will schedule your installation, which the company says can take one to three days (or longer for ground-mount systems). This is on par with most other installers.
- Final inspection: GHS will schedule the final inspection with your utility company to activate the system so that your panels can start generating power for your home.
Green Home Systems vs. competitors
With its many products, brands and add-on products and services, Green Home Systems is the best solar installation company for system customization. It has more combined panel and battery brands than any other company I’ve reviewed, and although it doesn’t install EV chargers, it does offer most other services that solar customers would need or be interested in.
The only major downside is that the company doesn’t accept leases or PPAs. So, if you want or need a no-money-down solar option, I recommend considering Palmetto Solar or Sunnova Solar.
Green Home Systems competitor comparison
|
Our score (out of 5 stars)
|
No. of states available
|
Years in business
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Home Systems | 4.1 |
21 |
15 |
| Sunnova | 4.7 |
50 |
12 |
| Blue Raven Solar | 4.1 |
20 |
10 |
| Tesla Solar | 4.1 |
50 |
9 |
| Momentum Solar | 3.8 |
12 |
15 |
| NRG Clean Power | 3.8 |
2 |
7 |
| Lumio | 3.6 |
14 |
3 |
Methodology
The CNN Underscored team researched 20 of the top solar installers in the U.S. and compared them using 27 unique criteria. Those were organized into seven main categories: equipment, financing, customer review scores, installation and service options, availability and our editorial judgment. All our ratings remain unbiased and are never affected by company relationships.
The author of this article has been researching and writing about the solar industry for four years. Combined with his personal experience of moving to solar power, this gives him an intimate understanding of what’s important to solar customers and red flags for installers.
