2027 Solar Accountability Awards
2027 Ethical Solar Installer of the Year
For the installer that sells solar the right way: honest savings estimates, clear prices, and real service after the sale.
Entries open Monday, November 30, 2026
Inaugural early bird pricing: $495Winners announced March 16, 2027Is this award right for you?
- You sell and install residential solar for U.S. homeowners.
- Your savings estimates are based on the homeowner’s real usage and rates.
- You show the cash price next to the financed price and explain any dealer fees.
- You finish permitting, inspection, and interconnection as promised and honor warranty claims.
- You handle complaints and cancellation requests quickly and fairly.
Residential solar installers and dealers that sell and install systems for U.S. homeowners. Entries cover work done in 2026.
Eligibility
- Sold and installed residential solar systems for U.S. homeowners during the review period.
- Holds the contractor licenses required in the states where it installs.
- Can provide its standard customer contract, price disclosures, and warranty terms.
What you need to enter
Have these ready before you start. Most of the work is the submission itself, so write it first.
Company details
Your company name and website.
Your submission
Up to 5,000 characters answering the questions for your award. Write it first in a document, then paste it in.
Supporting documents
PDFs or images that back up what you say. Black out client account numbers and other private details.
Your logo
A high-resolution PNG, ideally with a transparent background. We use it if you are named a winner.
Contact and billing details
A contact person, email, phone, and mailing address.
A credit or debit card
For the entry fee, paid when you submit.
What to include in your submission
Your submission can be up to 5,000 characters, about 800 words. Answer each of these questions:
- 01
Your company
What you install, where, how many systems you installed in 2026, and how long you have been in business.
- 02
How you sell
How your sales team presents solar, how you build savings estimates, and what you never say to close a sale.
- 03
Price and financing
How you disclose the cash price, financed price, dealer fees, and financing terms before signing.
- 04
After the sale
Your track record on permitting, inspection, interconnection, and warranty service.
- 05
Complaints and cancellations
How many you received in 2026, how you handled them, and what you changed as a result.
Supporting documents that help
- A sample proposal or price disclosure
- An example savings estimate and how it was built
- Your standard customer contract and warranty terms
- Customer satisfaction or review summaries
Judges see your full entry. We never publish your submission or your supporting documents.
Judging criteria
Honest sales and savings representations
30%Savings estimates based on real usage and rates, no “free solar” claims, and sales practices the company can document.
Price and financing transparency
25%Cash price disclosed alongside financed price, dealer fees explained, and financing terms the homeowner can see before signing.
Installation quality and warranty service
20%Permitting, inspection, and interconnection completed as promised, and warranty claims honored.
Complaint handling
15%How complaints are received, tracked, and resolved, including cancellation requests.
Customer education
10%Clear explanations of the contract, the financing, and what happens if the homeowner sells the house.
Judges score each criterion. The highest-scoring entry of 80 or more out of 100 wins the award.
What strong entries do
Be specific
“We helped 212 homeowners in 2026 and 164 contracts were cancelled” scores. “Hundreds of happy clients” does not.
Show how you count
If you give a success rate, say what counts as a success and out of how many cases.
Answer every criterion
Judges score each criterion separately. A criterion you skip scores zero.
Back it up
Attach the agreement, fee schedule, or results summary that proves the point.
Write for a skeptic
Explain it the way you would to a homeowner who has been burned before.
How to enter
- 01
Prepare
Gather the items above and write your submission using the questions for this award.
- 02
Complete the entry form
Choose this award, and any others you qualify for, then add your submission, documents, logo, and contact details.
- 03
Pay and submit
Pay the entry fee by card. You get a receipt by email right away.
- Entries open
- Early bird ends
- Final deadline
- Winners announced
Entries open Monday, November 30, 2026. Get a reminder:
Deadlines end at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time. Entry fees are for consideration only, do not guarantee an award, and are non-refundable, whether you win or not. By entering, you agree to the Official Rules, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Benefits of winning
Press release
Solar Accountability announces every winner in a press release and on its news page.
Winner media kit
Badge files for print and web, and simple guidelines for using them.
Use of the badge
Display the winner badge on your website, proposals, email signatures, and marketing.
Winners page listing
Your company name, logo, and a link to your website on the Solar Accountability winners page.
A year of visibility
A winner profile on Solar Accountability for the full year, seen by homeowners researching their options.