Trinity Solar: Reviews, Services and Costs (2024) - MarketWatch

Trinity Solar: Reviews, Services and Costs (2024)

Looking to go solar, but not sure where to start? Check out our review of Trinity Solar to see if this provider is right for you.

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Looking to go solar, but not sure where to start? Check out our review of Trinity Solar to see if this provider is right for you.

Simplify your home improvement project, enter details in under 3 minutes:

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Trinity Solar has completed more than 100,000 solar installations across the East Coast, its primary service region, according to its website. The company is the largest family-owned solar company in the U.S., with 30 years of experience and a staff of over 3,000 employees.

Trinity Solar installs solar panels made by Tier 1 manufacturers such as Qcells and offers energy storage systems from Tesla, Generac and other brands. It has multiple payment options, including solar leases from its business partner Sunnova. Based on the MarketWatch Guides team’s review, Trinity Solar is a solid solar provider for homeowners living within its service area and looking for an installer with $0 down financing options.

Trinity Solar has a 30-year track record of building solar systems for East Coast homeowners and a variety of payment options, helping to accommodate various budgets. Its website does not specify the solar panel brands it installs, mentioning only that it uses Tier 1 panels. However, industry data and our 2023 customer surveys reveal Trinity Solar installs Qcells panels. If you want to add a home battery, Trinity usually offers the Tesla Powerwall or Generac PWRcell.

Qcells panels have a 25-year product and power output warranty, while the Powerwall and PWRcell batteries each carry 10-year warranties. The company’s solar inverters have a 12-year warranty that owners can extend to 25 years for an additional cost. Trinity Solar transfers product warranties directly to its customers, but only extends a five-year workmanship warranty, which is shorter than competitors with terms of 10 to 25 years.

If you prefer to avoid a large upfront expense when purchasing solar panels, Trinity Solar offers three $0 down payment options — a solar loan, solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). It handles loans in-house and administers leases and PPAs through Sunnova. However, Trinity Solar does not provide more detailed information about payment options, such as loan terms or lengths.

Trinity Solar scored 4 out of 5 stars based on our solar company ranking methodology. It earned points for having 30 years of industry experience, a variety of payment options and offering quality equipment options. However, its weakest area is offering a five-year workmanship warranty, which is much shorter than the industry average of 10 to 25 years.

Trinity Solar operates in 10 East Coast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Florida. The company is based in Wall Township, N.J., and employs 3,000 people, according to its website.

In October of 2023, the MarketWatch Guides team surveyed 1,000 people using Pollfish across the country. Trinity Solar does not publish pricing online, but our survey data suggests that customers paid between $2.50 and $3.12 per watt for an 8 kilowatt (kW) system. Based on that information, our team calculated the estimated costs of Trinity Solar systems ranging from 5 kW to 8 kW.
System Size Installation Cost 5 kW $12,500–$15,600 6 kW $15,000–$18,720 7 kW $17,500–$21,840 8 kW $20,000–$24,960

If you choose Trinity Solar, you can expect to pay $20,000 to $25,000 for an 8 kW photovoltaic (PV) solar system. However, these prices reflect cash purchases without accrued interest over time. You will pay more if you finance an installation with a loan, lease or PPA.

Trinity Solar installs Tier 1 panels but does not mention specific brands on its website. However, according to our research, the company uses mostly Qcells panels, which have the following specifications:

Qcells is often ranked among the best solar panel brands for homes and are more affordable than other options, such as SunPower’s Maxeon panels and Panasonic. Qcells has product lines with a sleek, all-black design, where the module frames and backsheets match the color of monocrystalline cells. Another advantage of Qcells is its local presence. The company started in Germany and merged with the Hanwha Group from South Korea, but has a large-scale manufacturing facility in Georgia.

Solar panels alone cannot deliver electricity 24/7 because they depend on sunlight to operate, but homeowners can store excess energy by adding a solar battery system. Based on our survey, 59% of 1,000 homeowners installed batteries alongside their solar panel system.

Trinity Solar also does not disclose its battery brands online, based on our research. However, the Tesla Powerwall is generally a popular battery option, chosen by 30% of respondents in our survey.

Other important details about solar batteries include:

Here are the typical costs of the two battery options offered by Trinity Solar based on our research into industry data.
Solar Battery Model Average Installed Cost Tesla Powerwall $14,000–$16,000 Generac PWRcell $18,000 (9 kWh version)

Note: The Tesla Powerwall has a 13.5 kilowatt-hour (kWh) storage capacity and you can combine up to 10 units. The Generac PWRcell has a modular design available in nine, 12, 15 or 18 kWh configurations.

In addition to solar panel and home battery installations, Trinity Solar also performs the following services:

Trinity Solar has four payment options: an upfront cash purchase, solar loans, solar leases or PPAs. The company does not provide information about loan terms and interest rates on its website, based on our review. It administers leases and PPAs through Sunnova.

Our team recommends solar loans as an option before a lease or PPA. You can only claim tax credits and other rebates if you’re the legal owner of a solar energy system, which only occurs if you purchase a system in cash or with a loan. If you sign a lease or PPA, rebates and incentives stay with the solar provider, which owns the system.

Securing a quality warranty is important when purchasing a home solar system because this coverage protects your investment. If your solar panels or other components fail during the warranty term, the provider is obligated to repair your system at no cost to you.

Trinity Solar works with equipment manufacturers that offer strong warranties, including Qcells, Tesla and Generac. However, the workmanship warranty offered by Trinity is much shorter than the industry average.
Warranty Type Trinity Solar Length Industry Average Workmanship Warranty 5 years 18 years Product warranty 25 years 24 years Performance warranty 25 years 24 years

Trinity Solar has an online form where you can schedule a free initial consultation and ask for a quote. However, its website does not outline the exact steps of the installation process. We recommend reaching out to the company to learn more about the steps in its installation process.

Trinity Solar has mixed reviews on the Better Business Bureau(BBB) and Trustpilot. To better understand the customer experience, our team read positive and negative reviews and identified common trends.

We compared Trinity Solar with other leading solar installers in the market, considering factors such as pricing, warranty coverage and range of services offered.

| Company | System cost | Warranty length | Panel brands | Financing options | Services offered | Visit Site |
| $20,000–$25,000 | 5-year workmanship, 25-year product and power output | Qcells | Cash, loan, lease or PPA | Solar panels, solar batteries, energy audits, system monitoring and a mobile app | | |

Trinity Solar stands out from both Freedom Solar and Sunrun by offering roofing services in addition to solar equipment. Trinity is comparable to Sunrun based on pricing, financing options and equipment quality. Its primary downside is its five-year workmanship warranty, which is shorter than those offered by other top solar installers.

Trinity Solar is a reputable company based on our research, earning 4 out of 5 stars based on our review. The company is BBB-accredited with an A+ score. It also has 30 years of solar installation experience and installs high-quality equipment, including Qcells solar panels.

The best solar company for you will depend on your home’s energy usage, your budget and more. Trinity Solar and Sunrun offer similar pricing, according to our solar survey, with four payment options and comparable equipment. Both companies have a 25-year equipment warranty, but Sunrun offers a 25-year workmanship warranty, while Trinity only offers five years of coverage.

Trinity Solar offers roofing services in addition to solar panels and batteries, while Sunrun offers EV chargers. Sunrun has a larger service area but three fewer years of experience compared to Trinity Solar.

Trinity Solar has installed solar panel systems on the East Coast since 1994, making it one of the oldest and most experienced solar installers we’ve reviewed.

Trinity Solar does not install EV chargers, solar roof shingles and backup generators. The company focuses on traditional solar panels, battery systems and roofing services.

Trinity Solar has an average cost range of $2.50 to $3.12 per watt, according to our 2023 solar survey. This is around the average price range within the U.S. residential market of $2.85 per watt.

We closely evaluate solar installation companies with a focus on the factors most important to homeowners like you. We based our solar company methodology on input from multiple homeowner surveys, discussions with industry experts and research into the renewable energy market. Our review process involves assessing each company on the following criteria, which we then use to calculate a rating out of 5 stars.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides.com.