Key takeaways
- National and local solar companies often sell the same panels and batteries. What differs is who designs, installs and supports the system.
- With some national brands and sales-only dealers, the company on your contract isn’t the crew on your roof. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests asking about subcontractors and checking their credentials.
- Michigan has its own rules: DTE’s program covers systems up to 150 kW, Consumers Energy’s up to 550 kW, and every city and township has its own permits.
- The Michigan Public Service Commission recommends getting at least three bids.
- Compare total price, equipment, who handles permits and interconnection, who issues the workmanship warranty, and the battery design.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to use a local or national solar company in Michigan?
Neither is automatically better. The right installer is the one that can clearly answer who designs and installs your system, who handles DTE or Consumers Energy and city permits, and who issues the workmanship warranty.
Do national solar companies use subcontractors?
Some do. National brands, financiers and sales-only dealers may hand the installation to a local subcontractor, so the company on your contract may not be the company on your roof. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends asking whether a company uses subcontractors and verifying their credentials.
How many solar quotes should I get in Michigan?
The Michigan Public Service Commission recommends at least three bids. Line them up on total installed price, equipment brands and models, who handles interconnection and permits, the workmanship warranty and the battery design.
What’s the difference between DTE and Consumers Energy for solar?
DTE’s Distributed Generation program covers systems up to 150 kW. Consumers Energy’s program covers systems up to 550 kW, sized up to 110 percent of your usage. Both use inflow/outflow billing, but they credit exported power differently.
What certifications should a Michigan solar installer have?
Ask whether the installers are NABCEP certified and, for battery projects, whether the company is a Tesla Certified Installer. The MPSC also suggests checking years in business, licensing, insurance and warranties.
Search for solar companies in Michigan, or for the “best solar companies in Michigan,” and you’ll get two kinds of results: national brands with big ad budgets, and Michigan-based installers. Both can put a working system on your roof. But the experience of buying, installing and owning solar can be very different depending on which one you choose, and the differences aren’t always obvious from the first sales call.
Here’s what actually changes.
First, know what “national” means
“National solar company” covers a few different business models:
- National installers with their own crews in many states.
- National brands or financiers that sell the system and hand the installation to a local subcontractor.
- Sales-only dealers that sign the contract and pass the job to whoever is available.
In the second and third cases, the company on your contract may not be the company on your roof. The U.S. Department of Energy’s guide to choosing an installer recommends asking whether a company uses subcontractors and verifying the subcontractors’ credentials. That’s good advice no matter who you hire.
Who designs and installs your system
A local installer that designs and installs in-house usually has one team responsible from site visit to switch-on. The person who measured your roof talks to the person who designs the array, and the crew that installs it answers to the same company.
When those roles are split across companies, details can get lost: a design that doesn’t account for your roof’s snow exposure, a battery placed where Tesla’s manual says it shouldn’t go, or a panel upgrade nobody priced. None of that is guaranteed to happen, but it’s worth asking who owns each step.
Michigan experience matters
Solar in Michigan has its own rules, and they aren’t the same as Arizona’s or California’s:
- Two utilities, two programs. DTE’s Distributed Generation program covers systems up to 150 kW. Consumers Energy’s program covers systems up to 550 kW, sized up to 110 percent of your usage. Both use inflow/outflow billing, but they credit exported power differently.
- Local permits. Every city and township has its own permit and inspection process, and DTE requires both the utility and the municipality to approve a system before it runs.
- Winter. Snow, ice and cold shape where panels and batteries go. A Powerwall 3, for example, is rated to operate down to -4°F, and Tesla’s manual says not to let snow build up around it.
An installer that files Michigan interconnection applications every week will know what gets approved the first time. We explain how the two utilities change the math in our post on DTE vs. Consumers Energy.
Who stands behind the system
Solar panels are expected to produce for decades. Workmanship warranties, monitoring and battery support last years. So one of the most important questions is simple: who will you call in year ten, and will they still be here?
That’s not a knock on national companies. Plenty are well run. But ask any company how long it has been installing in Michigan, whether the workmanship warranty comes from the company that installs the system, and where its nearest crew is based.
Pricing and contracts
National and local companies can both be competitive on price. What’s harder to compare is what’s included. The Michigan Public Service Commission’s solar consumer tips recommend getting at least three bids and checking each company’s years in business, licensing, insurance and warranties.
When you compare quotes, line them up on:
- Total installed price, not just the monthly payment
- Equipment brands and models, panel by panel and battery by battery
- Who handles DTE or Consumers Energy and city permits
- The workmanship warranty, and which company issues it
- Whether the battery design is whole-home or partial backup
A fair checklist for any company
The right installer isn’t automatically local or national. It’s the one that can answer these clearly:
- Who will design my system, and who will install it?
- Are your installers NABCEP certified? Are you a Tesla Certified Installer?
- How many systems have you connected to DTE or Consumers Energy?
- Who issues the workmanship warranty, and for how long?
- Who do I call after the system is on?
Talk to a Michigan installer
In Michigan, Stellar Solar works out of Royal Oak with a satellite office in Suttons Bay, and the people who design your system are the people who install it.
Ready to take control of your energy costs and protect your home from Michigan’s frequent outages? Request a free, no-obligation quote from Stellar Solar Michigan, serving Michigan homeowners with solar and battery storage since 1998 and A+ rated with the BBB, or call 858-395-6905.