Blue Raven Solar Review: A Strong Reputation for Solar Satisfaction

6.7

Blue Raven Solar

Like

• 
  Strong customer service reputation
• 
  Uses only in house labor
• 
  Lots of financing options

Don’t like

• 
  Shorter workmanship warranty
• 
  Few battery options
• 
  No leases or PPAs

The solar companies we speak with tell us they’re in demand these days thanks to soaring energy costs, increasing concerns we are in the midst of a worsening climate crisis and recent incentives for renewable energy like tax credits. 

Add all that up and it makes sense that more and more people are putting solar panels on their properties — especially as they decrease in price. 

On top of tax benefits, solar panels add value to your home while lowering your utility bill and (maybe) getting your electric company to pay you for the power you harvest directly from the sky. 

Blue Raven overview

Utah-based Blue Raven Solar has dealt only in residential solar installations since it was started in 2014. The company has grown quickly in less than a decade from just three team members to more than 3,000 spread across the US today. It was acquired in 2021 by SunPower, one of the oldest solar companies in the country. 

“I would say we operate not entirely autonomously, but we are still very much Blue Raven Solar,” Mitch Hoffman, the company’s senior marketing manager, told CNET.

The subsidiary shares equipment and customer acquisition strategies with its parent, and now exclusively offers SunPower’s SunVault battery line in select regions.

Blue Raven is one of an increasing number of solar companies out there offering installations. It’s critical to research different installers operating in your area to make sure you get the best deal that you’ll be happy with for the long term. A solar system can stick with you even longer than other major purchases, like your car, so it’s worth taking the time to get multiple quotes and as much information as possible.

Fortunately, you’ve started in the right place. There are many more reviews on CNET like this one to clue you in to the best service providers.

Be sure to also review the criteria we use to rate solar companies. Remember that CNET does not test solar panels directly and does not go through the process of working with a company to design, order, permit and install a system. We rely on comparisons of the equipment, warranties and services on offer from solar companies and our knowledge of the industry.

Blue Raven’s score comes in relatively low among other companies we’ve reviewed, which is interesting because they received high marks for customer care, using in-house labor and offering a variety of solar panels. But the final score is dragged down by shorter warranties, lack of a price match or pricing transparency. To be fair, few companies offer a price match or much transparency on the cost of solar panels before a consultation with a potential customer.

What do I get from Blue Raven?

Blue Raven prides itself on offering a high level of customer interaction and satisfaction.

“We’re a very mission- and values-driven company,” Hoffman said. “Which is to make homeowners’ lives better by reducing their energy bills and by increasing their reliance on clean and abundant renewable energy.”

Hoffman notes the company is well reviewed online and works to perform “speedy, high-quality installation” in as little as a few weeks. 

Blue Raven is also one of a few companies that relies fully on trained in-house employees from sales through installation. It doesn’t use third-party contractors or outsource any work except for certain customizations and optional extra services. 

What equipment does Blue Raven offer?

Blue Raven doesn’t offer specific types of panels, instead sourcing them based on what options are most readily available in each local market, including brand names like REC, SEG, Maxeon, SunPower, Qcells and others. Some are among the most efficient on the market.

“It’s more about the system’s size to us than the brand,” Hoffman explained.

The company typically offers panels ranging from 360 watts up to 400 watts with Enphase microinverters, including IQ8 and IQ8 Plus models.

The company does exclusively offer just SunPower SunVault batteries, which can be stacked in configurations of up to four batteries in capacities of 13 kWh, 19.5 kWh, 26 kWh or 39 kWh.

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Does Blue Raven offer system monitoring?

Blue Raven doesn’t have its own bespoke app to keep track of your system, but instead directs customers to the Enphase Enlighten app, which keeps track of energy production, usage and trends over time. The app is well reviewed by thousands of users on the Google and Apple app stores. For installations that include a SunPower battery, the mySunPower app provides similar data as well as live weather alerts. It is also highly reviewed in both app stores. 

What warranties does Blue Raven offer?

Blue Raven’s workmanship warranty for the installation and weatherization issues like roof penetrations causing leaks runs for 10 years, which is on the shorter end for the industry. For the equipment, it utilizes the standard 25-year warranties for panels and inverters and 10 years for SunVault batteries.

The company offers a two-year production guarantee. Hoffman said that means Blue Raven will do what needs to be done to keep your system performing as it should during that period. Again, this is on the low end for such guarantees in the industry, though production guarantees are not offered by all installers. 

How much do Blue Raven solar panels cost?

Like most solar companies, Blue Raven elected not to share specific pricing information with CNET. 

“Solar in general is not a ‘one size fits all’ type product,” Hoffman said. “Each homeowner is a unique case and we calculate each system differently.”

He said pricing can vary wildly from region to region and house to house based on different incentives available, the size of the system and challenges with individual properties. The company said it does not offer any sort of price matching policy at this time.

While there’s not much Blue Raven can tell you about what an installation might cost you before getting more details about your individual situation, CNET can provide a few basic numbers.

Ultimately though, costs can vary widely, as Hoffman pointed out. If you get a quote from Blue Raven, be sure to get other quotes from installers in your neighborhood that can offer a comparable system. You may also want to look into companies that offer different arrangements, like leases, power purchase agreements or community solar.   

The national average cost of a solar system in the US is $3.67 per watt, according to FindEnergy.com. That’s roughly $18,073 for a 5-kW size system and doesn’t factoring in federal clean energy credits of 30%. You can also look into potential solar incentives from state, county and municipal governments. Sometimes even utilities, banks and credit unions may offer additional programs to bring that total out-of-pocket expense down further.

To get an idea of what solar costs look like in each US state where data is available, here’s a look at the average total cost, system size and cost per watt of solar panels, according to data from FindEnergy.com.     

What financing options does Blue Raven offer for solar panels?

Blue Raven currently operates exclusively on an ownership basis. That means the company does not do leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs), but Hoffman says that may change in the future. 

Blue Raven does offer an array of different financing options that can be structured differently according to each customer’s individual situation. Blue Raven offers 18 months of free solar in one of their financing plans, Blue Power Plus. You’ll need to read the fine print for yourself, but a representative told CNET the company will send you checks to cover the loan payments for 18 months. Lumped together with the 30% federal tax credit, Blue Raven’s website says it can save you 33% of the total solar cost.

Of course, cash is always welcome too. With a cash purchase, you can avoid loan fees which drives down the overall cost. 

Does Blue Raven operate in my state? How do I order?

Blue Raven operates in 18 US states spread across the country.

Blue Raven does sales both door to door and through a number of online channels. The easiest way to get in touch is to submit information through the company’s website, and you can expect to be contacted by a member of the team to gather some basic info about your situation and desires. 

This is followed by an in-person or virtual visit to your home where a sales representative will walk through a basic proposal for a system and the benefits you can expect to receive from going solar. This is when you’ll also learn about the different incentive programs Blue Raven can help make sure you will be able to take advantage of. 

The next step is signing an installation agreement and a more detailed inspection before a final system design is proposed. The customer has an opportunity to review and modify this design before approving it. Blue Raven handles permitting with local authorities, coordinating things like tree trimming, financing and finally getting everything installed and turned on. 

Is Blue Raven the best choice?

Despite recently becoming a subsidiary of a major solar energy corporation, Blue Raven still has a focus on customer satisfaction and a high-touch approach to customer service. 

At the moment you get a little of the best of both worlds, knowing that the company is run like a smaller outfit, but has a bigger parent company standing behind it. That said, Blue Raven falls a little short of what many of the bigger players in the industry offer in terms of warranties and leasing or power purchase agreement possibilities. 

Blue Raven works to make sure you’ll get the best panels available in your region that fits your needs, but you’re basically locked into a particular type of battery and microinverter. For the majority of customers, this probably won’t be a big deal and does provide some level of consistency across Blue Raven’s installation, which may be a factor in their high customer service rankings. 

The company likes to tout its strong reputation online, claiming to have thousands of five-star reviews. This does seem to be the case, which is reassuring, but CNET doesn’t put a ton of stock in online reviews. That said, Blue Raven maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, where it appears to respond consistently and relatively quickly to complaints. 

Once again, keep in mind that CNET has not gone through the ordering or installation process with Blue Raven.

Overall, if you’re not too picky about components and not looking for the longest-possible warranties, Blue Raven is well worth a closer look. 

Read more: Want something smaller than a whole-home solar system? See our picks for the best portable solar panels and solar generators.

Pros

• Strong reputation for customer service
• Works exclusively with in-house labor
• Lots of financing options

Cons

• Minimal workmanship and production warranties
• Few options on inverters or batteries
• No lease or power purchase agreement available

Blue Raven reviews: What are customers saying

Customer reviews capture one person’s experience with a company, which may or may not track with your experience. You can use customer reviews to get an idea of trends and find questions you may not have thought of on your own.

Here’s a sample of reviews from the Better Business Bureau. Across providers, customer reviews typically skew more negative than the ratings that track responsiveness to complaints.

Five-star reviews

“The company was responsive and informative. I’ve wanted to add solar panels for quite some time. They made what seems like a potentially complicated process run more smoothly.” Heather O., Jan. 16, 2024.

“The entire process was very easy. Blue Raven specifically offers many incentives and communicates any available tax incentives as well. Installation was so fast and the crew was very polite.” Nicole H., May 7, 2023.

“The installation crew were efficient and when they completed the install they left the work area clear of all materials used.” Kathy H., May 5, 2023.

One-star reviews

“Nefarious sales tactics. Rain gear, safety vest, hard hat and a walkie talkie for a costume. Uses words to make you think they are official and perhaps with the power company without saying they are with a solar panel installation outfit.” Greg K., Nov. 20, 2023.

“Salesperson walked past two signs on our property requesting “no soliciting” and knocked on our door anyway. He claimed to be going door-to-door on behalf of our local energy company.” Theresa M., April 26, 2023.

“Very disappointed, if I could give no stars I would. The sales team did a great job getting to the door and selling the products. Once you sign the papers you never hear from them again.” David V., April 17, 2023.

How we evaluate solar companies

Because each project has its own specific context, reviewing solar companies is difficult. It’s impossible to do in a hands-on way. In order to provide a helpful review, we focused on things we could accurately measure that impact consumers.

We focus on equipment, warranties and service. 

For their equipment, companies receive scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they install and if they offer choice. We look at warranties on the panels, workmanship and weatherization against leaks. Companies earn points for service if they offer a price match, a meaningful level of price transparency and a well-rated app for monitoring solar production. They lose points if there are customer service issues (lawsuits, investigations or clear reputations for shoddy service). These issues will always be detailed in the review.

We’ve got a detailed breakdown of how we score solar companies too.

We ignore the average price of a company’s installations in their score because it’s difficult to find and compare across service areas (and even roof to roof). Companies also often don’t want to disclose it. We also leave out easily found but not useful information like how many states a company operates in.

Frequently asked questions