Solar companies in Tempe, AZ: who installs the most
A typical 7 kW system in Tempe costs about $15,610 before incentives and pays for itself in about 13 years without the federal credit. Check the numbers for your home:
Your solar estimate
An estimate, not a quote: system size comes from your bill, production from NREL for your ZIP. No federal credit, rate increases, panel degradation or financing. How I calculate.
I went through utility interconnection records: 821 home solar systems were installed within 3.6 miles of central Tempe in 2022–2023, by 7 companies with 30 or more systems each. The five most active: Titan Solar (91), Sunrun (63), Fusion Power (61), Tesla Energy (48), Our World Energy (44). Today, quotes average $2.23/W in Tempe (EnergySage, updated 2026-09-11) — about $15,610 for a 7 kW system before incentives.
Counts from public records, not rankings; quote requests go to a referral network. Hank is our illustrated character, not a real homeowner or installer. How I calculate.
Solar installers in Tempe by number of systems
| Company (as recorded) | Systems 2022–2023 | Earliest record here | Leased / PPA | With battery | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titan Solar | 91 | 2017 | 0% | 0% | 7.8 kW |
| Sunrun | 63 | 2009 | 0% | 2% | 6.3 kW |
| Fusion Power | 61 | 2021 | 0% | 0% | 7.8 kW |
| Tesla Energy | 48 | 2008 | 0% | 0% | 5.7 kW |
| Our World Energy | 44 | 2021 | 0% | 0% | 7.7 kW |
| Freedom Forever | 41 | 2018 | 7% | 0% | 7.0 kW |
| On Point Solar Power | 40 | 2021 | 0% | 0% | 7.6 kW |
Counts of systems in utility interconnection records for ZIP codes within 3.6 miles of central Tempe — not reviews, rankings or recommendations; I have no partnership with these companies. Company names are as reported and can include older brand names.
Get solar quotes in Tempe
Enter your ZIP to request quotes from installers who work in your area.
How to check a solar quote in Tempe
- Divide your quote by system size in watts. Tempe quotes on EnergySage average $2.23/W; a typical 15.0 kW system there is quoted $28,473–$38,523 before incentives.
- Ask which utility credit the savings estimate uses. Power you send to the grid is credited at: Salt River Project 3.45¢/kWh.
- Look up the company's contractor license with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors before signing.
- Paste the price and size into the quote checker or follow the six-step quote check.
Compare quotes for a home in Tempe
Partner installers, not the companies in the table, will contact you.
Salt River Project: rates and export credits
| Utility | Typical energy charge | Credit for power sent to the grid | Export rate period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt River Project | $0.150/kWh E-23 Tier 1 BASIC PRICE PLAN FOR RESIDENTIAL SERVICE, E-23 Tier 2 BASIC PRICE PLAN FOR RESIDENTIAL SERVICE, E-23 Tier 3 BASIC PRICE PLAN FOR RESIDENTIAL SERVICE | $0.0345/kWh Customer generation export price plans (E-13 Time-of-Use Export, E-14 EV Export) | FY26 ratebook, subject to adjustment; SRP lowers prices by $0.0038/kWh for May-October 2026 billing cycles |
Is solar worth it in Tempe at today's prices?
At today's average quote of $2.23/W, a 7 kW system pays for itself in about 13 years for Salt River Project customers.
| Utility | Size | kWh/yr | Cost at $2.23/W | Credits and rebates | Savings/yr | Payback | 20-yr net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt River Project | 5 kW | 8,760 | $11,150 | $1,000 | $807 | 12.6 yrs | $5,986 |
| Salt River Project | 7 kW | 12,264 | $15,610 | $1,000 | $1,130 | 12.9 yrs | $7,980 |
| Salt River Project | 10 kW | 17,520 | $22,300 | $1,000 | $1,614 | 13.2 yrs | $10,972 |
Rates used: Salt River Project 15.0¢ used at home, 3.45¢ exported. Half of production used at home, no federal credit, no rate increases or degradation — full method.
How much a system produces in Tempe
Each 1 kW of panels produces about 1,752 kWh a year here — most in May (179 kWh), least in December (107 kWh).
Permits and inspections in Tempe
Installers reported a median of 14 business days for the city permit in 2023 (US median 7), 6 days for the utility's pre-install review, 18 days from installation to the last passed inspection and 9 days for permission to operate from Arizona Public Service Co (APS); 27 projects in the data that year. Across the US the whole project took 93 business days median from contract to permission to operate (NREL SolarTRACE, how long installation takes).
Tempe against nearby cities
Among Tempe and its 5 nearest neighbours I cover, it is number 6 by systems in the records and number 4 by sunshine per kW.
| City | Systems in records | Companies with 30+ | Average quote | kWh a year per kW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 14,468 | 57 | $2.28/W | 1,755 |
| Glendale | 3,214 | 27 | $2.23/W | 1,754 |
| Scottsdale | 1,452 | 16 | $2.25/W | 1,745 |
| Gilbert | 1,402 | 11 | $2.26/W | 1,750 |
| Chandler | 1,314 | 11 | $2.29/W | 1,753 |
| Tempe | 821 | 7 | $2.23/W | 1,752 |
Incentives and rules for Tempe homeowners
- Federal tax credit: the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 (IRS).
- Salt River Project: Other SRP solar plans credit exports differently (E-15 nets at retail price, closes November 2029). Details on the Arizona page.
- Arizona rules: Credit for Solar Energy Devices (A.R.S. 43-1083), property tax, sales tax — full text and sources on the Arizona page.
Arizona rules and utility credits checked on 2026-09-13; price benchmark checked on 2026-09-21.
Nearby cities
- Solar companies in Chandler, AZ
- Solar companies in Gilbert, AZ
- Solar companies in Phoenix, AZ
- Solar companies in Glendale, AZ
- Solar companies in Scottsdale, AZ
- All Arizona cities
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Sources for Tempe
- https://data.openei.org/submissions/3
- https://developer.nlr.gov/docs/electricity/utility-rates-v3/
- https://developer.nlr.gov/docs/solar/pvwatts/v8/
- https://openei.org/services/doc/rest/util_rates/?version=7
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/42/05061.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/42/11054.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/43/01083.htm
- https://www.energysage.com/local-data/solar-panel-cost/az/maricopa-county/tempe/
- https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/residential-clean-energy-credit
- https://www.srpnet.com/assets/srpnet/pdf/price-plans/FY26/2025-RatebookV2.pdf
- https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/
Data collected on 2026-09-21.