Idaho has some of the cheapest electricity in the country, and Idaho Power no longer credits exported solar at retail. Together those two facts make Idaho the state where honest system sizing matters most: the profitable install here is usually smaller than the one a commissioned salesperson wants to sell. We verified two companies whose Idaho operations are built for that math, and we explain who else you will run into.
Big Dog Solar and Purelight Power are the two verified dedicated rooftop installers with a real Idaho service area. Under Idaho Power’s reduced export crediting, the test of either quote is the same: does the design chase your actual consumption profile, hour by hour, or your roof’s square footage?
Our Top 2 Solar Companies in Idaho
When retail power is inexpensive and exports earn a reduced credit, every extra panel beyond your real usage pays back slower than the ones before it. States like this attract oversized quotes because bigger systems mean bigger commissions, not bigger savings. Both companies below design from consumption; nobody paid to appear.
Big Dog Solar
The home-state pick: Pocatello-area headquarters with a Boise installation hub, operating across Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Utah. Its warranty stack is unusually concrete for the region, and its PPA option carries a production guarantee for the life of the contract.
Purelight Power
Real Idaho presence at scale: the Coeur d’Alene office puts the panhandle inside a service radius most Treasure Valley installers never reach. For north Idaho homeowners it is frequently the only verified option with a local office rather than a traveling crew.
Idaho Solar Companies Compared
Factor | Big Dog Solar | Purelight Power |
|---|---|---|
Idaho service area | Pocatello HQ, Boise hub | Boise and Coeur d’Alene offices |
Years operating | 18 | Multi-state, Idaho among newer markets |
Written warranties | 10-yr workmanship, 10-yr roof penetration | Confirm current terms in your quote |
Best fit | Eastern Idaho and Treasure Valley | Treasure Valley and the panhandle |
Cheap Power Makes Idaho Solar an Honesty Test
Idaho Power’s current on-site generation rules credit exports below retail, and the exact rate depends on your schedule and install date. That is not a reason to skip solar; it is a reason to size it right. A design that maximizes on-site consumption beats a bigger array selling cheap exports, and an installer’s willingness to show that math is the best character test available in this state.
The right Idaho system starts from your usage, not your roof. Enter your ZIP code for coverage and an estimate sized against your utility’s actual crediting.
Size an Idaho system to your usage, not your roof
Questions to Ask an Idaho Solar Installer
What export credit rate did you assume?
What share of my generation will I use on-site?
Can I see payback at my utility’s actual rates next to the brochure number?
Whose taxes does that credit apply to?
Who services the system in winter, and from which office?
Red Flags in an Idaho Solar Pitch
How We Rank Solar Companies
Rankings are built from what we can verify, never from who pays us. Five weighted factors:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this list only include 2 Idaho solar companies?
Because only 2 companies passed our verification for dedicated residential rooftop work with a real Idaho service area in 2026. Idaho’s installer bench has thinned: Auric Energy, which once served the state from Utah, no longer operates a working website, and several national names sell in Idaho without local crews. A short honest list beats a long stale one.
Is solar worth it in Idaho with such cheap electricity?
Sometimes, and the margin is thinner than in high-rate states: cheap power plus reduced export credits means payback depends on using most of what you generate. Well-sized systems on high-usage homes still pencil; oversized ones rarely do. Our Idaho worth-it guide works the numbers.
Does Idaho Power still offer net metering?
Idaho Power moved away from traditional retail net metering; exported energy is now credited under its on-site generation rules at rates below retail. The exact crediting depends on your schedule and when your system was installed, so have any installer show the current rate in writing inside the quote.
Before taking a quote, read what remains in Idaho solar incentives, compare against Idaho solar costs, and see the sizing logic in our Idaho solar guide.
Who shows up for a quote depends heavily on where in the state you sit. Enter your ZIP code and see your real options.
See who installs solar at your Idaho address
Sources
References & Research Sources
EcoGen America reviewed Idaho Power’s on-site generation program materials and the installers’ own published claims for this article. Sources were accessed August 8, 2026, unless another publication, release, effective, or update date is listed below.
- Idaho Power. On-site generation: compensation structure and program rules. Accessed August 8, 2026.
- Big Dog Solar. Company site: locations, states, warranties. Accessed August 8, 2026.
- Purelight Power. Company site: Idaho offices and markets. Accessed August 8, 2026.
