Dean has connected tens of thousands of homeowners with residential solar installers across all 50 states since 2021, and works directly with installers on pricing and financing.
Vermont is a state where the date on your interconnection paperwork is worth money. Net metering here runs on adjustors, and the adjustors that apply to your system are fixed by when you enroll rather than by how the program looks later. Enroll under one set of terms and they are yours for the life of that arrangement; enroll after a change and you take the new ones.
That makes an installer’s paperwork speed a financial variable in Vermont rather than an administrative detail. It is the opposite of most states, where the policy is the policy whenever you sign. With the 30% federal residential credit at $0 for systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025, the enrollment terms are now carrying more of the case than they used to, which is exactly why the filing matters.
Three vetted installers cover Vermont and all three are genuinely Vermont-rooted rather than national firms passing through. Judge them on one question the rest of the country does not have to ask: how quickly they file your net metering application, and what adjustors your enrollment date locks in. In Vermont the paperwork is part of the price.
Our Top 3 Solar Companies in Vermont
Catamount Solar
A worker-owned co-operative serving Vermont statewide, and the longest-established of the three. Co-op ownership tends to mean the people on your roof have a stake in the callback, which is worth something in a state where winter access is genuinely harder. Ask when they will file your net metering application relative to your install date.
SunCommon
The largest of the three by reach, covering Vermont and the New York Hudson Valley, with the scale that usually means faster scheduling. Warranties rest on manufacturer equipment cover, so ask separately what happens if a roof penetration leaks in year eight and who returns to fix it.
Green Mountain Solar
Vermont-only with two offices covering the state, and the one of the three publishing an in-house service team for after the install rather than routing you to a manufacturer. The newest firm here, so ask how many net metering applications they have filed and how long approval typically takes for them.
Vermont Solar Companies Compared
Company | Years Operating | Coverage | After-Install Support | Where It Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Catamount Solar | 15 | Vermont statewide | Co-op, long-term warranty support | Longest track record and worker-owned |
SunCommon | 14 | Vermont, NY Hudson Valley | Manufacturer equipment | Largest reach and scheduling capacity |
Green Mountain Solar | 9 | All of Vermont, two offices | In-house service team | Vermont-only with its own service crew |
All three are Vermont-rooted, which is unusual. In several states we cover, the available installers are regional firms reaching in from outside. That is not the case here, and it means local knowledge of the enrollment process is a fair thing to expect from any of them.
Green Mountain Power, Vermont Electric Cooperative or Burlington Electric: Check Which One You Are On
Vermont’s net metering runs under one Public Utility Commission rule, but the number on your quote still depends on the utility. Green Mountain Power holds roughly 84% of the state’s net metering capacity, so most proposals are built on GMP figures by default; Vermont Electric Cooperative and Burlington Electric customers pay different rates, and Burlington’s are materially lower, which stretches the payback on an identical system. The adjustors in force when your application is filed stay with the system for 10 years, so the filing date matters as much as the utility does. Make each bidder name your utility, the rate and adjustor vintage it modeled, and, if you are on GMP, whether the battery program terms are written into the quote rather than mentioned in passing.
Questions to Ask a Vermont Solar Installer
Is my home on Green Mountain Power, Vermont Electric Cooperative or Burlington Electric, and which rate did you use?
When exactly will you file my net metering application?
Which adjustors will apply to me, and for how long?
Are you deducting a federal tax credit from this price?
How does this design handle a Vermont winter?
Who comes back if something fails in year eight?
Red Flags in a Vermont Solar Pitch
Vermont Solar FAQs
Does Vermont have net metering?
Yes, and it runs on adjustors rather than a flat retail credit. What you receive depends on the adjustors attached to your enrollment, which is why the date your application is filed matters financially.
Why does my enrollment date matter so much in Vermont?
Because it fixes the adjustors that apply to your system. Two identical homes on the same street can end up on different terms purely because their applications were filed on either side of a change, which makes filing speed a real part of what you are buying.
Is there still a federal tax credit for Vermont homeowners?
Not for a purchased or financed system completed after December 31, 2025. The residential credit under Section 25D reached $0. The separate commercial credit can apply to leases and power purchase agreements, but it is claimed by the company that owns the system.
Are these companies actually based in Vermont?
Yes. All three are Vermont-rooted rather than national firms serving the state from elsewhere, which is not true in every state we cover and is worth knowing when you are comparing.
Does snow make solar a bad idea in Vermont?
No, but it belongs in the design and the estimate. Panels shed snow as they warm and a well-pitched array recovers quickly. What matters is whether your installer engineered for snow load and discounted winter output honestly rather than handing you an unshaded annual figure.
References & Research Sources
- Vermont Public Utility Commission. Net metering program rules and adjustor structure. Basis on which enrollment date fixes the adjustors applying to a system. Accessed August 31, 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service. One, Big, Beautiful Bill Provisions. Section 25D repeal for systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025. Accessed August 31, 2026.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electricity Data. Vermont residential retail rates and utility customer counts. Accessed August 31, 2026.
- Vermont Office of Professional Regulation. Electrical licensing lookup. Verification route for the contractor performing an installation. Accessed August 31, 2026.
