1 Source Solar Review
Solar and battery installer for homes, farms and businessesBased in Ankeny, IowaProfile updated October 13, 2026
Is 1 Source Solar a good choice?
1 Source Solar fits Iowa and Missouri homeowners who want an installer that also does farm and commercial work. It says it has installed solar since 2015 with an in-house, NABCEP-certified crew, and it lists two named partner banks for solar loans. Its published workmanship warranty is five years, so get the equipment and roof terms in writing.
- Price
- Quote required; no system price on the company pages we reviewed. Costs
- Coverage
- IA and MO, from an Ankeny, Iowa base. Service area
- Warranty
- Five-year workmanship warranty with five years of monitoring; equipment terms not published. Warranty
On this page
Why choose 1 Source Solar, and why you might not
What 1 Source Solar does well, and where to be careful, compared with the installers it competes with most.
Reasons to choose 1 Source Solar
It names the banks behind its loans1 Source Solar lists solar loans from Greenpenny Bank and Vision Bank. You can also use a home equity loan. CB Solar does not name its lender.
Its warranty on its own work is in writingIt covers its own work for 5 years, and it keeps an eye on how your system runs for those years. Eagle Point lists the same 5 years. CB Solar and Cromwell list none.
It puts in Tesla batteriesIt says it is a certified dealer and installer for the Tesla Powerwall home battery and Tesla inverters. The inverter is the box that turns solar power into home power.
It can help with some city loansSome Des Moines and Cedar Rapids neighborhoods can get loans from Neighborhood Finance Corporation that are put off or forgiven. 1 Source Solar says it can help you apply. Ask if your street qualifies.
Reasons to look at others
Its warranty on its own work is shortFive years is short for a system that should last decades. Ask what happens if something 1 Source Solar put in fails in year six.
No roof leak or equipment warranty listedIt lists no warranty for leaks where the panels are bolted to the roof. It lists no panel, inverter or battery warranty, and names no panel brand. Ask for each one in writing.
It prints no license numberIts Iowa license was active when we checked on October 13, 2026. We found no Missouri license. Ask for its license numbers before you sign.
Some owners waited months to get turned onIts negative reviews describe two systems waiting months to be turned on by the power company, and calls with no answer. One owner says a deposit came back only after the state stepped in. Ask how long hookup takes.
1 Source Solar reviews: what customers say
Each review site shows its own score; we read them on October 12 and 13, 2026 and do not combine them or add our own rating.
- Google4.7 / 574 reviews · Ankeny, IA office listing only, not company-wideRead reviews
The five positive reviews below praise one contact who returned calls the same day, polite and competent install crews, and a faulty panel replaced within a day. The four negative reviews describe two systems left waiting months to be switched on, unanswered calls, and a $5,000 deposit one reviewer says was refunded only after the state attorney general stepped in. These are issues to ask about, not a measure of how often they happen. Ask 1 Source Solar who handles final hookup and utility approval, and how long it takes.
5 recent 5-star reviews
“He was great, always polite, professional and prompt.”
Kent S. · Read on Google
“Since our first conversation to completion of the solar project at our farm we had excellent service.”
Alfonso V. · Read on Google
“The crews that did the panel installation and connecting them to the inverter, meter, and my electrical service were competent, honest, easy to work with, and they did a good job.”
Duane Q. · Read on Google
“Great experience with installers and electricians.”
John E. · Read on Google
“Easy to work with, were timely on installation and additional future add-ons, and the product worked exactly as described.”
Matt W. · Read on Google
4 recent 1- and 2-star reviews
“We have paid over $50,000 to have our solar panels at a stand still of when they will be turned on.”
Samantha M. · Read on Google
“Don’t lie about somebody getting the job and then refuse to answer the phone for a month, And then try to convince me that I’m lying on the phone”
Tyler H. · Read on Google
“After 18 months of gaslighting, refusing to perform on the contract or return my $5,000 deposit, I contacted the office of the Iowa Attorney General in December 2023.”
Melissa M. · Read on Google
“Another month has since passed, and while we now have panels on our roof, 1 Source has not sent an electrician to finish the hook up process.”
Megan S. · Read on Google
How we picked these: the five newest 5-star and the five newest 1- or 2-star reviews with written text on Google and Trustpilot, as of October 2026 (74 reviews read, back to Feb 20, 2017). We found no Trustpilot page for 1 Source Solar on October 12, 2026. Each quote is one sentence, word for word. Picking the highest and lowest ratings shows the range of experiences; it is not a representative sample, and we did not verify what reviewers describe.
How much does 1 Source Solar cost?
1 Source Solar does not publish a system price. It offers a no-cost analysis and design before each project (residential page). Ask for an itemized quote with the cash price, system size, equipment models and, for a loan, the financed total with APR and fees. Its Iowa and Missouri location pages still list a 30% federal solar credit for residents; the residential credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so ask that no federal residential credit be counted in your quote. For state price ranges, see our solar panel cost guide; for how the plans compare, see loans, leases and PPAs.
Purchase
You own itYou pay the full price. The financing page is written for homeowners who cannot pay the full cost up front.
Solar loan (Greenpenny Bank)
You own itA partner bank solar loan for homeowners, with terms of 1 to 20 years and fixed rates available, per the company.
Solar loan (Vision Bank)
You own itA partner bank loan for homeowners over 12 years, with fixed rates available, per the company.
Home equity loan or HELOC
You own itArranged through your own lender; the company lists it as an option.
Neighborhood Finance Corporation loans
You own itDeferred and forgivable loans for select Des Moines and Cedar Rapids neighborhoods; the company says it can help you apply.
PPA
A developer owns itThe company says its PPA is for commercial or agricultural customers, not homeowners.
Plans as listed on 1 Source Solar’s financing options page, read October 13, 2026. It also lists whole life insurance loans and retirement plan withdrawals, which are arranged by the homeowner.
1 Source Solar says it is a certified dealer and installer for the Tesla Powerwall and Tesla Solar Inverters, and that it designs with Tier 1 solar modules. It names no panel brand. Your written proposal should list the exact panel, inverter and battery models, the system size in kilowatts (kW) and the forecast yearly production in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
What does 1 Source Solar’s warranty cover?
Coverage | What 1 Source Solar publishes | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
Solar panels | Not published | Confirm in your proposal: the panel model and its maker’s warranty term. |
Panel output | Not published | Confirm in your proposal: the output guarantee and its term. |
Inverter | Not published | Confirm in your proposal: the inverter model, its maker’s term and who pays labor to replace it. |
Battery | Not published | Confirm in your proposal: the battery maker’s term and who services it. |
Labor and workmanship | 5 years, including system monitoring for those five years | What the warranty covers and whether a service contract is offered after year five. |
Roof penetrations | Not published | Confirm in your proposal: who repairs and pays if a leak starts at a panel mount. |
Company-published terms from 1 Source Solar’s homepage, residential page and about page, read October 13, 2026. It has no separate warranty page. Your signed agreement decides what applies.
The company says it also offers service contracts to maintain a system after the warranty period; terms are not published.
Where does 1 Source Solar operate, and which licenses were checked?
1 Source Solar says it is based in Ankeny, Iowa, with satellite offices throughout the Midwest (read October 13, 2026). It has location pages for Iowa and Missouri, with Missouri projects in Kirksville, Labelle and Excelsior Springs. It does not list satellite office addresses. A listed state does not mean every address qualifies or that EcoGen can connect you with 1 Source Solar there.
Showing Ankeny, IA (headquarters)
Office address (1)
- Ankeny, IA (headquarters)3020 SW Oralabor Rd #116, Ankeny, IA 50023Show on mapOpen in Google Maps
Address from 1 Source Solar’s website, read October 13, 2026.
Licenses
We found 1 active license record in state registries (October 13, 2026). We found no record under its name in Iowa; ask for the license number. Check the license yourself under the exact business name on your contract. A license check confirms registration, not workmanship quality.
Iowa2 recordsActive, checked Oct 13, 2026
- License
- Electrical Contractor
- Number
- —
- Registry check
- No record found in the Iowa Electrical Examining Board (Iowa Department of Public Safety) search, checked October 13, 2026
- Note
- Searched ‘1 Source Solar’, ‘One Source Solar’, ‘Source’, and last name ‘Hodapp’ (registrant): no record. Only unrelated Source Solar LLC (Chicago, expired). Ask the company for its license number.
- License
- Contractor registration
- Number
- C132339
- Registry check
- Active, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (contractor registration), checked October 13, 2026
- Note
- Registry lists ONE SOURCE SOLAR LLC; expires 2027-11-21.
Missourino number publishedNot published
- License
- Contractor license
- Number
- Not published
- Registry check
- Not checked by us
- Note
- No license number appears on the pages we read (October 13, 2026). Missouri licensing is set locally; ask which license covers your city or county.
1 Source Solar’s about page says its installers hold NABCEP certification, that it is a certified installer for Tesla Powerwall and Tesla Solar Inverters, and that Solar Power World has named it a top 500 solar contractor for 11 years running. These are company statements; we did not verify them.
1 Source Solar compared with three other installers
Each of these shares one of 1 Source Solar’s two states. Eagle Point and CB Solar also work with Iowa farms, and Cromwell works in Missouri. Every fact comes from the company profiles linked below.
| 1 Source SolarThis page | Eagle Point Solar | CB Solar | Cromwell Solar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Iowa and Missouri homes, farms and businesses | Homes and farms in IA, IL or WI | Iowa homes, farms and small businesses | Kansas or Missouri solar with batteries or generators |
| Head office | Ankeny, IA | Dubuque, IA | Des Moines, IA | Lawrence, KS |
| States shared with 1 Source Solar | Both of its states | 1: IA | 1: IA | 1: MO |
| Roofing | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Ways to pay | Buy, bank loans, home equity loan | Bank loans, home equity line of credit | Financing (lender not named) | Buy, loan, rent |
| Labor warranty | 5 years | 5 years | Not listed | Not listed |
| Roof leak warranty | Not listed | Not listed separately | Not listed | Not listed |
| Brands named | Tesla (batteries and inverters) | Partner logos only, none for homes | Boviet, LG, Panasonic, Silfab and others | Tesla, Enphase, FranklinWH (batteries) |
| Google score* | 4.7 (74 reviews) | 4.5 (201 reviews) | 4.9 (32 reviews) | 4.9 (38 reviews) |
*Each Google score is for the company’s head-office listing only, read October 12 and 13, 2026.
Full profiles: Eagle Point Solar · CB Solar · Cromwell Solar
Before choosing 1 Source Solar
Ask for these in writing:
- An itemized quote with the cash price and the financed total, including the APR and all fees.
- The exact panel, inverter and battery models, the system size in kW and the forecast yearly production in kWh.
- The warranty documents for your payment plan: panels, inverter, labor and roof penetrations.
- Your local service contact, and who handles utility approval and warranty claims.
- The exact company on the contract, such as 1 Source Solar, and its license for your state.
Before you sign, read the quote line by line and bring our questions to ask a solar installer.
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How we researched this profile
We read 1 Source Solar’s own pages on October 13, 2026: homepage, about, residential, storage, financing options, FAQs, the Ankeny and Missouri location pages and contact. We did not buy a system, request a quote, visit an office or interview customers. 1 Source Solar did not review this page.
Our installer methodology explains what we check.
Sources (9)
- 1 Source Solar: Homepage (warranty, process), read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: About us, read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: Residential solar, read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: Battery storage, read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: Financing options, read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: FAQs, read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: Ankeny, Iowa (headquarters address), read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: Missouri, read October 13, 2026
- 1 Source Solar: Contact, read October 13, 2026