Stellar Solar Review
Solar, battery and EV charger installerBased in Oceanside, CaliforniaProfile updated October 14, 2026
Is Stellar Solar a good choice?
Stellar Solar fits San Diego and Orange County homeowners, and Michigan homeowners, who want an installer with a long local record. It says it has been powering homes since 1998, and it prints its California C-10 license on its site. Apart from the maker’s terms on the REC panel it says it uses, it publishes no detailed warranty terms; its residential page mentions only a general 25-year warranty. Ask for each term in writing, including who backs it.
- Price
- Quote required; no system price on the company pages we reviewed. Costs
- Coverage
- CA (San Diego and Orange counties) and MI. Service area
- Warranty
- Mentions a 25-year warranty without listing what it covers. Warranty
On this page
Why choose Stellar Solar, and why you might not
What Stellar does well, and where to be careful, compared with the installers it competes with most.
Reasons to choose Stellar
It names its panel and batteriesStellar says it uses the REC 460 Alpha Pure-RX panel. REC covers it for 25 years. Stellar offers Franklin, Tesla and Enphase batteries. Rectify and Baker name no panel brand.
It has a long track recordStellar says it has put solar on homes since 1998 and has done over 17,000 installs. It prints its California license number. Its head-office Google listing shows 4.8 from 386 reviews.
You can pay many waysYou can buy, take a loan, rent the panels, or take a PPA (you pay for the power; the company owns the panels). A prepaid plan with Enphase turns into full ownership after year five.
It also services existing systemsStellar puts in car chargers and ground-mounted panels, and services systems already on homes. Ask what a service visit costs.
Reasons to look at others
Its 25-year warranty is vagueStellar says its systems come with a 25-year warranty, but does not say what it covers. It lists no terms for its own work, the inverter, the battery or roof leaks. Ask for each term in writing.
We found no Michigan licenseIts California license was active when we checked. We found no Michigan record on October 13, 2026. If you live in Michigan, ask for its license there before you sign.
It does not name its lendersStellar names no lender, leasing company or PPA company, and publishes no terms. With the prepaid plan, ask who owns the panels before year five.
Some reviews describe fees and slow repairsIts negative reviews describe a fee for every support visit, a slow inverter repair, a rebate delay and unanswered calls. Ask what support costs after the install.
Stellar 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.
- Google4.8 / 5386 reviews · Oceanside, CA office listing only, not company-wideRead reviews
- Trustpilot4 / 53 reviews · All reviews on its Trustpilot pageRead reviews
The five positive reviews below praise clear updates, careful installs and help with a battery rebate, though two are the same review posted on two sites. The five negative reviews describe a rebate delay and slow inverter repair, a $250 fee for any support visit, four inspection attempts before required signage was added, unanswered calls about a code issue and a condescending sales rep. These are issues to ask about, not a measure of how often they happen. Ask Stellar what support costs after installation.
5 recent 5-star reviews
“Once the system was replaced, inspection was smooth and system worked fine.”
Madhav A. · Read on Google
“From the first consultation through installation, the team was professional, accurate, and communicated clearly at every step.”
Mark R. · Read on Google
“We’ve been very happy customers of Stellar Solar for years, from our original solar panels to their ongoing support.”
Robert B. · Read on Trustpilot
“We’ve been very happy customers of Stellar Solar for years, from our original solar panels to their ongoing support.”
Bob B. · Read on Google
“The install was smooth, on time, and the project was completed on time.”
Courtnie W. · Read on Google
5 recent 1- and 2-star reviews
“My frustrations arose when I was having issues recouping battery rebate funds that I'm counting on receiving to make everything pencil out financially.”
Banjo S. · Read on Google
“Contacted this company for a solar quote because I was shopping around and I can't believe how unprofessional the sales rep Marc Cirelli was.”
Aaron M. · Read on Google
“They install solar systems and then do not provide any help or support without a full service appointment and 250$ fee.”
Albert M. · Read on Google
“Not much of a response from them.”
Chase C. · Read on Google
“No one will return my calls or answer my emails.”
Steve W. · 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 (203 reviews read, back to Jul 1, 2022). 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 Stellar Solar cost?
Stellar Solar does not publish a system price; its FAQ says each quote is built from your SDG&E bills. Ask for an itemized quote showing the cash price, system size, equipment models and, for any lease, PPA or prepaid agreement, the full payment schedule and buyout terms. For state price ranges, see our solar panel cost guide; for how the plans compare, see loans, leases and PPAs.
Ownership (cash or loan)
You own itNamed in its FAQ as an option. No lender is named.
Lease
A leasing company owns itNamed in its FAQ with no terms or provider listed.
PPA
A PPA provider owns itNamed in its FAQ with no terms or provider listed.
Prepaid energy services agreement with a loan
Ownership passes to you after year fiveIts homepage describes a program with Enphase and Greentech Renewables that pairs a prepaid agreement with a loan and moves to full ownership after year five. Ask who owns the system before then and who backs the included warranty.
Plans as described on Stellar Solar’s FAQ and homepage, read October 13, 2026.
Stellar Solar’s homepage names Enphase (through its prepaid program) and the Tesla Powerwall 3, and says it won a Tesla installer award. Its REC panel page says it is choosing the REC 460 Alpha Pure-RX panel for its installations, and its battery page offers the Franklin aPower 2, Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase batteries. 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). It also installs EV chargers and ground mounts and services existing systems.
What does Stellar Solar’s warranty cover?
Coverage | What Stellar publishes | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
Solar panels | 25 years (REC’s maker warranty on the REC 460 Alpha Pure-RX panel it says it uses) | Which panel model you get, and that REC’s product term is in your documents. |
Panel output | 92% of rated power at year 25 (REC’s maker guarantee on the same panel) | Confirm in your proposal: the panel model and its output guarantee. Its prepaid program mentions a performance guarantee with no 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 | Not published as a term; the residential page says systems come “with a 25-year warranty” | Confirm in your proposal: whether that 25-year warranty covers workmanship, and its written terms. |
Roof penetrations | Not published | Confirm in your proposal: who repairs and pays if a leak starts at a panel mount, and for how long. |
Stellar Solar has no warranty page. We read its residential page, homepage and FAQ on October 13, 2026, and its REC panel page on October 14, 2026. Your signed agreement decides what applies.
Stellar also offers roofing; any roofing warranty is separate from solar workmanship coverage.
Where does Stellar Solar operate, and which licenses were checked?
Stellar Solar’s about page says it serves all of San Diego and Orange counties, and its Michigan page describes a Michigan operation headquartered in Royal Oak with an office in Suttons Bay, serving areas including Detroit and Grand Rapids (read October 13, 2026). Its Michigan site says it installs roof and ground mounts throughout the state (read October 14, 2026). A listed area does not mean every address qualifies or that EcoGen can connect you with Stellar there.
Showing Oceanside, CA (headquarters)
Office addresses (3)
- Oceanside, CA (headquarters)265 Via Del Monte, Oceanside, CA 92058Show on mapOpen in Google Maps
- Royal Oak, MI (Michigan headquarters)26700 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067Show on mapOpen in Google Maps
- Suttons Bay, MI (satellite office)Street address not publishedShow on mapOpen in Google Maps
Address from Stellar’s website, read October 13, 2026.
Licenses
We found 1 active license record in state registries (September 8, 2026). We found no record under its name in Michigan; 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.
California1 recordActive, checked Sep 8, 2026
- License
- Contractor (CSLB), C-10 Electrical
- Number
- 749095
- Registry check
- Active, California Contractors State License Board, checked September 8, 2026
- Note
- Registry lists TMAG INDUSTRIES INC dba Stellar Solar Electric, Oceanside, classification C10 Electrical, current and active, issued 1998, expires May 31, 2028. Also printed on the company’s pages (read October 13, 2026).
Michigan1 recordNo record found, Oct 13, 2026
- License
- Electrical Contractor / Residential Builder
- Number
- —
- Registry check
- No record found in the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (Bureau of Construction Codes) search, checked October 13, 2026
- Note
- Searched business names ‘Stellar Solar’, ‘TMAG’ (all license types) and ‘Stellar’ (Electrical Contractor): no match. Only Stellar Electric Inc, Taylor MI (unrelated). Ask the company for its license number.
Stellar Solar’s homepage says it won a Tesla installer performance award, and its pages say San Diego Union-Tribune readers voted it best solar company in several years. It says it has completed over 17,000 installations. These are company statements; we did not verify them.
Stellar Solar compared with three other installers
Rectify is the only alternative that shares both of Stellar’s states. Baker is another long-running San Diego County installer, and Michigan Solar Solutions works in Michigan. Every fact comes from the company profiles linked below.
| Stellar SolarThis page | Rectify Solar | Baker Electric Home Energy | Michigan Solar Solutions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A long-running San Diego installer, also in Michigan | Batteries, car chargers and home energy upgrades | Solar, batteries, roofing and heating and cooling | Its own service team, plus backup generators |
| Head office | Oceanside, CA | Indianapolis, IN (mailing address) | Escondido, CA | Commerce Township, MI |
| States shared with Stellar | Both of its states | 2: CA, MI | 1: CA | 1: MI |
| Roofing | Not listed | Mentioned among its upgrades | Yes | Not listed |
| Ways to pay | Buy, loan, rent, PPA, prepaid plan | Nothing-down financing | Buy, loan, Baker Home Energy Program | Michigan Saves loan |
| Labor warranty | General 25-year warranty, coverage not stated | 10 years | Not listed | Offered, term not listed |
| Roof leak warranty | Not listed | Not listed separately | Not listed | Not listed |
| Brands named | REC, Enphase, Tesla, Franklin | None | Tesla, Enphase, sonnen (batteries) | Logos only: REC, Enphase, Tesla, Generac, others |
| Google score* | 4.8 (386 reviews) | No Google listing found | 4.8 (3,114 reviews) | 4.8 (470 reviews) |
*Each Google score is for the company’s head-office listing only, read October 12 and 13, 2026.
Full profiles: Rectify Solar · Baker Electric Home Energy · Michigan Solar Solutions
Before choosing Stellar 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 TMAG INDUSTRIES INC, 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 Stellar Solar’s own pages on October 13, 2026: homepage, about, residential, contact, FAQ, Michigan and its current rebate offer page. The California license result is from a registry check on September 8, 2026. On October 14, 2026 we also read its REC panel and battery pages and checked the Google Business listing for its Michigan office. We did not buy a system, request a quote, visit an office or interview customers. Stellar Solar did not review this page.
Our installer methodology explains what we check.
Sources (11)
- Stellar Solar: Homepage (prepaid program, equipment), read October 13, 2026
- Stellar Solar: About us, read October 13, 2026
- Stellar Solar: Residential solar, read October 13, 2026
- Stellar Solar: Contact (headquarters, license), read October 13, 2026
- Stellar Solar: FAQ, read October 13, 2026
- Stellar Solar: Michigan, read October 13, 2026
- California Contractors State License Board, read September 8, 2026
- Stellar Solar: REC 460 Alpha Pure-RX panel (panel brand, maker warranty), read October 14, 2026
- Stellar Solar: Solar battery backup (battery brands), read October 14, 2026
- Google Business listing: Stellar Solar Michigan (Royal Oak address, open listing), read October 14, 2026
- Stellar Solar Michigan: Homepage (statewide coverage), read October 14, 2026