Whereas the residential photo voltaic business is just not in its infancy, an organization that began putting in photo voltaic lower than 20 years in the past in 2004 is among the previous guard. That is Trinity Photo voltaic, which began a decade earlier centered on HVAC. It is now one of many 10 largest photo voltaic corporations putting in residential photo voltaic panels in America.
The photo voltaic panels, inverters and battery choices Trinity presents are of excellent high quality with sturdy warranties (and widespread selections for different corporations as effectively). All obtainable indicators level to it being an organization that delivers sturdy customer support, too. The place Trinity trails another corporations is within the warranties it presents prospects who buy its system, although lease and energy buy settlement prospects obtain protection all through their settlement.
Trinity Photo voltaic scores what it does as a result of it presents alternative in high quality tools and customer support that seems to be sturdy. Nonetheless, Trinity does not share pricing data (many corporations are dinged for this in our scoring methodology). Because it’s probably you are trying to photo voltaic a minimum of partly for financial savings, it is onerous to offer a full-throated suggestion with out pricing data.
Can photo voltaic panels prevent cash?
Excited about understanding the affect photo voltaic can have on your private home? Enter some primary data beneath, and we’ll immediately present a free estimate of your power financial savings.
Ashley Cooper/Getty Photographs
This evaluation does not depend on any hands-on testing or firsthand expertise with the ordering and set up course of, so do not depend on it to be an ideal information as to whether or not Trinity matches your particular state of affairs. If you’re looking for photo voltaic panels, it is best to get a number of quotes, together with from native, smaller photo voltaic corporations, which can have much less overhead and have the ability to give you a greater deal. Speak to neighbors with photo voltaic and perceive your power wants earlier than selecting an installer. Our evaluation of Trinity, and of all of the photo voltaic corporations we evaluation, will be a part of your buying course of, however should not be all of it.
What do I get from Trinity Photo voltaic?
If you’re looking for photo voltaic panels, the panels, inverter and (presumably) battery are vital items of the puzzle. In case you purchase from Trinity Photo voltaic, it is best to get high quality tools.
Can photo voltaic panels prevent cash?
Excited about understanding the affect photo voltaic can have on your private home? Enter some primary data beneath, and we’ll immediately present a free estimate of your power financial savings.
What tools does Trinity Photo voltaic set up?
Trinity Photo voltaic installs Qcells photo voltaic panels, although it may procure one thing else if a buyer requests them, stated Kristen Drigon, a spokesperson for Trinity Photo voltaic. The extensively used residential photo voltaic panels from Qcells, one of many largest photo voltaic panel producers on this planet, have prime effectivity scores from 20.6% to twenty.9%. Effectivity measures the quantity of daylight the panels convert to electrical energy. Qcells’ scores imply the panels are close to essentially the most environment friendly panels, however come up simply shy of some of essentially the most environment friendly choices from different corporations, like SunPower.
Trinity prefers to put in SolarEdge inverters, Drigon stated. SolarEdge makes a string inverter that may hook up with energy optimizers. SolarEdge inverters have excessive efficiencies (as much as 99% relying on the mannequin) and include a 12-year guarantee that may be prolonged to twenty or 25 years. For sure tasks Trinity makes use of Enphase microinverters, which function at 97% to 97.5% effectivity.
Trinity additionally installs a wide range of batteries, together with from Tesla and Generac. Tesla Powerwall batteries maintain 12.2 kilowatt-hours of usable power, although you possibly can add a number of batteries. Tesla Powerwall is a battery extensively utilized by photo voltaic installers. It might present 13.5 kilowatt hours of power in complete at a fee of 5.8 kVA constantly or 7.2 kVA for 10 seconds at a time. Powerwall guarantees 70% capability over 10 years, no matter how a lot the battery is used so long as it is used simply to again up your home.
Generac PWRcell batteries begin at 9 kilowatt-hours and will be elevated in 3-kWh increments as much as 36 complete. Generac’s batteries can discharge about 1.1 kilowatt constantly per battery module. For instance, a 9-kWh setup (3 battery modules) can discharge constantly at a fee of three.4 kilowatts. The batteries can discharge at a peak of 1.5 kilowatts, so a 9-kilowatt setup will discharge at a fee of 4.5 kilowatts. PWRcell batteries additionally include a guaranty that is good for 10 years or till 7.65 megawatt-hours cycle via the battery per module. (A 3-module, 9-kWh battery could be below guarantee for 10 years or till 22.95 megawatt hours cycle via it.)
Whereas Trinity Photo voltaic favors sure tools and producers, provide chain points have impacted the photo voltaic business. Trinity might set up different tools as restricted availability stays.
What warranties does Trinity Photo voltaic provide?
Except for the battery and inverter warranties talked about above, you may obtain extra warranties on panels and the set up.
As a result of photo voltaic panels are long-lived purchases and do deteriorate over time, panel high quality can be measured by long-term efficiency. Qcells panels are assured to provide at 86% of their capability at 25 years. That is additionally a near-the-top ranking, but it surely ranks beneath just some different panels, like these from SunPower, which might assure 92% at 25 years. On the similar time, Qcells’ 25-year guarantee does match the longest mainstream warranties in the marketplace.
Trinity presents a 10-year workmanship guarantee to those that buy photo voltaic panels, Drigon stated. The corporate additionally stated it presents a guaranty towards leaks from the photo voltaic panel set up starting from 5 to 25 years. About 97% of Trinity’s prospects bought their panels with a mortgage within the final 18 months, which comes with a 10-year guarantee towards leaks.
Ten-year workmanship warranties will not be uncommon within the photo voltaic business, although some corporations are beginning to provide 25-year choices. A ten-year guarantee towards leaks is fairly widespread, although ADT Photo voltaic presents a 25-year guarantee. The workmanship for leases or energy buy agreements from Trinity are totally coated for the lifetime of the deal.
Does Trinity Photo voltaic use subcontractors?
Most installations are dealt with by the in-house groups, although the corporate does have subcontractors available.
Watch this: New Photo voltaic Shingles You Might Not Even Discover
11:13 Does Trinity Photo voltaic provide monitoring companies?
Trinity confirmed you may monitor your photo voltaic system via the SolarEdge or Enphase app, relying on which inverter model you will have. Each apps are well-rated (SolarEdge receives 4.2 stars on Google Play and 4.6 on Apple’s App Retailer; Enphase receives 4.1 on Google Play and 4.7 on the App Retailer).
How a lot do Trinity Photo voltaic panels value?
As a result of Trinity Photo voltaic is a privately owned firm and never required to launch details about its enterprise to buyers, getting a transparent reply about value and worth is more durable than it’s for corporations corresponding to Sunrun and Tesla. Trinity Photo voltaic declined to share a mean worth for a bought system as a result of pricing “is market-dependent and ranges broadly relying on the laws and related prices in any given space.” In response to consulting agency Wooden Mackenzie, the common value for residential photo voltaic panels is $2.99 per watt for an 8-kilowatt system ($23,920 for the entire 8 kw system).
Trinity’s prospects can go photo voltaic both by buying panels or getting into right into a lease or energy buy settlement. Whereas shopping for photo voltaic panels usually ends in higher monetary financial savings over the lifetime of the panels, third-party possession preparations, corresponding to leases and energy buy agreements, eradicate the up-front prices of going photo voltaic.
For that cause set up worth is not all the time the perfect metric to evaluate its merchandise, Drigon stated. In case you go for a lease or an influence buy settlement, set up prices are coated by the installers. Then, the vital metric for purchasers is the escalator, or the speed at which the annual payment will increase in comparison with the price of electrical energy from an area utility. Since these numbers fluctuate by location, it requires some guesswork in addition to cautious consideration earlier than getting into into an settlement.
A typical escalator fee from Trinity is 2.9%, Drigon stated. Yearly, there are a number of prospects who pay extra for his or her photo voltaic power than they’d with their utility (one thing we heard from different suppliers, as effectively), however Drigon known as these cases “fairly uncommon.”
Over the lifespan of the system, nonetheless, Drigon famous: “We count on all of our prospects to indicate financial savings due to the very nature of photo voltaic power’s predictability when in comparison with their utility.”
Ashley Cooper/Getty Photographs
Does Trinity Photo voltaic function in my state? How do I order?
Trinity Photo voltaic operates in 9 states, all on the east coast:
Connecticut MarylandNew YorkDelaware MassachusettsPennsylvaniaFlorida New JerseyRhode Island
You may attain out to Trinity through its web site. Trinity will contact you utilizing the data you present to start out the method.
Trinity Photo voltaic has in-house set up groups in all of the states it companies, in keeping with Drigon, although the corporate does have subcontractors available.
Is Trinity Photo voltaic my best option?
ProsOffers high quality equipmentSigns level to sturdy buyer serviceConsYou can discover longer workmanship and weatherization warranties elsewhereLittle pricing transparency
As with every main buy, it is vital to buy round for a number of estimates and browse all of the superb print. Doing a bit extra legwork may prevent 1000’s of {dollars}. Needless to say Trinity presents leases and energy buy agreements, which may also help you go photo voltaic for little up-front value, although your long-term financial savings are prone to be decrease than if you buy outright. You must get a number of quotes and take a look at smaller, native installers on your photo voltaic buy, and the identical goes for leases and energy buy agreements.
Trinity’s most well-liked suppliers for panels, inverters and batteries are all revered manufacturers that ought to carry out effectively over the lifetime of your system. On the similar time, keep in mind that Trinity’s workmanship guarantee is often 10 years, which is pretty typical, although longer workmanship warranties exist. There are additionally some seen indicators, like a responsive Higher Enterprise Bureau web page, that Trinity takes customer support critically. Whereas buyer satisfaction is troublesome to evaluate with out survey information, it is encouraging to see the corporate shortly reply to complaints. Trinity has an A-Plus grade with the Higher Enterprise Bureau.
And it needs to be stated once more: With out pricing information, it is inconceivable to offer an unqualified suggestion. Be sure you examine a number of costs.
Whereas I approached this analysis virtually and totally, I have never truly bought or examined Trinity Photo voltaic in any empirical manner. Since photo voltaic companies fluctuate regionally and are troublesome to evaluation, be certain to do your individual analysis earlier than you resolve which technique to go.
How we consider photo voltaic corporations
Reviewing photo voltaic corporations in a hands-on manner is troublesome. Accounting for all of the variations undertaking to undertaking is inconceivable. To offer a useful evaluation, we centered on what we will measure and meaningfully examine amongst corporations.
We concentrate on three buckets of standards: tools, warranties and repair.
Inside the tools class, corporations obtain scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they set up. Warranties embrace the ensures on the panels, workmanship and weatherization towards leaks. Corporations earn factors for service if they provide a worth match, a significant stage of worth transparency and a well-rated app for monitoring photo voltaic manufacturing. They lose factors if there are main points pertaining to customer support (lawsuits, investigations or clear reputations for shoddy service). These points will all the time be detailed within the evaluation.
You may learn an in depth take a look at how the scoring breaks down.
We do not take into account the common worth of an organization’s installations of their rating. This data is troublesome to search out and onerous to check throughout service areas (and even roof to roof). Corporations are sometimes gradual to reveal it, too. We additionally omit simply discovered however not helpful data like what number of states an organization operates in.
Trinity Photo voltaic FAQs
Trinity Photo voltaic is a family-owned firm. It claims to be the most important, privately held photo voltaic installer within the US.
What kind of photo voltaic panels does Trinity Photo voltaic use?
How lengthy has Trinity Photo voltaic been in enterprise?
Trinity Photo voltaic has been putting in photo voltaic panels since 2004, although it existed as a heating and air con firm starting in 1994.
Is Trinity Photo voltaic dependable?
Trinity Photo voltaic has been in enterprise for practically 20 years and is aware of buyer complaints on the BBB web site, indicating stable customer support. The corporate installs {hardware} from trusted nationwide manufacturers.
Correction, Might 10, 2023: An earlier model of this text misstated the Higher Enterprise Bureau’s grading course of. Any firm can obtain a grade from the Bureau, no matter whether or not it has paid to undergo the accreditation course of.