Trinity Solar Review: How It Stacks Up

Whereas the residential photo voltaic trade isn’t in its infancy, an organization that began putting in photo voltaic lower than 20 years in the past in 2004 is among the outdated guard. That is Trinity Photo voltaic, which began a decade earlier centered on HVAC. It is now one of the 10 largest solar companies putting in residential photo voltaic panels in America. 

The photo voltaic panels, inverters and battery choices Trinity gives are of fine high quality with sturdy warranties (and fashionable selections for different corporations as nicely). 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 gives clients who buy its system, although lease and energy buy settlement clients obtain protection at some stage in their settlement. 

Trinity Photo voltaic scores what it does as a result of it gives selection in high quality gear and customer support that seems to be sturdy. Nevertheless, 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 not less than partly for financial savings, it is exhausting to offer a full-throated advice with out pricing data.

This evaluate 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 scenario. If you’re purchasing 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 be capable to give you a greater deal. Discuss to neighbors with photo voltaic and perceive your vitality wants earlier than selecting an installer. Our evaluate of Trinity, and of all of the photo voltaic corporations we evaluate, may be a part of your purchasing course of, however should not be all of it.

What do I get from Trinity Photo voltaic?

If you’re purchasing for photo voltaic panels, the panels, inverter and (presumably) battery are essential items of the puzzle. If you happen to purchase from Trinity Photo voltaic, it is best to get high quality gear.

What gear does Trinity Photo voltaic set up?

Trinity Photo voltaic installs Qcells photo voltaic panels, although it might procure one thing else if a buyer requests them, mentioned 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 top efficiency ratings from 20.6% to twenty.9%. Effectivity measures the quantity of daylight the panels convert to electrical energy. Qcells’ rankings 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 mentioned. SolarEdge makes a string inverter that may connect with energy optimizers. SolarEdge inverters have excessive efficiencies (as much as 99% relying on the mannequin) and include a 12-year warranty 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 quite a lot of batteries, together with from Tesla and Generac. Tesla Powerwall batteries maintain 12.2 kilowatt-hours of usable vitality, although you may add a number of batteries. Tesla Powerwall is a battery extensively utilized by photo voltaic installers. It might probably present 13.5 kilowatt hours of energy in whole at a charge of 5.8 kVA repeatedly 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 own home. 

Generac PWRcell batteries begin at 9 kilowatt-hours and may be elevated in 3-kWh increments as much as 36 whole. Generac’s batteries can discharge about 1.1 kilowatt repeatedly per battery module. For instance, a 9-kWh setup (3 battery modules) can discharge repeatedly at a charge of three.4 kilowatts. The batteries can discharge at a peak of 1.5 kilowatts, so a 9-kilowatt setup will discharge at a charge of 4.5 kilowatts. PWRcell batteries additionally include a guaranty that is good for 10 years or till 7.65 megawatt-hours cycle by way of the battery per module. (A 3-module, 9-kWh battery could be underneath guarantee for 10 years or till 22.95 megawatt hours cycle by way of it.)

Whereas Trinity Photo voltaic favors sure gear and producers, provide chain points have impacted the photo voltaic trade. Trinity might set up different gear as restricted availability stays.

What warranties does Trinity Photo voltaic supply?

Except for the battery and inverter warranties talked about above, you will 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 also be measured by long-term efficiency. Qcells panels are assured to supply at 86% of their capability at 25 years. That is additionally a near-the-top ranking, nevertheless it ranks under only a few 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 available on the market.

Trinity gives a 10-year workmanship guarantee to those that buy photo voltaic panels, Drigon mentioned. The corporate additionally mentioned it gives a guaranty in opposition to leaks from the photo voltaic panel set up starting from 5 to 25 years. About 97% of Trinity’s clients bought their panels with a mortgage within the final 18 months, which comes with a 10-year guarantee in opposition to leaks.

Ten-year workmanship warranties usually are not uncommon within the photo voltaic trade, although some corporations are beginning to supply 25-year choices. A ten-year guarantee in opposition to leaks is fairly widespread, although ADT Photo voltaic gives 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 readily available. 

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Does Trinity Photo voltaic supply monitoring providers?

Trinity confirmed you will monitor your photo voltaic system by way of the SolarEdge or Enphase app, relying on which inverter model you’ve gotten. 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 tougher than it’s for corporations reminiscent of Sunrun and Tesla. Trinity Photo voltaic declined to share a mean value 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 line with consulting agency Wooden Mackenzie, the average cost for residential solar panels is $2.99 per watt for an 8-kilowatt system ($23,920 for the entire 8 kw system).

Trinity’s clients can go photo voltaic both by buying panels or coming into right into a lease or energy buy settlement. Whereas shopping for photo voltaic panels usually leads to higher monetary financial savings over the lifetime of the panels, third-party possession preparations, reminiscent of leases and energy buy agreements, eradicate the up-front prices of going photo voltaic.

For that cause set up value is not at all times the very best metric to guage its merchandise, Drigon mentioned. If you happen to go for a lease or an influence buy settlement, set up prices are coated by the installers. Then, the essential metric for patrons is the escalator, or the speed at which the annual charge will increase in comparison with the price of electrical energy from an area utility. Since these numbers range by location, it requires some guesswork in addition to cautious consideration earlier than coming into into an settlement.

A typical escalator charge from Trinity is 2.9%, Drigon mentioned. Yearly, there are just a few clients who pay extra for his or her photo voltaic vitality than they’d with their utility (one thing we heard from different suppliers, as nicely), however Drigon referred to as these situations “fairly uncommon.”

Over the lifespan of the system, nonetheless, Drigon famous: “We count on all of our clients to point out financial savings due to the very nature of photo voltaic vitality’s predictability when in comparison with their utility.”

Does Trinity Photo voltaic function in my state? How do I order?

Trinity Photo voltaic operates in nine states, all on the east coast:

You possibly can attain out to Trinity by way of 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 providers, in accordance with Drigon, although the corporate does have subcontractors readily available. 

Is Trinity Photo voltaic my best option?

Execs

• Presents high quality gear
• Indicators level to sturdy customer support

Cons

• You’ll find longer workmanship and weatherization warranties elsewhere
• Little pricing transparency

As with every main buy, it is essential to buy round for a number of estimates and browse all of the tremendous print. Doing a bit extra legwork might prevent hundreds of {dollars}. Needless to say Trinity gives leases and energy buy agreements, which may help you go photo voltaic for little up-front value, although your long-term financial savings are more likely to be decrease than if you are going to buy outright. You need to get a number of quotes and take a look at smaller, native installers in your photo voltaic buy, and the identical goes for leases and energy buy agreements. 

Trinity’s most popular suppliers for panels, inverters and batteries are all revered manufacturers that ought to carry out nicely 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 significantly. Whereas buyer satisfaction is troublesome to guage with out survey information, it is encouraging to see the corporate rapidly reply to complaints. Trinity has an A-Plus grade with the Higher Enterprise Bureau.

And it needs to be mentioned once more: With out pricing information, it is not possible to offer an unqualified advice. Make sure to evaluate a number of costs.

Whereas I approached this analysis virtually and totally, I have not truly bought or examined Trinity Photo voltaic in any empirical manner. Since photo voltaic providers range regionally and are troublesome to evaluate, make sure that to do your personal analysis earlier than you determine 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 not possible. To offer a useful evaluate, we centered on what we will measure and meaningfully evaluate amongst corporations.

We concentrate on three buckets of standards: gear, warranties and repair. 

Inside the gear class, corporations obtain scores for the panels, inverters and batteries they set up. Warranties embrace the ensures on the panels, workmanship and weatherization in opposition to leaks. Corporations earn factors for service if they provide a value match, a significant degree of value 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 at all times be detailed within the evaluate.

You possibly can learn an in depth take a look at how the scoring breaks down.

We do not contemplate the typical value of an organization’s installations of their rating. This data is troublesome to search out and exhausting to match throughout service areas (and even roof to roof). Corporations are sometimes gradual to reveal it, too. We additionally pass over simply discovered however not helpful data like what number of states an organization operates in.

Trinity Photo voltaic FAQs

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.