What Solar Holler does

Solar Holler is a privately held West Virginia benefit corporation and full-service solar photovoltaic developer and installer founded in 2013, serving residential, commercial, nonprofit, and institutional customers across West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The company designs, engineers, installs, and maintains grid-tied solar PV systems using Enphase microinverters with panels sourced from JA Solar, Qcells, and Silfab, supplemented by satellite-based sunlight and shading modeling with ±2% annual accuracy tailored to Appalachian terrain. It produces no proprietary software platform but integrates with Sunvoy for customer-facing production monitoring.

The business operates three go-to-market motions: a sales-led direct channel built around a free solar assessment, a community-led channel anchored by partnerships with nonprofits, churches, Habitat for Humanity, and IBEW Local 317, and a direct-to-consumer content-marketing channel via the company's educational blog. Revenue is generated across three pricing tiers — a no-upfront-cost 25-year solar lease, a third-party-financed solar loan, and direct purchase — plus professional services for USDA REAP grant facilitation and PPA-based commercial deployments such as the 15-school Wayne County, WV initiative.

As of 2023 the company employed more than 110 people (up from 3 at founding), served more than 2,200 customers, and operated a vertically integrated model with unionized in-house installation crews. It has raised approximately $5.8M across two SEC-exempt offerings (≈$920K in 2019 and ≈$4.9M in 2022).

Name

Solar Holler

Legal name

Solar Holler LLC

Website

https://solarholler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solar Holler is a West Virginia benefit corporation and vertically integrated solar PV installer serving residential, commercial, nonprofit, and institutional customers across West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio with a unionized in-house crew, multiple payment pathways, and projects scaled to multimegawatt school districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Installation Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

Keywords

• Residential solar installation
• Commercial solar systems
• Solar leasing programs
• Solar project development
• Community solar solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Shepherdstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Solar Panel Installation Services: One-time installation revenue from designing, engineering, and installing solar PV systems for residential, commercial, nonprofit, and institutional customers. Revenue is generated through direct purchase of solar systems or financed solar loans where Solar Holler facilitates third-party financing.
2. Solar Lease (No Upfront Cost): Solar Holler offers a solar lease program with no upfront costs to eligible homeowners. Customers trade their utility bill for a fixed solar payment that is lower than their previous electricity costs. The lease locks in a fixed cost for 25 years, protecting customers from utility rate hikes. Solar Holler handles all maintenance under this model.
3. Solar Loan Facilitation: Solar Holler facilitates solar loan financing from third-party lenders for customers who want to own their system but prefer monthly payments rather than an upfront purchase. Loans are structured so that the financing payment is often comparable to or less than the customer's existing electric bill.
4. Federal Grant Facilitation (REAP): Solar Holler assists rural businesses and farms in applying for USDA REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) grants to offset solar installation costs, facilitating grant-funded projects that would otherwise be unaffordable for Appalachian agricultural and small business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Solar Holler is a solar PV installation company serving residential homeowners, businesses, nonprofits, and community institutions across Appalachia (West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio). The company designs, sells, and installs rooftop and ground-mount solar systems with multiple financing paths (no-upfront-cost lease, loan facilitation, and direct purchase). It is vertically integrated, employing in-house unionized installation crews (IBEW Local 317) rather than subcontracting.

Product overview

Solar Holler is a full-service solar developer and installer offering residential, commercial, and community solar solutions across West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The core product portfolio includes Solar at Home (residential solar with purchase, loan, or lease options), Solar for Business, and Solar in the Community for places of worship and nonprofits. Key service modules include a Free Solar Assessment using satellite-based sunlight modeling, the Sunvoy-powered Track Your Solar Production monitoring portal, Remote Troubleshooting support, and a Referral Program. The company operates as a fully licensed electrical contracting firm with policy and financing expertise, serving Appalachian communities through a vertically integrated model with in-house installation crews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar at Home Residential solar PV system design, sales, and installation service for homeowners, including rooftop arrays and ground-mount systems with sunlight/shade modeling, Enphase microinverter deployment, and long-term production monitoring via the Sunvoy portal.
• Solar for Business Commercial-scale solar PV installation service for small and medium businesses, including system design, engineering, permitting, installation, and ongoing performance monitoring.
• Solar in the Community (Places of Worship & Nonprofits) Tailored solar installation service for places of worship, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations, with mission-aligned financing and the ability to leverage tax credits the customer cannot use directly.
• No Upfront Cost Solar Lease Subscription-style solar lease that allows residential and commercial customers to install a solar system with no upfront cost in exchange for a fixed monthly payment, with the company retaining ownership of the system and the customer buying the power produced.
• Solar Loan Facilitation Financing service that pairs customers with loan products so they can own their solar system immediately and repay the cost over time, preserving access to tax credits and incentives.
• Purchase My Solar (Direct Purchase) Direct cash purchase of a solar PV system, in which the customer owns the equipment and is responsible for all incentives, tax credits, maintenance, and long-term savings.
• Free Solar Assessment No-cost on-site or remote assessment in which Solar Holler evaluates a property's solar potential, electricity usage, and suitable system size using advanced sunlight and shade modeling, producing a customized proposal.
• Grid Services for Schools Solar procurement, design, and installation service tailored for K-12 school districts, handling district-wide assessment, multi-site installation, and long-term production monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wayne County, WV school district saves $150,000–$200,000 annually through a power purchase agreement for solar installations across 15 schools
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Ever.greencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Ever.green, a marketplace for renewable energy certificates, partnered with Solar Holler to deploy solar across 15 Wayne County, West Virginia schools. Ever.green aggregated corporate energy buyers who purchased High-Impact RECs, enabling schools to enter a Power Purchase Agreement without upfront costs. This partnership is described as a model for community-focused renewable energy demonstrating how corporate climate commitments support rural school districts historically dependent on coal.
• REVERBcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 January 2026REVERB, an environmental nonprofit, facilitated a $12,000 donation from Grammy-nominated rock band My Morning Jacket to fund a 44-panel solar installation at the Huntington Children's Museum. Solar Holler served as the local solar partner executing the installation. REVERB connects artists with environmental causes, and this partnership demonstrates Solar Holler's ability to serve as the implementation partner in artist-community-solar collaborations.
• My Morning JacketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 January 2026Grammy-nominated rock band My Morning Jacket donated $12,000 through REVERB to fund solar installation at the Huntington Children's Museum. This high-profile celebrity partnership increased visibility for Solar Holler's community-focused solar work in West Virginia.
• Wayne County SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2023Solar Holler partnered with Wayne County, WV Schools to install solar across 15 schools in the district through a power purchase agreement with Ever.green, projected to save the district $6.5 million over the life of the agreement. This was described as the state's largest power purchase agreement to date for solar.
• Lifeline Church (Princeton, WV)flagshipOthers · 31 August 2023Solar Holler completed West Virginia's largest nonprofit solar installation at Lifeline Church in Princeton, WV — a 1,078-panel array producing 537,318 kWh/year and saving the church $5,586/month. This flagship project commemorated Solar Holler's 10th anniversary.
• Amicus Solar CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2023Solar Holler is a member-owner of Amicus Solar Cooperative, a national solar cooperative that provides purchasing power, peer support, and shared best practices among independent solar installers across the United States. Displayed as a 'Powered by' badge on the Solar Holler website footer alongside NABCEP and USDA SunShot.
• Appalachian HeadwatersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2020Solar Holler partnered with Appalachian Headwaters, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring forests, waterways, and economic opportunities in central Appalachia, to install solar at Camp Waldo — one of the largest nonprofit solar installations in West Virginia. The nonprofit operates Camp Waldo as a children's summer camp with environmental education programming. The solar installation generates 96% of the facility's electricity and is projected to save more than $225,000 over the system lifetime.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 317coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2020Solar Holler partnered with IBEW Local 317, one of the oldest labor unions in the United States, to unionize its installation crews across West Virginia and Kentucky. IBEW represents crew members and provides best-in-class electrical training. Solar Holler provides family-sustaining jobs with benefits including 100% healthcare premium coverage for the whole family and pension contributions. This partnership positions Solar Holler as a rare union-represented solar company in an industry where only 4% of workers are unionized.
• Huntington Area Habitat for HumanityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2019Solar Holler completed a 54 kW solar installation at the Huntington Habitat for Humanity ReStore, funded by an anonymous donor. At the time, this was the largest nonprofit solar project built by Solar Holler in West Virginia, saving approximately $500/month and $150,000 over 25 years.
• NABCEPminorOthersSolar Holler is certified or works with NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners), the gold standard certification organization for solar installers. Displayed as a 'Powered by' badge on the company website alongside Amicus Solar Cooperative and USDA SunShot.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunrun: Largest U.S. residential solar lease and PPA provider. Comparable to Solar Holler through its solar-lease model targeting homeowners with no upfront cost, but operates nationally rather than regionally and at far greater scale.
• Momentum Solar: National residential solar installer offering in-house design, permitting, installation, and monitoring. Comparable vertical-integration model and direct-to-consumer GTM, though serving larger metro markets rather than rural Appalachia.
• Tesla Energy: Solar roof and panel offering plus Powerwall battery bundled with Tesla's automotive brand. Comparable residential rooftop-solar value proposition but with national brand reach, proprietary hardware, and Tesla's balance-sheet strength that Solar Holler cannot match.

Direct peers

• Trinity Solar: One of the largest privately held residential solar installers in the U.S., serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Highly comparable to Solar Holler as a regional, vertically integrated installer offering purchase, loan, and PPA/lease options.
• Mountain View Solar: Regional residential and commercial solar installer serving West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Direct geographic overlap with Solar Holler's WV/VA footprint and similar customer base of homeowners, farms, and small businesses.
• IGS Solar: Mid-Atlantic regional residential and commercial solar installer serving multiple states in the eastern U.S. Comparable vertically integrated rooftop solar offering and customer-acquisition motion to Solar Holler's regional model.

Others

• ADT Solar (formerly Sunpro Solar): National residential solar installer offering direct-to-consumer rooftop PV. Comparable sales-led, in-house installation model, but operates in many more states and benefits from ADT's broader home-services customer base.
• Ever.green: Marketplace for renewable energy certificates that aggregates corporate REC buyers and partners with installers like Solar Holler to fund community solar (e.g., Wayne County Schools PPA). Strategic GTM/financing partner rather than a direct installer competitor.
• Amicus Solar Cooperative: National cooperative of independent solar installers of which Solar Holler is a member-owner. Provides shared purchasing, peer support, and co-branding — a peer network and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Namaste Solar: Employee-owned Colorado B Corp residential and commercial solar installer. Comparable mission-driven, values-aligned operating model and rooftop PV focus, though geographically focused on the Mountain West rather than Appalachia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solarholler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-holler

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar Holler