Solar States
Solar States is a Philadelphia-based solar installation company founded in 2008 that provides rooftop solar, EV chargers, and carports to residential homeowners in Pennsylvania and the broader United States, with a strategic emphasis on third-party ownership (leases and PPAs) following the 2025 federal tax credit expiration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Solar States does
Solar States is a Philadelphia-based solar installation company founded in 2008, serving primarily residential homeowners in Pennsylvania and the broader United States. The company installs rooftop solar panel systems and, per its company description, also offers EV chargers and carports, though the documented product portfolio emphasizes solar installations and financing arrangements. Core products include rooftop solar panel installation services, solar leases, and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which together form a platform-plus-financing architecture where installation services are bundled with third-party ownership options.
The company's business model rests on two revenue streams: traditional solar panel sales and installation, and managed-services revenue from third-party ownership (leases and PPAs) under which Solar States retains equipment ownership and customers pay a fixed monthly fee or per-kWh rate. Following the December 31, 2025 expiration of the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit, the company has shifted its go-to-market emphasis toward these third-party ownership models, which preserve customer access to federal tax incentives that are no longer available for purchased systems. The company reaches customers through direct-to-consumer residential sales, including home consultations, targeting individual homeowners rather than enterprise or commercial accounts. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, consistent with a small regional installer, and ownership, capitalization, and revenue figures are not disclosed in the available sources.
Solar States firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solar States
- Website
- https://solar-states.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Solar States is a Philadelphia-based solar installation company founded in 2008 that provides rooftop solar, EV chargers, and carports to residential homeowners in Pennsylvania and the broader United States, with a strategic emphasis on third-party ownership (leases and PPAs) following the 2025 federal tax credit expiration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solar States industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Solar Installation Services
- NAICS
- Roofing Contractors (23816)
- SIC
- Electrical Work (1731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO)
Keywords
Where Solar States is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Solar States business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Third-Party Ownership (Leases and PPAs): Solar States generates revenue through third-party ownership models including solar leases and power purchase agreements. Under these arrangements, the company retains ownership of the solar panels while customers pay for the energy generated or a fixed monthly fee. This model became essential after the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit expired on December 31, 2025, as it preserves access to tax incentives for leased systems.
- Solar Panel Sales and Installation: Traditional solar panel sales and installation services, though the company has shifted away from this model following changes to federal tax incentives that eliminated the 30% credit for purchased systems.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Solar States product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solar States designs, sells, and installs residential rooftop solar panel systems for homeowners, primarily in Pennsylvania and the broader U.S. market. Following the expiration of the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit on December 31, 2025, the company has shifted toward third-party ownership models — solar leases and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) — under which Solar States retains ownership of the equipment while customers pay a fixed monthly fee or a per-kWh rate for the electricity generated.
Product overview
Solar States is a solar installation company offering rooftop solar panel systems primarily for residential customers in Pennsylvania. The company operates a platform-plus-financing-products architecture, combining core installation services with third-party ownership models including solar leases and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Following the expiration of the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit on December 31, 2025, Solar States has shifted its business strategy toward these financing arrangements to remain competitive in the post-tax-credit environment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rooftop Solar Panel Installation
- Solar Lease
- Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
Companies that use Solar States
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Solar States technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Solar States partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Solar States competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PosiGen: Residential solar leasing specialist using third-party-ownership (lease/PPA) structures to serve homeowners — a near-identical business model to Solar States' new strategic focus.
- Sunrun: Largest U.S. residential solar installer and the dominant third-party-ownership operator, with national scale in solar leases and PPAs — directly comparable to Solar States' pivot toward leasing.
- SunPower (including Blue Raven Solar): Major U.S. residential solar installer offering both cash and financed solar systems, including dealer-aligned operations; directly competes with Solar States in residential rooftop installation and emerging financing products.
- Trinity Solar: Regional residential and commercial solar installer concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast (including Pennsylvania-adjacent states); similar size, business model, and customer base to Solar States.
- Momentum Solar: Direct-to-consumer residential solar installer with similar scale and operating model, focused on owned and financed rooftop systems in multiple U.S. states.
- Blue Raven Solar: Regional direct-to-consumer residential solar installer with operations in multiple U.S. states, comparable in size, GTM motion, and product offering to Solar States.
- Freedom Forever: Residential solar installer with a dealer-style operating model across multiple U.S. states; competes for the same direct-to-consumer residential customer base as Solar States.
Broad incumbents
- Tesla Energy: National residential and commercial solar installer (SolarCity legacy) and energy storage provider; broad incumbent with vertically integrated panel, inverter, and battery stack that competes broadly with regional installers.
Emerging players
- Lumio (formerly known in residential solar financing): Emerging residential solar financing and installer-network platform that aggregates installer capacity and helps fund customer acquisitions — adjacent to Solar States' installation/leasing model.
Others
- PennyMac Solar / Dividend Finance (solar loan providers): Solar loan and financing providers that supply capital for residential solar installations; comparable in the sense that they enable third-party-ownership and consumer-financed solar purchases, which Solar States competes with as substitute funding mechanisms.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Solar States social profiles
Digital presenceSolar States financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solar States leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Solar States funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solar States M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solar States
What does Solar States do?
Solar States designs, sells, and installs residential rooftop solar panel systems for homeowners, primarily in Pennsylvania and the broader U.S. market. Following the expiration of the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit on December 31, 2025, the company has shifted toward third-party ownership models — solar leases and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) — under which Solar States retains ownership of the equipment while customers pay a fixed monthly fee or a per-kWh rate for the electricity generated.
Is Solar States a public or private company?
Solar States is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Solar States founded?
Solar States was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Solar States based?
Solar States is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Solar States make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Third-Party Ownership (Leases and PPAs) is the primary driver. The others are solar Panel Sales and Installation.
Who are Solar States's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PosiGen, Sunrun, SunPower (including Blue Raven Solar), Trinity Solar, Momentum Solar, Blue Raven Solar and Freedom Forever. Tesla Energy is listed as a broad incumbent. Lumio (formerly known in residential solar financing) is listed as an emerging player. PennyMac Solar / Dividend Finance (solar loan providers) is listed as an others.
Does Solar States have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solar States.
What industry is Solar States in?
Solar States's product category is Residential Solar Installation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAB, Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System), with a secondary code of EUAMABAJ, Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization). Its NAICS code is 23816 and its SIC code is 1731.