KOTA Energy Group

What KOTA Energy Group does

KOTA Energy Group is a privately held residential solar energy installer headquartered at 5205 Avenida Encinas Ste D, Carlsbad, California. The company sells, finances, and installs rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and backup battery storage for individual homeowners across 13 US states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah), with no commercial or utility-scale offering. Its technology stack is hardware-led rather than platform-led: high-efficiency solar panels claimed to produce 20% more energy per square meter than traditional modules, an integrated backup battery that charges from PV production, an 86-point installation quality inspection, and 25-year warranties covering parts, labor, workmanship, and roof penetration.

The business model is direct-to-consumer. Customer acquisition runs through door-to-door field representatives, an inside sales team, a web-based savings calculator, and a growing dealer / partner network, with social media as a top-of-funnel channel. KOTA offers three financing pathways — Cash/Buy (one-time payment with a 5–7 year payback), a solar Loan (zero upfront), and a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with annual rate increases capped at 2.9% — to cover the credit and capital-preference spectrum of residential buyers. Revenue is therefore a mix of hardware/installation sales (Cash and Loan paths) and structured energy-supply arrangements (PPA path), supplemented by financing-facilitation economics. There is no platform fee, SaaS subscription, or per-transaction software revenue disclosed; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

KOTA was founded in 2018 by a leadership team drawn from senior operating roles at Vivint Solar, Verengo Solar, SolarCity (pre-Tesla), American Solar Direct, Vision/Ion Solar, and Bright Energy. The current executive bench comprises CEO Cole De Arman, President Kevin Radebaugh, CRO Scott Hyde, CFO Michael Cozzie, CTO Tydus Queiroz, and VP Direct Sales Tony Hyde. The company is privately financed — no institutional investors, parent entities, acquisitions, or funding rounds are disclosed in the source material — and headquarters operations are organized into sales, operations, corporate, and dealer departments.

Name

KOTA Energy Group

Legal name

KOTA Energy Group

Website

https://kotasolar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KOTA Energy Group is a privately held residential solar installer headquartered in Carlsbad, California, operating across 13 US states. The company designs, sells, and installs rooftop solar PV systems and backup battery storage for individual homeowners via door-to-door, inside sales, and dealer channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Solar Installation

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

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), Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables) (EUAGADAC), PV Balance-of-System (BOS) Recycling (Inverters, Racking, Wiring, Transformers) (EUAMALAB)

Keywords

• Residential solar installation
• Solar panel systems
• Backup battery storage
• Solar financing
• Power purchase agreements

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar panel installation and sales: KOTA installs solar panel systems for residential customers. Revenue is generated through upfront system purchases (cash/buy), financed solar loans, or Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) where customers pay for energy produced at rates lower than utility providers.
2. Solar financing/loans: Company facilitates solar loan financing for customers who prefer to spread payments over time rather than pay upfront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KOTA Energy Group designs, sells, and installs residential solar photovoltaic (PV) panel systems and backup battery storage for homeowners across 13 U.S. states. Customers can acquire systems through three financing pathways: a $0-down loan, an upfront cash purchase (typical 5-7 year payback), or a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) where they pay for energy produced at rates below their utility, with annual rate increases capped at 2.9%. Installations are backed by a 86-point quality inspection and 25-year warranties on workmanship, parts, power, and labor.

Product overview

KOTA Energy Group offers residential solar energy solutions as a unified product portfolio centered on solar panel system installation. The core offering is solar panel systems available through three financing pathways (loan, cash purchase, and PPA), supplemented by a backup battery add-on for energy storage, an online savings calculator tool for customer estimation, and quality inspection services backed by industry-leading 25-year warranties. The company operates exclusively in the residential solar market across 13 U.S. states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Solar Panel Systems End-to-end residential rooftop solar PV installation for homeowners, delivered with high-efficiency panels that produce 20% more energy per square meter than traditional panels. Customers can choose among a $0-down loan, an upfront cash purchase (typical 5-7 year payback), or a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with annual rate increases capped at 2.9%. Each installation is backed by a 86-point quality inspection and 25-year warranties on workmanship, parts, power, and labor.
• Backup Battery Storage System Battery storage system that charges from the rooftop solar array, providing power access day or night and keeping home essentials running during power outages or natural disasters. Sold as an add-on to the residential solar system for homeowners seeking backup power and energy independence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% more energy per square meter than traditional solar panels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trinity Solar: One of the largest privately held US residential solar installers with multi-state operations, in-house installation crews, and battery/PV offerings — closely matches KOTA's positioning and scale profile.
• Sunrun: Largest US residential solar installer with national footprint offering leases, PPAs, loans, and battery storage. Directly comparable to KOTA across product, financing structures (including PPAs), and target customer.
• ADT Solar (formerly Blue Raven Solar): National residential solar installer using a heavy door-to-door and direct sales motion with in-house financing. Highly comparable GTM model and customer base to KOTA.
• Momentum Solar: Residential solar installer operating across multiple US states with a direct-to-consumer model, similar financing options, and battery add-on offerings — directly competitive with KOTA.
• Freedom Forever: Residential solar installer with national presence and direct-to-consumer sales motion, including battery storage products. Directly comparable to KOTA in product, channel, and customer.

Broad incumbents

• SunPower (residential division): Long-established residential and commercial solar provider offering panels, financing, and battery solutions. Overlaps with KOTA in residential PV and storage but at broader scale and with deeper brand recognition.
• Tesla Energy: Incumbent in residential solar through SolarCity and Powerwall, with deep balance sheet and brand. Competes with KOTA in the same residential solar+battery category but at much greater scale.
• Vivint Solar (now part of Sunrun): Residential solar installer historically focused on D2D and PPA/lease structures (now under Sunrun). Closely matches KOTA's historical D2D + PPA DNA and is the system KOTA's leadership team largely came from.

Emerging players

• Lumio (formerly known as known solar): Residential solar installer using a direct sales motion with national expansion ambitions. Comparable in scale and GTM to KOTA, positioning itself as an emerging multi-state competitor.
• ION Solar (legacy competitor): Residential solar installer in multiple western US states using direct sales and dealer networks; multiple KOTA executives previously worked at Ion Solar, making it a close comparable in operating DNA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kotaenergygroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/KOTAEnergyGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kota-energy-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/kotaenergygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 KOTA Energy Group