About this listing
Positive Energy Solar is listed on Top Solar Services as a solar contractor serving Santa Fe, New Mexico. The 107 verified reviews on this page reflects real client experiences. Use the information on this page — the verified review count, sub-ratings on quality, schedule, cost, and willingness-to-refer, the company's services and pricing snapshot, and the contact details — alongside your own due diligence on licensing and insurance before requesting a quote.
Solar contractors in this category should carry a current state contractor license, $1M+ general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and verified reviews from recent projects in your area.
In New Mexico, solar contractors are typically licensed at the state level for electrical or general construction work, and the most-cited credentials homeowners check on this page are NABCEP certification, manufacturer training (Tesla, Enphase, SolarEdge), and verified workers' compensation coverage. Confirm Positive Energy Solar's state contractor license number with your New Mexico licensing board, verify any NABCEP credentials at nabcep.org, and request proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance certificates that name your project address before signing a contract. For larger projects, ask for two or three references from recently completed installs of similar size and call them about quality, schedule, and warranty service experience.
What to expect from this contractor
Typical project timeline. Most residential installs run 8–14 weeks end to end: about a week for the site survey and design, 2–6 weeks waiting on permits from the local Authority Having Jurisdiction, one to three days of physical installation, then 2–5 weeks for inspection and utility permission to operate. The panels go up fast; the paperwork is what sets the schedule. Ask Positive Energy Solar for the specific permitting turnaround in Santa Fe, because local inspection backlogs are the single most common source of schedule slippage and vary widely between neighboring jurisdictions.
What the quote process looks like. A serious solar installation quote is delivered in writing after a site assessment — not as a verbal number on a first phone call. Expect a written proposal with an itemized bill of materials (panel and inverter make and model), a production estimate modeled in PVWatts, Aurora, or Helioscope showing shading and tilt assumptions, the full price before and after any incentives, and financing terms disclosed separately from the equipment price. Get at least three comparable written proposals so you are comparing equipment and scope rather than sales pressure, and be wary of any bid that expires within 24 hours or requires more than 10% down before work begins.
Credentials to confirm. Before signing, verify the state contractor license number with the New Mexico licensing board, confirm any NABCEP certification directly at nabcep.org, and request certificates of general liability and workers' compensation insurance that name your project address. A contractor who hesitates to produce these documents has told you what you need to know.
How warranty service works. Three separate warranties apply: the panel manufacturer's product and performance warranty (typically 25 years), the inverter warranty (10–25 years depending on platform), and the contractor's own workmanship warranty covering labor and roof penetrations. Only the last one depends on Positive Energy Solar remaining in business, which is why a company's track record in Santa Fe matters as much as the warranty length on paper. Confirm in writing who to call for a service claim, what the response window is, and whether the workmanship warranty transfers if you sell the home.
Local solar market context: New Mexico
Rates, costs, and payback. Solar economics in Santa Fe are driven primarily by your current electricity rate, your annual kWh usage, available roof area and orientation, and local utility export policy. Installed residential pricing across most US markets runs $2.30–$3.20 per watt before incentives, with smaller systems at the upper end because fixed permitting and mobilization costs spread across fewer watts.
Incentives available in 2026. The federal Section 25D residential tax credit expired on December 31, 2025, so homeowners purchasing a system outright no longer claim the 30% credit. Section 48E remains available for business-owned and third-party-owned systems, making lease and power-purchase-agreement structures more competitive than they were previously. State, utility, and municipal programs vary considerably — ask Positive Energy Solar which programs you currently qualify for and confirm each one independently before signing.
What to verify locally. Ask about the net metering or net billing tariff your utility will place you on, the permitting turnaround for your jurisdiction, and whether any property-tax or sales-tax exemption applies to the added home value. These three answers determine your payback period more than panel brand selection does.
Questions to ask this contractor
- Can you provide your current state contractor license number, and is it verifiable with the state licensing board?
- Will you share certificates of $1M+ general liability and workers' compensation insurance naming my address?
- Can you share three references from recent projects of similar size and scope in this area?
- What is the length and scope of your workmanship warranty, and does it transfer to a future homeowner?
- What is your written process for handling change orders, warranty service calls, and post-installation support?