5 solar installers ranked by CR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
Best overall in Benton: AES Solar, CR Score 59/100; 4.8★ from 102 Google reviews.
Best for emergencies (open 24/7): Affordable Heating Cooling & Sheet Metal, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #2 of 5.
Most-reviewed: Fowler Heating & Cooling, 114 Google reviews at 4.6★, the most of 5 ranked; ranked #4.
Rankings can't be bought. Contractors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
5 Benton solar installers are ranked here by CR Score, from ten published factors. 2 are open 24/7, 2 open Saturdays and 1 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.8★ across 5 rated businesses.
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AES Solar | 59 | 4.8★ (102) | Carterville, 19 mi away | — | Overall |
| 2 | Affordable Heating Cooling & Sheet Metal | 56 | 4.5★ (109) | Mount Vernon, 22 mi away | 24/7 | Emergencies |
| 3 | StraightUp Solar | 56 | 5.0★ (29) | Marion, 16 mi away | — | — |
| 4 | Fowler Heating & Cooling | 56 | 4.6★ (114) | Marion, 19 mi away | 24/7 | Most reviews |
| 5 | SunVolt Solar | 51 | 5.0★ (3) | Mount Vernon, 27 mi away | — | — |
Ordered by CR Score, a 0–100 score from ten published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 102 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Mount Vernon, 22 mi away
Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.5★ from 109 Google reviews.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Marion, 16 mi away
Ranked #3 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 29 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Marion, 19 mi away
Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.6★ from 114 Google reviews, the most in Benton.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Mount Vernon, 27 mi away
Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based on 7 of 10 factors; credentials, recency and availability not yet collected.
Typical prices in USD, adjusted for Illinois with a published regional index. Each row names its basis and month.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Basis | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panel installation | $26,020 | $29,430 | $32,010 | Per system: about 12 kW at about $2.60 per watt, before incentives. US national range × 0.95 East North Central factor (2025 Cost vs. Value Report) | October 2026 |
We scored 5 Benton solar installers on ten factors, weighted as shown. A business is ranked when its trade is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A business with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed October 22, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Featured businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Benton data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Credentials | 15% | Active state license, bond and workers’ comp on file | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed business on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 5% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday, 24/7 or same-day | Measured |
| Trade focus | 10% | How clearly the business does this trade (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The business has claimed its ContractorsRanked profile (free or paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Partnered | 5% | The business links to ContractorsRanked from its own website with our badge, checked periodically | Measured |
| ContractorsRanked reviews | 10% | Verified customer reviews collected by ContractorsRanked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |