8 solar installers ranked by CR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
Best overall in Independence: Midwest Solar Installers, CR Score 83/100; 4.8★ from 152 Google reviews; open Saturdays until 3 PM.
Best for emergencies (open 24/7): Solar spray foam insulation inc., posts 24/7 hours; ranked #3 of 8.
Most-reviewed: ECG Solar, 220 Google reviews at 4.9★, the most of 8 ranked; ranked #2.
Rankings can't be bought. Contractors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
8 Independence solar installers are ranked here by CR Score, from 8 published factors. 1 is open 24/7, 2 open Saturdays and 1 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.9★ across 8 rated businesses.
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midwest Solar Installers | 83 | 4.8★ (152) | Waterloo, 25 mi away | Sat | Overall |
| 2 | ECG Solar | 79 | 4.9★ (220) | Anamosa, 39 mi away | — | Most reviews |
| 3 | Solar spray foam insulation inc. | 78 | 5.0★ (6) | Elgin, 25 mi away | 24/7 | Emergencies |
| 4 | ECG Solar Cedar Rapids | 75 | 4.9★ (42) | Cedar Rapids, 34 mi away | — | — |
| 5 | Ken's Electric Inc | 72 | 4.6★ (62) | Oelwein, 14 mi away | — | — |
| 6 | BL Electric | 69 | 5.0★ (35) | Cedar Rapids, 35 mi away | — | — |
| 7 | Energy Nerds | 65 | 4.2★ (41) | Cedar Rapids, 36 mi away | — | — |
| 8 | RJ Construction | 65 | 5.0★ (8) | Marion, 34 mi away | — | — |
Ordered by CR Score, a 0–100 score from 8 published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Scores below: based on 6 of 8 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 152 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Anamosa, 39 mi away
Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 220 Google reviews, the most Google reviews on this list (220).
Based in Elgin, 25 mi away
Ranked #3 because of its Google rating and availability: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, open 24/7.
Based in Cedar Rapids, 34 mi away
Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 42 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Oelwein, 14 mi away
Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.6★ from 62 Google reviews, 62 Google reviews.
Based in Cedar Rapids, 35 mi away
Ranked #6 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 35 Google reviews, 35 Google reviews.
Based in Cedar Rapids, 36 mi away
Ranked #7 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.2★ from 41 Google reviews, 41 Google reviews.
Based in Marion, 34 mi away
Ranked #8 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 8 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Siding contractor”.
Typical prices in USD, adjusted for Iowa with a published regional index. Each row names its basis and month.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Basis | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panel installation | $26,570 | $30,060 | $32,700 | Per system: about 12 kW at about $2.60 per watt, before incentives. US national range × 0.97 West North Central factor (2025 Cost vs. Value Report) | October 2026 |
We scored 8 Independence solar installers on 8 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. Unknown factors are left out of the score, 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 Independence data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 35% | Bayesian-adjusted Google star rating | Measured |
| Credentials | 15% | Active state license 0.6, bond 0.2, workers’ comp 0.2 | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | log10(reviews + 1) against the list maximum | Measured |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 10% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday, 24/7 or same-day | Measured |
| Trade focus | 10% | Google main category 1.0, business name 0.7, additional category 0.5 | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | 1.0 when based in the city, falling to 0 at the trade’s radius | Measured |
| Completeness | 5% | Website, photos, description, hours, claimed profile (0.2 each) | Measured |