132 solar installers ranked by CR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
Best overall in Near South Side: E. Scott Ostrowski: Awesome Options for Awesome People, CR Score 59/100; 5.0★ from 48 Google reviews; open 24/7.
Best for emergencies (open 24/7): Solar & Energy Experts LLC, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #6 of 132.
Most-reviewed: Tron Solar, 989 Google reviews at 4.8★, the most of 132 ranked; ranked #8.
Rankings can't be bought. Contractors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
132 Near South Side solar installers are ranked here by CR Score, from ten published factors. 14 are open 24/7, 79 open Saturdays and 27 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.9★ across 132 rated businesses.
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E. Scott Ostrowski: Awesome Options for Awesome People | 59 | 5.0★ (48) | Naperville, 19 mi away | 24/7 | Overall |
| 2 | Kapital Electric, Inc. | 59 | 4.8★ (715) | Bensenville, 20 mi away | — | — |
| 3 | Sunrun Solar | 59 | 4.1★ (822) | Des Plaines, 19 mi away | Sat · Sun | — |
| 4 | WindSoleil | 59 | 4.9★ (72) | Chicago, 5 mi away | Sat | — |
| 5 | SUNRISE SOLAR | 58 | 4.9★ (173) | Willowbrook, 18 mi away | Sat | — |
| 6 | Solar & Energy Experts LLC | 58 | 5.0★ (41) | Cicero, 22 mi away | 24/7 | Emergencies |
| 7 | Priority Solar Installation | 58 | 4.9★ (61) | Chicago, 7 mi away | Sat · Evenings | — |
| 8 | Tron Solar | 58 | 4.8★ (989) | Vernon Hills, 30 mi away | — | Most reviews |
| 9 | RxSun | 57 | 4.8★ (121) | Chicago, 5 mi away | — | — |
| 10 | SLR Solar Panel Installer | 57 | 5.0★ (50) | Skokie, 13 mi away | Sat | — |
Ordered by CR Score, a 0–100 score from ten published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Scores below: based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Ranked #1 in Near South Side
Based in Naperville, 19 mi away
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 48 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Bensenville, 20 mi away
Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 715 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy system service”.
Based in Des Plaines, 19 mi away
Ranked #3 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.1★ from 822 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 5 mi away
Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 72 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Willowbrook, 18 mi away
Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 173 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Cicero, 22 mi away
Ranked #6 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 41 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 7 mi away
Ranked #7 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 61 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Vernon Hills, 30 mi away
Ranked #8 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.8★ from 989 Google reviews, the most in Near South Side.
Based in Chicago, 5 mi away
Ranked #9 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 121 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Skokie, 13 mi away
Ranked #10 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 50 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 11 mi away
Ranked #11 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 18 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Downers Grove, 19 mi away
Ranked #12 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 15 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 3 mi away
Ranked #13 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 58 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Franklin Park, 13 mi away
Ranked #14 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 134 Google reviews.
Based in Schaumburg, 27 mi away
Ranked #15 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 46 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 4 mi away
Ranked #16 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.7★ from 57 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy system service”.
Based in Buffalo Grove, 28 mi away
Ranked #17 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 306 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Highland Park, 25 mi away
Ranked #18 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 60 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Tinley Park, 23 mi away
Ranked #19 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 49 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Oak Brook, 17 mi away
Ranked #20 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 107 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 11 mi away
Ranked #21 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.6★ from 107 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Elmhurst, 17 mi away
Ranked #22 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 31 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Frankfort, 26 mi away
Ranked #23 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 62 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 4 mi away
Ranked #24 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.4★ from 14 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
Based in Chicago, 2 mi away
Ranked #25 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 20 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Solar energy company”.
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 132 Near South Side 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 Near South Side 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 |