Best Solar Installers in Napier and Hastings
We assessed 14 solar installers in Napier and Hastings and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 480 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 9 October 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Whether you use a dedicated solar power company or an electrician who installs solar panels, panel quality and installer experience vary significantly. Ask for the payback period calculation based on your actual power bills, check whether they use tier-1 panels, and confirm what happens to your warranty if the installer goes out of business.
Top 5 Solar Installers in Napier and Hastings
The top 5 solar installers in Napier and Hastings are #1 Ecoefficient Solutions, #2 Harrisons Solar, #3 Zeus Solar, #4 Solar Ready, and #5 Freenergy, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
Ecoefficient Solutions NZ Limited
★ 5.0 136 reviews +6 Top5 Score 169 +55★ 132 4★ 4Ecoefficient Solutions walks buyers through panel, inverter, and battery configurations from first inquiry through commissioning, steering them toward what fits their actual usage rather than the largest sale. Shaun and the installation crews are noted for tidy, careful workmanship, including extra precautions on difficult roof types, and support continues well after the system goes live.
location_on 11 Thorn Place, Onekawa, Napier
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2
Harrisons Solar - Hawke's Bay
★ 4.9 105 reviews +5 Top5 Score 163 +55★ 99 4★ 5 1★ 1Harrisons Solar coordinates panel installs, Tesla Powerwall battery additions, and grid connection paperwork as a single managed process, taking care of dealings with the lines company so the customer does not have to. Laura and the installation crews are noted for explaining the system as the job progresses and returning in person when anything needs sorting after handover.
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3
Zeus Solar and Electrical
★ 4.8 90 reviews Top5 Score 1555★ 85 4★ 2 1★ 3Zeus Solar installs grid-tied and fully off-grid solar systems, including multi-array setups where panel orientation is tailored to maximise generation at different times of day. Bjorn's approach to system design, such as angling a second array toward the evening sun to cut battery charge time from days to hours, is the kind of site-specific thinking that shows up repeatedly in how clients describe the outcome.
location_on 174 Brookvale Road, Havelock North
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4
Solar Ready
↑ 1★ 5.0 44 reviews +2 Top5 Score 153 +45★ 44Solar Ready installs full solar systems including panels, battery storage, and EV chargers, completing most jobs in a single day and holding to the quoted price with no hidden costs. Tony follows up after handover by phone and text, answering questions as owners get familiar with their new system and monitoring app.
location_on 17B Lipton Place, Onekawa, Napier
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5
Freenergy Ltd
↑ 1★ 5.0 37 reviews +1 Top5 Score 148 +25★ 36 4★ 1Freenergy covers new panel installs, battery storage additions, off-grid setups, and EV-integrated systems, with Aaron spending time upfront designing a system matched to actual household needs rather than a generic package. Post-install, they follow up proactively to check performance, handle all paperwork, and remain reachable when owners have questions about monitoring apps or system behaviour.
location_on 1027 Links Road, Waiohiki
Before you hire a solar installer in Napier and Hastings
Drawn from 201 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does a solar installation typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more
A standard 5kW to 6.6kW residential system falls between $10,000 and $14,000 installed, covering panels, inverter, and labour. Larger systems up to 10kW can reach $20,000 depending on roof complexity, shading, and inverter brand.
Adding battery storage pushes costs higher still, often adding $8,000 to $15,000 to the base system price. No government rebate exists for residential solar in New Zealand as of 2025, so the full cost comes out of pocket or through financing.
How do I check if a solar installer is properly accredited? expand_more
Any installer connecting a solar system to the grid must hold a current Registered Electrician licence issued by the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB), and you can verify this before signing anything at ewrb.govt.nz. Beyond the legal minimum, look for membership of the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ), which requires members to meet conduct and competency standards, and ask whether the installer holds SolarCert certification, which tests solar-specific knowledge above the basic electrician licence.
These credentials matter because your local lines company, such as Unison in Hawke's Bay, will require compliant documentation before approving grid connection, and a poorly credentialled installer can delay or jeopardise that approval. Several Napier-Hastings installers explicitly handle the lines company paperwork as part of their service, which is worth confirming at the quote stage.
How accurate are the payback period and savings estimates I'm being given? expand_more
A realistic payback period for a New Zealand residential solar system sits between 8 and 12 years, but that figure depends heavily on how much of the solar generation you consume directly rather than export. Export buy-back rates from retailers currently run around 8 to 17 cents per kWh, while you pay 28 to 35 cents to import, so a household that exports a large share of its generation will sit at the longer end of the range. Ask your installer what self-consumption rate they have assumed in their estimate, and whether the savings projection accounts for your actual daily usage pattern rather than a generic household average.
What are the warning signs of a solar installer you shouldn't hire? expand_more
- –An installer who pushes toward a sale rather than asking how and when you actually use power is designing for commission, not for your payback period.
- –Vague or shifting installation timelines without clear explanations are a sign of poor scheduling and project management.
- –No structured handover covering the monitoring app, export settings, and how to read your new power bill suggests the relationship ends at installation.
- –Slow or no response when problems arise after the system is live is a serious risk, since metering and grid connection issues can take weeks to surface.
- –A mismatch between a polished salesperson and an inexperienced installation crew points to a business that outsources installs without adequate quality control.
- –An installer who is difficult to contact during the process will not become easier to reach once they have been paid.
What should you ask before hiring a solar installer? expand_more
- –Ask whether they hold a current Registered Electrician licence through the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) and whether they are a member of the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ).
- –Ask what self-consumption rate and export buy-back rate underpin the savings estimate, and whether the payback calculation reflects your actual usage pattern and hours at home.
- –Confirm whether app setup, monitoring walkthrough, and an explanation of your new power bill structure are included as part of the installation handover.
- –Ask who handles post-installation warranty claims: whether it is the installing company directly or a third-party manufacturer, and what the response time commitment is.
- –Clarify the difference between the workmanship warranty the installer provides and the separate product warranties on panels, inverter, and battery, as these can vary significantly between brands.
- –Ask whether the installer manages the lines company connection approval and metering change with your power retailer, or whether that is left to you.
Also recommended solar installers in Napier and Hastings
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Solar Concepts NZ
↑ 1★ 5.0 25 reviews Top5 Score 1425★ 24 4★ 1Solar Concepts NZ delivers panel, battery, and EV charger installations, including complex retrofits where existing inverters and panels are reconfigured rather than replaced outright. Consultants like Liv and Laura spend time matching system size to actual usage, and the monitoring app gets called out repeatedly by owners tracking real bill reductions month to month.
location_on 2/407 King Street North, Hastings
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7
Greener Solar Solutions
↑ 1★ 5.0 20 reviews Top5 Score 1395★ 20Greener Solar Solutions completes grid-tied, off-grid, and marae-scale solar installations, holding quoted prices even when timelines blow out and handling grid connection paperwork directly with the lines company. Hamish and the team walk clients through how the system works on-site, then stay in contact after handover to confirm everything is performing as expected.
location_on 295 Middle Road Havelock North, Hastings
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8
Cellpower
★ 5.0 9 reviews Top5 Score 1315★ 9Cellpower cuts through the confusion of solar decisions fast, whether you need panels for a home system or an RV setup, with Kevin getting on the roof at the outset, providing the cheapest quote, and handing over a full documentation folder on completion. He is known for steering people toward exactly what they need rather than overselling, and for giving practical tips freely before any purchase is made.
location_on 1412 Pakowhai Road, Tomoana, Hastings
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9
Lightforce Solar - Hawke's Bay
★ 5.0 7 reviews Top5 Score 1265★ 7Lightforce Solar builds systems around specific household needs, including larger setups like 15kW panels paired with 9kW battery storage, and keeps clients informed at every stage from quote through to commissioning. Hayden and the install teams are noted for finding practical on-site fixes, such as minimising visible cable runs, and staying available by phone well after the job is done.
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10
Solarsun Solutions Limited
★ 5.0 7 reviews Top5 Score 1265★ 7Solarsun Solutions takes on technically demanding work that others have failed at, including large grid-tied systems, Victron battery backup setups, and multi-source configurations combining panels, wind turbines, and lithium battery banks. Trevor guides clients through inverter selection, load automation, panel orientation, and power company compliance, with systems reaching code of compliance sign-off without rework.
About this ranking
What the 10 solar installers listed above hold, at the 9 October 2026 check.
We first assessed solar installers in Napier and Hastings in July 2026 and have rechecked the ranking twice since. Ecoefficient Solutions has held first place at every check, and Harrisons Solar, Zeus Solar and Solar Ready have been in the top 5 alongside it throughout. Across the 14 locations we assess solar installers in, the 128 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 1.7% of their total.
What has changed since July 2026? expand_more
- Oct 2026
Scoring method updated. Freenergy returned to the top 5, up from #6. Cellpower returned to the list at #8. Lightforce Solar and Solarsun Solutions entered the list, at #9 and #10.
- Aug 2026
Freenergy left the top 5, down to #6.
- Jul 2026
First check. Ecoefficient Solutions #1.
How are the top solar installers in Napier and Hastings chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for solar installers in Napier and Hastings. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for solar installers in Napier and Hastings. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.