Best Solar Installers in Palmerston North
We assessed 6 solar installers in Palmerston North and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 229 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 3 September 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 Palmerston North
The top 5 solar installers in Palmerston North are #1 MK Electrical, #2 McNae Group, #3 Green Solution, #4 DCPower Batteries, and #5 SES, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
M K Electrical Services Ltd
★ 5.0 86 reviews Top5 Score 1585★ 85 4★ 1MK Electrical draws repeat clients back for general electrical work including light fittings, switchboards, and heat pump wiring, with Mike known for turning up on time and sending safety certificates through promptly after the job. Clients who have used him across multiple visits note he will try to talk through a problem by phone first to save them the call-out cost.
94B Malden Street, Roslyn, Palmerston North
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2
McNae Group
★ 4.9 55 reviews Top5 Score 1505★ 52 4★ 2 1★ 1McNae Group coordinates full solar installations including panel arrays, Enphase battery storage, solar diverters, and EV wall chargers, with multiple reviewers returning years later to expand their original system. Their quotes arrive without pressure to over-specify, and staff from first contact through to the electricians on the roof answer technical questions clearly at every stage.
4 Roxburgh Crescent, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North
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3
Green Solution
★ 5.0 40 reviews Top5 Score 1475★ 40Green Solution takes buyers through panel selection, system sizing, and inverter options including microinverter setups, guiding each decision before anything is signed off. Imran visits the property in person rather than quoting remotely, and when unexpected hiccups have arisen mid-install, the team has absorbed the extra cost rather than passing it on.
270 Valley Views, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North
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4
DCPower Batteries
★ 4.5 33 reviews Top5 Score 1295★ 28 4★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 3DCPower Batteries installs solar panels, power controllers, and lithium battery upgrades for campervans and motorhomes, and has talked customers out of unnecessary work when a simpler upgrade does the job. Staff take time to explain system performance in plain terms, including how to monitor battery condition from a phone, so owners leave understanding what was done and why.
187 John F Kennedy Drive, Milson, Palmerston North
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5
S E S Limited - Smart Electrical Solutions
★ 4.6 10 reviews Top5 Score 1145★ 9 1★ 1SES delivers large-scale residential solar installations covering panel arrays, inverters, and battery storage, and extends the system to practical connectivity needs like network bridging for inverter monitoring. Jobs come in on time and to the quoted price, with the team spending time on site to get the detail right rather than rushing to the next job.
3/216 John F Kennedy Drive, Cloverlea, Palmerston North
Before you hire a solar installer in Palmerston North
Drawn from 125 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does a solar installation typically cost in New Zealand?
A standard 5kW to 6.6kW residential solar system costs between $10,000 and $14,000 installed, covering panels, inverter, and labour. Larger systems or those with battery storage push costs toward $20,000 or beyond, and battery payback periods are often 15 years or more.
There is no government rebate for residential solar in New Zealand as of 2025, so the full cost comes out of pocket or through financing. Roof type, shading, and inverter brand all affect price, so get at least three quotes before committing.
How do I check if a solar installer is properly accredited?
Every 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 for free at ewrb.govt.nz before signing anything. Beyond the legal minimum, look for membership of the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ) and ask whether the installer holds SolarCert certification, which tests solar-specific competency rather than just general electrical knowledge.
Installers without these credentials may struggle to get grid connection approval from your local lines company, which can delay your system going live. Review evidence from local installers shows that thorough inspection sign-offs and passed compliance checks are markers that separate careful operators from rushed ones.
How accurate are the payback period and savings estimates I'm being given?
A realistic payback period for a residential solar system in New Zealand sits between 8 and 12 years, but that figure shifts significantly depending on how much generation you use yourself rather than export. Export buy-back rates from retailers currently sit around 8 to 17 cents per kWh, while you pay 28 to 35 cents to import power, so self-consumption is worth roughly twice as much as selling back to the grid. Before accepting any savings estimate, ask the installer what export percentage they have assumed and whether the model reflects your actual daily usage pattern, because households that are away during peak solar hours will sit toward the longer end of the payback range.
What are the warning signs of a solar installer you shouldn't hire?
- –An installer who does not return calls or messages before the job is done will be even harder to reach once you have a problem after installation.
- –Refusing to provide a written quote when you are spending several thousand dollars is a red flag, and any installer who gets angry or confrontational when asked to justify costs should be avoided.
- –Vague or verbal-only timelines, with no clear schedule for installation and grid connection, often signal poor project management.
- –An installer who blocks or dismisses requests for a cost breakdown, such as an hourly rate or itemised quote, is not operating transparently.
- –No post-installation walkthrough on how to use your monitoring app or interpret your system data leaves you unable to spot performance problems early.
- –Missed appointments with no call or apology beforehand indicate the business does not value your time and may be difficult to hold accountable later.
What solar one-star reviews say about support after the install
What should you ask before hiring a solar installer?
- –Ask whether the installer holds a current Registered Electrician licence with the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) and whether they are a member of the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ) or hold SolarCert certification.
- –Ask what self-consumption percentage the savings estimate assumes, and what your projected savings look like if you export more than 50 percent of your generation.
- –Ask whether the quote includes commissioning, grid connection paperwork, and a full app setup and walkthrough so you can monitor your system from day one.
- –Ask who handles warranty claims after installation: whether it is the installer directly or a third party, and what the response time commitment is.
- –Ask for separate clarity on the workmanship warranty versus the manufacturer warranties on panels and inverter, as these are different obligations with different durations.
- –Ask whether the installer will visit your site in person before quoting, since remote quotes can miss roof constraints, shading issues, or switchboard upgrade requirements that add cost later.
Also recommended solar installer in Palmerston North
Ranked 6 on the same public review record.
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6
Outback Electrical NZ
★ 4.2 5 reviews Top5 Score 745★ 4 1★ 1We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.
Tutaki Road, Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North
About this ranking
What the 6 solar installers listed above hold, at the 3 September 2026 check.
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 1.8% of their total.
How are the top solar installers in Palmerston North chosen?
We build this page from Google Maps results for solar installers in Palmerston North. 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?
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?
We build this page from Google Maps results for solar installers in Palmerston North. 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.