Sunrun, Vivint Solar and Tesla Solar are three household names that did not make our list — and we think you deserve to know why. Though both companies score well in our availability, price and experience categories, they scored too poorly in reputation and quality of service to earn a spot among the top providers in our book. Why We Didn't Choose Tesla - Tesla Solar may well have earned a top spot if this list were about the top solar manufacturers (it creates high-quality photovoltaic panels as well as the Tesla Powerwall battery). However, as a solar installation company, Tesla receives consistently poor feedback from its customers. It has also dealt with lawsuits and whistleblower claims regarding defective installations that have led to fires. Why We Didn't Choose Sunrun or Vivint - Claiming to be the No. 1 residential solar panel installer, Sunrun operates a massive business deserving to be mentioned among the largest companies (though not necessarily the nation’s leaders). Vivint Solar, a subsidiary of Sunrun, is also a large solar company frequently named among the top provider. However, these companies both have alerts on the BBB citing reports of government actions involving business misconduct, specifically misleading marketing.