Smaller Is Cheaper When It Comes to Rooftop Solar Installers

National companies that dominate the U.S. rooftop solar industry typically quote prices that are about 10 percent higher than those of smaller independent installers, a federal government study found.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory study concluded that the handful of companies that install 90 percent of residential panels offer prices that are $1,000 to $2,000 more than the pricing by local installers for standard-size systems.

The study didn’t name the rooftop companies nor did it conclude that the big players were cheating customers. Rather, it found the price discrepancies reflected higher operating costs at the larger companies and a tendency ...