SolarReviews alternatives
A SolarReviews alternative may replace its calculator, its contractor research, or its contact workflow. Decide which part you want to change before choosing a tool. A more technical production model does not replace local installer evidence.
| Tool | Best fit in this guide | Access and tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| PVWatts | Choose PVWatts when you want to adjust production assumptions directly. It is useful for a yield cross-check, but it does not rank local installers. | Public web calculator; API use has separate key and usage requirements. |
| EnergySage | Choose EnergySage when research has turned into a buying decision and you need comparable written offers. | Free for shoppers; participating providers support the marketplace. |
| CleanFuture (ours) | Choose CleanFuture when you want help interpreting assumptions over several conversations and keeping them attached to one system. | Account required to save; saved AI estimates currently require an active subscription. |
What you are replacing
SolarReviews combines installer and equipment reviews with a calculator that its about page says can be used without personal contact information.
Its calculator landing page contains dated policy language. Independently verify tariff and incentive assumptions instead of relying on the page’s savings narrative.
PVWatts
- Category
- Public photovoltaic production model
- Best for
- Choose PVWatts when you want to adjust production assumptions directly. It is useful for a yield cross-check, but it does not rank local installers.
- Access
- Public web calculator; API use has separate key and usage requirements.
PVWatts models grid-connected photovoltaic output using inputs such as capacity, tilt, azimuth and losses. Its V8 API documents monthly and hourly output options.
What to weigh before choosing
A modeled production result does not verify usable roof area, structural condition, electrical design or a household’s bill savings.
EnergySage
- Category
- Homeowner quote marketplace
- Best for
- Choose EnergySage when research has turned into a buying decision and you need comparable written offers.
- Access
- Free for shoppers; participating providers support the marketplace.
EnergySage organizes installer quotes and lets shoppers compare equipment, warranties and financing with advisor support.
What to weigh before choosing
A marketplace shortlist is not every installer in your area. Confirm local availability and the scope of each proposal.
CleanFuture (ours)
- Category
- Conversational household planning
- Best for
- Choose CleanFuture when you want help interpreting assumptions over several conversations and keeping them attached to one system.
- Access
- Account required to save; saved AI estimates currently require an active subscription.
Discuss your energy plan in Chat, explore supporting Map and Data pages, and keep preliminary estimate versions inside My system. You can explicitly publish a limited read-only snapshot.
What to weigh before choosing
Not installer bidding, professional roof design or a guaranteed savings calculation. A regional solar estimate excludes battery costs and detailed tariff modeling.
Before changing tools
- Save the exact company names you researched, not only a star rating.
- Carry your location, bill period and calculator assumptions into the next tool; do not copy a savings figure without its inputs.
- Use any disagreement between tools to ask a more specific question about roof geometry, electricity rates or scope.
Moving your questions between tools is a manual handoff. This guide does not promise file compatibility, automatic imports or account cancellation.
Questions worth asking
Is CleanFuture a complete replacement for SolarReviews?
CleanFuture is useful when the next question changes as you learn: your bill is incomplete, a roof assumption is uncertain, or you want to keep one version of the plan for a household discussion. Do not treat that planning record as independent contractor vetting. Not installer bidding, professional roof design or a guaranteed savings calculation. A regional solar estimate excludes battery costs and detailed tariff modeling.
When should I keep using SolarReviews?
Stay with SolarReviews if your main task is reading installer and equipment experiences before making contact. CleanFuture’s planning interface is not a substitute for that review collection.
Turn the reading into a plan
Bring your questions to Chat and keep the assumptions tied to your system.
Discuss my plan in ChatYour question and this article’s context will be prefilled for you to review and send. Account required to save a system; saved AI estimates currently require an active subscription. Preliminary guidance, not an installation quote.
Sources and review method
We make CleanFuture. These are our editorial recommendations based on first-party documentation and our own product’s scope, not hands-on performance tests. We recommend other products when they fit the job better. US-focused; local availability and terms need checking.
We selected five overlapping solar workflows: quote comparison, installer research, advisor-led buying, production modeling and professional design. PVWatts and OpenSolar are adjacent tools, not equivalent homeowner services. This is a focused shortlist, not an exhaustive market survey or an objective top-five company ranking.
Recommendations weigh the task, required inputs, output, access terms and limitations. We did not test purchases, installation quality, model accuracy or response times. Product descriptions come from the linked official documentation; workflow advice and rankings by fit are our editorial judgment. We do not use numeric ratings or vendor savings claims to choose winners.
For broader whole-home electrification, also consider QuitCarbon’s planning and coaching. Solar.com is another shopping service outside this five-tool selection. Exclusion is not a negative evaluation.
Sources: SolarReviews: about the service and calculator; SolarReviews: calculator and dated explanatory material; CleanFuture: solar estimate workflow; PVWatts: public calculator; PVWatts V8: official model inputs and outputs; EnergySage: marketplace process; EnergySage: getting and managing quotes; EnergySage: company and marketplace model.
Capabilities and terms can change. Check the provider’s current documentation and your actual proposal before committing.