Allterra Solar

Allterra Solar was founded in 2004 by brothers James and Nathaniel Allen, both UC Berkeley graduates with degrees in Environmental Science and Monterey Bay natives. The company began as Allterra Environmental, an environmental engineering firm that investigated and remediated groundwater contamination, successfully closing 30 cases in the San Francisco Bay Region. In 2009, recognizing solar energy’s potential to accelerate clean energy adoption on the Central Coast, the brothers launched their solar division. What started as a pivot has grown into a leading solar installer in Santa Cruz, California, and throughout the Central Coast and Bay Area. The name ‘Allterra’ reflects their mission—combining ‘all’ with the Latin ‘terra’ for earth—a commitment to environmental stewardship that guides everything they do. Today, this family-owned solar company has completed thousands of installations totaling more than 9 megawatts of clean energy capacity. Allterra serves residential and commercial clients across Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, and extends north to Half Moon Bay and throughout Santa Clara County. Their service area includes Santa Cruz homeowners in communities like Aptos, Capitola, Scotts Valley, and Soquel, as well as customers in Monterey, Carmel, Salinas, San Jose, and Half Moon Bay. Allterra specializes in complete solar panel installation, battery storage systems including Tesla Powerwall, Enphase IQ, and FranklinWH options, EV charging stations, ground-mounted systems, and small commercial solar projects. The company’s reputation is built on a referral-based business model, with more than 60% of their projects coming from satisfied customers—a testament to their customer-focused approach and technical excellence. Allterra’s philosophy centers on system ownership rather than leases, ensuring homeowners capture the full financial and environmental benefits of going solar in California. Their in-house team handles every step: sales consultations, custom system design, permitting, installation, monitoring setup, and long-term service. They maintain deep relationships with local planning departments and inspectors throughout the Central Coast, which streamlines the solar installation process and ensures every project meets California’s evolving solar regulations and building codes. Allterra has earned numerous accolades, including being consistently voted ‘Best Solar Company’ by readers of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Good Times, and Monterey County Weekly. They received the ‘Best Place to Work’ award from the Monterey County Business Council and were honored as Small Business of the Year in 2024. In 2015, the California Air Resources Control Board named them a ‘Cool Climate Leader,’ an award given to only five companies statewide. The company has also been recognized nationally, ranking among Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors. With a 4.9-star Google rating and an A+ BBB accreditation since 2017, Allterra demonstrates consistent quality and customer satisfaction. The company holds California contractor licenses (CSLB #847973) and maintains comprehensive insurance coverage. Beyond installations, Allterra has contributed over $10.5 million to the regional economy through local payroll, partnerships with local businesses, and community investment. They partner with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and support initiatives like the ‘My House My Home’ program, which helps Santa Cruz seniors stay in their homes through solar-powered ADU construction.