Palmetto Solar

Palmetto was founded in 2009 by Chris Kemper, who returned from working on climate change initiatives with leading global organizations and the United Nations with a clear realization: stopping climate change would require fundamentally transforming America’s energy system, and it had to happen fast. Starting first in London, then relocating to Charleston, South Carolina, Palmetto spent its early years developing renewable energy projects across developing countries before Kemper recognized the massive potential of focusing on the residential solar market in the United States. In 2010, he re-incorporated Palmetto with a singular mission—making solar energy accessible and affordable for American homeowners. This Charlotte, North Carolina-based solar installer has grown steadily over more than 15 years, completing thousands of solar installations across more than 30 states. The company operates as both a technology platform and a solar provider, having mapped the solar potential of over 107 million U.S. rooftops using proprietary energy intelligence algorithms originally developed at MIT. Palmetto has served homeowners in Charlotte and surrounding North Carolina communities with a combination of direct installations and a vetted network of local installation partners. For homeowners across the states it serves—from Arizona to Vermont—Palmetto offers complete residential solar panel systems, battery storage solutions, and energy management tools. The company provides multiple pathways to solar ownership, including cash purchase, solar loans, and its LightReach lease program, which allows homeowners to go solar with no upfront cost while Palmetto owns and maintains the system. Palmetto holds NABCEP certification, meaning installations are performed by technicians certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. What distinguishes this solar installer is its approach to transparency and technology. Rather than relying solely on traditional sales models, Palmetto built a clean energy operating platform that gives homeowners instant, personalized solar assessments, real-time project tracking through a customer app, and ongoing system monitoring after installation. The company has facilitated over $1 billion in clean energy transactions and reports that its customers are on track to avoid more than two million metric tons of CO2 emissions. Palmetto has earned recognition from CNET as a top solar company, Forbes for best solar equipment, This Old House for best customer support, and Solar Power World’s Most Forward-Thinking Contractor award. It also received the 2024 CleanTech Breakthrough Overall Energy Technology Company of the Year award and the Frost & Sullivan Competitive Strategy Leadership Award. For Charlotte homeowners considering solar installation, Palmetto combines the resources of a national platform with knowledge of local incentives, utility interconnection requirements, and North Carolina solar policies.