How to check a solar installer in Rhode Island

The short answer

Look up three things before you sign. Is the seller registered with the state to sell solar? Is the company a registered contractor? Does the installer hold the license the state grant needs? Then read the contract. It should show the full price, the grant, and what you owe after it.

Is the seller registered?

Anyone selling solar here must register with the state every year.Anyone selling solar here must register with the state every year.Must solar sellers register with the state?Sales reps also need a criminal background check.R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-93-4(a); RI DBR Solar Retailers page§ 5-93-4(a); DBR page quotes it and links Bulletin 25-01 ('Required Registration Must Be Completed By August 1, 2025')Verified Sep 28, 2026 The state Department of Business Regulation, or DBR, runs this registration. It covers anyone who sells, leases or pitches home solar. Sales reps also need a criminal background check.

Ask the seller for their DBR solar retailer registration. Then check it with DBR. If a seller can't show it, stop there.

Is it a registered contractor?

Home contractors must register with the state. You can look them up online.Home contractors must register with the state. You can look them up online.Must contractors register with the state for home work?Search the contractor's name at crb.ri.gov before you sign. Electrical licenses are handled by a different agency, the Department of Labor and Training.RI Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board, General Contractor Registration page and Registration/License Status LookupGeneral Contractor Registration page, opening sentence. Lookup: https://crb.ri.gov/search/contractor-search ('Registration/License Status Lookup'), linked from For the Consumer, Search a Registrant/Licensee.Verified Sep 28, 2026 Search the company name on the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board lookup before you sign.

Electrical licenses are a separate thing. The Department of Labor and Training handles those.

Does the installer hold the right license?

For the state grant, your installer needs an REP license or a master electrician licenseYes. An REP license or a master electrician license.Must a grant installer hold an REP or master electrician license?Your installer must hold one of these for the state grant. Ask which one, then check it.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Page 3, Qualifications table, rows 'Rhode Island Renewable Energy Professional License (REP)' OR 'Master Electrician License': 'A master electrician can do everything under the REP. One of the two are sufficient.'Verified Oct 28, 2026. Either one is enough.

An REP, or Renewable Energy Professional, holds a limited solar install licenseA limited solar install license. The state posts who holds one.State list of licensed Renewable Energy Professionals (REP)Check the name and the expiration date on the list. A licensed electrician doesn't need this license, so a missing name isn't a problem by itself.RI Office of Energy Resources, Renewable Energy Professional (REP) pageIntro paragraph (limited license); 'Current Rhode Island Licensed Renewable Energy Professionals' table (Name, Company, Technology, LIC Expires). Page last updated July 23rd, 2026.Verified Sep 28, 2026. The state Office of Energy Resources posts who holds one. Check the name and the date it runs out. A licensed electrician doesn't need this license, so a missing name is not a problem by itself.

Ask which license your installer holds. Then check that one.

What should the contract show?

If you use the state grant, the grant is paid to your installer and comes off your contract priceThe grant is paid to your installer and comes off your contract price.How the grant money movesAsk to see the grant amount and what you owe after it on your contract.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Project application requirements: an executed turnkey contract, contingent on REF funding, showing total cost, the REF grant amount and the net owedVerified Oct 28, 2026. So the contract should show three lines:

• The full price.
• The grant amount.
• What you owe after the grant.

Your installer files the application for you.Your installer files the application for you.Who files the grant applicationYou sign the contract; the installer files.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Application sections are filed by the installer (Section 1 once per company per round, Section 2 per project)Verified Oct 28, 2026 You just sign the contract.

Don't install until the grant is approved.Don't install until the grant is approved.When the panels can go upThe project must be finished within 12 months of signing, or 18 months with a battery.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Eligible Technologies, first dash bulletVerified Oct 28, 2026 That goes for any part of the job. After you sign, the work must be done within 12 months12 months12 months from signing the installer contract, or 18 with a batteryTime to finish from signing the installer contract (18 months with a battery)Counted from the day you sign the contract.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Small-Scale RFP completion requirement (12 months from contract signing); Energy Storage Adder RFP (18 months for battery projects)Verified Oct 28, 2026, or 18 months12 months12 months from signing the installer contract, or 18 with a batteryTime to finish from signing the installer contract (18 months with a battery)Counted from the day you sign the contract.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Small-Scale RFP completion requirement (12 months from contract signing); Energy Storage Adder RFP (18 months for battery projects)Verified Oct 28, 2026 with a battery. Ask for a start and finish date in writing. How the grant works.

Red flags

• A pitch that calls the panels free. Every system has a price. Ask what you will pay in total.
• Pressure to sign today, before you can look anything up.
• A quote with no grant line. If a seller says you get the grant, the contract should show the amount.
• A lease or PPA pitched as getting the state grant. You must own the home and the system. Leases and PPAs don't qualify.You must own the home and the system. Leases and PPAs don't qualify.Who can get the grantYou must also own the property, and it must be in Rhode Island.RI Commerce, Renewable Energy Fund, Small-Scale Request for Projects (rev. 4/6/26)Things to know, bullet 6Verified Oct 28, 2026 Owning vs leasing.

Your checklist

• The seller's DBR solar retailer registration, checked with DBR.
• The company's contractor registration, looked up online.
• An REP or master electrician license, checked.
• A contract with the full price, the grant, and what you owe after it.
• The installer files the grant application.
• No work before the grant is approved.
• A finish date inside the grant's time limit.

Quick answers

Do solar sellers need a state registration?

Yes. Anyone selling solar in Rhode Island must register with the state every year.

What license does a grant installer need?

A Renewable Energy Professional license or a master electrician license. Either one is enough.

Who files the grant application?

Your installer files it for you. You sign the contract.

Can work start before the grant is approved?

No. Nothing goes up until the grant is approved.

Does a lease or PPA get the state grant?

No. Only systems you own qualify.