Cape Town is one of the easiest places in South Africa to make the case for rooftop solar. The city averages roughly 5.7 to 6.1 peak sun hours a day. Municipal tariffs have climbed past R1.56 per kilowatt hour after the July 2026 increase. And the City's SSEG net metering programme credits surplus power you push back to the grid at close to the retail rate. Put those together and a correctly sized home system can pay for itself in around four and a half years.
That word "correctly" is doing a lot of work. Panels are the easy part. Design, wiring, compliance paperwork and what happens when something fails in year four are where homeowners win or lose. Cape Town's installer market is crowded, which keeps quotes competitive but also means quality varies widely. The ten companies below are ranked on track record, accreditation, customer feedback, equipment and after sales support, based on Icon Polls editorial research rather than hands on testing.
| Rank | Company | Main focus | Coverage | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Energy | Residential and commercial | Century City base | firstenergy.co.za |
| 2 | Newrel Energy | Residential, hybrid systems | Cape Town metro | newrel.co.za |
| 3 | Solar Air Con Engineers | Residential and commercial | Western Cape | solarairconengineers.co.za |
| 4 | InPower Energy | Backup power and solar | Cape Town metro | inpower.co.za |
| 5 | CapeTown.Solar | Domestic and commercial | Cape Town and surrounds | capetown.solar |
| 6 | ALLSOLAR | Residential and commercial | Cape Town | allsolar.co.za |
| 7 | Rubicon Energy | Distribution, installer network | Century City, national | rubicon.co.za |
| 8 | GreenHouse | Residential, off grid | Cape Town, national | greenhouse.co.za |
| 9 | SunStore Solar | Installed systems and DIY kits | Cape Town, online | sunstore.co.za |
| 10 | Solareff | Residential and commercial | Cape Town, national | solareff.co.za |
1. First Energy: the safest first call
Based in Century City, First Energy handles design, installation, SSEG applications and ongoing maintenance in one package. Its engineers size systems around the actual property: roof orientation, shading and the household's real consumption data. Partnerships with major manufacturers give it access to premium hardware at sharp prices.
The standout is a rent to own option. Plenty of families want solar but can't put R150,000 or more on the table, and this removes that barrier. Reviews keep returning to the same points: professional crews, tidy installs and responsive support afterwards.
2. Newrel Energy: dependable, not flashy
Newrel's credentials are hard to argue with. It is a recognised installation partner of Rubicon and Ooba Solar, holds P4 accreditation with the Association for Renewable Energy Practitioners and is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa.
The pitch is simple: arrive on time, size it properly, install it cleanly, file the SSEG paperwork. Most home jobs take one to three days, and the team will talk you through panel, inverter and battery options instead of pushing one brand. Communication and transparency are where it scores best.
3. Solar Air Con Engineers: built for the wider Western Cape
This firm earns its place through careful assessment before quoting. Roof layout, orientation, shading from neighbouring buildings and usage patterns all go into the design, which cuts the risk of an undersized or oversized system, one of the most common complaints in the industry. Systems run from 5kW entry setups to 12kW and beyond. Its reach across the Winelands, Helderberg and West Coast makes it a natural pick if you live outside the metro.
4. InPower Energy: for households that fear the next outage
InPower grew up during the load shedding years and still thinks like a backup power specialist. That matters. If your priority is keeping the lights and Wi Fi on during outages while also cutting the monthly bill, its grasp of how grid tied solar, batteries and backup interact is a genuine advantage over pure panel installers.
5. CapeTown.Solar: the local specialist
The name is the strategy. Being Cape Town focused means knowing how the south easter loads mounting systems and how the City's SSEG rules and tariffs work in practice. Its home work spans small grid tied setups to hybrid systems with storage, and a local base usually means quicker maintenance callouts than a national operator can manage.
6. ALLSOLAR: value without obvious shortcuts
ALLSOLAR sells itself on effective, affordable systems tailored to each client, and it is listed on industry directories such as GreenPages. Icon Polls' read is that its pricing is competitive without a visible drop in equipment quality. A sensible choice for budget conscious homeowners who still want an established local firm.
7. Rubicon Energy: buy the network, not just the installer
Rubicon is one of South Africa's largest sustainable technology groups and is mainly a distributor of panels, batteries, inverters and EV chargers. You will usually deal with one of its accredited installers rather than Rubicon directly. The benefit is equipment vetted and warrantied through a major distributor, and its Enphase partnership helped bring microinverters into South African homes.
8. GreenHouse: the long relationship
With more than 16 years in the business and status as a Victron Energy distributor, GreenHouse stands out for sticking around after commissioning. That is rarer than it should be. Its off grid experience also suits smallholdings and rural homes on the edges of the metro.
9. SunStore Solar: for people who know what they want
SunStore is a large Cape Town based online retailer offering both installed systems and DIY kits. Technically confident homeowners, or those with a trusted electrician, can save real money with a kit. Installation help is available through its network, but this is a better fit for researchers than for anyone wanting their hand held.
10. Solareff: the packaged option
Solareff pairs national buying power with local crews and offers design, installation and financing together. If you would rather not shop for components and want a larger company behind your warranty, it is a clean, low fuss route.
How to choose between them
- Want it handled start to finish: First Energy, Newrel or Solareff.
- Backup is the priority: InPower Energy.
- Outside the metro or off grid: Solar Air Con Engineers or GreenHouse.
- Tight budget and some know how: SunStore or ALLSOLAR.
Whoever you shortlist, get at least two site based quotes and ask who handles the SSEG application. For more rankings and reader debates, browse the latest Icon Polls guides and features and have your say.
How long does a home installation take?
For a typical residential job, Newrel reports one to three days on site. Larger hybrid systems and approval paperwork can stretch the overall timeline.
Do I need City approval to connect solar?
Yes. Grid tied systems in Cape Town go through the City's SSEG process, which is also what lets you earn credits for surplus power. Good installers manage the application for you.
