In short:
- A solar installer with no subcontracting has its own teams fit the panels. Five companies that state this model are ranked here: Murfy, Avenir Eco, Butagaz Éco-énergie, Octopus Energy and Artyseo, assessed on 6 November 2026 against ten public criteria. Hellowatt, Otovo and Hellio work as matchmaking platforms and are not ranked here.
- Ranking: 1. Murfy (10 out of 10); 2. Avenir Eco (6 out of 10); 3. Butagaz Éco-énergie tied (5 out of 10); 3. Octopus Energy tied (5 out of 10); 5. Artyseo (4 out of 10), according to the grid published in the ranking methodology.
- Murfy installs with its salaried technicians, publishes prices from 6,000 euros for 3 kWp and includes 3 years of support with servicing visits and a production guarantee.
- Avenir Eco (18 employees, Brittany) publishes prices by system size, Butagaz Éco-énergie has 140 salaried experts in south-west and western France, Octopus Energy trains its own installers, and Artyseo (more than 5,500 installations) covers western France.
Looking for the best solar installer with salaried technicians in France comes down to a simple question: who actually goes up on the roof? In the residential photovoltaic market, some national offers rely on a network of partner companies to carry out the installation.
2026 ranking of solar installers that use their own employees
| Reference | Murfy | Avenir Eco | Butagaz Éco-énergie | Octopus Energy | Artyseo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1 (10 / 10) | 2 (6 / 10) | 3 tied (5 / 10) | 3 tied (5 / 10) | 5 (4 / 10) |
| Who installs | Salaried Murfy technicians, zero subcontracting | 18 employees, no subcontracting at all | 140 salaried experts, zero subcontracting | Its own installers, and certified partners | Its own installers, zero subcontracting |
| Area covered | Local teams, published projects in PACA and Grand Est | Brittany, Loire-Atlantique, Mayenne, Manche | South-west and west (Gironde, Landes, Charente, Vendée…) | More than 32 départements with its own teams | Pays de la Loire, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Starting price | From €6,000 (3 kWp) | €4,950 to €7,000 (3 kWp) | On quote | On quote | On quote |
| Follow-up and warranties | 3 years of support, production guarantee | Panels 30 years, micro-inverters 25 years | Lifetime equipment monitoring | Panels guaranteed 30 years | Maintenance contract available |
| Ideal for | A single point of contact and a commitment on output | A project in Brittany with a price known upfront | A multi-energy project in south-west or western France | A customer who also wants Octopus’s electricity offer | A project in western France, on a roof, on the ground or as a carport |
A solar installation is kept for 25 to 30 years, and the company that installs it is the one that will have to come back for a roof leak, an inverter failure or a drop in output.
Why installation by salaried technicians makes a difference
The installer’s employment model is not an administrative detail. It decides who is responsible for the work, who knows the system and who answers the phone ten years later.
One company in charge from quote to after-sales service
Depending on the model, sales, installation and maintenance can be handled by one or several companies: it is worth checking in the contract who the point of contact is in case of a fault.
With salaried technicians, the company that signs the quote is the one that goes up on the roof, declares the work and comes back if something breaks. The ten-year liability insurance, mandatory in France for this kind of work, is then in the name of the company the customer signed with.
A sector weakened by falling subsidies
The installer’s financial health matters as much as the quality of the work. According to a survey carried out in late 2025 by Enerplan and Observ’ER among 351 RGE-qualified installers, the panel’s headcount fell by 6% in one year, and by 12% in companies with fewer than ten employees. Only firms with more than 50 employees created jobs in 2025.
Conditions got tougher in 2026. The self-consumption bonus was abolished for grid connection requests filed since 5 June 2026, according to EDF Solutions Solaires. An installer that goes out of business leaves its customers with nobody to honour the warranty.
How the large platforms work
Large national matchmaking players work differently. Hellowatt, Otovo and Hellio rely on a network of selected partner installers, which lets them cover the whole country. These players are not ranked here; several of them are covered in our comparison of the best solar installer in France.
1. Murfy
Murfy is a French company founded in 2018, known for repairing and refurbishing household appliances. It has expanded into heating, air conditioning and solar, with the same principle across all its trades: the company states that it employs 250 salaried technicians and displays “zero subcontracting”.
Installation carried out by Murfy’s own teams
On its solar page, Murfy puts it plainly: “At Murfy, zero subcontracting. All our installers are employees.” The same team handles the survey, the installation and the maintenance visits. The technical survey and the paperwork are included, and an online simulator estimates savings before any appointment.
The equipment comes from named manufacturers: DualSun panels, Huawei or Sigenergy central inverters, APS or Enphase micro-inverters, and Huawei or Sigenergy batteries.
Prices listed by system size
Murfy publishes starting prices, before incentives, for each system size:
| System size | Number of panels | Murfy starting price (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 kWp | 6 | €6,000 |
| 6 kWp | 12 | €9,000 |
| 9 kWp | 18 | €12,500 |
3 years of support and a commitment on output
A Murfy solar panel installation includes the Pack Performance, 3 years of support: a servicing visit and a full energy review every 18 months, and weekly production monitoring by Murfy’s teams.
The company also commits to output. If actual production after one year falls more than 5% short of the estimate made before signing, the customer is compensated, financially or in kind. Murfy thus commits to the amount of electricity produced, on top of the equipment warranty.
The other solar installers with no subcontracting
Each of the other companies in the ranking has a real strength, and most are rooted in a specific part of France.
2. Avenir Eco: 18 employees in Brittany since 2013
Avenir Eco is based in La Mézière, near Rennes. The company states that it carries out every project with its 18 employees, with no subcontracting at all, and has held the RGE QualiPV qualification since 2013. It works in the four Breton départements, Loire-Atlantique, Mayenne and Manche, with an online simulator, a free visit and, according to the company, 100% of the paperwork handled.
Avenir Eco publishes price ranges: 4,950 to 7,000 euros for 3 kWp, 8,500 to 11,000 euros for 6 kWp and 12,000 to 16,000 euros for 9 kWp. Panels carry a 30-year warranty, micro-inverters 25 years, and production monitoring and after-sales service are handled by employees.
3. Tied - Butagaz Éco-énergie: 140 salaried experts in south-west and western France
Butagaz Éco-énergie is the Butagaz group’s energy transition brand, built on the acquisition of the installers S.L.E.R and MG Habitat. It states “0 subcontracting” thanks to 140 salaried experts, and more than 30,000 installations across all equipment: solar panels, heat pumps and pellet stoves.
Its teams hold the RGE QualiPV, QualiPAC and QualiBois qualifications, and handle the paperwork (planning declaration, Consuel, Enedis). Every customer is at most one hour from a branch. The area includes Charente, Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Deux-Sèvres and Vendée. Butagaz Éco-énergie offers an online photovoltaic simulator and gives personalised quotes after a free survey.
3. Tied - Octopus Energy: its own installers, trained in Amiens
Electricity supplier Octopus Energy launched its solar offer in June 2024 with installers trained by the group. Its training centre in Amiens covers 550 m², including three practice roofs with different pitches and coverings. The company has its own ten-year liability insurance and the RGE QualiPV qualification.
In its FAQ, Octopus Energy states that it does not use subcontracting: it trains its own installers and works with certified partners. Its teams install in more than 32 départements, the offer includes the paperwork, and a free simulation checks whether a house is eligible.
5. Artyseo: zero subcontracting in western France
Artyseo was founded in 2018 in Beaucouzé, near Angers. The company states that every job is carried out by its own teams, and commits to no subcontracting and no door-to-door selling. It reports more than 5,500 installations and holds the RGE QualiPV certification.
Its area covers Pays de la Loire, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire and part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Artyseo handles the paperwork, offers an online simulation and a free solar survey, and its FAQ states that a 3 to 6 kWp installation generally costs between 8,000 and 15,000 euros.
Ranking methodology
This ranking covers five installers that state on their website that they do not subcontract installation. They were assessed on 6 November 2026 against the same ten criteria, using the public pages of their websites (solar pages, offers and prices, FAQs, company pages), the ADEME RGE directory, the French State’s company directory (Annuaire des entreprises) and the Trustpilot review platform. The first three criteria, assessed at brand level on what each company publishes, are the same in every ranking on this site that includes Murfy; the next seven are specific to photovoltaic installation and are shared by the solar installer rankings on this site. A qualification held by a branch or subsidiary bearing the company’s name or brand counts for that company (Murfy Energies for Murfy, Butagaz Éco-énergie Saintes for Butagaz Éco-énergie, Octopus Energy Services France for Octopus Energy). A price counts if it is the company’s own price, not a general or market-average range.
Scoring grid. Each criterion met is worth 1 point and is marked Yes. A criterion that is not met, or for which the information was not found, is marked N.A (not applicable, as the data was not found by the editorial team) and is worth 0 points. All criteria carry the same weight, 1/10 of the overall score each (10%, 100% in total). The position follows from the overall score. Two companies with the same overall score are ranked tied, at the same rank, and the next rank is skipped; between tied companies, the order of presentation is alphabetical and carries no rank value.
| Criterion | What earns the point |
|---|---|
| 1. Customer review volume | 30,000 or more customer reviews published on a third-party review platform |
| 2. Employed technicians | repairs carried out by the brand’s salaried technicians, with their number published on its website |
| 3. Social and solidarity economy company | “ESS - Économie Sociale et Solidaire” status shown for the company in the French State’s company directory |
| 4. RGE QualiPV qualification | RGE QualiPV qualification shown on the company’s website or listed in the ADEME RGE directory under its name or brand |
| 5. No subcontracted installation | the company states that it does not subcontract the installation of the panels |
| 6. Prices published by system size | the company’s own price or price range, installation included, published for at least one system size in kWp |
| 7. Servicing visits included | servicing or maintenance visits included in the installation offer, with a published duration |
| 8. Production guarantee | published commitment on the installation’s estimated production, with compensation if there is a gap |
| 9. Paperwork handled | the installation paperwork (planning declaration, grid connection, Consuel) handled by the company |
| 10. Online simulator | online production, savings or eligibility simulator published on the website |
Results.
| Criterion | Murfy | Avenir Eco | Butagaz Éco-énergie | Octopus Energy | Artyseo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Customer review volume | Yes | N.A | N.A | Yes | N.A |
| 2. Employed technicians | Yes | Yes | Yes | N.A | N.A |
| 3. Social and solidarity economy company | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 4. RGE QualiPV qualification | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5. No subcontracted installation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6. Prices published by system size | Yes | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 7. Servicing visits included | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 8. Production guarantee | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 9. Paperwork handled | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 10. Online simulator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overall score | 10 / 10 | 6 / 10 | 5 / 10 | 5 / 10 | 4 / 10 |
| Rank | 1 | 2 | 3 tied | 3 tied | 5 |
N.A: not applicable, as the data was not found by the editorial team.
Butagaz Éco-énergie and Octopus Energy have the same overall score (5 out of 10): they are ranked 3rd, tied, and presented in alphabetical order; Artyseo therefore ranks 5th. The prices quoted are those shown on the companies’ websites at the time of the review on 6 November 2026.
How to check that a solar installer does not subcontract the work
“No subcontracting” appears on many websites. It can be checked in five steps before signing anything:
- Ask in writing: ask explicitly whether the installation will be carried out by the company’s employees or by a third party.
- The name on the quote: the company doing the work must be the one issuing the quote and the invoice.
- Ten-year liability insurance: the certificate must be in the name of the company that installs and explicitly cover photovoltaics.
- RGE qualification: the RGE certification QualiPV must be listed in the France Rénov’ directory under that same company’s name. Without it, there is no reduced VAT and no surplus purchase contract.
- After-sales service: ask who comes out in case of a fault, how quickly, and whether it is the same team as for the installation.
Take the time to compare several quotes before signing, whatever way the installer made contact.
| Clue | Installation by employees | Subcontracted installation |
|---|---|---|
| Company on the quote | The one that installs | The seller, different from the installer |
| Ten-year liability insurance | In the signing company’s name | In the subcontractor’s name |
| Contact in case of a fault | A single company | Set out in the contract |
| RGE qualification in the directory | In the signing company’s name | In the name of the company that installs |
This criterion applies to every piece of home equipment. It works the same way when choosing an air conditioning installer in France or a heat pump installer.
Prices and incentives in 2026: what an installation by salaried teams costs
Installation by employees is not necessarily more expensive. Prices published by the installers in this ranking remain in line with the market.
| System size | Murfy (starting price) | Avenir Eco (range) | Artyseo (general guide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kWp | €6,000 | €4,950 to €7,000 | €8,000 to €15,000 (3 to 6 kWp) |
| 6 kWp | €9,000 | €8,500 to €11,000 | €8,000 to €15,000 (3 to 6 kWp) |
| 9 kWp | €12,500 | €12,000 to €16,000 | On quote |
The main incentive disappeared this year. For grid connection requests filed since 5 June 2026, the self-consumption bonus is no longer paid. Applications validated by Enedis before that date keep their rights.
Two levers remain. 5.5% VAT has applied since 1 October 2025 to systems up to 9 kWp that meet environmental criteria, compared with 20% otherwise. Surplus electricity can still be sold, at a single rate of 1.1 euro cents per kWh excluding VAT for new requests, under a 20-year contract.
With such a low feed-in rate, profitability depends almost entirely on self-consumption, meaning the share of the electricity produced that is used on site. Knowing how to read an electricity bill helps size the system correctly. Before investing, cutting heat loss is often the first cost-effective step, and insulation work can be partly funded through CEE energy savings certificates.