Diverse Solar Contractors Can Gain an Edge Via SEIA's Diverse Suppliers Networking Event

As a rapidly expanding industry, more and more solar businesses are arising under diverse ownership. This is creating a wealth of economic opportunities for underrepresented groups, both in terms of career options and community representation. 

Encouraging diversity in solar has become a priority in the industry, especially under the current presidential administration. Leaders are taking action to cultivate opportunities for diverse individuals and businesses throughout the solar sector.

One of these is the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). As part of their latest effort to help boost Solar's diverse companies, SEIA will be hosting its Diverse Suppliers Virtual Networking Event on June 23rd at 2PM EST.

What Does This Digital Networking Meeting Have to Offer?

There will be three key speakers at the event, addressing the importance of pursuing more diverse partnerships in the industry. These speakers include:

• Dana Sleeper, The Sleeper Group

• Tom Donahue, President, Donahue & Sons

• Monique M. Dyers, P.E., Principal & CEO, Ensight Energy Consulting, LLC

The event will also shine a light on SEIA’s Diverse Suppliers Database, a recently-launched resource that helps supply chain buyers find diverse-owned businesses to collaborate with. This resource has become a highly useful tool for solar businesses, as tracking and improving solar diversity is becoming a necessary part of compliance in certain markets. If you have yet to be listed in the DSD, you can add your business information here. 

Attending This Zoom Event

This event is open to anyone who represents a diverse-owned business or is looking for guidance on how to find diverse-owned suppliers. It will facilitate connections between members throughout the solar supply chain, laying the foundation for relationships that strengthen diversity industry-wide.

If you’re interested in attending this virtual networking event, you can register here. It will take place on June 23, 2022, at 02:00 PM in Eastern Time (the US and Canada) via ZOOM. 

Solar Lead Companies Improve Opportunities for All

Diverse installers can find more sale opportunities and reduce competition pressures by partnering with the right solar lead companies. Agencies that work to deliver only the most valuable, viable leads can help installers increase the efficiency of their lead sourcing, and close more deals every month. This can be a vital leg up in establishing your business's financials and reputation.

Grid Freedom is one of the most trusted suppliers for contractors who need leads they can count on. We put all of our leads through an in-depth screening process that sorts out which homeowners are really ready to install. Contractors from all over the USA can access as many leads as they need, at any time. 

Grow Sales Numbers at www.GridFreedom.com

How Biden's Solar Tariff Pause Will Impact the Industry

Earlier this spring, the U.S. Department of Commerce kicked off an investigation into possible evasion of import tariffs by South Asian solar manufacturers. This was sparked by claims that these producers were circumventing AD/CV duties by hiding the fact that they used Chinese parts.

Immediate backlash erupted following the announcement, with many in the solar industry forecasting serious disruption to the supply chain and solar projects. Their grim predictions came true, as countless companies saw order cancellations soon after the investigation began. 

Almost 80% of the industry’s supply was effectively cut off as manufacturers went on the defensive. Some of the nation’s largest projects were faced with delays of more than a year, hindering the Biden administration’s goals to achieve a decarbonized energy grid by 2035. With tariffs expected to be raised up to 250%, even retroactively, America’s contractors feared that a stiff increase in panel pricing would come soon. 

Re-Opening the Flow of Solar Imports

Strong encouragement came from both sides of the political aisle to call off the DOC’s investigation, citing the harm to both the solar industry and the administration’s clean energy efforts. 20 governors, 22 U.S. senators, and 85 members of the House of Representatives spoke out.

In response to the overwhelming calls for action, President Biden announced that all tariffs applied to Southeast Asian solar cell products would be paused for a period of 24 months. So while the DOC investigation will still be active, these manufacturers can shelve their worry and get back to supplying America’s contractors. Projects that were threatened with disastrous delays can get back on track, and the industry as a whole can rest easy over possible price hikes. 

Biden’s actions included a spur to domestic solar production, invoking the Defense Production Act to fund American manufacturing of clean energy technologies. This move will help the U.S. build up its own resources, working to relieve the dependency on Asian production. 

Removing a Threat to Solar Panel Lead Generation 

Solar projects small and large were endangered under the looming consequences of tariff increases. With limited product availability and predicted price jumps, contractors were seeing customers shrink away from greenlighting their solar projects. 

Now, that threat has been sidelined. For the next two years, contractors and their customers can have peace of mind knowing that their solar products and project budgets are safe. 

Nevertheless, the tumultuous economy still presents difficulties for contractors seeking new opportunities. Top agency Grid Freedom is working to connect installers with homeowners who have already been screened and selected for their intent to go solar. Every lead has been vetted via live phone calls with our agents and offered with complete exclusivity.

Sign Up Free to Access Full-Service Solar Panel Lead Generation

Drought & Wildfire Season Will Spark Solar Panel Lead Generation

Entering summer, our worsening climate has become a major worry. Reports warning of looming troubles are filling news headlines from the international to local level. People are responding to these concerns in various ways, one of which includes the pursuit of residential solar installations. In this post, we examine how the two big problems of the season are pushing more homeowners toward solar. 

Extreme Drought is Pushing People Toward Green Living

Drought has become a worldwide problem. In America, approximately half of the lower 48 states (almost 89 million citizens) are experiencing drought conditions. Most of the counties in the West have received official “Drought Disaster” designations from the USDA. 

Such extremity has prompted calls for local residents to take water-saving measures, making changes to habits such as bathing frequency, toilet flushing, lawn watering, and dishwashing. Having state and city officials plead for these lifestyle changes has brought the issue to the forefront of people’s minds. More and more citizens are recognizing the serious consequences of climate change and resource scarcity. 

This is motivating many to transition to greener practices, including the adoption of eco-friendly technologies. Homeowners who are aiming to reduce their own resource consumption are seeking out not just water-saving installations, but also other sustainable features like solar panels. 

Wildfire Season is Bringing Grim Blackout Forecasts

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) recently announced that utility customers can expect more blackouts throughout the 2022 fire season. 

Worsening weather conditions and dryness created by the drought are set to increase the risk of fire sparked by utility infrastructure. In California, it’s expected that the number of preventative power shutoffs (PSPS events) will peak in mid-September. Extreme heat is also expected to overwhelm electricity demands, causing widespread grid failure. 

People living in wildfire-prone regions have come to expect this volatility, and their tolerance is wearing thin. Without air conditioning or refrigeration on the hottest days, residents have to endure conditions that can cause heatstroke, and even result in significant losses as food and medication spoils. Being unable to charge devices also poses a risk for citizens who rely on electronics for notice of evacuations and road closures.  

Many of the affected customers already experience power instability through the winter months. From last Christmas to January 5th, more than 350,000 residents in California’s Sierra region were without power due to a winter storm. Many of these citizens were forced to go without heating, lighting, and even warm meals during this period. While PG&E partnered with local agencies to provide warming centers and food supplies to the affected areas, many of these resources were out of reach for customers who lived in more rural zones or lacked access to transportation. 

Year-round incidents like these have diminished confidence among residents that their utility providers can be counted on. Basic necessities can be gone at a moment’s notice, causing disruption at best, and serious danger at worst. 

Citizens who have been suffering through these conditions are seeking solutions that give them continuous, dependable energy, even when the grid is down. Now at the start of summer, a number of these homeowners want to get solar installed before the risk of blackouts is highest.

Climate Pressures are Driving Solar Lead Generation

With these concerns increasing demand for solar, it’s possible to find many solar customers right now. The key is zoning in on those who are serious and fully ready to make a purchase this season.

Grid Freedom helps contractors like you directly connect with customers who want to buy solar now. We’ve already put in all of the work to attract and screen every lead, ensuring that you only meet with those who’ve been verified as keen and eligible buyers. Each lead comes on a 100% exclusive basis, with their first consultation already scheduled. 

Find Leads Ready for Installations at www.GridFreedom.com 

Get Instant Business Buying Residential Solar Leads

When your business has hit a slow period, there’s not much time before cash flow can become a problem. You need to secure new leads fast, but using the standard marketing methods may not get you, customers, in the short time needed. 

For this reason, many solar contractors in your shoes go straight to buying residential solar leads. Instead of risking a lengthy period during which marketing yields no solid prospects, they ensure that they get concrete opportunities before finances are at risk. 

In this post, we review why buying solar leads creates a fast track to sales, giving you instant business the moment they’re acquired. 

Skip the Lead Generation Process

The first way that buying leads shaves time off the sales journey is by allowing you to skip the solar lead generation process entirely. Absolutely no marketing work is required from your team since the lead has already been produced by a third-party agency. That effort is absorbed by their staff completely, freeing up your people to focus on actually making sales. 

Qualified Leads Eliminate Need for Screening

When you make sure to buy high-quality leads, you cut the risk of leads fizzling out. Agencies that meet the highest standards of lead integrity put them through an intensive screening process before they ever reach your hands. 

That means that you not only get the security of pursuing solar leads already verified as dependable, but you can check off screening from your list of pre-sale duties. 

Pre-Set Appointments = No Nurturing Required

Depending on which agency you choose to source from, even the final step of lead preparation can be taken care of for you. The best agencies only deliver leads who have already been scheduled for their first consultation appointment with you, the purchasing contractor. 

Your team won’t have to convince a customer to agree to a meeting, and there won’t be any need for coordinating what date works for them. All of that is already settled, leaving only the matter of making your pitch and closing the sale. 

Grid Freedom Connects You with Ready Customers

Purchasing your leads from Grid Freedom gives you a direct path to the moment of sale with serious, pre-screened homeowners. Our process eliminates all but the most eligible and enthusiastic customers, passing them on to you only after they’ve been secured for their first consultation. 

You can skip all of the preliminary work required in traditional lead production, saving you valuable time when you need to land sales quickly. Our agency has become the go-to source for leads that provide instant value and ROI. 

Get Your Immediate Customer Appointments at www.GridFreedom.com   

Convincing Retirees that Solar is a Smart Investment

 

Retirees are a huge portion of the homeowner population. Baby Boomers account for 42% of homeowners nationwide, and for many members of the generation, the pandemic pushed them into early retirement. 

Given the prevalence of retirees among homeowners, it’s important that contractors consider how effective their marketing methods are in appealing to this demographic. In this post, we review some of the common trends you’ll see among retirees, and evaluate how they can be leveraged in your sales pitch. 

Use Financial Strategy to Alleviate Affordability Concerns

With only their savings, pension, and/or social security to rely on for funding the rest of their lives, retirees can feel uneasy about making a big purchase like solar. As a contractor, you’ll need to walk them through the financial moves that can help them afford it and maximize their returns. 

Government incentives and traditional financing may not be enough for these buyers. Zero-down loans will be far more helpful, than even those that offer zero-payment, deferred-interest periods. 

Talk About Home Value Boosts 

Whether retirees aim to sell their home, or they’re planning on making it a part of their estate, the boost solar will give to their home’s value is a key point to discuss. Retirees may be a lot more amenable to solar if they have the assurance they can recoup their investment when they put their homes on the market. 

Many will also see solar as a wealth-building investment for the inheritance they pass on to their loved ones. Their home will only appreciate in value as solar becomes more of an essential item for real estate buyers. 

Speak to the Desire for an Elevated Lifestyle

It’s also interesting to note that many entering retirements actually look to upgrade their homes. While a large portion of retirees tend to downsize, about 22% express an intention to move up. This is motivated by a desire to finally live the lifestyle they’ve always wanted, in the type of home they’ve always dreamed of. 

These retirees want ample space, in a home that has no shortage of luxuries. They want to finally have a home that has all the bells and whistles. For these customers, adding a sleek new solar installation can be quite a draw. 

Though this particular subset of retirees will be less concerned about budgetary constraints, they will still find appeal in lowering their energy bills. This type of buyer will also find great satisfaction in the self-sufficiency solar systems provide them. 

Empower Your Solar Panel Lead Generation

Converting retirees into enthusiastic solar buyers is made a lot easier by leveraging the points above. But by and far, the quickest path to purchase comes when your leads have already been hand-selected for their viability. 

Here at Grid Freedom, we specialize in attracting and pre-screening leads, and helping contractors find customers worth pursuing. All of our leads are supplied with their first appointment already scheduled, leaving you fully prepped for the sale. 

The reliable ROI of our leads has made Grid Freedom one of the most trusted agencies in the country. Join free to see the caliber of leads you can acquire on a regular basis. 

Get Meetings with Homeowners at www.GridFreedom.com

Shut Down the Need for Solar Leads to Shop Around

 

After spending a considerable amount of time meeting with a homeowner, you may think you’ve hit all of the hot points in your sales pitch. Money savings, energy independence, improved home value, etc. - so you start to wind down to the big ask. 

When that moment comes, how often do you hear: “I think I need to get another quote first…”?

If you’re like most contractors, it probably happens quite often.

This stall is one of the most common barriers to turning a prospect into a sale. And the worst part is that it’s hard to argue with. Since solar is such a big investment, you can’t deny that homeowners ought to weigh their options well before taking the plunge. But this hanging point can be the point of no return if you don’t respond correctly. Below, we offer some effective methods for salvaging your pitch. 

Identify What They Want to See

Before concluding your meeting, ask them what it is they’re hoping to find in other quotes. Ask them to list what their top priorities will be when they’re evaluating. 

Getting the customer to identify these points is important because, in a lot of cases, they don’t really know the answer. Saying they want to get other quotes can be a reflexive response that simply comes from general uncertainty, not an actual interest in going through the same process with other contractors. 

Guiding the conversation in this direction will do two things: 1. It will help the customer form a more sensible plan for how to judge contractor bids. 2. It will likely make them realize that your bid already has everything they’re looking for. 

Cite Past Customer Decisions

The main incentive to get another quote is to see if a better deal is out there. You can clear up the mystery by informing homeowners that many other past customers who went looking eventually came back to your offer. They found that your company was truly the best team for the job, offering the best value for money.

Of course, this should be done with tact and without pressure. It’s not a rebuttal, but instead, just a small seed planted in their mind before they explore what’s out there. Invite them to circle back after a few weeks and see what they found. Even better, offer to help them review other bids if they need help making sense of the details. 

Your confidence, openness, and support will go a long way toward making them feel that you are a dependable and trustworthy authority. This is the type of security a customer needs to get that good “gut feeling” about moving forward with you. 

Minimize the Threat of Competition with Exclusive Solar Leads

While using the techniques outlined above will certainly help keep your customers from seeking out other contractors, the best way is to start from leads that have been isolated from other proposals all along. 

When you limit your sourcing to only exclusive solar leads - those that haven’t been shared with other contractors - you’ll begin the customer relationship with greater control and ease of communication. 

Avoid the urgency that comes from other contractors zoning in. Give your clients a pressure-free experience that allows them to feel comfortable about your team and your product. Lead exclusivity creates the best environment for making a sale that the homeowner feels happy and confident about.  

Grid Freedom specializes in supplying contractors with their own exclusive leads. Once we’ve delivered one of our pre-screened, top-quality leads, it’s never shared again. We preserve the unique connection you have with the homeowner so that you can focus on building rapport and supplying the information they need. All leads are offered with no contracts or purchase minimums necessary, keeping risk out of the equation. 

Find Zero-Competition Leads at www.GridFreedom.com

Making Up for Project Losses with a Solar Marketing Company

 

Despite the immense growth of the sector as a whole, many individual contractors have reported some serious hardships in the past few years. Sales dropped for numerous companies, either through rough patches or the entirety of the recent timeline. 

In response, more and more contractors are seeking outside help. Turning to a solar marketing company has emerged as a top strategy for rebounding. 

If you’ve found yourself in these same shoes, you’ll find that working with the right agency can more than makeup for the losses you’ve experienced. Below, we discuss the topic in further detail, from the causes of recent sales struggles to the necessary qualities of a successful agency partnership. 

What’s Been Keeping Contractors Down?

The answer to this question is varied and complex. It’s no secret that the pandemic wrought havoc on the global economy, stalling production and delaying shipments for extended periods of time. The construction industry is still suffering the blow to material supplies, which has, in turn, halted much of the new construction and renovation that solar contractors rely on for new business. 

Add to that the fact that job losses and inflation have seriously cut the budgets of would-be buyers, and it’s clear why there’s such a scarcity of residential solar opportunities. 

But the problem had roots before the pandemic even hit. The Trump administration enacted tariffs that raised the prices of many foreign solar product imports. Controversy over foreign manufacturing is still causing trouble today, with the U.S. Department of Commerce announcing an investigation of tariff circumvention by solar manufacturers. 

Surveys have found that within just one week of this announcement, hundreds of solar contractors have reported an extreme impact on their finances. Around 200 companies claimed that they have had solar panel deliveries delayed or outright canceled in response. Pivoting to domestic sources won’t be much of a solution either, as American manufacturers are stating that their own production abilities are being significantly hindered due to the use of Chinese components. 

It seems that from all sides, contractors are experiencing a serious squeeze. Whether from the domains of supply or demand, hard pressures are creating obstacles to making consistent sales.

How Solar Agencies Help

Working with a proven solar marketing company can give contractors quickly, secure access to customers who are actually ready and able to buy. 

Companies that can deliver quality leads adhere to the industry’s top standards for solar lead generation, using attraction-based marketing and implementing targeted screening that accurately assesses a homeowner’s suitability. Once the most promising leads are selected for sale, their viability should be maximized via complete exclusivity  - meaning that after the lead is sold to one contractor, it’s never sold again. 

This may seem like a basic expectation for paid leads, but sadly, a vast number of agencies do not offer exclusivity. They will sell leads that are being accessed by multiple contractors, tanking the likelihood of anyone closing.

Agencies that stick to the right principles are few and far between. But Grid Freedom has quickly become well-known for its dedication to policies that put contractors first. All leads sold by Grid Freedom are 100% exclusive and already qualified via a live screening procedure that ends with the scheduling of the first appointment. 

This system fast-tracks sales for contractors, allowing them to quickly make up for lost numbers. When you purchase leads from Grid Freedom, you are able to source as many (or as few) as you need, giving you the flexibility to adapt to your organic sales performance. 

Get Top Prospects from a Trusted Solar Marketing Company

Visit www.GridFreedom.com