What Solar Installers Need To Know (by Sunvoy)

Most solar O&M teams don’t have a data problem. They have a prioritization problem. In this episode, Joe talks with SmartHelio founder Shankaransh Srivastava about using AI and physics-based analytics to catch faults early, predict inverter failures, and figure out which issues are actually worth fixing first. They get into ground faults, overheating, technician response times, lost revenue, and why better monitoring only matters if your team knows what to act on.

A lot of solar companies don’t have a people problem. They have a process problem.

In this episode, Joe talks with solar trainer and industry veteran Emmett Muckles about why missing SOPs, inconsistent training, and “learn it on the job” culture quietly drive up costs. They get into commercial O&M, workforce development, distressed solar assets, real estate education, and the operational changes installers need to scale without creating more service problems later.

Commercial solar O&M sounds like easy recurring revenue - until the travel, downtime, staffing, and service calls start piling up. In this episode, Hervé talks with Michael Schwarz from Arch O&M about using Lean Six Sigma, standardized processes, and the right KPIs to keep commercial solar assets performing without letting operations spiral. They cover preventative maintenance, drone inspections, technician training, safety, and what installers need in place before launching an O&M division.

Tony Rodriguez has spent nearly three decades mastering one thing: getting homeowners to say yes without feeling sold. In this episode, Hervé talks with the retail marketing leader behind lead generation programs for Home Depot, Sears, Macy's, Momentum Solar, and Current Home about why most solar companies approach marketing the wrong way. Instead of selling panels, Tony argues that installers should be selling what customers actually care about: what they'll do with the money they save. They explore why education beats pressure in the sales process, how to dramatically reduce cancellations by slowing down instead of speeding up, why company culture matters more than closing techniques, and how AI is reshaping both marketing and customer experience. If you're trying to generate more qualified leads, improve close rates, or build a solar brand people genuinely trust, this conversation is full of practical lessons you can put to work immediately.

Josh Goldberg has built three different solar companies, and each one taught him something the industry is still wrestling with today. In this episode, Hervé sits down with the founder of Astrum Solar, co-founder of Sunlight Financial, and CEO of Sunstone Credit to unpack why homeowners overwhelmingly prefer owning over leasing, why commercial solar has lagged behind residential despite having stronger economics, and how financing has been the missing piece. They also discuss why commercial installers should treat financing as part of every sale, how AI is speeding up commercial underwriting, why batteries are rapidly becoming a standalone business opportunity, and what residential installers need to know before expanding into commercial. If you're looking for practical lessons on scaling, financing, and where the next phase of solar growth will come from, this conversation is packed with them.

Barry Cinnamon has been through just about every solar cycle the industry has seen. In this episode, Hervé sits down with the founder of Akeena Solar to unpack what 25 years in solar has taught him, from building a public company out of his garage to lobbying Congress to uncap the ITC, inventing integrated racking and AC modules, and surviving multiple market crashes. They dive into why national solar companies keep failing, why local installers continue to win, how policy is keeping U.S. solar costs far above the rest of the world, and what installers should do now that the ITC is gone. If you're trying to build a solar company that lasts through every boom and bust, Barry's perspective is hard to beat.

Most commercial solar conversations focus on panels. This one focuses on capital. In this episode, Hervé sits down with Luk Verdonck, VP of Commercial at BluePath Finance, to unpack what actually gets commercial and community solar projects funded and what quietly kills deals before they ever break ground. From EPC selection and milestone payments to documentation, installer relationships, and long-term asset performance, Luk explains what financiers look for before writing a check. They also dive into why quality workmanship matters long after commissioning, how trust between developers and installers keeps projects moving when things go wrong, and why the next generation of commercial solar will be built on strong partnerships, disciplined execution, and smarter use of capital. 

Most solar ads look the same... cheap panels, big discounts, and “free solar” hooks that make serious homeowners roll their eyes. In this episode, Joe sits down with Jude Cornish from Solar on Steroids to talk about a better way to market solar: show the actual work, explain the install, and let quality be the offer. Jude breaks down how his team used iPhone-shot site videos, honest education, and bold messaging like “looking for cheap solar, go find someone else” to help local installers stand out, lower CAC, and compete against the big sales orgs without pretending to be one.

Customer acquisition in solar is still way too expensive and Scott Rosenberg thinks data can fix a big chunk of it. In this episode, Joe sits down with the co-founder and CEO of 257 to talk about Pink, their AI-powered platform that helps installers find the homes most likely to go solar, add batteries, join VPPs, or need energy upgrades. They get into lookalike modeling, direct mail, Meta ads, soft costs, post-IRA survival, and why the next era of solar marketing will not be “spray and pray.” If you’re trying to lower CAC and stop wasting money on bad leads, this one is worth a listen.

Shift Energy Group is trying to do something hard: grow across Canada without losing the local trust that makes solar work. In this episode, Hervé talks with Rich Lindquist and Chris Palliser about how Shift scaled from a small team to one of British Columbia’s largest solar installers, doing hundreds of installs a year across multiple provinces. They get into operations, local market challenges, community marketing, customer feedback, batteries, brand trust, and Shift’s bet on building-integrated solar through Adra. It’s a great look at what it takes to scale a solar company without becoming just another faceless national installer.