How To Prepare for Your Introductory Call When Going Solar

An introductory call is the first step to saving money and powering your home with clean solar energy. As with any journey, the first step can be the hardest.

But we’re here to make it easy, because that’s what we do!

With a little preparation, this 10 to 15-minute call can put you on the fast-track to getting multiple binding quotes for a custom solar system.

Keep reading to find out how to prepare for your introductory call with solar.com.

A guided experience for going solar

First, it’s important to understand who we are and what we do.

Solar.com is a marketplace that simplifies the process of buying solar and battery storage.

We’ll be the first to admit that, even at its best, the residential solar industry is complex. Homeowners that choose to go it alone spend hours and hours manually vetting local installers, setting up appointments, and listening to sales pitches – all while never really knowing who they can trust. That’s not to mention chasing away those pesky door knockers!

At solar.com, we do the legwork of generating multiple binding quotes from vetted installers and we pair you with a dedicated Energy Advisor to guide you and answer your questions along the way – all at no extra cost to you.

Think of us like a real estate agent that not only finds multiple homes based on your needs, but leverages relationships in the industry to negotiate the best price.

But don’t take our word for it – try it yourself!

What to expect from your intro call

The first step in your guided experience is a 10-15 introductory call to get to know each other.

This is your first of many chances to learn more about our marketplace and going solar in general. Feel free to discuss your preferences, energy goals, and concerns and to ask as many questions as you’d like.

In fact, our Energy Associates describe themselves as “real life Alexa’s waiting to answer your solar questions.”

The one thing they can’t answer during the introductory call is how much your system will cost because it hasn’t been designed yet.

How to prepare for your introductory call

There are three things you can provide to make the most of your introductory call:

1. A recent energy bill
2. A picture of your electrical panel box
3. A list of goals, questions, and concerns

If you’ve already uploaded your energy bill and panel box photo, good on you!

If not, you can either email them to the Energy Associate that reached out to you or upload them to your solar.com dashboard.

To upload them to your dashboard:

1. Log into your solar.com dashboard
2. Click “View Project”
3. Schedule an introductory call
4. Upload your documents

These documents are all we need to design a custom solar system that accomplishes your energy goals. The sooner you provide them, the sooner you can start saving with solar!

Questions people frequently ask during introductory calls

How much does the solar.com guided experience cost?

The solar.com marketplace and guided experience is completely free. Our mission is to make the residential solar industry more transparent and easier to navigate, and our guided experience is designed to achieve that at no cost to the consumer.

As our Energy Associates will tell you, there’s no strings attached… except our heart strings.

Will solar.com share my contact info with installers?

Absolutely not. Sharing your contact information with installers without your permission would violate your privacy and defeat the purpose of our guided experience.

Only after you’ve decided to proceed with a bid will your information be shared with the installation company you’ve chosen.

What does “binding quotes” mean?

You’ll hear and see the term “binding quotes” quite a bit on solar.com. This means that the price you see on an offer is the exact price you’ll pay if you select the bid.

Other installers and solar marketplaces provide generic quotes that tend to change as you customize your system. But by collecting the necessary information upfront, we only bring you binding quotes that won’t increase throughout the process.

How long is the timeline to go solar?

The process of going solar typically takes 3-5 months, but can depend on a variety of factors. These include:

• The time it takes to select a bid and sign a contract
• When the installer can schedule your project
• Product availability
• Additional projects (new roof, main panel box upgrade)
• The project is altered after a contract is signed

Keep in mind that everyone’s project is different, and each project moves at its own pace.

How are the solar installers in the solar.com network vetted?

Before joining our network, installers are vetted on over a dozen different criteria, including:

• Licenses and insurance
• Customer testimonials and publicly available reviews
• Number of installations completed
• Equipment used and warranties offered

Perhaps the most important criteria is bankability – or the stability of the installation company. We only work with installers that have been in business for more than three years and we audit each company’s financials to make sure they are in a sustainable position. This ensures that they will be able to uphold their warranties throughout the life of a solar system.

Less than 30% of the installers that apply to join our network are approved – we’re that picky.