CASE STUDY · COMMERCIAL SOLAR INSTALLER · 6 MIN READ

Rural and Country Energy: How a Commercial Director Cut Seven Lead Providers to Two

lead providers in a year

7 to 2

lead providers in a year

of his leads come from our team

80%

of his leads come from our team

his average site

150 to 200kW

his average site

proposed each month

3 to 4MW

proposed each month

18:54

A rural renewables business building a commercial division

Rural and Country Energy is "14 years in in renewables", and made its name on heat pumps and solar for "farms and big country homes". It employs its own engineers and its commercial team on salaries, "not on commission only", which Rich says needs a different model from a sole trader selling small solar jobs.

The commercial division formally opened in October or November 2024, and our team was "one of the first people that we really started working with". At the time of the interview Rich had about three megawatts installed, about eight megawatts under proposal and was "looking at closing another two and a half megawatts in the next two months."

He is frank about the cost of getting there: "you need to have a couple hundred grand behind you" to move into commercial. If you are weighing up the same step, our guide to starting a solar business covers the set-up side.

Seven providers to two: what made the difference

"I've had seven different leads providers in the last year," Rich said. "I'm down to two. You guys provide us with 80% of our leads." One of the others was much cheaper per lead, and Rural and Country could send leads back, but "we were kicking back 67% of the leads". A call with that provider's MD ended in an argument.

With our leads he turns down about one in five, usually because they are too small, and there is no pushback when he does: "there's never a are you sure? What about this?" The rest suit him: "probably 80% of the leads you send through, we accept".

He also likes when the money changes hands: "we pay for the appointment once it's sat and we can get proposal away. That's when we pay for it." You only pay for appointments that are actually attended, and any that aren't viable we replace.

The questions he had added before every booking

Rich's view is that a commercial job has "so many things that can make it fall over", so the information at the start has to be right. Each meeting now comes with "a really good report before the meeting", and several of its questions came from him:

1. 1

   Single phase or three phase?

   This was not asked at first; now it is. The supply decides what can be connected, and our G99 application guide covers what the DNO will ask about it.

2. 2

   Existing solar, and its feed-in tariff

   If the site already has solar, the feed-in tariff on it is now asked for, so you know about the existing system before you design around it.

3. 3

   Is it a listed building?

   "is it grade two listed for example in a building you know because that will have a that will have an impact if it's grade two listed is there curtilage that we can use"

   If not the roof, is there space nearby, and could planning be got for it if it is out of sight? Our commercial solar planning permission guide covers listed buildings and curtilage.

4. 4

   Roof space and building height

   "is there enough roof space that you know, is it a really high building"

   Both shape the design, the access and the cost. The commercial solar survey checklist has the rest of what to check on the roof.

What he values is the speed of the change: "you're a speedboat ... It's not a case of three weeks later still saying, 'Guys, look, that's still not happened.' You know, it's an immediate effect."

Why 150 to 200kW suits a business with its own install teams

Sites range from "a 60 70 80 kilowatt size system" up to "a couple of meg size size opportunities off you as well that we're closing in on". Averaged out, "we're probably looking at between, you know, 150 to 200 kilowatts".

He calls that "a lovely lovely size for for commercial", because one team can fit it in: "we can do 50 kilowatts installed in a week, you know, per team, you know, so we can do, you know, one team, four weeks." A megawatt site needs two or three teams for about 16 weeks.

Rural and Country was proposing "some in the region of three to four megawatts a month" and aimed to double its number of design consultants by the end of the year. Rich also brought our team in on the domestic side of the business.

Q: So, all of the to all of the solar installers in your area would you recommend us to to use our services?

Rich: There's loads and loads of business out there. There's there's enough to be done. If we all do it right, there's enough for all of us to to make to make a nice living out of it ... And the process at the start is make sure you're getting good quality leads. And if you want good quality leads, then 100%, you know, I'd endorse these guys.

The full interview is in the video above. TNW Marketing's own write-up of Rich Morris's interview is on tnwmarketing.com. More installers talk about their leads in our case studies and on the reviews page.

Rural and Country Energy case study: FAQ