CASE STUDY · COMMERCIAL SOLAR INSTALLER · 4 MIN READ

Sol PV Group: Fitting Smaller Commercial Solar Jobs Between the Big Ones

with our team at the interview

6 to 8 weeks

with our team at the interview

appointments in a four-day week

5

appointments in a four-day week

a typical job from these leads

30 to 40kW

a typical job from these leads

5:44

Who Sol PV Group are

Sol PV Group builds solar farms in South Wales and has put solar on the buildings of several large companies; at the interview it had just signed a large deal with one more. Ian runs the sales department and describes the business simply: "So we are reliable trustworthy and very straightforward in what we do."

Small jobs between the big ones

A business that builds solar farms does not need every lead to be huge. Most of what Ian takes is around 30 to 40kW, with "the odd one which is a lot bigger which is what we like." The smaller jobs fill the gaps:

“We get a lot of big jobs anyway so the little ones we can slot in in between.”

It is a useful way to think about browsing leads. Decide what size of job your team can fit around its current work, and pick for that rather than only chasing the biggest roofs. Sizing a site quickly before you commit is easier with the right tool; our solar design software guide compares the options.

Five site visits a week

At the interview Ian had five appointments in a four-day week and five more already booked for the following week. He is happy with that: "I would much rather be out seeing clients than I would sat in the office anyway."

With that many visits, preparation matters. Our commercial solar survey checklist sets out what to confirm before you go, on site and afterwards.

Why being listened to mattered

Ian had worked briefly with other sales generation teams before Sol PV and ended each within weeks. His complaint was the same every time:

“You're not listening to me. You're not, you know, you're not pushing what I want.”

With our team, he says, "that experience has been completely different". Sol PV is "very straightforward in what we want and what we're looking for", and the contact is daily. In six to eight weeks, "it's been eye opening what what is out there that we we've been missing."

Paying for attended appointments

Asked whether paying for attended appointments scales for a company like Sol PV, Ian said it does, because the business could not produce the same on its own: "we wouldn't generate this amount of leads ourselves on a self-generating scheme."

You only pay for appointments that are actually attended, and any that aren't viable we replace. If you are comparing that with building the work in-house, our guide to how to get commercial solar leads sets the channels out side by side.

He sees it lasting: "I think I'm looking at this being a long-term really long-term effort together." Would he recommend us? "Not in our area. No." Further afield, where Sol PV has contacts, "yes I would absolutely recommend it to them".

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

Sol PV Group case study: FAQ