Solar Surveys.UK

GUIDE · FOR UK SOLAR INSTALLERS · 10 MIN READ

How to Get Commercial Solar Leads: 9 Channels Compared

The short answer

Commercial solar work comes from a mix of channels, and installers who grow steadily usually run two or three at once: referrals and partners for trust, one channel they control themselves (SEO, Google Ads, cold calling or email), and a bought supply of qualified opportunities to keep surveys in the diary. The right mix depends on what you have most of — time, cash or sales staff. Whatever you choose, judge it on cost per signed contract, not cost per lead.

This guide compares nine ways UK installers win commercial solar work — what each takes from you, how fast it pays, how much control you have and where it goes wrong — then shows how to judge any solar lead provider before you spend a penny.

The channels compared

A quick, qualitative view. Costs and results vary too much between businesses to put honest numbers on them, so the table shows what each channel asks of you instead.

ChannelWhat it takes from youSpeedControlTypical problem
Referrals and partnersRelationships, time and a track record worth talking aboutSlow to build, then steadyLow — you can't turn the volume upLumpy: busy one month, silent the next
SEO (organic search)A website that converts, useful content and patienceSlow — months before it paysMediumMost solar searches come from homeowners, not businesses
Google AdsBudget, landing pages and weekly managementFast — live within daysHighPaying for clicks from homeowners, students and competitors
Facebook and LinkedIn adsCreative, budget and a fast follow-up processFast to launchHigh on spend, low on lead qualityLots of low-intent form fills
Cold callingCallers, good data, a CRM and management timeMedium — weeks to find a rhythmHighGetting past gatekeepers to the person who signs off
Canvassing and door-knockingField staff and time on the roadMediumMediumRarely fits commercial — the decision-maker isn't at reception
Email outreachData, sending setup, copy and consistent follow-upMediumHighDeliverability and low reply rates
Buying leads (form fills)Cash and a team that calls back within minutesFastMedium — volume yes, quality noShared, unreached or not ready to buy
Booked appointments (pay per appointment)Payment per appointment and surveyors free to attendFastMedium — you choose which to takeQuality depends entirely on who did the qualifying

Each channel for commercial solar

A homeowner can decide over a weekend; a business usually has an owner, a finance person and sometimes a landlord to satisfy. So the pros and cons below lean on one question: how quickly does this channel get you in front of the person who signs?

1. Referrals and partners

The best commercial jobs often come through someone you already know: a past customer, an electrical contractor, an accountant who advises farms, an energy broker or a managing agent. A referred owner arrives trusting you, which shortens a long buying process. But you can't decide that next month will bring ten.

Pros

  • Highest trust of any channel
  • Often the shortest route from first call to signed contract

Cons

  • Volume is unpredictable and hard to scale
  • Depends on a network most new installers haven't built yet

2. SEO (organic search)

Ranking your own site brings enquiries without paying per click. For commercial solar, write for the people who sign off the spend — finance directors, farm owners, facilities managers — with real case studies and sector pages. Homeowners dominate the big solar searches, so treat SEO as a long-term asset.

Pros

  • Enquiries keep coming without paying per click
  • Builds credibility that helps every other channel

Cons

  • Takes months to show results
  • Hard to keep residential enquiries out

Paid search reaches people as they search, with full control of keywords, areas and budget. For commercial work most of the effort is exclusion: negative keywords for domestic terms and landing pages aimed clearly at businesses. You still get an unqualified enquiry that someone must ring back and book.

Pros

  • Fast, measurable and easy to switch on and off
  • Catches people who are already searching

Cons

  • Needs constant attention or spend leaks into the wrong searches
  • Every enquiry still has to be qualified by you

4. Facebook and LinkedIn ads

Social ads reach people who weren't searching. Facebook finds farm and small business owners, but its lead forms make responding so easy that many replies are curious rather than ready. LinkedIn targets by job title and company size, at a premium. Either works only with a qualifying call behind it.

Pros

  • Reaches decision-makers who aren't searching yet
  • Good for testing messages and offers quickly

Cons

  • Form fills need heavy qualification
  • Facebook audiences skew residential unless targeting is tight

5. Cold calling

Calling businesses directly is one of the most dependable ways to book commercial surveys, because you choose who to approach: big roofs, high daytime use, an owner you can reach. It is also a management job. UK callers must screen numbers against the Corporate TPS (CTPS), and the TPS for sole traders and partnerships.

Pros

  • You choose the targets and control the volume
  • Conversations reveal real objections early

Cons

  • Hiring, training and keeping callers is hard
  • Reaching the actual decision-maker takes persistence

6. Canvassing and door-knocking

Door-knocking built much of residential solar. It rarely fits commercial: the person at reception seldom approves a capital project, and turning up unannounced at a farm or factory annoys more often than it books. Planned face-to-face — trade shows, agricultural events, visits arranged in advance — works better.

Pros

  • Face-to-face builds trust quickly
  • Can work for small, owner-run premises

Cons

  • Decision-makers are rarely available on the spot
  • Travel time makes each conversation expensive

7. Email outreach

Cold email lets a small team reach many businesses cheaply. Replies come from short, specific emails that ask one question, ideally followed by a call. Deliverability matters as much as copy. Under PECR you can email limited companies with an opt-out, but sole traders and some partnerships count as individuals.

Pros

  • Low cost per business contacted
  • Scales without hiring more staff

Cons

  • Most emails go unanswered
  • Setup and deliverability need specialist care

8. Buying leads (form fills)

Lead providers sell the details of people who answered their adverts. It is the quickest way to fill a call list, but a form fill is only the start: you still reach, qualify and book. Ask how many other installers buy the same contact — a shared lead starts a race to call first.

Pros

  • Immediate supply you can buy more of
  • No marketing skills needed in-house

Cons

  • You do all the qualifying and booking
  • Often sold to several installers at once

Our guide to buying solar leads in the UK sets out the difference between survey appointments and form fills side by side.

9. Booked appointments (pay per appointment)

The provider does the work the other channels leave to you: finding the business, speaking to the decision-maker and booking a survey slot. You pay per appointment, and your first job is the site visit. Appointments cost more than form fills, so the terms matter — above all, what you pay for a no-show.

Pros

  • No chasing — the survey is already in the diary
  • Frees your team to spend time on surveys and quotes

Cons

  • Higher price per lead than a form fill
  • You rely on the provider's qualifying standards

For what a booked commercial survey typically costs by system size, see how much commercial solar leads cost.

How to judge any solar lead provider

Whether you are comparing solar lead companies, an appointment setting agency or your own marketing, these are the questions that separate a good source of commercial work from an expensive one.

  • Cost per signed contract. Divide what you spend with a provider by the contracts you sign from it. A cheap lead that never books a visit costs more than a dear one that becomes a job.
  • Sit rate. Of the surveys booked, how many happen with the right person there? Ask how it is measured, then measure it yourself.
  • Decision-maker confirmed. Was the person who signs off the spend spoken to by phone? A keen site manager who can't approve the budget is a polite dead end.
  • The exclusivity question. How many other installers receive the same lead, and are you told before you commit?
  • Replacement and no-show terms. If the customer doesn't sit, the number is wrong or they don't own the roof, what happens: no charge, a replacement, a credit, or nothing? Get it in writing, with any time limits.
  • Where the leads come from. Does the provider run its own campaigns and callers, or buy and resell? Only the first can answer questions about a lead.

Start any new provider with a small trial and record what happened at every survey. Our commercial solar survey checklist helps keep your side of each visit consistent, so the trial tells you about the leads.

Building a mix that works

Most installers need two or three channels that fit the business they already are, not all nine. Three patterns that hold up:

  • Short on time, able to spend: booked appointments keep the diary full while referrals and SEO grow in the background.
  • Strong sales team, tight budget: cold calling and email turn staff time into surveys, if someone manages the numbers weekly.
  • Established with a good reputation: formalise partner referrals, publish case studies, and top up with paid or bought work when the pipeline dips.

Record the source of every survey and signed contract. Within a few months the channel that deserves more money is usually obvious — and it is rarely the one with the cheapest leads.

Where Solar Surveys UK fits

Solar Surveys UK sits in the last row of the table: booked commercial solar survey appointments, sold to installers on a pay per appointment basis. It doesn't replace your referrals or your own marketing; it adds surveys alongside them.

  • Commercial only — businesses, farms and commercial properties, roughly 40kW to 750kW+ systems. No residential leads are listed.
  • Generated in-house by TNW Marketing's paid media and qualified by phone by a UK team: decision-maker, roof ownership, energy consumption and intent confirmed.
  • Only leads in the postcodes you cover, with system size and property type shown before you register interest.
  • Leads are matched to a small number of best-fit installers, and you see how many have registered interest before you commit.
  • Priced by system size, from £400+VAT for sub-40kW to £1,000+VAT for 750kW+.
  • No sit, no pay: if the customer doesn't sit for the survey, you don't pay for the lead.

Supply is typically 40 to 100 new commercial opportunities a week, and you can browse live leads free for 7 days with no credit card. See the commercial solar leads we list, how it works day to day on our page for solar installers, or read how solar survey leads work.

How to get commercial solar leads: FAQ

What is the best way to get commercial solar leads?

There is no single best channel. Installers who grow steadily combine referrals, one channel they control (SEO, ads, calling or email) and a bought supply of qualified surveys, and judge each on cost per signed contract.

Are bought solar leads worth it?

They can be, if you know what you are buying. A shared form fill needs fast follow-up and full qualification; a booked survey with a confirmed decision-maker needs neither. Compare suppliers on sit rate and no-show terms.

What does pay per appointment mean for solar installers?

You pay for a booked survey rather than a contact's details. The provider finds, qualifies and books the business. On Solar Surveys UK, under no sit, no pay, you don't pay if the customer doesn't sit for the survey.

Do Facebook ads work for commercial solar?

They can reach business and farm owners, but easy lead forms bring many curious rather than ready enquiries, and audiences skew residential. They work when every enquiry is qualified by phone before a visit is booked.

Does door-to-door canvassing work for commercial solar?

Rarely. At a business the person on reception is seldom the one who approves a capital project. Trade shows, agricultural events and visits arranged in advance work better.

Is it legal to cold call businesses about solar in the UK?

Business-to-business sales calls are allowed, but you must screen against the Corporate TPS (and the TPS for sole traders and partnerships), say who you are and stop when asked. Check the ICO's PECR guidance; this is not legal advice.

How much do commercial solar leads cost?

It varies by provider. On Solar Surveys UK, booked commercial survey appointments are priced by system size, from £400+VAT for sub-40kW to £1,000+VAT for 750kW+, with no charge if the survey doesn't sit.

Related guides

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