What Solar Installers Need To Know (by Sunvoy)

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 lon...

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...

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, so...

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,...

John Sheldon has seen solar from just about every angle (from selling $8-per-watt systems in the early days to helping scale some of the industry's biggest customer acquisition engines). In this episode, he shares lessons from Akeena Solar, Red Ventures, and Renu Energy, breaking down why so many installers struggle to turn sales into profitable installs. They dive into customer acquisition costs,...

Interconnection is one of those things most solar companies don’t think about...until it becomes the thing slowing down the entire business. In this episode, Hervé sits down with Vaughan Woodruff to unpack the messy reality behind utility approvals, permitting bottlenecks, and why “people and process” issues are often bigger than the technical ones. They get into utility relationships, workforce d...

Most solar companies hit a ceiling and never break through.  Geoff Mirkin did, building Solar Energy World into a $100M business and taking it all the way to a successful exit. In this episode, he gets real about what actually drives growth: disciplined operations, strong teams, smart lead gen (without the junk), and a customer experience that compounds over time. They dig into sales management, m...

What does it actually look like to build a solar company with purpose, and not lose your edge?  In this episode, Joe Marhamati sits down with Maria Kingery (360Impact, Southern Energy Management) to unpack the real journey: scaling into utility projects, implementing operating systems that don’t break your team, and why B-Corp isn’t just a badge.  They get into conscious leadership, employee owner...

From racing solar cars to running a renewable energy conglomerate, Ismaël Ben-Al-Lal has seen every phase of this industry up close. In this episode, he calls out what’s changed (and what hasn’t): how customers actually buy today, why pricing strategy matters more than ever, and where tech is quietly reshaping energy businesses. They also get into the real stuff—culture, leadership, and what goes...

Andy McCarthy went from building a solar company in his garage to successfully exiting and he shares the real story behind that journey. In this episode, he breaks down the Australian solar market, the policy headwinds installers have to navigate, and what it actually takes to build something worth selling. It’s a grounded look at growth, grit, and where renewable energy is heading next. 

Nathan Charles from Enphase joins Hervé to unpack the next phase of solar: where hardware innovation, software intelligence, and system integration converge. They discuss how customer feedback is directly shaping product development, from the IQ9 platform to the shift from silicon to GaN, and what that means for performance, efficiency, and scalability. The conversation also explores the growing r...

Selling your solar company isn’t just about the numbers, and Lisa Hedrick makes that clear fast. In this episode, Hervé sits down with the M&A attorney to break down what actually drives a deal: seller motivations, market timing, legal prep, and yes—private equity. They also get into the stuff most people underestimate, like customer relationships, company culture, and how AI is starting to cr...

Reeves Clippard from A&R Solar joins Hervé to talk about what it really takes to play the long game in solar. They get into strategy, shifting policies, and why companies that think beyond installs—into storage, microgrids, and long-term customer relationships—are the ones that last. If you’re navigating market swings and trying to build something durable, this episode hits on where the indust...

Solar isn’t just hardware anymore...it’s software, data, and intelligence layered on top. In this episode, Hervé talks with Jayant Somani from Enphase about how digital tools are reshaping the installer workflow from sales to commissioning and beyond. They get into AI, home energy management, shifting utility pricing, and why virtual power plants could turn solar assets into long-term revenue stre...

Distributors don’t just move boxes, they shape markets. In this episode, Hervé sits down with Hamza Arshad from Greentech to talk about what’s really happening at the distribution level: product selection, installer feedback loops, supply chain issues, and why HVAC integration is becoming part of the solar conversation. They get into shifting consumer behavior, market trends, and how installers wh...

Marketing in solar isn’t what it was five years ago, and Brad Forbush has lived that shift firsthand. In this episode, Hervé sits down with the founder of Growth Pros (and former Shine Solar leader) to talk about how marketing evolved from basic lead gen to brand, content, and constant testing. They get into AI, audience building, adapting when the market turns, and why the installers who keep lea...

If your financing model is weak, your solar business is weak, period. In this episode, Hervé Billiet sits down with Mike Gilroy, CEO of Sungage Financial, to break down how financing has evolved, why de-risking deals is non-negotiable, and how the wrong loan product can quietly kill your margins. They dive into consultative selling, training reps properly, and why the companies that win in this ma...

In this episode, Hervé Billiet sits down with James Showalter to unpack what’s really changing under the hood of solar and battery technology.  They get into the messy reality of product development, why domestic content is suddenly mission-critical, and how virtual power plants and energy management are reshaping the value stack. It’s a sharp conversation about building the right teams, working c...

Micah, CFO of Allterra Solar, joins the show to talk through the real trade-offs solar companies are facing right now—and the deliberate choices they’ve made to stay healthy. He explains why Altera steered clear of TPO, doubled down on residential, and how they manage backlogs, commissioning mistakes, and sales alignment without breaking cash flow.  From distributor relationships and O&M as a...

In this episode of What Solar Installers Need to Know , Hervé Billiet sits down with Sam Evans-Brown, Executive Director of Clean Energy New Hampshire, to break down how solar policy actually gets made and why it matters to installers on the ground.  Sam shares how the organization evolved into a serious clean energy trade and policy group, why utilities and co-ops are increasingly aligned with so...

This episode takes a sharp left turn from spreadsheets and installs...and honestly, that’s the point. Luis Arreaza, Founder & Advisor in Total Human Development, opens up about time spent alone in the desert and how stepping away from noise, titles, and expectations can force you to confront who you actually are. It’s a raw conversation about identity beyond work, why success doesn’t always eq...

Hervé sits down with Barrett Silver, a 20-year solar industry veteran, for a candid look back at what it really takes to build (and survive) a solar business. Fresh off retirement, Barrett shares his journey from founding Silver Lining Solar to navigating the chaos of COVID, along with hard-earned lessons on sales, marketing, and setting honest expectations with customers. What follows is a practi...

In this episode, Hervè speaks with Erik Holvik, Director of Corporate Development and Strategy at EnergySage, about how the solar market is evolving and what installers need to do to keep up. Erik breaks down EnergySage’s role in connecting homeowners with contractors, why diversifying into heat pumps and other energy solutions matters, the real challenges contractors face as the market shifts, an...

In this episode, Joe Marhamati sits down with Tim Montague, host of Clean Power Hour, for a wide-ranging conversation on where the solar industry is headed and what installers need to understand to stay ahead. Tim shares his journey into solar and offers a clear-eyed look at today’s market challenges, from margin pressure to shifting customer expectations. Together, they unpack why battery storage...

In this standout episode, Joe Marhamati sits down with Boaz Sofier (one of the real veterans of the solar industry) for a conversation every solar CEO should hear. Boaz walks through his path from the wild Y2K days to running major solar organizations, and why he ultimately shifted his focus to fixing the one thing that makes or breaks an installation company: culture. What follows is part solar o...