From Resi to Commercial Solar: A Solar Industry Perspective

I recently had the pleasure of joining Joe Ordia on the Solar Surge Podcast to discuss my journey in the solar industry and share insights on transitioning from residential to commercial solar projects.

As I mentioned during our conversation, "The energy transition has been going on for a while, but it's still very early days. We have a long runway." Despite recent challenges in the industry, I firmly believe solar remains poised for decades of growth—I like to say "we have 30 years of pure growth ahead of us."

For solar professionals considering the commercial sector, I recommend focusing on "tightly held, privately owned companies" where decision-making processes are more streamlined. Unlike residential sales, commercial projects involve longer timelines—often 12 months or more—and require building relationships with C-suite executives who control capital expenditure decisions.

On the marketing front, I've found success by becoming "a beacon of good information" through consistent content creation and strategic networking. My approach combines digital outreach through platforms like LinkedIn with face-to-face connections at industry events and business associations. Creating regular content on the Clean Power Hour podcast has paid off tremendously over my nine years of podcasting in solar.

The financial landscape differs significantly from residential solar. While homeowners typically finance systems under $50,000, commercial projects range from $50,000 to $5 million or more. ROI varies by region, with many markets now seeing 4-6 year payback periods thanks to ITC incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Looking ahead, I'm seeing the industry shift from central to string inverters in larger installations and predict continued integration of solar into building materials. I also emphasize to my clients the importance of long-term operations and maintenance agreements to ensure system performance over decades.

As I told Joe during our conversation, "Every commercial roof in America will have a clean energy facility on it. It's just a question of time." If you're interested in connecting, reach out to me on LinkedIn or visit cleanpowerhour.com. Check out the full the interview on