12 Killer Solar Lead Generation Techniques Backed by Real Data

The problem is, most solar companies still use dusty old methods and end up talking to crickets instead of customers.

So, I’m here to save you from that nightmare. I’ll walk you through 12 solar lead generation techniques to snag those hot leads and turn them into real sales.

But before we jump into the good stuff, let’s clear the air on what solar lead generation really means and why it matters in the first place.

What is solar lead generation?

It’s all about getting in front of the right people at the right time, before your competitors do.

Who needs it?

1. Solar companies looking to grow their customer base
2. Freelance solar consultants trying to close more deals
3. Marketing agencies running campaigns for solar brands
4. Lead generation companies selling leads to solar companies
5. Anyone trying to sell solar anything without going door to door like it’s 1995

Is solar lead generation worth it?

Short answer? Yes.

Longer answer? Still yes, but now with data and a dose of reality.

That’s not a trend. That’s a freight train of opportunity.

Everyone’s out there screaming “Go solar!” louder than their competitors. And that noise is expensive.

So if your lead gen game is weak, you're basically lighting money on fire.

Bad leads waste time, burn budgets, and break morale. Good leads lower your CAC, boost ROI, and keep your business breathing.

So yes, solar lead generation is worth it.

But only if you do it right.

And the first step to do that – is choosing the right lead generation techniques.

How to choose the best solar lead generation techniques?

You’ve probably seen a hundred different ways to get solar leads.

Spamming posts and comments on social media, buying outdated and generic lead lists, or maybe even someone’s uncle doing door-to-door.

But let’s be honest. Most of those strategies fall apart faster than a cheap solar panel in a hailstorm.

I didn’t just throw darts at a list of tactics.

This guide is built on hard criteria: conversion rates, cost per acquisition, ROI, and how likely it is to actually work in 2025.

Before we jump into the actual strategies, let's lay down the basics.

Types of lead generation

There are two main ways to categorize lead generation strategies.

1. Inbound vs Outbound – How you get the lead
2. B2B vs B2C – Who you’re selling to

Inbound vs Outbound

Inbound means leads come to you.

They search something on Google, stumble onto your site, read a blog, watch a video, whatever.

You didn’t chase them down. You showed up when they were already looking. It’s passive, but powerful.

Outbound flips that around. You go after them first.

Cold email, cold calling, DMs, text messages, carrier pigeons, in short you initiate the contact.

It’s more aggressive, but also gives you control over targeting and timing. Perfect if you don't want to sit around waiting for traffic to trickle in.

A strong solar lead gen strategy needs a blend of both. Inbound brings in warm leads. Outbound gives you reach and speed.

B2B vs B2C

B2B is business-to-business. You're targeting commercial clients like building owners, property developers, solar installation partners, etc.

The deal sizes are bigger, the decision-making is slower, and you usually have to go through a chain of people before anyone signs anything.

B2C is business-to-consumer. You're going after individual homeowners.

The volume is higher, the buying cycle is faster, and you're mostly convincing regular folks who just want lower power bills and a nice green badge for their lawn.

Both are goldmines, if you pick the right strategies.

I picked a mix of both inbound and outbound strategies that work for both B2B and B2C target audiences.

Which brings us to...

How did I choose these lead generation techniques

I picked each strategy based on how well it scores across 3 key factors:

1. CPL
2. CR
3. ROI

Cost per Lead (CPL) is how much you spend to get one potential customer into your pipeline.

P.S. not a buyer yet, just someone who shows interest. If a strategy makes you pay a fortune just to get someone to maybe look at your offer, it’s a red flag.

I chose strategies that stay within that range while still bringing in leads that are actually worth your time.

Conversion Rate (CR) is the percentage of leads that actually become paying customers.

That might sound low, but in a competitive space like solar, it’s the benchmark for a healthy pipeline.

Return on Investment (ROI) means for every dollar you spend, how much are you making back?

A strategy might be cheap, but if the payoff is garbage, it’s still garbage.

As you dial in your channels and scale things up, hitting 5 to 8 times ROI should be the goal.

12 killer strategies for solar lead generation

Based on all these factors, I picked 12 proven solar lead generation strategies, broken down by category and ranked by performance.

Let’s go through them one by one.

1. Referrals

Referrals are the gold standard of solar lead generation.

Instead of throwing money at ads or buying questionable lists, you get new customers through word of mouth and trusted recommendations.

In solar, referrals work because people love to brag about their panels and how much they’re saving.

Plus, nothing beats a neighbor or a business partner saying, “Hey, these guys did a great job, you should call them.”

There are 3 ways to make referrals work for you:

1. Happy customers who talk you up for free
2. Incentivized customers who send you leads for a reward
3. Partner businesses like roofers or electricians who pass you deals for a cut

How effective is it?

Referrals are one of the most trusted and proven ways to win new business, especially in solar.

Why? Because people trust what they can see and who they know.

B2B solar? Even stronger

How to do it right?

Don't wait for customers to magically talk about you. You need to make referring to you so simple and rewarding that they actually do it.

Offer something real. Not a cheesy $20 gift card, but cash or a bill credit big enough to feel worth the effort.

Work it into your customer experience from the start.

For partnering with other businesses, be just as clear and generous.

Roofers, electricians, HVAC guys, and realtors already talk to homeowners who might want solar.

Sweeten the deal by giving them a real cut for every closed install they send you.

Not sure where to find good partners?

Use Lobstr.io’s Google Maps Search Export tool to pull a clean list of local businesses from every nearby zipcode with their contact info.

Reach out, pitch your referral idea, and make it dead simple for them to share leads, like a one-page form or a custom landing page just for their clients.

2. Cold emailing

Cold emailing is exactly what it sounds like. You reach out to someone who has never heard of you and try to convince them you're not spam.

It’s bold, direct, and if you're targeting commercial or B2B solar clients, it’s one of the most cost-effective moves you can make.

How effective is it?

This isn’t just “still works” territory. Cold emailing one of the most effective techniques in the lead generation game.

How to do it right?

First thing first, you need an email list.

And no, buying one from some sketchy "marketing wizard" on Reddit is not the move.

Build your own list. Always. Why?

Because cold emailing garbage contacts is how you get spammed, blacklisted, and ghosted by leads and Gmail.

For B2B solar, one of the easiest and most effective ways to build a list is by scraping emails from local business listings.

You can collect listings data and contact info from Google Maps, Yelp, or even Tripadvisor.

Want something quick and ready to go?

Use SphereScout.io.

It offers full datasets of local businesses with emails, phone numbers, social links, and addresses.

Want to get surgical with your targeting and get literally all available information about local businesses?

Use Lobstr.io to extract fresh, real-time data directly from sources like Google Maps, Yelp, or Tripadvisor.

It’s precise, clean, and lets you filter by location, and keywords. Basically, it’s what smart people use when they’re tired of guessing.

Once you’ve got your list? You write short, personalized emails, follow up consistently, and keep the conversation focused on them, not your shiny solar pitch deck.

You can read my emailing series to learn more about writing and sending the best cold emails using AI.

3. Email marketing

Email marketing means sending messages to people who already know you exist.

These are warm leads like past customers, newsletter subscribers, quote requesters, and the guy who filled out your form but ghosted you afterward.

Unlike cold emailing, where you’re chasing strangers, email marketing is about nurturing relationships.

It works especially well for the B2C segment, where buyers care about trust,familiarity, and emotion.

How effective is it?

The cost and return numbers are nearly identical to cold emailing.

But these leads already know you. That means better engagement, easier closes, and way less awkward energy.

Actually email marketing makes a perfect follow-up step after a cold email campaign, paid ad, or quote request.

Once they bite, you drop them into an email sequence and keep the value coming until they’re ready to say yes.

How to do it right?

You can use tools like Klaviyo, MailerLite, or ConvertKit to set up campaigns and automation.

Segment your audience because not everyone cares about the same stuff. Homeowners, renters, businesses, they all need different angles.

Send value.

Tips, calculators, updates, real stories—whatever earns trust and keeps your brand on their radar without sounding like a broken sales pitch.

Automate it.

Set up welcome sequences, follow-ups, and long-term nurture emails. Think of it as keeping your leads warm while you sleep.

4. Drip campaigns

Drip campaigns are automated email sequences sent over time.

Unlike one-off emails, these are scheduled flows designed to warm up leads, build trust, and gently push them toward a decision.

They're like a slow-cooker sales pitch. One email says hello, the next one educates, the third one shows results, and eventually... you’re on the roof installing panels.

Drip campaigns sit at the intersection of cold emailing and email marketing.

You can use them after a cold email gets a reply, or after someone signs up from your website or ad. It's the bridge between contact and conversion.

How effective is it?

Cold outreach gets the contact. Email marketing keeps them warm. Drip campaigns guide them through the journey, step by step, until they’re ready to commit.

In solar, drip campaigns deliver a monster 42X ROI, higher than both standard cold email and general email marketing alone.

How to do it right?

Start with one goal per sequence.

1. New lead? You’re educating.
2. Pricing inquiry? You’re following up.
3. Ghosted quote? You’re reviving the deal.

Don’t mix them all into one Frankenstein campaign.

You can use tools like ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, or ConvertKit to build your flows.

Sending 4 to 6 emails over 2 to 3 weeks is a solid place to start.

Each email should have a clear point. Don’t write novels. Focus on one idea, one benefit, and one simple call to action.

5. SEO

SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, is how you get found on Google without paying for every single click.

It’s the art of making sure that when someone types “best solar company near me,” your name actually shows up above your competitor’s.

SEO is not instant. It's a long game.

But once it kicks in, it can feed you leads for months or even years with zero extra spend.

How effective is it?

SEO is most effective in B2C solar lead generation.

How to do it right?

For solar lead generation, local SEO is where the real money is.

Most people looking for solar are homeowners who want someone nearby, not a generic nationwide brand.

So if you’re in B2C solar, local SEO is basically free advertising that works while you sleep.

How to do it?

1. Get a Google Business Profile
2. Build online presence with a website
3. Optimize both for search

First, create and complete your Google Business Profile.

Fill it out properly, add photos, add your contact info, and actually get some good reviews.

You can use tools like Google Maps Search Export by Lobstr.io to analyze competitors, rank tracking your business in search, and even optimizing it.

Here’s a full guide on how to optimize your Google Business Profile for local SEO:

Second, create a website with local landing pages.

On your website, don’t just say “We install solar panels.” Be specific. Say “We install solar panels in [Your City].”

Add useful content people actually search for: cost guides, tax credit explainers, local case studies.

This is what gets you found.

Don’t treat SEO like a one-time checklist. Keep it updated. Post fresh content. Use local news, new incentives, or new tech as an excuse to stay relevant.

You can use tools like Google Search Scraper and Google News scraper to collect content being published by others and news articles.

Then simply feed that content to AI chatbots like ChatGPT and it’ll give you a content plan, outline, and even ready-made blogposts.

What tools to use?

You can use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush for complete local SEO management.

For SEO content optimization, I personally use Clearscope and that's what I'd recommend to you as well.

6. Content marketing

Content marketing is using useful, relevant content to attract people to your brand.

Content includes blogs, guides, case studies, videos, social media posts, anything that helps homeowners make an informed decision.

It's basically the fuel that makes your SEO work. Good content gives your SEO something worth ranking.

How effective is it?

How to do it right?

Keep it local and practical.

Write content that answers the exact questions people in your service area are asking.

You can use tools like Twitter Search Results Scraper to consistently collect public opinions and lots of useful content ideas that address the actual pain points.

Add clear calls to action, link it back to your landing pages, and update old posts to stay relevant.

Good content is what makes your SEO more than just a fancy Google listing. It turns clicks into real conversations.

7. SMS Marketing

SMS Marketing sending text messages directly to leads. It’s simple, fast, and brutally effective when you’re smart about it.

It works in both B2B and B2C but it's more effective in B2C. It works best for reminders, quick offers, or anything time-sensitive like promo campaigns, or last-minute incentives.

How effective is it?

It’s quick, direct, and it works, as long as you’re not blasting spam at dinner time.

How to do it right?

Keep it short. This isn’t a newsletter. It's a text. One message, one clear action.

Be respectful. Nobody wants a spam blast while they’re eating dinner.

Always get permission first. Use quote forms, lead magnets, or pop-ups on your site to collect opt-ins the right way.

If you’re targeting homeowners, make it easy for them to share their number.

Add a phone field to your lead forms, offer text reminders for quotes, or use SMS to send updates on their solar proposal. Small stuff, big trust boost.

For B2B, you can pull phone numbers straight from local listings with Lobstr.io’s phone number modules.

And when you’re ready to actually send, don’t wing it. Use the right tools. I’ve compiled a list of the best SMS outreach and marketing platforms that won’t get you banned.

Now the remaining 5 strategies are all part of paid advertising.

I’m not going to break these down like the other tactics because, honestly, they’re all built on the same idea — you pay to get in front of people fast.

I’ll keep this part short and simple: a quick look at the top five ad channels, some stats about cost and effectiveness, and a few practical tips for paid advertising in general (at the end).

8-12. Paid advertising

Paid ads are for putting your offer in front of the right people at the right time.

But not every platform works the same way. Some are better for catching homeowners scrolling through social media.

Others grab people who are actively searching for a solar installer and ready to book.

Here are the best paid ad platforms for solar lead generation:

1. Facebook ads
2. TikTok ads
3. Google search ads
4. YouTube ads
5. LinkedIn ads

8. Facebook ads

Facebook Ads help you reach homeowners right in their feed.

You can target by location, income, age, and interests like “solar panels” or “home upgrades,” making it a solid pick for local solar leads.

How effective is it?

1. Cost per click (CPC): $2.93
2. Cost per lead (CPL): $50–$150
3. Click-through rate (CTR): 1.3%
4. Conversion rate (CR): 8.78%
5. Return on ad spend (ROAS): 18x

9. TikTok ads

Short videos work best. TikTok Ads put your offer in front of homeowners scrolling for quick hacks and DIY ideas.

Simple, relatable clips about how much money solar saves or real customer stories. It’s not about fancy production; it’s about looking authentic.

How effective is it?

1. Cost per click (CPC): $0.99
2. Cost per lead (CPL): $106
3. Click-through rate (CTR): 0.84%
4. Conversion rate (CR): 5.17%
5. Return on ad spend (ROAS): 4x–5x

10. Google ads (search)

Google Search Ads put you right in front of people who are actively looking for solar on Google.

When someone types “solar installer near me,” your ad shows up at the top, which makes this a solid channel for high-intent leads ready to buy.

How effective is it?

1. Cost per click (CPC): $4.18
2. Cost per lead (CPL): $111.47
3. Click-through rate (CTR): 3.17%
4. Conversion rate (CR): 3.75%
5. Return on ad spend (ROAS): 3x-4x

11. YouTube ads

YouTube Ads work hand-in-hand with Google Search Ads since they’re part of the same platform.

While Search Ads catch people actively looking for solar, YouTube Ads help you build trust and brand recognition before they even type “solar installer near me.”

It’s perfect for showing real installs, customer stories, or quick “How much can I actually save?” explainers that answer the questions homeowners are already searching for.

How effective is it?

1. Cost per click (CPC): $0.49
2. Cost per lead (CPL): $100
3. Click-through rate (CTR): 0.65%
4. Conversion rate (CR): 12%
5. Return on ad spend (ROAS): 5x

12. LinkedIn ads

LinkedIn Ads are best for B2B solar goals like commercial installs, partnerships, or targeting big decision-makers who don’t exactly hang out on TikTok.

You can run sponsored posts, lead gen forms, or direct messages straight to the inbox of property managers, business owners, and facility directors.

How effective is it?

1. Cost per click (CPC): $8–$10
2. Cost per lead (CPL): $75–$200
3. Click-through rate (CTR): 0.61%
4. Conversion rate (CR): 3%
5. Return on ad spend (ROAS): 11x

Now comes the big question…

What is the best strategy for generating high-quality solar leads?

There’s no single “best” solar lead generation strategy. Every tactic has pros and cons.

Organic stuff like SEO and referrals builds trust but takes time.

Paid ads bring quick volume but cost more and stop when you stop paying. Outreach helps you target exactly who you want but needs consistency.

That’s why the smartest solar lead generation companies don’t pick one lane. They build a mix that covers their bases.

For example, if you’re targeting homeowners, start with local SEO so people find you when they search “solar installer near me.”

Run Facebook Ads to reach homeowners in your service area who aren’t searching yet but might still be interested.

Follow up with SMS or drip emails so you don’t lose warm leads.

What works for you depends on your market, your offer, and your budget, so don’t guess.

Use AI tools like ChatGPT with real data to test different combinations until you find the sweet spot.

This way you’re not stuck when ad costs go up or your organic traffic dips. You’ve always got another lead source ready to go.

Now let’s hit some quick FAQs before wrapping up.

FAQs

Do seasonal trends affect solar lead generation?

Yes. More homeowners look for solar during high utility bill months (summer or winter). Good weather also boosts installs.

Plan ahead and use ads or outreach to fill gaps in slow seasons.

How can I sell qualified solar leads to solar businesses?

Use the tactics above to build your own leads database.

Once you have good leads, use Lobstr.io to find local solar energy companies and reach out directly to sell your list.

Conclusion