Finding solar customers takes method, not luck. A strong solar pipeline is built through consistency and clear direction. Knowing where to look, who to approach, and how to create real opportunities determines how fast your business grows.
The rooftop solar market is large, yet highly fragmented. Opportunities are everywhere, but visibility is limited. The solar developers who thrive are those who combine data, relationship-building, and timing. They treat prospecting not as a task, but as a discipline.
Whether you’re entering a new market or deepening your presence in one you already know, your ability to source high-quality solar leads defines your growth trajectory. Each of these strategies represents a different way to approach customer discovery, blending traditional relationship-building with modern digital tools.
Use AI Prospecting Tools
Modern prospecting no longer starts with hours navigating on Google Maps. Tools like Planno use Geospatial AI (GeoAI) to automatically detect and qualify commercial and industrial rooftops at scale. You can instantly view building size, solar potential, land ownership, company names, and even contact details of relevant profiles, all in one place.
This kind of automation delivers speed and precision, transforming how solar development teams explore new markets. With access to detailed geospatial data, you can map entire industrial clusters in minutes and focus only on rooftops that match your ideal client-project profile.
The technology doesn’t replace the process; it accelerates it. The real challenge is execution, building an internal workflow that turns digital insights into real projects as efficiently as you discover them. AI-powered tools can help you open the doors, but it’s still up to your team to walk through them.
Leverage Referrals
Referrals remain the most credible path to new business. A recommendation from a satisfied client instantly transfers trust and opens doors that a cold email or phone call never could. In commercial solar, relationships carry enormous weight, especially when projects demand long-term confidence in your technical and financial reliability.
Encourage referrals by staying close to your existing clients. Celebrate their achievements, share their stories, and make it easy for them to introduce you to peers or partner companies. The best referrals often come from operational staff who have seen your system perform, not just from executives who signed the deal.
While referrals build trust faster than any other channel, they rarely scale on their own. A referral network, no matter how loyal, will only take you so far. To grow consistently, you need complementary channels that reach the parts of the market still unfamiliar with your work, those who would never hear about you otherwise.
Use Satellite Imagery Services
When no advanced data is available, satellite tools such as Google Maps, Bing Maps, or similar satellite imagery software still serve a purpose.
Manually scanning rooftops in industrial zones helps developers grasp the geography of their market, revealing clusters of industrial activity and patterns of expansion. It’s a practical way to develop market intuition, seeing how industries are distributed, how logistics corridors evolve, and where future demand for rooftop solar is likely to emerge.
This hands-on approach is especially useful when entering a new market where datasets are incomplete or outdated. It helps you build a sense of the territory and uncover the first leads worth pursuing.
But it comes at a cost: it doesn’t scale as fast as automation tools, especially in the age of AI. Each rooftop must still be analyzed manually, a reminder of how prospecting once depended on time and intuition rather than technology.
Partner with Real Estate Developers
Real estate developers and property managers control hundreds of potential rooftops. By partnering with them, solar companies gain access to multiple sites through a single relationship. For real estate developers, solar adds property value, helps meet ESG targets, and attracts tenants with lower operating costs, making it a natural fit.
Building partnerships with real estate developers takes time and patience. These relationships rarely move fast; they’re built on trust and proven technical capability, not quick wins. Many developers prefer long-term agreements and want to see a track record before committing.
The upside, however, is huge. Once trust is established, one partnership can unlock entire portfolios of industrial buildings. It’s a slower route, but one that can reshape your project pipeline for years, strengthening both your deal flow and your reputation across the market.
Engage Industry Associations
Industry events and associations bring together the very audiences solar developers want to reach: manufacturers, logistics operators, retailers with large energy footprints, etc. By joining, sponsoring, or simply showing up, you position yourself inside those circles instead of trying to reach them from the outside.
Consistent participation builds familiarity. Hosting workshops or sharing insights about energy transition topics helps position your company as a knowledgeable and trusted partner rather than just another vendor. Over time, this credibility turns into inbound leads, as more companies look for sustainability solutions within their sectors.
The challenge is consistency. Many developers attend once and expect results, yet associations respond to commitment. The real value comes from staying visible, adding value, and becoming recognized as part of the circle.
Work with Energy Auditors and ESCOs
Energy auditors and ESCOs (Energy Service Companies) are natural partners for solar developers. They already advise large consumers on energy efficiency and have direct relationships with decision-makers who are open to solutions that lower consumption or costs.
By partnering with them, you gain access to pre-qualified leads with verified energy data. You bring the solar solution; they bring credibility and trust. Together, you can approach clients with a complete efficiency package, reducing energy usage first, then producing clean energy.
The limitation lies in coordination. Shared leads can lead to shared margins, and partnership success depends on clear incentives and transparent collaboration. But when aligned properly, these alliances can become some of the most consistent and profitable channels for solar development.
Use Utility Data Smartly
Utility data remains one of the most overlooked resources in solar prospecting. Public and semi-public datasets can reveal where electricity consumption is highest, from industrial corridors to logistics hubs and large-load consumers. When cross-referenced with your own data, these insights help prioritize where to focus business development efforts and identify regions that truly justify attention.
Data quality, however, varies widely. In many markets, information is incomplete, fragmented, or outdated. Still, even partial datasets can uncover meaningful patterns.
When used thoughtfully, utility data becomes a valuable complement to your other prospecting methods. It won’t replace local knowledge or relationships, but it sharpens your focus, helping you spend less time chasing low-potential sites and more time developing the right ones.
Do Background Research in Directories
Directories like Kompass, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and local business listings are useful for uncover potential customers and understanding market structure. They can help you identify high-energy users or large property owners in a specific region and launch awareness campaigns to start building recognition.
However, this strategy is most effective when combined with prequalification. Cold emailing and mass outreach without context often lead to poor engagement and low conversion rates. Precision matters more than volume, especially in the commercial and industrial segment, where every project involves a long decision cycle.
Use directories as a starting point, not a finish line. The real goal isn’t to contact everyone, but to contact the right ones.
Watch for Expansion News
Companies that are building new facilities or expanding operations are among the best candidates for solar integration. New projects often incorporate sustainability measures early in their design phase, making it easier to include solar from the start rather than retrofit later.
Track local news, investment announcements, and government approvals for industrial developments. Engineering consultants and specialized contractors are often early sources of information, sometimes even before public announcements.
The advantage is perfect timing: reaching companies right when they’re making long-term energy decisions. The challenge is volume: such opportunities don’t appear daily. But with a systematic approach to monitoring, you can consistently find high-value solar leads when they matter most.
Prospecting defines success in solar. The most advanced solar systems, strongest financial models, or best EPC partners mean little without a predictable flow of qualified opportunities.
Finding customers isn’t a one-time activity, but it’s a process of discovery. Solar developers who succeed are those who blend automation with relationships, data with intuition, and persistence with adaptability. The solar rooftop market keeps expanding across the globe, but visibility remains the greatest competitive edge. Sales teams that master prospecting don’t just grow — they stay ahead!