Earlier this year, an installer in New Mexico was telling us about trying out a new AI lead-gen tool. The new tool promised to 10x their leads at 1/10th the cost. That got him excited. Then he tested it out for himself. Not only was it ineffective, the customer experience many times led to frustration. Though AI was all the rage at the time, he wondered, “Is AI just hype?”
Though this specific AI tool and use case were not ready for prime time, AI isn’t just hype. Forward-thinking solar companies are finding that integrating AI and other machine learning methods into their workflows for specific use cases can help them stay ahead as competition in the residential solar space heats up. For these companies, it’s producing real, measurable benefits for their lead quality, operations, and customer experience.
In this post, we’ll explore seven specific AI-driven solar use cases that your competitors are using right now to gain an edge.
Way #1: Using ChatGPT to write 1 blog post and 3 social posts every single week
What’s the secret to solar lead gen without breaking the bank? Being found at the top of organic search results on Google and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. That means having a lot of content on your website and social media profiles. By a lot, we mean you should aim for 1 blog post and 3 social posts every single week. Sorry, blame Google and the algorithms.
Savvy solar marketers are turning to ChatGPT to help generate this high volume content without the huge marketing resources that were traditionally needed. ChatGPT can produce well-structured blog posts on industry trends, solar tips, or frequently asked questions, tailored to the specific tone of the company’s brand and company’s locality. For example, here is a blog post provided by ChatGPT using the simple prompt “Write a blog on ‘The top things to look for in a solar installer in Austin.’” The blog automatically drafts 7 tips that also capture the regional specifics of Austin like the strong solar irradiance and incentives from Austin Energy. It also suggests 7 possible accompanying social media posts.
ChatGPT doesn’t always get it right nor does it provide original content. For example, a human is writing this blog post. However, at the very least, it does provide a good starting point for blog posts that is better than staring at a blank page. For a bit of originality, feed a title and outline into ChatGPT and ask it to “expand on the outline.” You’ll be amazed at the results.
RELATED: Your comprehensive guide to solar marketing in 2024
Way #2: Using SalesRabbit DataGrid AI to identify customers who are more likely to buy
All sales reps have been there before. Talking to a prospective customer and realizing, “Why am I in this conversation? This customer is never going to buy.” They could be the wrong age, have the wrong home value, or some combination of characteristics that you can’t necessarily pinpoint but know based on gut and experience that they’re just not going to buy.
To stop wasting valuable time and effort, many sales companies are using SalesRabbit’s DataGrid AI. It analyzes thousands of customer data points to identify your ideal customer and assigns a Buyer Score to homes, neighborhoods, counties, cities, and states. The Buyer Score is based on hundreds of specific data points such as customer income, home value, age, owner/renter status, property type, and home equity. Sales reps can then easily identify areas and homes where their ideal customer lives, more efficiently focusing their sales outreach. As the tool is used, the AI will continue to learn and optimize, so the longer you use it, the better it will be.
Way #3: Using Bodhi Assisted Insights to understand customer sentiment and prioritize customer outreach
All installers have told us what they hate most is being caught off-guard by a lost sale to a competitor, a cancellation, or a 1-star review. The biggest challenge is that it's impossible to know how all of your customers are feeling at any given moment as they go through the sales, install, or post-install process. Traditional methods to understand customer sentiment have either been through direct outreach by staff or through surveys. Having staff reach out to customers is time consuming, and many times, customers don’t even pick up the phone. Surveys have a response rate of only 5-10%. That means that, for the most part, you’re in the dark on the sentiment of over 90% of your leads and customers.
That’s why many installers have turned to Bodhi Assisted Insights - to know how ALL of their leads and customers are feeling without ever having to ask them. By analyzing all the information Bodhi has on the customer, from conversations to survey responses and other interactions, Bodhi AI determines if a customer’s sentiment is positive, negative, or neutral. It can also pick up on trends in sentiment. That way, sales and customer service teams (and their managers) get a prioritized list of who needs their attention right away. And even better, Bodhi AI provides a list of happy customers that the sales team can mine for referrals.
RELATED: Oh s***t! We just got a 1 star review
Way #4: Using Demand IQ to create real-time solar+ project estimates to improve lead quantity and quality
Even though consumers are now buying almost everything online, from groceries to even cars, selling solar still mostly involves house visits and multiple sales consultations. This traditional sales process conflicts with consumers’ busy schedule and preference to self-service like they do on Amazon, causing sales-cycles to stretch on and on.
To appease the new generation of homeowners, installers are turning to Demand IQ and their new AI powered eCommerce platform. By installing a simple plugin on their website, installers are able to offer a modern shopping experience to all their website visitors. With just the address, Demand IQ’s AI system processes satellite imagery and leverages the installers’ product and pricing catalog to develop accurate price and savings estimates for any property in the US. This works not just for solar but other home improvement projects like roofing and even driveway re-pavements. Installers using this new capability have been able to improve lead quantity and quality without someone on the marketing or sales team having to spend the time required for customer intake and lead qualification.
Way #5: Using Scanifly’s AI shade analysis for automatically optimized designs that withstand TPO scrutiny
As the solar industry matures, so too are expectations around accurate forecasting. For example, finance companies have increased their approval requirements. In fact, nearly 40% of rejections for TPO funds occur due to incomplete or inaccurate shade modeling. Homeowners are also becoming more aware of being overpromised and underdelivered on how much solar offsets their electric bills. That’s why installers are increasingly offering production guarantees but also worry that errors in the estimates will come back to bite them.
To meet these new demands, many installers have turned to Scanifly’s AI-enabled feature called “High Value Regions” (HVR). Following a drone site survey, Scanifly’s photogrammetry engine creates a precise, photorealistic 3D model of the property. During the rendering process, HVR employs computer vision to accurately outline tree formations, ensuring precise canopy dimensions without human input regardless of whether it’s deciduous or evergreen. This enables accurate shade analysis that reflects real conditions, achieving production estimates within 99% accuracy. Even better, financing companies are consistently and reliably approving projects and making payments faster.
Way #6: Using Omnidian to detect and diagnose performance issues
Service technicians will tell you the phone calls they hate the most are from customers who say, “I think my system isn’t working like it’s supposed to. Can you check it out?” Sometimes, the technician can troubleshoot it from the office with the manufacturer’s portal. Other times, they can’t. They’re then left wondering, “Is this a big issue, a small issue, or even an issue at all. Is it worth a truck roll?”
Many installers and TPO asset holders have turned to Omnidian to monitor their solar fleet and alert them of any performance issues. Omnidian leverages AI and the hundreds of thousands of systems they’re monitoring to establish a baseline for normal operation for each monitored system. This includes adjusting for variables like geographic location, system size, tilt, and weather conditions, which all impact expected energy production. They can detect anomalies and diagnose if they’re due to shading or specific equipment issues - helping determine if an issue warrants a truck roll. The industry joke is that Omnidian's algorithms can detect if a bird poops on the panels. 🤣
Way #7: Using Bodhi AI to help respond to customer escalations
What’s the first thing you do when a customer escalation arrives in your inbox? Take a deep breath. The second thing? Respond without emotion. Of course that’s easier said than done. Customer support reps and project managers have told us of the countless times they sit there staring at a blank reply box trying to come up with a good response to an angry customer. Being too glib will just further escalate the situation. However, being too conciliatory could give up the leverage you need to come to a fair resolution.
That’s why installers have given their teams Bodhi AI to help respond to customer escalations. Bodhi AI analyzes the conversation and provides an easy to reference summary of the root cause of the issue. That means not having to parse through the entire customer conversation, trying to infer what might have happened. Bodhi AI then aids the customer support rep or project manager with a suggested response that can be easily edited and fine tuned before sending. Reps have said this feature has helped reduce their anxiety in coming up with the perfect response while their managers are feeling more confident in their team's ability to respond appropriately to escalations.
Conclusion
The solarcoaster is real, and AI is proving to be a way for solar companies to do more with less. Soon AI won’t be just a way to stay ahead of the competition, it’ll be table stakes.
If you’re looking for a partner to take advantage of AI thoughtfully in your company, Bodhi can help. Book a time with us and we’ll talk through the options.
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