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, soft costs, post-IRA survival, and why the next era of solar marketing will not be “spray and pray.” If you’re trying to lower CAC and stop wasting money on bad leads, this one is worth a listen.

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, community marketing, customer feedback, batteries, brand trust, and Shift’s bet on building-integrated solar through Adra. It’s a great look at what it takes to scale a solar company without becoming just another faceless national installer.

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, operational bottlenecks, referrals, software workflows, and the partnerships that separate thriving solar companies from those constantly fighting fires.

If you're trying to grow without sacrificing margins, this conversation is packed with hard-earned wisdom.