Solar service leads are homeowners with an existing residential solar panel system who require maintenance, cleaning, or repairs, often because their system is aging or their original installer is no longer in business. For dedicated solar service companies and installers with a service division, identifying these homes creates a steady pipeline of high-margin repair work and equipment upgrades.
Who needs solar service?
Not every home with solar panels needs a service call today. The best leads fall into two categories:
- Systems past their labor warranty: While panels often carry a 25-year manufacturer warranty, labor and workmanship warranties typically expire after 5 to 10 years. Inverters, which are the most common point of failure, often need replacement around the 10-year mark.
- Orphaned systems: When an installation company closes, thousands of customers are left without a service provider. These homeowners often do not realize their installer is gone until their system breaks. Finding orphaned solar systems is one of the most reliable ways to acquire new service customers.
Understanding the landscape of bankrupt solar installers helps service companies target the specific neighborhoods where homeowners are currently stranded without support.
How to reach them by phone and what to say
Door knocking every house with panels is slow. The most efficient way to generate service appointments is by purchasing a targeted list of solar homes that includes the owner’s name and an active, DNC-scrubbed cell phone number.
When making the call, the pitch must be educational, not aggressive. The homeowner already bought solar; they do not want another sales pitch. A strong opening addresses the reality of aging systems: “Hi, we are checking in on solar systems in the area installed over five years ago. Many homeowners are seeing a drop in production due to dirty panels or aging inverters, and we offer a free system health check.”
Service companies can purchase a small list of solar homes or solar orphans online at https://scoutdata.com/store, selecting records by ZIP code, city, or county to test a campaign.
Where Scout Data fits
Disclosure: Scout Data is our product. Scout Data builds lists of homes with solar installations across the country.
Frequently asked questions
How do you find homeowners who need solar repairs?
You find homeowners who need solar repairs by targeting properties with older solar installations or those installed by companies that have gone out of business. Using targeted lists with appended phone numbers allows service companies to reach out directly to offer maintenance, cleaning, or inverter replacement.
What is an orphaned solar system?
An orphaned solar system is a residential solar installation where the original installation company has closed, gone bankrupt, or stopped servicing the area. The homeowner is left without warranty support or a maintenance provider when the system needs repair.