How to start a solar energy business

Video: How to Start a Solar Panel Business | Including Free Solar Panel Business Plan Template

Content

Steps
What do you need

Are you looking to open your own business in the emerging solar energy industry? This business is one of the most promising, and this trend will continue with the development of alternative energy resources.

Today, alternative energy resources are on everyone's mind, and this trend will continue. Oil prices will continue to rise as lawmakers and entrepreneurs fight hard to preserve the environment. Two of the largest venture capital companies recently redirected most of their investment to businesses that specialize in ways to save the environment while making money. And solar energy is at the forefront of this revolution.

Steps

1 Find out how to get a permit in your state. In most cases, a permit will be required for most grants and incentives. It can take up to two years to obtain different approvals. First, make sure you understand what you are communicating with.
2 Create your business plan. A business plan should include not only funding options, but also ways to find clients.
3 Include expenses, clients, contacts and contracts in your business plan.
- The costs are pretty self-evident. These include the money to start a business, how to get money from clients, and the time frame in which it needs to happen.
- Customers are also pretty obvious. Business is impossible without clients, and you need to decide which clients will be target for you and how you are going to attract them. There are several target markets for solar energy businesses. Are you going to work with consumers among the population or with commercial customers? Are you going to target the wealthy or the middle class? You need to find answers to these questions, because you cannot just open a business and wait for customers to come by themselves. You will need to target a specific market and target it.
- Contacts are related to several different types of people. These include the companies you turn to for help starting a business, including capital and training resources. There are many different capital resources available, including venture capitalists, banks, business angels, and friends and family.
- Contracts. One of the most overlooked parts of any business plan is getting the right contracts.It costs little to sign contracts, but not signing them can lead to business failure through no fault of yours. We are not saying that all of your contracts must be drafted before you start your solar business, but you need to be clear about what contracts you will need and how you are going to write and execute them.
4 Start your own business. Several solar energy related businesses:
- Solar Power System Installation Business - Installing an Entire Solar Power System
- Solar System Selling Business - Selling a system to homeowners and businesses to get a commission on every sale
- Solar power system business - manufacture panels and other related parts, including tripods, converters and so on.
- Solar power system parts business - sale of solar power systems and parts purchased from wholesalers and manufacturing companies
- Solar Tax Incentive Specialist - Helping businesses understand solar tax incentives to make sure they receive proper tax incentives
- Solar Consultant - Knows all sides of the business and helps individuals and companies understand the business and how they can be helped in their solar transition
- Solar System Maintenance Business - Offers annual technical checks of installed systems to troubleshoot and find other ways to reduce electricity consumption.
- Energy Consultant - Focuses on all types of alternative energy and other ways to conserve energy and sells its services to both homeowners and businesses
5 Installation. There are many types of solar power systems, but in this case we are talking about rooftop solar systems. This is the most popular type of system and the most requested by homeowners. Several other types of systems include floor-standing systems; systems designed to be mounted on a bar; thermal solar systems. They all work in the same way to replace power consumption.
6 Build a solid customer base. Basically, the only way to attract customers to your solar installation business is to explain the benefits of solar energy and show potential customers images of different systems. Advertising does little other than publicizing your name, and solar systems are better sold through face-to-face communication than through yellow pages. ad.
- Meeting potential clients can be done in a variety of ways. Mostly you will be selling to wealthy people from the local population, so you should find out where these people spend their time and what activities they prefer. There is probably a showroom in your area where you can set up a table and advertise your services. A local chamber of commerce is a great way to attract customers to your solar power installation business. There you will not only meet business owners, but also get media coverage. Don't forget the press when you start your solar power installation business. They're always looking for great stories, and there aren't that many solar businesses, so many will happily write a story about your business, building you a good reputation and lots of free publicity.
7 Create a website. Building a website is one of the must-haves for your marketing campaign. No high tech business is possible without a website, and contrary to popular belief, it doesn't cost thousands of dollars. One good tip is to go to Elance.com or Guru.com and place a web design order. You will receive many offers and will be able to work with anyone of your choice.It is best to have a layout for your website, it can be easily created in Microsoft Word. Take a look at other solar energy websites and get started.
8 Use social media. This is a must in any solar business. By social media, we mean Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and many others. You can create your account for free and simply post updates on what you do and the success of your business. You shouldn't spam potential customers, but it will be great if you give them a discount or even just post pictures of the installation process.