Code changes, COVID, supply chain – there’s always something impacting a solar installation business. With our Power Forward! series, a collaboration with BayWa r.e, we help solar contractors and EPCs understand the solar industry’s pressing issues, explore budding market trends and, well, power forward (!) to what comes next. Head to our YouTube page to subscribe and get an alert for each new episode (and other Solar Builder video side projects), or keep watch on this page for updates.
Episode 10: How to Start Selling Energy Storage (The Right Way)
Pairing energy storage with home solar is more important than ever – but selling and designing a system that meets a customers’ needs – and fits their budget – is not easy. Today on Power Forward! we learn how to start selling energy storage the right way with Aaron Bingham and Blake Akin from BayWa r.e. We discuss …
0:33 – Common problems selling energy storage five years ago
3:26 – What are those absolute first steps to take before selling energy storage products?
5:05 – Tips for marketing ESS and the power of brand familiarity
6:40 – Energy storage systems that stand out right now
9:12 – Key differences from a solar-only sale
10:48 – How to handle the “whole-home backup” expectation
13:42 – How to handle the longer sales process?
15:16 – The impact of main panel upgrade avoidance
16:00 – Preparing customers for the future of the all-electric home
Episode 9: State of the Solar Industry Heading into 2023
The solar industry had many big storylines in 2022, but nothing was perhaps more pressing than solar module supply. We have clarity on AD/CVD. Next up to figure out is the Uyghur Force Labor Protection Act (UFLPA). How reliable is supply right now and going forward? In our State of the Solar Industry episode of Power Forward!, David Dunlap, VP of product strategy with U.S. solar distributor BayWa r.e., discussed all the key challenges in the market, plus products to watch in 2023. Read the transcript here.
Episode 8: Solar installer strategy planning in 2023 and beyond
Solar installer business strategy is not one size fits all. On this Power Forward! we chat with Robert Wolff, VP of Strategy with BayWa r.e., about the questions solar leaders should ask of their business to best lay that strategic foundation. With the market potential in 2023 and beyond (as well as the ongoing supply struggles), strategy planning might be more important than ever. Read the transcript right here.
Episode 7: Inflation Reduction Act and RE+ 2022 preview
David Dunlap and Scott Snyder from BayWa r.e. join Power Forward! this week to discuss impactful aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for solar installers, to highlight new partnerships, and to preview some standout events at the 2022 RE+ conference in Anaheim (Sept. 19-21). Read part of the transcript right here.
Episode 6: Crash Course in Solar Installer Financial Health
On this episode of Power Forward, we get a crash course in solar installer financial health. What are “healthy” installers doing that struggling installers are not doing? And if you’re not struggling now, how can you best protect against the market’s volatility? Rachel Shapira, residential finance director at BayWa r.e. gives us some in-depth insight. Read the transcript right here.
Episode 5: How to be an agile, resilient solar installation business
The last week of March started with the sold-out 2022 NABCEP CE conference and ended with the Department of Commerce initiating the anti-circumvention trade case. On this episode of Power Forward!, BayWa r.e. VP of Operations David Dunlap and VP of Sales Keith Ostwald help us put it all in perspective. We recap some NABCEP highlights and then discuss how solar installers can remain resilient amid the market uncertainty. Read the transcript here.
Episode 4: Growth paths for solar installation businesses in 2022
Congrats: you own/run a solar installation business. Now where do you go from here? How do you get there? We ask Tiernay Marsh, regional sales rep with BayWa r.e. Solar Systems all about solar installer “growth.” What are the questions to ask? What are typical stumbling blocks? What are examples she’s seen of successful growth strategies? Read the transcript here.
Episode 3: Solar supply chain overview and an outlook for 2022
We’re diving deep into solar supply chain issues with David Dunlap, vice president of operations with BayWa r.e. Solar Systems. We pick David’s brain about the current state of things from his vantage point. Read the transcript here.
Episode 2: How to Grow a Solar Business in Uncertain Times
Preston Booker, Head of Key Accounts with BayWa r.e., explains how solar businesses can team with a partner to navigate these challenging times and maintain (or exceed!) their growth trajectories in the coming year. Read the transcript here.
Episode 1: Talking energy storage systems, solar panel recycling and policy
Kate Collardson and Aaron Bingham, product experts at BayWa r.e. and hosts of the Solar Tech Talk podcast, chat with us about energy storage products to watch, solar panel recycling and local policy issues heading into 2022. Read more here.