You paid for the lead. So did other installers.
Solar leads are not cheap, and many of them are not yours alone. A homeowner clicks a Facebook ad or fills out a quote form on a comparison site, and that same record can land with several solar companies within minutes. Aged leads cost less because someone has already worked them, often more than once, so the homeowner has heard a few pitches before you dial.
ActiveProspect’s 2026 pricing benchmark puts aged solar leads anywhere from 10 cents to $10 or more, and notes that a shared lead may be sold to several solar companies. The company sells lead-buying software and calls its figures directional, so treat them as a range, not a quote. Either way, a solar lead that waits until tomorrow is budget you already spent with nothing to show for it.
Homeowners compare installers side by side
Someone looking at solar is rarely talking to one company. They request a few quotes, read reviews, and lay proposals next to each other at the kitchen table. The first installer to have a real conversation tends to set the frame: what a system should cost, what savings look like, which questions matter. Everyone after that is responding to points someone else raised.
The timing effect is measurable. In the MIT / InsideSales Lead Response Management study, web leads contacted inside 5 minutes qualified at 21 times the rate of leads contacted at the 30-minute mark. Meanwhile, Harvard Business Review found the average company needed 42 hours to answer an online lead.
What happens when a solar lead comes in
- A homeowner sends a Facebook lead form: “Summer electric bill is over $300. Want to see if solar makes sense for us.”
- HelloSetter dials them within 60 seconds. In our testing, the call begins about a second after the lead lands.
- The AI introduces itself on behalf of your company, mentions the form they just sent, and works through the qualifying questions below.
- If the home looks like a fit, it books an in-home or virtual consultation into an open slot on your HelloSetter Calendar.
- If the answers rule the home out, such as a renter with no say over the roof, the reason goes into the summary so nobody drives out for nothing.
- You get an email summary after every call. The recording and transcript sit in your dashboard.
- No pickup? It recognizes voicemail, leaves a brief message, and keeps trying: up to 16 attempts over several days, always inside your calling hours.
- Homeowners who ring your local number back reach the same AI, which picks up the booking where it stopped.
What the AI asks on a solar call
A solar consultation takes real time, so you want to know beforehand whether the house can take panels and whether the person on the phone can say yes.
- Do you own the home?
- How old is the roof, and is it in good shape, or could it need replacing in the next few years?
- Does the roof get much shade from trees or nearby buildings?
- About how much is your average monthly electric bill?
- Which utility company serves the house?
- Are you thinking about paying cash, or would you want to hear about financing?
- How soon are you hoping to have a system installed?
- Would you prefer the consultation at your home or over a video call?
An aging roof is worth knowing about early, because panels on a roof that needs work soon usually have to come off again later. A small bill or heavy shade may mean the numbers do not work. All of it shows up in the summary before you or your rep walks in.
How it handles solar objections
“I’m just researching for now.”
Most solar shoppers are. The AI agrees that looking around makes sense, then explains that a consultation is how they get numbers based on their own roof and bill instead of averages from the internet. For people not ready to have someone in the house, it offers the video option.
“Is this a scam call?”
A fair question, given how many unwanted solar calls people get. The AI names the company it is calling for, reminds them they filled out a form a moment ago, and points out they can call your local number back if that feels safer. If they ask not to be called again, it stops.
“I heard solar doesn’t really pay off.”
The AI does not argue or promise savings. It says the answer depends on the roof, the shade, the utility’s rates and how much power the household uses, and that the consultation is where someone runs those numbers for this specific house.
“My spouse needs to be there.”
That helps you, since a system this size is usually a joint decision. The AI asks when both of them are free and books that slot, including evenings or weekends if you open them. You skip the consultation where one decision-maker is missing and the other says they need to think.
Where your solar leads come from
During a 30-minute setup call, the team hooks up the places your leads already show up: website forms, a Google Sheet, a webhook, or Zapier. That covers Facebook lead ads, Google Local Services Ads, Angi and Thumbtack, plus any lead vendor that can send leads to a webhook or a sheet.
Consent matters here. HelloSetter only calls leads who agreed to be contacted on the form they filled out, and it honors opt-outs. The FCC’s February 2024 ruling treats AI voices as an artificial voice under the TCPA. If you buy aged leads, confirm the original consent covers calls from your company before you load them.
Calendar, pricing and a test call
Consultations land on your HelloSetter Calendar, set to the hours your reps run appointments. Subscribe to it on your phone with an iCal link. Already keep a calendar elsewhere? Add its link, and the AI reads it first so no two appointments overlap. There is no SMS and no native CRM integration, so your team works from the calendar and the email summaries.
The founding plans cost $197, $347 or $697 per month, and a free 14-day pilot on your real leads starts after the setup call. See what each plan includes.
To hear it, call (307) 414-8089 and play a homeowner who suspects the call is a scam. Or tap Call me now on the homepage and the AI rings you within 60 seconds.