This guide is for solar installers, solar sales organizations and buying desks choosing where to buy homeowner solar leads. It does not rank or name companies. It explains the choices every provider makes, the questions that separate one provider from another, and how Summit Leads works, so you can compare any provider on the same terms.
Key points
- Routing decides how many companies call the same homeowner: an exclusive leadExclusive leadA lead delivered to one buyer and not resold to others. Glossary goes to one buyer, a shared lead to several.
- Real-time ping/postPing/postA real-time selling method in which a lead is pinged to buyers with partial data, buyers bid, and the winning bidder receives the full lead by post. Glossary leads reach you while the homeowner is still comparing companies; aged leads are sold later, after the first calls.
- Every lead should come with a consent record you can see, and the ad and page behind it should match what you sell.
- Filters and returnReturnA buyer's request for credit on a lead that fails agreed standards, such as a disconnected number, a duplicate or a lead outside the filters. Glossary terms belong in writing before the first lead, and a small test shows more than any ranking.
Shared vs exclusive solar leads
The first question for any provider is how many buyers receive each homeowner. An exclusive solar lead goes to one buyer. A shared lead goes to more than one, and the homeowner hears from each of them.
| Point | Exclusive routing | Shared routing |
|---|---|---|
| Who calls the homeowner | One company | Several companies, in the order they reach the homeowner |
| Price per lead | Usually higher | Usually lower |
| What tends to win the sale | Follow-up and a clear site visit | Speed and the first conversation |
| What to ask the provider | Is the lead ever sold again later? | How many buyers get each lead, and is that number capped? |
Neither model is better in general. Installers with a long sales cycle often want one company per homeowner; desks that place leads with several clients may want a mix. Ask the provider to put the routing rule in writing, including whether an exclusive lead can later be resold as an aged leadAged leadA lead sold some time after it was captured rather than at the moment of submission. Glossary. Exclusive vs shared leads covers the trade-off in more detail.
Real-time ping/post vs pay-per-lead and aged solar leads
Providers also differ in when and how a lead reaches you:
- Real-time ping/post. The provider sends a short ping without contact details, your system bids or declines, and the winning buyer receives the full lead by post in the same exchange. You see each lead as the homeowner submits it.
- Pay-per-lead delivery. A generator sells each lead at an agreed price as it comes in, by direct post, email or a portal, without a bid on every lead. Ask how soon each lead is sent and to how many buyers.
- Aged leads. Leads sold after their first sale, often as lists. They cost less because other companies have usually called already; check the original consent and when it was captured.
Timing matters in solar because homeowners often ask more than one company for a quote. Ping-post explained walks through a ping/post exchange step by step, and real-time vs aged leads compares the two from the seller’s side.
Consent checks to run on any solar lead provider
A solar lead is only usable if the homeowner agreed to be contacted by the company that calls. Before buying, ask each provider:
- Which consent language the form showed, and whether it names your company or makes clear who will call.
- Whether a consent record comes with every lead: the opt-in text, timestamp, IP address and page URL.
- Whether you can see the ads and landing pages behind the leads, and what they told homeowners about solar.
- How you request the record for a single lead, and how long the provider keeps it.
TCPA compliance for solar leads covers the federal rules for solar calls and texts. This section is general information, not legal advice.
Filters, returns and a small first test
The filters a provider offers decide how much of what you buy your team can use. For solar, the useful ones are state and ZIP code, homeownership and project type; caps and calling hours control how many leads arrive and when.
Return terms decide what happens when a lead is wrong: a disconnected number, a duplicate, a renter or a home outside your area. Get the return reasons, how to request a return and any deadline in writing before the first lead. Lead returns explains how returns usually work.
Then start small. A small test shows how often you reach the homeowner, whether they own the home and whether the leads match the provider’s description, before you commit to more. How to evaluate lead suppliers has the full supplier checklist.
A checklist for comparing solar lead providers
- Routing: exclusive or shared, and how many buyers receive a shared lead
- Resale: whether an exclusive lead is ever sold again later
- Delivery: real-time ping/post, pay-per-lead posting or aged lists
- Consent: a record with every lead, and access to the ads and pages behind it
- Filters: state, ZIP code, homeownership and project type
- Returns: reasons and how to request one, agreed before the first lead
- Fees: whether setup or monthly fees come on top of the leads
- Test: a small first test before any larger order
How Summit Leads sells solar leads
Summit Leads sells solar leads to installers and buying desks by real-time ping/post. They are web form leads, not calls or live transfers for now, and each one carries a TCPA consent record. Here is how the checklist applies:
- Routing: exclusive or shared routing for solar leads is agreed with each buyer during onboarding.
- Delivery: real-time ping/post, one lead at a time, not batch.
- Filters: state or ZIP code and project type.
- Supply check: before a test, Summit checks for an active supplier in your states, and says so if none is live yet.
- Terms: rates are discussed on a call and return terms are agreed during onboarding. There is no setup fee and no monthly fee: you pay only for leads delivered that match your filters.
- Start: new partners start with a small test.
Our team has 7 years of combined experience in lead generation. Email team@summitleads.ai with your states or ZIP codes and the solar projects you want, or see solar leads for buyers for the four buying steps.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best solar lead providers?
There is no single best provider for every buyer, and this guide names none. The best fit is the provider whose routing, delivery, consent records, filters and return terms match how your team sells, confirmed with a small test.
Should a solar installer buy exclusive or shared leads?
It depends on the sales process. Exclusive leads usually cost more and go to one company; shared leads usually cost less, and several companies call. Installers with a long sales cycle often prefer exclusive routing, while desks that place leads with several clients may use both.
What is the difference between ping/post and aged solar leads?
Ping/post leads are offered in real time as the homeowner submits the form, and the winning buyer receives the full lead at once. Aged leads are sold later, after the first buyers have had their chance to call, and usually cost less.
How do I check a solar lead provider’s consent records?
Ask for the consent record behind a few leads before you buy more: the opt-in language, timestamp, IP address and page URL, plus the ad and landing page that produced them. A provider that cannot show them has answered the question.
How does Summit Leads work as a solar lead provider?
Summit Leads sells solar web form leads by real-time ping/post with a TCPA consent record on each lead, filtered by state, ZIP code and project type. Exclusive or shared routing and return terms are agreed during onboarding, rates are discussed on a call, there is no setup fee or monthly fee, and new partners start with a small test.
Related guides
Buying solar leads?
Tell us your states or ZIP codes, the solar projects you want, daily caps and delivery method. Return terms are agreed on the onboarding call, before you go live.
Or write to team@summitleads.ai. We reply by email.
What happens next
- Step 1: You email us.
- Step 2: We reply by email.
- Step 3: Return terms are agreed on the onboarding call, before you go live.
Generating solar leads instead? Sell solar leads