Solar affiliate program for home services publishers

Solar is a large, slow decision. Few homeowners request a quote on the day they first see an ad. Most move through research first: how a system would work with their utility, whether to buy, lease or sign a power purchase agreement, and how long they plan to stay in the home. The FTC’s consumer guide Solar Power for Your Home walks homeowners through those same questions, which makes it a useful map of what your audience is thinking about.

Three groups make up most solar quote requests:

• First-time researchers. They know little about solar and want someone to explain whether their home suits it. They need more context before a form makes sense to them.
• Quote comparers. They already have one bid and want others. The FTC guide tells homeowners to compare detailed bids from several companies, so this group is common and ready to talk.
• Homeowners with a trigger. Roof work, a home purchase or a new electric vehicle often prompts the question. These readers respond to copy that names their situation.

Solar sits next to the other home improvement offers in the program, such as roofing offers, and the two audiences overlap: a roof in poor condition usually has to be dealt with before panels go on it. Keep each offer on its own tracking link so you can see which one a reader actually converted on.

Solar leads in the market are usually sold to installers, solar sales organizations and buying desks, often by ping/post, where a buyer sees partial details and bids on leads that match its service area and criteria. Solar buyers commonly check:

• Home ownership. A renter usually cannot approve panels on the roof. Buyers look for the owner of the home.
• The property. The FTC guide lists the factors that drive output: system size, hours of direct sunlight on the roof, the roof’s pitch, age, condition and direction, and shade, snow or dust.
• Service area. Installers work where they hold the licenses their state, county and city require. A lead outside that area has no buyer.
• How the homeowner wants to pay. Buying, leasing and power purchase agreements are different products, and some buyers only offer one or two of them.
• Timing and intent. A homeowner comparing bids now is easier to work with than one browsing for next year.
• Contact details that work. The installer has to reach the homeowner to schedule a site visit.

For the field-level view, see the sample solar lead and high quality solar leads, which explains the same checks from a lead seller’s side.

Run each angle on its own sub ID so you can tell which one moved your sold rate, not just your lead count.

• Compare quotes. "Get quotes from solar installers who serve your ZIP code." Plain, honest and matched to the homeowner who already has one bid.
• How it works with your utility. Copy that explains net metering or grid credits in general terms, and suggests asking an installer how the local utility handles it.
• Buy, lease or power purchase agreement. Many homeowners do not know the difference. An angle that promises to explain the options qualifies the reader without promising a result.
• Roof first. "Planning roof work? Ask whether solar fits before the new roof goes on." Reaches homeowners with a real trigger.
• Staying in the home. The FTC notes a residential system is designed to stay on a home for at least 20 years. Copy aimed at homeowners who plan to stay reaches the readers buyers want.

The solar landing pages for affiliates guide covers what the page after the click should contain, and how to test ad creative for lead offers covers test structure.

Solar advertising draws close attention from regulators, platforms and buyers. Follow your platform’s policies and our traffic guidelines. In general terms:

• Do not promise lower costs or a free system. What a homeowner pays depends on the home, the system, the financing and the utility. Leave numbers to the installer’s written bid.
• Do not advertise the federal tax credit as available. As of October 9, 2026, the IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit page says the credit is not available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
• Do not claim to be a utility, a government program or an installer. The ad comes from you, and the FTC’s impersonation rule covers false claims of affiliation.
• Do not invent deadlines. "Program ends Friday" copy with no real program behind it gets rejected and returned.
• Do not change the consent language on any page that collects the lead.

Solar ad claims to avoid lists the risky claims with the FTC and state sources behind each, and TCPA compliance for solar leads covers consent for the calls and texts that follow a quote request.

Solar offer terms, including rev share on sold leads, are agreed with each publisher during onboarding. The general payout rules of the home improvement program are listed below.

• Rev share on sold leads. You receive a share of each lead a buyer purchases.
• No payout on leads that do not sell. If no buyer purchases a lead, it is not paid.
• Returns are deducted under the return terms agreed during onboarding.
• Payment terms are agreed during onboarding.
• Leads are reported by tracking link.

Read how payouts work for the full process, and how ping/post affects affiliate payouts for why one lead can earn a different amount from the next.