This guide is for lead generators and publishers choosing where to run solar traffic. It uses official data from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Census Bureau to compare states on sunlight, small-scale solar capacity and housing, then sets out how to test a market before scaling it. No state is ranked by lead demand here: buyer coverage changes, and only buyers can say where they want more supply.
Key points
- Solar resource varies by location; PVWatts gives a comparable figure for a city in each state.
- EIA’s small-scale solar estimates show how much capacity outside utility-scale plants, such as rooftop panels, is already installed, and how fast it grew in the latest year.
- Owner-occupied detached homes are the homes most solar buyers can sell to.
- Test two or three markets at ZIP code level, and ask buyers which areas they cover before you scale.
What decides the best markets for solar leads
A state or metro works for solar traffic when three conditions hold at once. Homeowners there have homes suited to panels and a reason to ask about them. Your ads can reach those homeowners at a cost that leaves you a margin. And at least one buyer covers the ZIP codes where your leads come from. Public data speaks only to the first condition. Your ad accounts answer the second, and buyers answer the third.
Four kinds of public data help with the first condition:
- Sunlight. How much solar radiation reaches a panel in a typical year at that location.
- Rooftop solar already installed. EIA’s small-scale capacity estimates show how established home and business solar is in a state, and whether it is still growing.
- Housing. The share of homes that are single-family detached houses, and how many of those are owner-occupied.
- State rules. Licensing, crediting for power sent to the grid, and state programs differ by state and change over time.
None of these numbers says how many solar leads will sell in a state, what buyers will pay, or how many other sellers already run traffic there. Use them to choose where to test and how to shape forms, not as a demand ranking.
Sunlight: solar resource by state
EIA explains that solar energy resources vary by location, with the time of day, the season, clouds and shade from buildings, trees and mountains all affecting how much reaches a surface. To compare states on one basis, the table uses PVWatts, the solar calculator run by the National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Method: PVWatts version 8 at each state’s most populous city (Census Bureau 2025 estimates and Gazetteer coordinates), default system (1 kW, fixed, 20 degree tilt, facing south, 14 percent losses). The figure is average daily solar radiation on the panel over a typical weather year, in kWh per square meter per day. One city stands in for the state, so other areas can differ.
| State | City used | kWh per square meter per day |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Huntsville | 5.03 |
| Alaska | Anchorage | 3.10 |
| Arizona | Phoenix | 6.48 |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | 5.12 |
| California | Los Angeles | 6.06 |
| Colorado | Denver | 5.67 |
| Connecticut | Bridgeport | 4.49 |
| Delaware | Wilmington | 4.76 |
| Florida | Jacksonville | 5.43 |
| Georgia | Atlanta | 5.14 |
| Hawaii | Urban Honolulu | 5.65 |
| Idaho | Boise City | 5.19 |
| Illinois | Chicago | 4.57 |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | 4.62 |
| Iowa | Des Moines | 4.72 |
| Kansas | Wichita | 5.36 |
| Kentucky | Louisville | 4.75 |
| Louisiana | New Orleans | 5.43 |
| Maine | Portland | 4.48 |
| Maryland | Baltimore | 4.84 |
| Massachusetts | Boston | 4.56 |
| Michigan | Detroit | 4.45 |
| Minnesota | Minneapolis | 4.57 |
| Mississippi | Jackson | 5.28 |
| Missouri | Kansas City | 5.05 |
| Montana | Billings | 4.69 |
| Nebraska | Omaha | 4.96 |
| Nevada | Las Vegas | 6.36 |
| New Hampshire | Manchester | 4.55 |
| New Jersey | Newark | 4.62 |
| New Mexico | Albuquerque | 6.39 |
| New York | New York City | 4.66 |
| North Carolina | Charlotte | 5.13 |
| North Dakota | Fargo | 4.46 |
| Ohio | Columbus | 4.50 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | 5.46 |
| Oregon | Portland | 4.03 |
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 4.73 |
| Rhode Island | Providence | 4.66 |
| South Carolina | Charleston | 5.30 |
| South Dakota | Sioux Falls | 4.82 |
| Tennessee | Nashville | 4.79 |
| Texas | Houston | 5.18 |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | 5.37 |
| Vermont | Burlington | 4.32 |
| Virginia | Virginia Beach | 5.01 |
| Washington | Seattle | 3.92 |
| West Virginia | Charleston | 4.53 |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee | 4.57 |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | 5.38 |
The spread is wide: Phoenix receives about twice the daily solar radiation of Anchorage on the same system. For a seller, the figure is a starting point for where installers can design productive systems, not a measure of homeowner interest. A strong-sun state with few detached homes or few buyers can still be a weak place to run traffic.
Rooftop solar already installed
EIA estimates small-scale solar capacity, which includes rooftop systems on homes and businesses, for every state each month. The table shows the eight states with the most in July 2026, the change from July 2025, and the 2024 average residential electricity price (EIA Electric Power Monthly table 6.2.B; Electric Power Annual table 2.10).
| State | July 2025 (MW) | July 2026 (MW) | Change | Residential price 2024 (cents per kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 19,255.3 | 21,077.0 | +9.5% | 31.97 |
| New York | 3,633.2 | 4,111.5 | +13.2% | 24.43 |
| Texas | 3,165.0 | 3,392.3 | +7.2% | 14.94 |
| Florida | 3,016.6 | 3,364.0 | +11.5% | 14.14 |
| Massachusetts | 3,001.4 | 3,274.4 | +9.1% | 29.35 |
| Arizona | 3,016.2 | 3,199.0 | +6.1% | 14.91 |
| New Jersey | 2,576.9 | 2,783.8 | +8.0% | 19.34 |
| Illinois | 1,571.7 | 2,107.2 | +34.1% | 15.87 |
The price column is EIA context only. It is not an estimate of what any homeowner pays for solar or gains from it, and it should not appear in ads as a reason to buy panels.
Growth matters as much as size. Outside the eight above, EIA’s estimates rose by a fifth or more between July 2025 and July 2026 in Pennsylvania (1,069.6 to 1,354.9 MW), Colorado (1,265.2 to 1,538.3 MW) and Ohio (452.5 to 543.0 MW). In Louisiana and Tennessee the estimate edged down over the same year. A large installed base means installers, permitting offices and homeowners already know the process; it also means more homes in that state already have panels, which some buyers screen out with a question on the form.
Detached homes and the owners who live in them
Most residential solar sales need an owner who controls a roof, which in practice usually means an owner-occupied single-family detached house. The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey counts both. The table lists the eight states with the most owner-occupied detached homes in the 2020-2024 estimates. State names link to table B25032 (tenure by units in structure); detached shares link to table B25024 (units in structure).
| State | Detached share of all housing units | Owner-occupied detached homes | Detached share of owner-occupied homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 57.0% | 6,201,719 | 82.0% |
| Texas | 64.4% | 6,091,247 | 88.5% |
| Florida | 54.7% | 4,367,205 | 73.8% |
| Ohio | 68.8% | 2,933,727 | 89.8% |
| New York | 41.2% | 2,897,636 | 69.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 56.6% | 2,733,276 | 74.7% |
| Illinois | 58.2% | 2,660,579 | 78.7% |
| Michigan | 72.0% | 2,633,444 | 88.2% |
In New York only 41.2 percent of housing units are detached houses, the lowest share of any state, and 69.0 percent of owner-occupied homes are detached (2020-2024 ACS). A New York form therefore meets many condominium, co-op and apartment owners, and the home type question decides which leads a buyer can use. In Ohio and Michigan close to nine in ten owner-occupied homes are detached, so far fewer leads fail on home type.
Three kinds of solar market
Combining the tables, many states fit one of three patterns. Each calls for a slightly different form and a different emphasis in ads.
Strong-sun markets
Phoenix and Los Angeles have two of the highest PVWatts values in the table above, and Nevada, also in the Southwest, had 1,270.9 MW of small-scale capacity in July 2026. Sunlight is rarely the obstacle in these states. Shade, roof condition and home type do more to separate a usable lead from one a buyer will decline. See Arizona solar leads, California solar leads and Nevada solar leads.
Established rooftop markets with fewer detached homes
New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey are all in the top eight for small-scale capacity, yet each has a detached share near or below half of housing units (41.2, 51.1 and 52.6 percent in ACS table B25024, 2020-2024). Forms here need a clear home type question and, for some buyers, a question on whether the home already has panels. See New York solar leads, Massachusetts solar leads and New Jersey solar leads.
Large housing markets where installed capacity is growing
Texas and Florida combine millions of owner-occupied detached homes with steady growth in small-scale capacity. Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio have large detached housing bases and were among the ten states with the fastest percentage growth in small-scale capacity between July 2025 and July 2026. Buyer coverage in these states often follows metro areas, so ZIP code targeting matters more than a statewide campaign. See Texas solar leads, Florida solar leads, Illinois solar leads, Pennsylvania solar leads and Ohio solar leads.
State rules that change from market to market
Some of what decides a solar sale is set state by state. The FTC tells homeowners to check whether their state requires an installer to hold an electrical contractor’s license, and notes that crediting for power a system sends back to the grid depends on the utility and local rules (FTC, Solar Power for Your Home). State incentive programs open, change and close. Buyers adjust their territories and their sales scripts to these rules, which is one more reason their coverage lists beat any national map.
Keep your ads and landing pages free of statements about state programs, credits or bill effects unless you link the official source and date it. The solar ad claims guide covers the wording to avoid.
How to test a new solar market
Public data shortens the list. Only live traffic shows whether a market works for your campaigns, so set up each test to give a clear answer:
Choose two or three markets
Pick states or metros whose housing and sunlight suit the forms and ads you already run well, and where at least one buyer has confirmed coverage.
Target by ZIP code
Run ads only in ZIP codes on the buyer’s list. A lead from an uncovered area reaches no one. See geo-targeting by state for lead offers.
Match the form to the market
Where detached shares are low, put home type early in the form. Where rooftop solar is common, ask whether the home already has panels if your buyers want to know.
Measure acceptance and returns by ZIP
Track which ZIP codes and answers are accepted and which are returned, and why. That tells you whether to scale, adjust or stop.
The market decides only part of the result. What makes solar leads high quality and common mistakes selling solar leads cover the form and delivery side.
Ask buyers where they want solar supply
Buyers know which counties their crews and sales reps cover, which home types they install on and where they already have enough leads. Ask each buyer for that list before you open a market and again every few months, because solar territories shift as installers hire, expand or pull back. Their answer reflects real coverage in a way no public statistic can.
Summit buys solar leads by 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. Send the states and ZIP codes you reach; which of them fit current buyer filters is discussed during onboarding. For the wider picture, see sell solar leads and how to sell solar leads.
In every market, the consent on your forms has to cover the companies that will contact the homeowner, and some states add their own calling rules. See TCPA compliance for solar leads and state telemarketing laws.
This page is general information, not legal advice. How consent, advertising and state calling rules apply to your forms and buyers is a question for your own counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Which states have the most small-scale solar capacity installed?
In EIA’s July 2026 estimates, California, New York, Texas, Florida and Massachusetts had the most, per Electric Power Monthly table 6.2.B. Installed capacity is not the same as lead demand: buyer coverage decides what sells.
Why does the share of detached homes matter for solar lead sellers?
Most residential solar buyers sell to owners of single-family detached houses, who control their roof. In states with fewer detached homes, more form submissions come from condominium and apartment owners that many buyers cannot serve.
Is a sunnier state always a better market for solar leads?
No. Sunlight affects what a system can produce, but buyer coverage, housing, state rules and how many other sellers run traffic there decide whether your leads are accepted.
Can Summit say which states need solar lead supply?
Yes, during onboarding. Send the states and ZIP codes you reach, and the ones that fit current buyer filters are discussed before you go live.
Related guides
Sources
- PVWatts Calculator, version 8, National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL)developer.nlr.gov
- Electric Power Monthly, table 6.2.B: net summer capacity using primarily renewable energy sources, by state, U.S. Energy Information Administrationeia.gov
- Electric Power Annual, table 2.10: average price of electricity by end-use sector, by state, U.S. Energy Information Administrationeia.gov
- Where solar is found, U.S. Energy Information Administrationeia.gov
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020-2024, table B25024: units in structure, U.S. Census Bureaudata.census.gov
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020-2024, table B25032: tenure by units in structure, U.S. Census Bureaudata.census.gov
- Solar Power for Your Home, Federal Trade Commissionconsumer.ftc.gov
Running solar traffic in several states?
Email us the states and ZIP codes your solar traffic reaches, your traffic sources and how consent is captured. Return terms and payment terms are agreed during onboarding.
Or write to team@summitleads.ai. We reply by email.
What happens next
- Step 1: You email us.
- Step 2: We reply by email.
Buying solar leads instead? See solar leads