06:58
Why solar installers should collaborate, not compete
Quick one on collaborations and partnerships — because this is becoming a necessity, not a “nice to have”, especially if you’re running paid ads.
Most installers operate in isolation mode. Strategies are guarded, ideas are hidden, and there’s a constant fear of nearby competitors “stealing” something.
The reality is simpler.
Local markets are crowded. Most installers are fighting over a tiny slice of the pie. And obsessing over taking a slightly bigger slice often misses the bigger opportunity — making the pie bigger in the first place.
In this video, I explain why collaboration beats isolation, how partnerships help both market share and demand creation, and why sharing learnings is one of the few ways smaller installers can compete with companies spending 10x–50x more on ads.
For context, this video was originally recorded on 8 January 2026, views & strategies may have changed since.
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Video transcript
Collaborations & partnerships in solar: why “making the pie bigger” wins
Quick one on collaborations and partnerships — because I think this is becoming a necessity, not a “nice to have”, especially if you’re running paid ads.
This all comes down to one mindset shift:
Make the pie bigger
…instead of obsessing over taking a bigger slice.
A lot of installers operate in “isolation mode”:
keep strategies close to the chest
assume what they’re doing is totally unique
worry about a nearby competitor “stealing ideas”
But in reality, most local markets are crowded.
If your area has ~50 installers, the average installer is getting ~2% of the installs happening nearby.
So the question becomes:
Would you rather compete alone… or as a coalition?
If you actively partner with even one installer — share learnings, meet monthly, swap ideas, sense-check offers, funnels, sales process, recruitment, suppliers — you’ve immediately shifted from:
you vs 49 other installers
to:you + a trusted peer vs everyone else
Even if you only each gain an extra 1–2% market share, that’s a meaningful step-change in installs, revenue, and stability.
It’s not just about taking share — it’s also about growing demand
Partnerships don’t only help you win more of the market.
They help you grow the market by:
improving messaging and positioning
creating better offers
educating customers more effectively
raising the bar of what “good solar” looks like
New thinking emerges when you’re not stuck inside your own echo chamber.
The practical win: trusted referrals
There’s also a straightforward, immediate upside:
If you get a lead outside your service area, you should have someone you trust to pass it to — and expect the same back in return.
That’s better for the customer, better for your reputation, and better for your pipeline.
Why this matters even more with paid ads
If you’re running Meta Ads / Google Ads, you’re competing against companies spending 10x, 20x, 50x your budget.
And with paid media:
bigger budgets produce more conversion events
platforms learn faster
testing happens faster
iteration happens faster
If your £1,000 is competing against someone’s £50,000, they can out-learn you and out-test you unless you find a different edge.
One way to bridge that gap is simple:
Join forces and assimilate learnings.
If 10–50 installers are collectively sharing what’s working (offers, hooks, targeting insights, funnel tweaks, follow-up systems), you start to close the distance between local installers and the national lead aggregators / energy companies.
This is also why specialist agencies can win: when you work with multiple installers in one niche, your learnings compound faster than a generalist agency working across random industries.
“But won’t competitors copy you?”
They can already copy you.
Ideas aren’t the scarce resource — execution is.
And if you share what works, you tend to get back:
better ideas
better strategies
smarter perspectives
partnerships you didn’t expect
The industry improves, customers get better experiences, and more solar gets installed. Everyone wins.
Actionable takeaway
Pick one installer you respect — ideally:
outside your service area (to remove the “threat” feeling), or
close enough that you can meet in person
Start a conversation. Share one thing that’s working. Ask one good question. Set up a simple monthly check-in.
You’d be surprised what that can turn into over 6–12 months.
If you resonate with the “make the pie bigger” mindset, that’s the whole energy behind what we’re building — and why we don’t gatekeep the learnings.
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