Residential, Battery & Commercial Solar
Google Ads for Solar Installers and Solar Companies
Logical Gecko runs Google Ads for solar installers and solar companies as an independent Google Partner agency. Rooftop systems, battery storage and commercial projects each get their own campaign and budget. Site surveys, signed contracts and cancellations are reported to Google, so its bidding finds the searches that turn into installs. Every claim is checked against Google policy and FTC solar guidance.
- Surveys, contracts and cancellations uploaded against the first click
- No "free panels", government-program or expired tax credit wording
- No long contract, and the ad account belongs to you
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026. The 12-month averages run from October 2025 through September 2026, and a month named in the copy is that month's own US count. Battery figure: California Public Utilities Commission, Net Energy Metering and Net Billing. To turn these click prices into a budget, read our guide to how much Google Ads costs.
Where Budgets Go
Four Ways a Solar Account Spends Without Signing Anyone
A solar sale passes through a survey, a design, a proposal and often a lender before anyone signs. These four setup problems drain the budget long before that point.
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026. Tax credit: IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit, read November 14, 2026.
Gadget Searches in an Install Campaign
"Solar generator" draws 74,000 US searches a month at $1.63 a click, and "portable solar panels" 14,800 at $1.05. Those people want a box to plug in. Loose match types let them into rooftop campaigns at rooftop prices.
A Tax Credit the IRS Has Ended
The IRS says the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. An ad or page that still promises homeowners that credit makes an inaccurate claim, which Google's misrepresentation policy bars.
Bill Uploads Scored Like Installs
A quote form with a bill attached, a booked survey and a signed contract often count as the same conversion. Smart Bidding then chases cheap form fills, renters and shaded roofs included.
A Sale That Outlasts the Upload Limit
Survey, design, proposal, financing approval and signature can run past 90 days. Google skips an offline conversion uploaded later than that after the click, so slow contracts never reach bidding.
Consult to Contract
The Solar Sale in Four Stages, Each One Reported to Google
Every stage below is a separate conversion action. Your CRM or solar software sends it to Google against the click that started the lead. Bidding sees real progress weeks before the crew is scheduled.
- Stage 1 · counted on arrival
Quote Request With the Bill
The call or form comes in and your CRM stores its Google click ID. The form asks who owns the home, the average monthly electric bill and the age of the roof.
- Stage 2 · uploaded from your CRM
Site Survey or Design Call Held
A survey that actually happened is the first strong signal, and it lands well inside Google's window. We set it as the first stage bidding learns from.
- Stage 3 · uploaded with a value
Proposal Accepted, Financing Cleared
Cash, loan, lease or PPA: the stage counts once the homeowner accepts and any lender or lease company approves. Its value tells bidding a panel-only job from panels plus a battery.
- Stage 4 · uploaded after the cancel window
Contract Signed and Kept
Sent with the contract value once the cancellation period in your contract has run out. A homeowner who cancels inside it triggers a retraction instead of a sale.
The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule requires sellers in door-to-door sales over $25 to tell homeowners they can cancel within three business days. Google counts a retraction for bidding when it arrives within 7 days of the conversion being recorded, per its conversion adjustment rules.
Since June 15, 2026, Google takes offline conversions and enhanced conversions for leads through its Data Manager API. We check that your CRM sends each stage that way, with the click ID our click ID guide describes.
The CPUC says interconnection applications with contracts signed on or after that date must include Version 4 of its Solar Consumer Protection Guide. It recommends handing the guide over at first contact, so California landing pages link it.
Campaigns by System
How We Split a Solar Account by What Gets Installed
A rooftop array, a battery retrofit and a warehouse roof differ in ticket size, sales cycle and who signs. Each one runs with its own keywords, page and budget.
- Campaign 01
Residential Rooftop Systems
The main budget. "Solar panel installation" averages 74,000 US searches a month at $25.22 a click, and "solar installers near me" 12,100 at $23.25. The page shows local installs, your license number and the steps from survey to utility approval.
- Campaign 02
Battery Storage and Backup
"Solar battery installation" costs $39.48 a click on 1,600 searches a month. "Home battery backup" draws 14,800 at $3.90, mostly product research, so it runs only next to words like installer. Google allows brand names such as Powerwall as keywords, and in ad text when your page sells that product and says you are a reseller.
- Campaign 03
EV Chargers as a Second Offer
"EV charger installation" draws about 14,800 US searches a month, at $18.57 a click. If your crews hold the electrical license your state requires, a small charger campaign gives homeowners who already have panels a reason to call again. Our electrician page covers charger campaigns in depth.
- Campaign 04
Roof Work, Removal and Reinstall
"Solar panel removal and reinstall" draws 720 searches a month at $33.90, the job a reroof under an existing array needs. The FTC tells homeowners to ask what happens if the roof needs repair after panels go on, so this page answers that question first.
- Campaign 05
Commercial Solar
"Commercial solar" averages 880 searches at $50.77 a click, and "solar for business" 320 at $55.68. Owners and finance leads read before they call. So this campaign is form-first, runs on weekdays and lands on a page of finished commercial projects.
- Campaign 06
Financing and Ownership Questions
"Solar panel financing" draws 2,400 searches at $23.44, "solar lease" 1,600 at $27.60 and "solar ppa" 1,900 at $16.85. They land on a page comparing a loan, a lease and a PPA. A loan offer brings Google's consumer finance rules, so targeting uses cities or a radius.
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026. Monthly averages span October 2025 to September 2026. Brand rules: Google Advertising Policies Help, Trademarks.
Two Markets
Residential and Commercial Solar: Different Settings Everywhere
A homeowner and a business owner search, decide and sign in different ways. These are the settings we change between the two.
| Setting | Residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Keywords | "solar panel installation near me", "solar installers near me", "solar battery installation" | "commercial solar installation", "solar for business", "commercial solar companies" |
| Who signs | The homeowner, plus a lender or lease company when the system is financed | The owner, a finance lead or a board, plus the landlord when the building is leased |
| First step you sell | A site survey or a virtual design call | A review of 12 months of utility bills and a feasibility study |
| Lead type and hours | Calls and forms, with evenings and Saturdays if someone answers | Forms first, weekday office hours |
| Main conversion for bidding | Survey held, then the signed contract with its value | Feasibility study booked, then the signed contract with its value |
| Radius | The area your crews, permits and utility interconnection cover | Wider, since one large roof can justify the travel |
| Landing page proof | Rooftops installed nearby, panel and inverter brands, warranty terms | Finished commercial projects, system sizes and how each was financed |
Run each market as its own campaign with its own budget, so one large commercial bid never drains the residential month. The same goes for Local Services Ads after the move into Google Ads: Google applies one campaign-level Target CPA to every category inside a campaign.
Our System
What the Quote-to-Install Audit Checks
Already advertising? Then the audit begins with your current account. We read six parts of it and say whether we found the reason quotes stall before install.
Search Terms by System
Which searches booked surveys, and which came from people pricing generators, DIY kits, solar jobs or panel cleaning. We sort them into residential, battery, commercial and financing campaigns.
Negatives Written for Solar
"Solar panel jobs" (3,600 a month) and "solar sales jobs" (1,000) bring job hunters. Do-it-yourself searches such as "diy solar panels" (5,400) and "solar panels amazon" (1,900) go too. Google's negatives ignore plurals and synonyms, so we add each form; our negative keywords guide shows how.
Claim Wording
Free panels, no-cost solar, government-program language, the homeowner tax credit that ended with 2025, and savings promises, read across ads, sitelinks, callouts and landing pages.
Financing Targeting and Disclosures
Whether loan campaigns use ZIP code targeting, which Google's consumer finance rules forbid in the US and Canada. We also check that the page shows the provider's address and fees without a click.
Conversion Stages
Whether surveys, proposals and contracts are separate actions, whether uploads beat the 90-day limit, and whether cancelled contracts get retracted.
Location and Local Services Setup
Whether campaigns use Presence targeting, which reaches people in or regularly in your area. We also check that your Solar energy contractor profile matches the work you want.
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026.
Claim Rules
Solar Ad Claims Google and the FTC Act On
The FTC has published warnings about solar scams, and Google's policies name the same patterns. These four claims get ads disapproved or accounts suspended, and here is what we write instead.
"Free Panels" and "No-Cost Solar"
The FTC's August 2024 business guidance says offers of "free" or "no cost" solar panels are scams. Google's dishonest pricing policy also requires the payment model and the full cost to be disclosed.
Name the Ownership Option
Ads say how the homeowner pays: cash, a loan, a lease or a PPA. The landing page states the term, any monthly payment and who owns the system.
Implied Government Backing
Making it seem you are affiliated with a government entity when you are not is an unacceptable business practice to Google. It suspends those accounts on detection, without prior warning. The FTC's Impersonation Rule covers the same conduct.
Official Names, Official Links
An incentive appears only under its official name, linked to the agency or utility page that runs it. "Government solar program", at 260 searches a month, sits on the negative list.
Tax Credits and Savings Promises
The homeowner credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. With a lease or PPA, the FTC notes, credits go to the system's owner. Google's unreliable claims policy bars inaccurate claims and improbable results shown as the likely outcome.
Savings Stay on the Proposal
Headlines carry the offer, the area and your proof, with no savings percentages. Estimates belong in the proposal, built from the homeowner's own bill. The FTC itself warns that future utility rates are hard to predict.
Loan Offers Aimed at ZIP Codes
Ads for credit such as loans fall under Google's consumer finance rules. In the US and Canada, those campaigns may not use ZIP codes, age, gender, parental status or marital status as targeting. Financial ads must show the provider's address and all fees on the page.
Cities, a Radius and Visible Terms
Financing campaigns use city targeting or a radius no smaller than 1 km. The page names the lender with its address and fees, and the lender approves the wording before launch.
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026. Policies read November 14, 2026, along with FTC consumer advice, Solar Power for Your Home. We write ads, not legal disclosures: your attorney and lender confirm what your state requires.
Calling Leads
Before Your Team Calls a Solar Lead: The Consent Rules
Dialers, texts and prerecorded messages speed up the callback. The FCC and the FTC decide which of them you may use on a given lead, and a Google Ads lead is no exception.
FCC rules require prior written consent before a prerecorded telemarketing call to a home or mobile number. A website form or a keypress can capture it. Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to a mobile number need consent too.
The FCC says commercial texts require written consent, and AI-generated voice calls are illegal unless the person agreed or the caller is exempt. Telemarketing calls to a home are barred before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
Under the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, an inquiry lets you call for three months, even if the number is registered. That ends early if the person asks you to stop. Registry users must sync their lists at least every 31 days.
The FTC says a seller cannot place prerecorded calls to people whose information came from third parties. Written permission to call must cover your company, include the number and carry the person's signature.
Your form names your company and keeps any calling or texting consent in its own box. We do not write consent language: your attorney does, and we place it exactly as written. Many states also keep their own do-not-call lists, the FCC notes.
Sources (November 14, 2026): FCC, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts; FTC, Q&A for Telemarketers and Sellers About DNC Provisions in TSR. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Channels
Where Solar Ads Run, and What Each Placement Does
Each Google placement plays its own part while a homeowner compares quotes. Our contractor Google Ads guide covers the setup all trades share. Below is what differs for solar.
Search Ads for Systems and Batteries
You write the ad, pick the keywords and choose the page, so Search carries rooftop systems, batteries, commercial projects and financing questions. "Solar companies near me" averages 14,800 US searches a month at $28.72 a click.
Local Services Ads: Solar Is a US Category
"Solar energy contractor" is on Google's list of US Local Services Ads categories. You can pay per lead for a spot at the top of Search and Maps. Your profile carries the Google Verified badge only after Google's checks. For solar, Google lists business and owner background checks, business registration, general liability insurance and state licenses, applied to select advertisers. Google says screening averages 3 to 4 weeks after you submit documents. Google does not list solar among its urgent categories.
Local Services Moving Into Google Ads
Solar Energy Contractor appears in Google's Phase 1 directory, dated August 2026, for the switch to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals. Installers set up as service-area businesses without a storefront are in Phase 2, planned for late 2026. Manual bidding and manual lead disputes go away. Local Services performance reports do not transfer, so we download them before the switch.
Call Assets and Missed Calls
Google stopped new call-only ads in February 2026, and existing ones stop serving in February 2027, so your number runs as a call asset. In Local Services Ads, a missed call in business hours is charged once the caller stays on the line past 20 seconds.
Remarketing While Quotes Come In
Someone who reads your battery or financing page and leaves without booking sees your ads again during the weeks spent comparing quotes. Those ads show nearby installs, warranty terms and reviews.
A Page per System, With the Bill Question
Each page names the system and the town, shows installs nearby and your equipment warranties, and asks for the monthly bill and the roof's age. The FTC tells homeowners to check an installer's license with the state board, so your number sits beside the form.
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026. Local Services facts: Local Services Help, Business screening and verification requirements and How leads work; call ads: Google Ads Help, About call ads. How each one bills is laid out in our comparison of Local Services Ads and Google Ads.
How It Works
Four Steps to Your First Contract Upload
Quote-to-Install Audit
We read your search terms, conversion stages, claim wording and Local Services setup, then tell you whether we found where quotes stall.
Campaigns by System
Residential, battery, roofing, commercial and financing campaigns, each with its own negatives, area and page. We build them within 72 hours of onboarding.
CRM Stages Wired to Google
Click IDs saved with every lead. Surveys, accepted proposals, contracts and retractions set up as conversion actions with a regular upload.
Budget Follows Kept Contracts
Search terms get reviewed weekly. Each month, budget shifts toward the system type with the lowest cost per contract that stays signed.
Why Us
Why Solar Installers Choose Logical Gecko
Built for a Regulated, Slow Sale
Our Google Ads work centers on two fields: home services and eCommerce. Solar shares roof work with roofing companies, panel and charger work with electricians, and a long estimate cycle with remodelers. For lead credits and ranking, see our Local Services Ads guide.
Month to Month
Stop with 30 days of written notice. You keep the ad account, every conversion it has recorded and your CRM data, as our terms set out.
Straight Answers on WhatsApp
Ask which campaign booked last week's surveys, or why a lead came from outside your utility area. The person running your account answers in writing.
Campaigns in 72 Hours
Campaigns are built within 72 hours of onboarding. Claim wording gets our review before any ad reaches Google's own review.
Independent Google Partner
We hold the Google Partner badge as an agency separate from Google. We promise no results, because Google's auctions, your close rate and your financing partners decide them.
Are Google Ads worth it for solar companies?
Yes, if you track each lead to a signed contract and keep your ads clear of the claims Google and the FTC act on. Homeowners search for the install itself: "solar panel installation" averaged 74,000 US searches a month over the past year, and "solar companies near me" 14,800. Demand swings, though. The first term fell from 135,000 searches in September 2025 to 18,100 in September 2026, so budgets need a monthly review.
How much should a solar company spend on Google Ads?
Start from what one signed contract earns you, then work back to a cost per lead you can carry. Google Ads has no minimum spending commitment. A campaign may spend up to twice its average daily budget on a busy day. For most campaigns, the month stays under 30.4 times that budget. Illustrative: an install leaves $10,000 of gross profit and 10% goes to marketing. With a 25% close rate after surveys and half of leads reaching a survey, that allows $125 per lead. Run your own numbers in our cost per lead calculator.
What is the best way to get solar leads?
Search campaigns you own, plus Local Services Ads, are the best paid source for most installers. The homeowner searched and chose your ad, and the lead is not resold. Marketplaces and lead sellers such as EnergySage, SolarReviews and Modernize also sell solar leads. Compare cost per signed contract, not cost per lead, before you choose. Check how any bought lead gave consent before your team calls it.
Is solar a Local Services Ads category?
Yes. "Solar energy contractor" is on Google's list of US Local Services Ads categories, billed per lead. Google adds its Verified badge after Google's checks. For solar, those checks can cover the business and its owner, general liability insurance and state licenses. Google does not list solar among its urgent categories. Its August 2026 Phase 1 directory lists Solar Energy Contractor for the move into Performance Max with pay-per-lead goals. Installers without a storefront are scheduled for Phase 2, late 2026.
Can solar companies advertise "free solar panels" or a government program on Google?
No. Google bars ads that make it seem you are affiliated with a government entity when you are not. It suspends those accounts on detection, without prior warning. The FTC told solar sellers in August 2024 that offers of "free" or "no cost" solar panels are scams. Name an incentive by its official title, link to the official page, and show the full cost and payment model on the landing page.
Should solar ads still mention the 30% federal tax credit?
Not for homeowners who buy a system now. The IRS says the Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. With a lease or a PPA, the FTC notes that the homeowner does not own the system, so any credits go to its owner. An ad that still promises homeowners 30% back makes an inaccurate claim, which Google's misrepresentation policy bars.
Can you upload signed solar contracts and cancellations to Google Ads?
Yes, if each upload arrives no more than 90 days after the click. Google skips offline conversions uploaded later, and the cutoff for enhanced conversions for leads is 63 days. We upload the site survey, the accepted proposal and the signed contract with its value. When a homeowner cancels, a retraction sent within 7 days still reaches bidding. Google has taken these uploads through its Data Manager API since June 15, 2026.
What consent do I need before my team calls Google Ads leads?
Consent that matches how you call. The FCC requires prior written consent, which a website form can capture, before a prerecorded telemarketing call to a home or mobile number. Autodialed calls and texts to a mobile number need consent too, and commercial texts need it in writing. The FTC lets you call a registered Do Not Call number for three months after an inquiry, unless the person asks you to stop. Your attorney should write the consent line.
Can you review the Google Ads my solar company already runs?
Yes. The free Google Ads audit covers four things: search terms, conversion stages, claim wording and your Local Services setup. Then we say whether we found the reason quotes are not becoming contracts. On the call, you see one or two of those issues in your account. Paid management includes the complete fix plan.
Search data: Google Ads keyword data via DataForSEO, United States, pulled November 2026. Google facts come from Google Ads Help, Advertising Policies Help and Local Services Help as read on November 14, 2026. Spending limits: Google Ads: Definition and About average daily budgets. Upload limits: Guidelines for importing offline conversions.
Find Out Which Searches Become Signed Solar Contracts
Tell us what you install and where. If you already advertise, we trace your leads from click to contract and point to the step where they drop.
- A free 15-minute call covering your market, utilities and sales process
- We say whether we found what is raising your cost per contract and walk you through one or two issues
- If Google Ads is the wrong fit for your market or offer, we tell you so
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