Short answer
An AI employee for a solar installer replies to new leads in minutes, qualifies them on roof, utility bill and ownership, books site surveys, and sends homeowners regular permit and utility interconnection status updates. Salespeople and project managers keep the design, pricing and compliance decisions; the chasing and communication are handled.
A long sales cycle with many quiet stretches
Solar is not an impulse purchase. A lead from a web form or a door knock turns into a bill review, a roof assessment, a design, a proposal, a contract, a permit, an install and an interconnection approval. Each handoff is a place where the homeowner waits and starts wondering what is happening.
Installers lose deals early, when a lead waits hours for a call, and lose goodwill late, when permit and utility stages drag with no updates. Both are communication problems an AI employee can cover.
Lead qualification in minutes, not days
Oraculo replies to each new lead by text or call-back right away, whether it came from your website, a lead vendor, Facebook ads or a referral. It asks the questions your sales team would ask first, and writes the answers into the CRM, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, or the built-in CRM add-on.
- Do you own the home? Renters usually cannot sign a solar contract.
- Roof type and age. Shingle, tile, metal, flat. A roof near replacement changes the conversation.
- Monthly electric bill. It asks for a recent bill; if the customer sends a photo or PDF, it reads the usage and rate and notes the figures for your designer.
- Shade and orientation. What the homeowner knows; the survey confirms.
- Timeline and financing interest. Cash, loan, lease or PPA, depending on what you offer.
- Utility and location. Whether you serve the address.
Leads that fit your criteria get a survey slot. Leads that do not fit are told so politely, so no one on your team spends a call on a renter. This is the same routine described in AI lead follow-up, tuned for a long sales cycle.
Booking site surveys
A site survey needs access: the homeowner home, sometimes a roof ladder, the electrical panel reachable. Oraculo offers slots based on your surveyor’s calendar and drive times, confirms the details and sends reminders with a list of what to have ready. It asks the customer to clear access to the panel and attic if relevant, and to send a photo of the panel label.
| Stage | Customer experience | What Oraculo does |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | Fast reply, a few questions | Qualifies, logs, offers survey times |
| Survey scheduled | Reminders and prep list | Sends them, reschedules if needed |
| After survey | Proposal expected | Nudges your designer, then follows up on the proposal (AI quote follow-up) |
| Contract signed | Excited, then silence | Sends welcome and what-happens-next timeline |
Permit and utility status updates
The quiet stretch after signing is where customers get nervous. Permits and interconnection depend on a city building department and a utility, neither of which moves on your schedule. Oraculo tracks each project’s stage and sends the homeowner updates at set intervals: plans submitted, permit approved, inspection scheduled, install date, final inspection, permission to operate.
Where your city or utility offers an online portal, Oraculo can log in with the account you provide, on its own secure computer, and check status, then update the project record. It reminds the project manager of stalled items, such as an application with no response after a number of days you set, and drafts the follow-up email for approval.
A sample delegation
Oraculo works through the project list, logs into the portals it has access to, lists the status by project, drafts the follow-ups, and sends the homeowner updates after you approve the wording. You receive a single table of projects sorted by days stalled.
What stays human
- System design and engineering. Layout, string sizing, structural questions and code compliance.
- Pricing, incentives and financing advice. Tax credit eligibility and loan terms are for a qualified advisor. Oraculo does not tell homeowners what they will save or qualify for.
- Contracts and change orders. Reviewed and signed by you.
- Complaints about production or an unhappy customer. Handled by a person.
Other trades have similar flows: see AI employee for roofing companies for the roof side of a solar job.
Cost for a solar installer
Many installers have multiple salespeople and a project manager, which fits the Business plan: $8 per hour of work with a 43-hour weekly minimum, about $1,500 a month, a dedicated Slack account manager and an optional built-in CRM at $50 a month. Starter is $12 per hour with a 6-hour weekly minimum, about $312 a month. Setup is $499 once with four 1-hour Zoom sessions, and a 30-day money-back guarantee applies. Phone calls are $0.19 a minute.
To walk through your pipeline stages, book a 20-minute demo.
Key takeaway
Solar deals are lost to slow replies and trust is lost to silence. An AI employee answers leads quickly and keeps homeowners informed through permit and utility waits, while your team handles design and promises.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI qualify solar leads?
Yes. Oraculo replies in minutes, asks about ownership, roof, electric bill, timeline and location, reads a bill if the customer sends one, logs everything in your CRM and books a survey for leads that fit your criteria.
Can it tell homeowners how much they will save?
It should not. Savings, incentives and financing depend on a design and a qualified calculation. Oraculo can share your approved materials and pass the question to your salesperson or designer.
Can it check permit and utility status?
Where an online portal exists and you provide a login, it can check status on its own secure computer and update the project. Where there is no portal, it reminds your team and drafts follow-up emails.
Will it work with our CRM or project tool?
If a tool has an API or a login, Oraculo can usually work with it. HubSpot, Salesforce and GoHighLevel are among its connections, and an engineer confirms your stack during setup.
Does it replace a project coordinator?
It takes over status checks, customer updates and reminders, which is a large part of a coordinator’s week. Design coordination, inspections on site and problem solving stay with people.