The same homeowner is sold to several installers, and the price of each lead keeps rising.
Solar play · Direct mail program
A solar direct mail program that books site surveys every month.
Bought leads dry up and canvassing burns out reps. A direct mail program keeps surveys on the calendar. Spur builds the lists a solar installer should mail every month, including high-usage homes, sunny streets, install neighbors, and stalled quotes, writes the letters and cards, and runs the follow-ups so your pipeline doesn't depend on someone else's leads.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
USPSFirst-Class
Rob Castellano71 Juniper Hill RdBedford, NH 03110Scan for your savings estimate
Rob C. scanned your install-neighbor card · 13 min ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
4 listshigh-usage homes, sunny streets, install neighbors, stalled quotes
Monthlysends with automatic follow-ups
Cost per surveytracked by list on one dashboard
The problem
Most solar pipelines depend on channels the installer doesn't control.
Door-to-door teams burn out, can't reach gated or rural homes, and face more local restrictions every year.
Cold calls and texts to numbers without consent can bring TCPA claims, with statutory damages for each call.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps to a solar mail program that fills the survey calendar.
app.usespur.com
See it in Spur
A monthly solar mail program in Spur
Sample Bedford, NH households across the four program lists. Names are partly masked.
Zips 03110 + 03031Single-familyOwner-occupiedOwned 3+ yrsNo solar on recordExclude customers
- Rob C.71 Juniper Hill Rd0.1 mi from a new installInstall neighborSouth roof
- Allison & Ty G.14 Wallace Rd3,600 sq ft · owned 8 yrsHigh usageLetter
- Denise K.209 Ministerial RdQuoted 9 mo ago, no decisionStalled quoteLetter
- Phil M.38 Hawthorne DrOn a south-roof streetSunny streetPostcard
- Sara & Ben W.77 Juniper Hill Rd0.15 mi from a new installInstall neighborOwned 11 yrs
AI draft for Rob C. · 71 Juniper Hill Rd
WE INSTALLED SOLAR ON JUNIPER HILL LAST MONTH. YOUR ROOF FACES THE SAME WAY.
Hi Rob, you may have seen our crew on Juniper Hill Road. The home we finished has the same layout as yours, with a long roof plane facing south and very little shade.
We'd like to show you what a similar system would do for your home, using your actual Eversource bill and current rates. We won't assume any tax credit, and if the numbers don't work, we'll say so.
Scan the code and upload a recent bill. Your estimate will arrive within two business days.
Granite State Solar · (603) 555-0118
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How to build a direct mail program for a solar company
A solar direct mail program is a set of standing lists, each with its own message, mailed on a schedule and measured by cost per site survey and cost per install. It's how installers build a pipeline they own instead of renting one from lead vendors.
Four lists cover most of the opportunity. High-usage homes, found by value, size, and ownership length, are the core prospect list. Streets with south- or west-facing roofs improve the odds that a survey turns into a sale. Neighbors of every install see your work and are often easier to convince. Stalled quotes from the last year already know your numbers and may be ready now.
Match the format to the list. Postcards work for install neighbors and sunny streets, where the message is short: "your roof faces the same way." Letters work better for high-usage homes and stalled quotes, where you need a few paragraphs to explain rates, storage, or what's changed since they last looked.
Mail is also the safer outreach channel. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act allows statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per call or text made without proper consent, and solar has been a frequent target of TCPA lawsuits. Mail lets the homeowner contact you first, which keeps your phone outreach consent-based.
Keep the claims honest. The federal residential clean energy credit ended for homeowner-owned systems placed in service after 2025. Lead with the bill, the roof, and long-term production, and mention state or utility incentives only where they actually apply.
Measure the right numbers: cost per bill upload, cost per site survey, and cost per install by list. Response rate alone hides the difference between a list that brings in tire-kickers and one that brings in buyers. Move budget toward the lists that close. Install neighbors and stalled quotes usually cost the least per install, so protect those lists first.
20×return on a full year of mail and software from 6 installs at $24,000
A year of mail, measured in installs.
- Spur Team: $588/yr, plus 6,000 postcards and letters at about $1.10 = $6,600
- 6 residential systems × $24,000 = $144,000 in contracts
- Total program cost: $7,188 for the year
Example math. System size, pricing, and close rates vary by market, utility, and financing. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual solar lead sources
What you needThe usual waySpur
Four lists you ownLeads sold to several installers✓ Built in
Mail homeowners respond to firstCold calls with TCPA risk✓ Built in
Neighbor mail after every installCanvassing that doesn't scale✓ Built in
Follow-ups on autopilotOne-off campaigns✓ Built in
Cost per survey and install by listCost per lead only✓ Built in
Direct Mail by the numbers
Why solar installers are moving to mail
$500–$1,500
in statutory damages per call or text made without proper consent
~0.5%/yr
median output loss for solar panels, so the long-term production story holds up
20×
return on a full year of mail and software from 6 installs at $24,000
FAQ
Solar direct mail questions
Does direct mail work for solar companies?
Yes, when it's a program with targeted lists, honest copy, and follow-ups. Mail to homes that fit, with a usage-based estimate, books surveys without sharing leads with other installers.
Who should a solar installer mail?
High-usage homes by value and size, streets with south- or west-facing roofs, neighbors of recent installs, and quotes that stalled in the last year.
Is direct mail safer than cold calling for solar?
It avoids the consent problems of cold calls and texts. Homeowners contact you first, and your phone follow-up stays consent-based.
How should I measure solar direct mail?
Track cost per bill upload, cost per site survey, and cost per install by list, not just response rate.
Should solar mail still mention tax credits?
Not the federal residential credit for homeowner-owned systems placed in service after 2025, which ended. Mention state and utility incentives only where they apply.
Keep exploring
Related plays and guides
Start in minutes. No card required.
Own your solar pipeline.
Set up four standing lists, schedule the year, and let Spur mail and follow up while your team installs. Free to start.
Build my solar direct mail program — freeFree forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
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