Commercial electric bills are too high and rising, making it hard for small business owners to control energy costs.

Existing energy efficiency measures (LEDs, thermostats) are insufficient to offset rising rates, and solar is too expensive upfront without clear ROI for small commercial properties.

Severity

3Medium

Willingness to Pay

implied

Added

May 7, 2026

Workarounds Described

manually researching solar installers like Wolf River Electric, Sunrun, All Energy Solar
posting on Reddit to ask other small business owners about solar financing experiences

Implied Software Gaps

No tool exists that aggregates and compares solar quotes specifically for small commercial properties with transparent financing analysis.

App Concept

SolarSMB

SolarSMB is a platform that matches small commercial properties with tailored solar financing and installation options, providing a clear side-by-side comparison of monthly payments vs. current utility costs. It simplifies decision-making by showing projected savings and payback period for each quote.

Key Features

Compare personalized solar quotes from multiple vetted installers
Side-by-side projection of savings vs. current bill
Financing calculator with monthly payment estimates
Building-specific shading and roof analysis

Target Users: Owners of small to medium commercial buildings (<10,000 sq ft) in high-utility-cost states who are considering solar but are overwhelmed by options and upfront costs.

Revenue Model: Freemium with $49/mo pro tier for priority support and advanced analytics; commission from installers for successful referrals (10% of contract value).

Existing Solutions Mentioned

LED lightingprogrammable thermostatssolar panels

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