Create professional, branded solar proposals in minutes with SurgePV. Include system design, payback analysis, financing options, and e-signature — all in one solar proposal tool.
The solar proposal is the make-or-break document in every sale. A poorly formatted PDF with generic numbers and no branding signals inexperience and loses deals before the follow-up call. A polished, data-driven proposal with your logo, accurate financials, and a clear next step builds the confidence customers need to sign. In a market where homeowners receive multiple competing quotes, presentation quality is often the deciding factor.
SurgePV's solar proposal tool lets installers and sales representatives generate fully branded, data-driven proposals in minutes — not hours. Enter the system details and SurgePV automatically calculates production estimates, payback period, 25-year savings, IRR, CO2 offset, and side-by-side financing comparisons. Every proposal includes your company logo, colors, license number, and contact information on every page. No design skills required, no templates to wrestle with.
Thousands of solar professionals across the US use SurgePV to standardize their proposal quality, speed up their sales process, and close more deals. Whether you're a one-person installation business or managing a regional sales team of 30 reps, SurgePV proposals give every customer the same professional experience — with the financial accuracy that earns trust and gets signatures.
Branded Proposals
Your company logo, brand colors, contact information, and license number appear on every page. Customers receive a document that looks 100% like it came from your business — not a generic platform.
Financial Analysis
Automatically calculated payback period, 25-year ROI, IRR, and side-by-side financing comparisons — cash, loan, PPA, and lease — so customers can see the full financial picture in one document.
E-Signature Ready
Send proposals digitally via a secure shareable link. Customers sign on any device — desktop, tablet, or phone. You receive an instant notification the moment the contract is signed, in the field or remotely.
Every proposal SurgePV generates contains six core sections — automatically populated with accurate data from your system design, with your branding applied throughout.
System Summary
Total system size in kW, panel count and model, inverter make and model, estimated annual production in kWh, and system efficiency. Gives the customer a clear picture of exactly what they're buying before the financial numbers appear.
IncludedFinancial Analysis
Full financial breakdown: gross system cost, applicable incentives, net cost after incentives, payback period, 25-year cumulative savings, 25-year ROI percentage, and IRR. Year-by-year modeling accounts for utility rate escalation and panel degradation.
IncludedFinancing Options
Side-by-side comparison table of cash purchase, solar loan, PPA, and lease — showing monthly payment (or net out-of-pocket), total 25-year cost, and total 25-year savings for each option. Customers see the full picture without needing a separate follow-up meeting.
IncludedProduction Chart
Month-by-month bar chart of expected kWh generation across all 12 months, reflecting seasonal variation based on the customer's location. Helps customers understand why summer production differs from winter — a common source of questions during the sales conversation.
IncludedEnvironmental Impact
Annual CO2 offset in metric tons, equivalent number of trees planted, and equivalent cars removed from the road per year. Environmental impact data transforms the financial decision into a meaningful choice — particularly important for customers who are motivated by sustainability as much as savings.
IncludedCompany Branding
Your company logo, tagline, primary contact name, phone number, email, website, contractor license number, and customer review links appear on every page of the proposal. The cover page prominently features your brand identity to reinforce professionalism from the first glance.
IncludedEnter Your Company Branding
Upload your company logo, set your brand colors, and enter your contact information, license number, and review links. This is a one-time setup — SurgePV saves your branding and applies it automatically to every proposal you create from that point forward.
Add the Customer's System Details
Enter the system size (kW), panel model and count, inverter type, installation address, and roof type. SurgePV uses the site location to pull accurate peak sun hours data for the customer's specific region — no manual lookup required.
SurgePV Calculates Everything Automatically
Annual energy production, first-year savings, payback period, 25-year cumulative savings, IRR, CO2 offset, and equivalent trees planted are all calculated instantly. Financial modeling accounts for utility rate escalation, panel degradation, and applicable incentives — no spreadsheet required.
Choose Financing Options to Include
Select which financing options to present side by side in the proposal — cash purchase, solar loan (enter APR and term), PPA ($/kWh rate), or lease (monthly payment). SurgePV generates a comparison table showing the cost and savings for each option so customers can make an informed decision without a second meeting.
Send the Proposal and Get Signed
Share a secure link directly with the customer or download a PDF for presentation. Customers open the proposal on any device, review the details at their own pace, and sign with a legally binding e-signature. You're notified instantly when they open and when they sign — so you know exactly when to follow up.
Solar Sales Representatives
Field sales reps use SurgePV to generate a complete, fully branded proposal during or immediately after a site visit. Instead of waiting 24–48 hours for a design team to produce a proposal, reps close the deal while the customer is still engaged and motivated. Faster proposals mean higher close rates — proposals delivered within an hour of the site visit close at significantly higher rates than those delivered days later.
Solar Installation Companies
Installation companies use SurgePV to standardize proposal quality across their entire sales team. Every rep produces the same professional output — no one is handing customers a misformatted spreadsheet or a generic PDF with the wrong logo. Managers can review proposals before sending, and the platform maintains a complete history of every proposal created for every customer.
Solar Consultants & Brokers
Independent solar consultants and brokers use SurgePV to present multiple financing options in a single professional document — helping customers navigate the choice between cash, loan, PPA, and lease without confusion. By presenting all options side by side with clear savings comparisons, consultants shorten the decision timeline and reduce the number of back-and-forth meetings required to reach a signed agreement.
Every number in a SurgePV proposal is calculated using industry-standard solar financial modeling formulas — not estimated or approximated. Here is the exact methodology behind each core output so you can explain the numbers confidently to any customer.
Annual Energy Production Estimate
Annual kWh = System Size (kW) × Peak Sun Hours (hrs/day) × 365 × System Efficiency (%)
System efficiency accounts for inverter losses, wiring losses, temperature derating, and soiling — typically 78–82% of DC nameplate capacity. Peak sun hours are sourced from NREL's NSRDB for the customer's specific location (latitude/longitude), not state averages.
Simple Payback Period
Simple Payback = Net System Cost ($) ÷ Year 1 Annual Savings ($/yr)
Year 1 Savings = Annual kWh × Local Electricity Rate ($/kWh)
Net system cost = gross installed cost minus applicable incentives (state rebates, utility incentives). The residential federal ITC expired December 31, 2025 and is no longer applied to new residential installations.
Adjusted Payback & 25-Year Savings (with Rate Escalation & Degradation)
Savings(Y) = Year1Savings × (1 + RateEscalation)^(Y−1) × (1 − Degradation)^(Y−1)
25-Year Savings = Σ Savings(Y) for Y=1 to 25 − Loan Payments (if financed)
Default rate escalation: 3%/yr | Default panel degradation: 0.5%/yr
Adjusted payback is the year when cumulative Savings(Y) first exceeds net system cost. With 3% annual rate escalation, adjusted payback is typically 0.5–2 years shorter than simple payback because savings grow each year.
Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
IRR = rate r where NPV = −Net Cost + Σ [Savings(Y) ÷ (1+r)^Y] = 0 for Y=1 to 25
IRR is solved iteratively. A solar IRR of 8–15% means solar outperforms most fixed-income investments over the same period. Compare directly to a solar loan APR: if IRR exceeds the loan APR, financing the system with a loan is financially advantageous.
CO2 Offset Calculation
Annual CO2 Offset (kg) = Annual kWh × 0.386 kg CO2/kWh (US national grid average)
Equivalent Trees = CO2 Offset (metric tons) ÷ 0.021 metric tons CO2 absorbed per tree per year
Equivalent Cars = CO2 Offset (metric tons) ÷ 4.6 metric tons CO2 per average US car per year
Grid emissions factor of 0.386 kg CO2/kWh is the US national average from the EPA eGRID 2023 dataset. Actual offset varies by grid region — states with higher renewable penetration (CA, WA) have lower emissions factors; coal-heavy states have higher factors.
Calculation methodology sourced from SurgePV's Solar Proposal Tool — surgepv.com/solar-proposal-tool/
A complete solar proposal covers ten essential sections. Missing any one of them leaves questions unanswered — and unanswered questions lose deals.
| Proposal Section | Why It Matters | SurgePV Includes It? |
|---|---|---|
| Cover Page | First impression — establishes credibility and professionalism before the customer reads a single number | ✓ Yes |
| System Design Summary | Confirms exactly what the customer is buying — system size, panel model, inverter, and roof layout | ✓ Yes |
| Energy Production Estimate | Shows how much electricity the system will generate annually and month by month — sets realistic expectations | ✓ Yes |
| Financial Analysis | Answers the most important question: how long until the system pays for itself, and how much does it earn over 25 years? | ✓ Yes |
| Financing Options | Lets customers compare cash, loan, PPA, and lease without a second meeting — dramatically speeds up decision-making | ✓ Yes |
| Environmental Impact | CO2 and tree equivalents make the purchase feel meaningful beyond finances — critical for sustainability-motivated buyers | ✓ Yes |
| Company Credentials | License number, years in business, and review links build trust and validate your legitimacy before the customer signs | ✓ Yes |
| E-Signature Block | Removes friction from signing — customers can execute the agreement on any device without printing or scanning | ✓ Yes |
| Warranty Information | Panel, inverter, and workmanship warranty terms reassure customers about long-term risk — reduces post-sale buyer's remorse | ✓ Yes |
| Next Steps / CTA | A clear action step — "Sign below to schedule installation" — guides the customer toward a decision rather than leaving them to wonder what happens next | ✓ Yes |
All ten sections are automatically generated by SurgePV from your system design inputs and company profile — no manual writing or formatting required.
Always Include Financing Comparisons
Customers who see cash vs. loan vs. PPA side by side in the same document close significantly faster than those who receive only one financing option. Presenting a single option forces a yes/no decision. Presenting multiple options shifts the conversation to "which one works best for you?" — a much stronger closing position. Always include at least cash and loan comparisons, even if you expect the customer to finance.
Add Environmental Impact Data
CO2 offset in tons, equivalent trees planted, and cars removed from the road make the solar decision feel meaningful beyond money. For many customers — particularly in markets like California, Massachusetts, and New York — environmental impact is a primary motivator that justifies a shorter payback period. Including these numbers in the proposal creates an emotional connection that pure financial data cannot. Never skip this section.
Keep Proposals Under 10 Pages
Concise proposals get read. Proposals over 10 pages get skimmed at best and ignored at worst. Lead with the financial summary on page one — the payback period and 25-year savings should be visible without scrolling. Reserve detailed appendices for technical specifications and warranty documentation. Customers make buying decisions based on clarity, not volume of information. If your proposal needs more than 10 pages, edit it down.
Follow Up Within 24 Hours of Sending
Proposals sent with a structured follow-up call close at 3x the rate of proposals sent with no follow-up plan. With SurgePV's open tracking, you know the exact moment a customer views your proposal — use that as your trigger to call within the hour while the details are fresh in their mind. Set a calendar reminder for 24 hours after sending as your guaranteed follow-up window if they haven't responded or if open tracking shows they haven't opened it yet.
A professional solar proposal should include ten core sections: a branded cover page, a system design summary (system size in kW, panel count, inverter specs), an energy production estimate (annual and monthly kWh), a full financial analysis (system cost, incentives, net cost, payback period, 25-year savings, IRR), a side-by-side financing options comparison (cash, loan, PPA, lease), environmental impact data (CO2 offset, tree equivalents, cars removed), warranty information, company credentials (license number, review links), an e-signature block, and a clear next steps section. Missing any of these sections leaves customer questions unanswered — and unanswered questions lose deals.
Most solar professionals create a complete, fully branded proposal in under 5 minutes with SurgePV. Once your company branding is saved in your profile and your system design is entered, all financial calculations — production estimates, payback period, 25-year savings, IRR, financing comparisons, and environmental impact — are generated automatically. Experienced users routinely create proposals in 2–3 minutes during or immediately after a customer site visit, while the customer's interest is still at its peak.
Yes. SurgePV proposals are fully white-labeled with your company's logo, brand colors, contact information, license number, tagline, and customer review links. Every page of the proposal carries your branding — not SurgePV's. Customers receive a document that looks 100% like it came from your company. Your branding is saved in your company profile and applied automatically to every new proposal, so you never have to re-enter it.
Yes. SurgePV proposals include a built-in e-signature block. You can send the proposal digitally via a secure shareable link, and customers can sign on any device — desktop, tablet, or phone — without printing, scanning, or downloading an app. E-signatures are legally binding and timestamped, meeting the requirements of the ESIGN Act and UETA. You receive an instant notification the moment a customer signs, so you can follow up immediately to confirm next steps and schedule installation.
Yes. SurgePV lets you include side-by-side comparisons of cash purchase, solar loan, PPA, and lease in a single proposal. Enter the loan APR and term, PPA rate ($/kWh), or lease monthly payment, and SurgePV automatically generates a comparison table showing monthly cost, total 25-year cost, and total 25-year savings for each option. Customers can see the full picture in one document without needing a follow-up meeting. Proposals with financing comparisons close significantly faster than proposals showing only one option.
SurgePV offers a free trial so you can create your first proposals and experience the full platform before subscribing. Full access to the proposal tool — including unlimited proposals, e-signatures, team collaboration, proposal tracking (open notifications), and advanced financing options — is available on SurgePV's paid plans. Book a free demo to see a walkthrough of the platform and discuss which plan fits your team's size and volume.
Once your proposal is generated in SurgePV, you have three delivery options. The recommended method is a secure shareable link — you send it via text or email, the customer views it in their browser on any device, you receive a notification when they open it, and they can e-sign directly in the browser without downloading anything. Alternatively, you can export the proposal as a PDF for email attachment or in-person presentation on a tablet or laptop. The shareable link method is preferred because it enables open tracking, in-browser e-signature, and a significantly smoother customer experience.
Payback Period Calculator
Calculate your solar payback period with rate escalation, panel degradation, SREC income, and IRR — a 25-year year-by-year model.
Use Calculator →Solar Savings Calculator
Estimate how much you'll save on electricity bills with solar over 10, 20, and 25 years based on your system size and local utility rate.
Use Calculator →Solar ROI Calculator
Model your solar return on investment with IRR, NPV, and 25-year cumulative savings — the financial metrics that matter most to serious buyers.
Use Calculator →Solar Incentive & Rebate Finder
Find available state rebates, utility incentives, SREC programs, and local solar incentives by state — so you never miss a dollar of available savings.
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