Solar is the future

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how being a multifaceted contractor can help you succeed on and off the roof.  

The roofing industry is a highly competitive market, and standing out from the crowd can be the key to success. One of the best ways a contractor can stand out is by offering a wide variety of services to their clients beyond just reroofing. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Karen Edwards spoke to Anthony Romero, Eric Cieslak and Rob Smith of ABC Supply about how diversifying to include solar can help contractors succeed.  

Solar and other alternative energy sources have been growing more popular as energy demands have increased. Eric gave some context, sharing, “Across the United States, everybody wants energy independence. In response, we’re seeing a spike in things like battery sales and solar interest. Especially in more rural areas and then more unpopulated areas where you have rolling blackouts.” Also playing into the rising popularity of solar is its newfound accessibility. Anthony explained, “Solar has come a long way. Even just in the past 15 years, I’ve seen the modules become extremely more efficient and costs have come down. Today, there's probably not a part of the country where solar doesn't work.”  

As a response to this demand, many roofing contractors are looking to expand into the solar market, either by getting the certifications to install solar themselves or making a deal with an existing solar installer. Rob emphasized how important this type of expansion is, saying, “As we see the emergence of the roofing industry converging with the solar industry and vice versa, if you're a roofer not getting into solar, you're probably going to be missing out on a lot of projects. And that’s definitely going to affect your business negatively.”  

And while expanding into solar might feel overwhelming at first, it actually follows the natural progression of a more interconnected construction world. Eric explained, “Most contractors are already multifaceted. Not very many contractors I know only do roofing. My company did gutters, we did stucco, we did driveways, we did windows and doors and roofing. When you look at it like that, it’s just a no-brainer to get into solar. All that diversity just means you’ll have less highs and lows in your business and your revenue.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the episode to get more information about expanding your roofing business to include solar offerings.