How fast should a solar company respond to a new lead? Within 5 minutes, and Sharrk replies in under 30 seconds
By Sharrk Team · October 16, 2026
A solar company should respond to a new lead within 5 minutes, and the sooner inside that window the better. Sharrk gets you well inside it: its AI agent calls or texts every new solar lead in under 30 seconds, day or night, and then keeps the follow-up going until the homeowner books a consultation.
The 5-minute line comes from lead response research, and solar raises the stakes. Many solar leads are sold to more than one installer, and homeowners take months to decide, so the first company to have a real conversation sets the terms for everyone who calls after it.
What does the research say about lead response time?
Two studies set the benchmark most sales teams use:
| Study | What it measured | Finding (as stated by the source) |
|---|---|---|
| InsideSales.com / MIT Lead Response Management Study (2007) | Calls to web leads by minutes elapsed | "The odds of contacting a lead if called in 5 minutes versus 30 minutes drop 100 times." "The odds of qualifying a lead if called in 5 minutes versus 30 minutes drop 21 times." |
| Harvard Business Review, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads" (2011), Oldroyd, McElheran and Elkington | Test web leads sent to 2,241 US companies | 37% responded within an hour; 23% never responded; the average response among companies that replied within 30 days was 42 hours. Firms that reached out within an hour were "nearly seven times as likely to qualify the lead" as those that waited an hour longer, and "more than 60 times as likely" as companies that waited 24 hours or longer. |
So the answer has two parts. Five minutes is the outside limit where contact rates stay high. An hour is where most companies still sit, which means a solar installer that replies in seconds is ahead of most of the field. For the general version of this rule across industries, see our post on the speed-to-lead 90-second rule. This post is about what changes when the lead is a homeowner asking about solar.
Why do solar leads go cold so fast?
The same homeowner is talking to several installers
A lot of solar leads are shared. SolarReviews explains that exclusive leads are "only sold to one installer," while big lead companies "will often sell their leads to 2-3 installers plus one other Lead Generation Company." It also notes that large firms aim to have their call centers reach new leads "within 2 minutes of receiving the leads." On quote marketplaces the comparison is built in: EnergySage says "about three installers will submit quotes online within a week or so."
When three or four companies get the same name and number, the homeowner usually stays on the phone with whoever reaches them first. By the time the fourth installer calls, the homeowner has already given their utility bill, roof details and a site visit time to someone else.
Homeowners take a long time to decide
Solar is a big, considered purchase. The SolarReviews and UC Berkeley BEACN Solar Consumer Insights Report, based on more than 400,000 homeowners who requested quotes from 2016 to 2020, found that "three months is the most common lead-to-installation timeline," and leads from January 2016 "were still getting solar installed nearly 5 years later." Aurora Solar, citing NREL, notes that most installers give up on a lead "within three months."
That combination is the real problem: you have to be first in the first five minutes, and you also have to still be there in month three, month six and beyond.
What should a solar company do in the first 5 minutes?
The goal of the first five minutes is a real conversation, not a voicemail.
- Reply by call or text the moment the lead arrives. Have the first touch go out automatically from your web form, Angi, Thumbtack, Networx or webhook source, so nobody has to see the notification first.
- Confirm the basics. Homeowner or renter, roof type and age, rough monthly electric bill, shade, and whether they are thinking of buying, financing or leasing.
- Book the next step on the call. A site assessment or a design consultation on the calendar is worth more than a promise to "send some info."
- Hand off hot leads live. If the homeowner wants to talk to a person now, transfer them to your closer while they are still engaged.
A simple opening for the first call or text:
"Hi [First name], this is [Agent name] with [Company]. You just asked about solar for your home on [Street]. I can get you a free design and savings estimate. Do you own the home, and roughly what is your monthly electric bill?"
What should happen in the first day and first week?
If the homeowner didn't answer or didn't book, the next few days decide whether you stay in the running. SolarReviews recommends trying to "make contact with the consumer up to five times," and says even small installers should "try two or three times to make contact."
| When | Channel | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 30 seconds | AI call or text | First contact, qualify, book the assessment |
| Same day, a few hours later | Text | Short note with a link or reply option to pick a time |
| Day 1 | Call | Second call attempt at a different time of day |
| Day 2 | Explain how your design and quote process works | |
| Day 3 to 4 | Call + text | Third attempt; offer a specific time slot |
| Day 7 | Text or email | Check in, answer common questions (financing, roof condition) |
| Weeks 2 to 12 | Email + occasional text | Stay in touch through the decision period |
| Month 3 and later | Call or text | Re-engage leads that went quiet |
Mix channels so you are not leaving five voicemails in a row. Some homeowners will only answer a text, and others want the details in an email they can forward to a spouse.
How do you keep solar leads warm for months?
Because the typical timeline runs about three months and some leads buy years later, treat a quiet lead as "not yet," not "no." Keep them in a pipeline stage such as Contacted or Estimate Sent, send useful updates, and come back with a call or text when something changes, like a new rate increase from the utility or a financing offer. When you have an older list of homeowners who asked about solar and agreed to hear from you, a reactivation campaign can bring them back; see our guide to AI lead follow-up.
How Sharrk handles this
Sharrk is built to be first to the homeowner and still there months later:
- Under-30-second replies. New leads from your web forms, webhooks, Angi, Thumbtack and Networx come in automatically, and Sharrk's AI agent calls or texts them in under 30 seconds.
- AI calls and texts that qualify and book. The voice agent answers every call 24/7, asks your qualifying questions, and books site assessments onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com. AI text agents handle homeowners who prefer to text.
- Live transfer. When a homeowner is ready to talk to a person, Sharrk transfers the call to your team.
- Strikes for the first week and beyond. Strikes are automated follow-up sequences of calls, texts and emails that run step by step and respect quiet hours of 8am to 8pm in your account's time zone.
- Hunts for older leads. Hunts re-engage lists of past solar inquiries you have consent to contact.
- A built-in CRM with pipelines, so every lead sits in one stage you can see at a glance.
Mako builds it for you. Mako is the AI assistant inside Sharrk. Tell it in plain English, "call every new solar lead right away, qualify roof and bill, book a site assessment, then follow up for two weeks by text and email," and Mako sets up the agent and the Strike, then asks before applying any change.
Sharrk Free lets you build and test agents with Mako in the browser with 2,500 one-time credits and no card. Sharrk Core is $99 a month with 47,500 credits a month, one phone number and every feature, with no contracts or setup fees. Start free or book a demo to see it on your own solar leads, and read more on our speed-to-lead page.
To cover the phones as well as the forms, see what a solar answering service costs.
If you buy your leads, our breakdown of what solar leads cost shows the price ranges by lead type.
Sources
- The InsideSales.com/MIT Lead Response Management Study, Elkington and Oldroyd, 2007 (PDF) (checked October 16, 2026)
- Oldroyd, McElheran and Elkington, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads," Harvard Business Review, 2011 (BYU ScholarsArchive record) (checked October 16, 2026)
- SmartCompany, "Are you letting online leads go cold?" (reporting the HBR study figures), 2011 (checked October 16, 2026)
- SolarReviews, "How to increase your sales conversion rate from solar leads" (checked October 16, 2026)
- EnergySage, "How it works" (checked October 16, 2026)
- Solar Builder, "Large, long-term solar customer survey shows value in old, cold leads," April 20, 2021 (checked October 16, 2026)
- Aurora Solar, "Don't Give Up Too Soon on Solar Leads or Referrals" (checked October 16, 2026)
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist for solar · Speed to lead · Lead reactivation · AI receptionist
Frequently asked questions
How fast should a solar company respond to a new lead?
Within 5 minutes, and ideally within seconds. The InsideSales.com/MIT study found the odds of contacting a lead drop 100 times when you call at 30 minutes instead of 5, and Sharrk replies to new solar leads in under 30 seconds.
Why does speed matter more for shared solar leads?
Because the homeowner usually stays with the first installer who reaches them. SolarReviews notes big lead companies often sell a lead to 2-3 installers plus another lead generation company, so slower installers compete for a homeowner who has already booked elsewhere.
How many times should I try to contact a solar lead?
Plan on at least five attempts across calls, texts and email. SolarReviews recommends trying to make contact up to five times; a Sharrk Strike can run those steps automatically during 8am to 8pm in your time zone.
How long do solar leads take to buy?
Often about three months, and sometimes years. The SolarReviews and UC Berkeley BEACN report found three months is the most common lead-to-installation timeline, with some 2016 leads installing nearly 5 years later.
Can Sharrk book solar site assessments automatically?
Yes. Sharrk's AI voice and text agents qualify the homeowner and book appointments onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com, and can transfer hot leads live to your team.