GeoAI services like Planno can help developers identify new leads.
Solar energy is the fastest-growing source of power in the U.S., bolstered by the previous presidential administration’s support of renewables. The federal policy landscape has now shifted, but the record-breaking number of installations achieved in recent years captured many of the so-called low-hanging fruit projects.
Finding untapped new leads now takes more time, more effort and more resources. This is why sales teams of today need sharper tools, stronger data and far more precise targeting to stay ahead.
That’s where Geospatial AI (GeoAI) comes in. It can help solar developers source and qualify deals faster, both in volume and quality, and navigate the new OBBBA landscape more effectively.
How GeoAI can revolutionize solar prospecting
Although the rollback of tax incentives for renewable energy is having some impact on solar economics, overall demand is likely to remain stable.
Electricity bills are already up 10% in 2025, and a July report from Energy Innovation predicts wholesale electricity prices could rise as much as 74%.
At the same time, the surge in installations across the country means that the benefits of solar energy are tangible, visible and in the public domain. Texas, for example, avoided grid blackouts during the recent summer heatwaves largely thanks to solar generation paired with battery storage.
Still, price will remain a decisive factor for new solar installations. Solar developers must identify projects that are quick to execute and deliver solid value to customers.
Rooftop solar systems continue to stand out as one of the most viable options given these overall market conditions. They use otherwise empty space, have unobstructed access to sunlight, and typically involve simpler planning and permitting tied to existing infrastructure.
This is where GeoAI comes into play. It allows solar developers to find and qualify untapped rooftops at scale, not through guesswork, but by combining satellite imagery, LiDAR and solar irradiation data with machine learning models. These algorithms can automatically detect, measure, and classify rooftop potential, turning massive volumes of geospatial data into precise, actionable intelligence.
For solar developers, it represents a revolution in how the industry goes about prospecting. In the decade ahead, solar success will belong to those who use data to make faster and smarter decisions. GeoAI is what makes that possible and, most importantly, accessible to both large developers and local installers alike.
Shorter sales pipeline, faster time to revenue
Planno’s GeoAI platform.
Despite stable demand, solar developers in the U.S. face an increasingly competitive market, where high customer-acquisition costs, misinformation about solar and a long sales cycle make growth harder.
With GeoAI, the deal origination process takes a new shape. Solar developers can now map and rank thousands of rooftops or sites, targeting the most viable leads with precision and removing the guesswork from sales prospecting.
By analyzing satellite data across entire counties and cities, GeoAI-powered platforms can pinpoint which rooftops already host solar. This allows teams to focus only on untapped sites, identify the most promising ones and prioritize them efficiently.
GeoAI platforms can also highlight entire towns or districts that have low rates of solar adoption to take a highly strategic approach to business development.
Instead of chasing the same saturated leads nationwide, solar developers and installers can focus their efforts on underserved zones where competition is lighter and conversion potential is higher. The result is a faster, more cost-efficient prospecting process, helping teams shorten the sales cycle and lower customer-acquisition costs.
Ultimately, GeoAI-powered platforms enable solar developers to reach the right customers ahead of the competition and to present them with optimized, data-backed solar solutions.
Optimized installations boost solar performance
Aside from transforming how developers approach solar prospecting, GeoAI also has the ability to optimize how installations are designed and executed.
The technology can evaluate land suitability, grid access, shading and terrain in a matter of days instead of months. This reduces the risk of installation delays to keep customers satisfied and ensures that each site makes the best possible use of available space.
When combined with Big Data, the value grows even further. By integrating GeoAI-generated insights with unstructured data, such as energy consumption profiles, solar irradiation or building details, solar developers can build richer site profiles and design smarter solar solutions.
By bringing AI-processed data into all stages of development, solar developers can move faster, achieve greater precision, and deliver higher-performing systems with stronger returns.
GeoAI and the future of rooftop solar
Strong demand for new electricity supply and rising power prices continue to support the long-term fundamentals for solar development. Yet, the full impact of the OBBBA and other shifting policies is still unfolding.
GeoAI has become a defining technology for the solar industry. By powering the platforms developers use every day, it transforms how teams originate and qualify deals, making prospecting faster, more targeted and far more cost-efficient.
