July 25, 2024

Garage–Panel–Roof: The Path to Repeat Electrification Business for Electrical Contractors

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6 Min. Read

For many electric vehicle (EV) owners, going electric is part of a holistic lifestyle that values sustainability and a desire for energy independence, but beyond making an eco-conscious decision and gaining greater energy resilience, EVs can also bring incredible savings.

For EV drivers, the decision to charge at home with Level 2 EV charging brings even greater cost-savings and a long-term return on the investment and decision to drive electric. As an electrical contractor with the skills and training to support the installation and maintenance of these high-powered EV chargers, you play a crucial role in supporting these values with your specialized expertise and services.

However, installing EV chargers is just the beginning for contractors ready to explore the electrification market. By establishing yourself as a trusted energy transition partner, you can offer electrical contractor solar services and access growth in other areas, such as panel upgrades, battery storage installation, and more.

For contractors looking to expand their services, understanding homeowner needs and expanding your offerings to include whole home electrification in addition to installing EV chargers is key to building long-term customer relationships. In this article, we explore how contractors can build value for their customers and create a sustainable path to return business with repeat clients from the garage to the panel and the roof.

Understanding Homeowner Needs

Homeowners see two primary sources of value in electrification: savings and sustainability.

With EVs cutting carbon emissions by two-thirds and reducing fuel costs by 60% with thousands of dollars in lifetime vehicle savings, it’s no surprise that driving an EV is a popular first step toward electrification.

Once you’ve connected with a homeowner who’s made the EV transition and established trust by providing them with a high-quality, safe EV charger installation, you can further discuss their unique needs and provide additional information to educate them on other electrification solutions, such as a panel upgrade to accommodate future projects or a personalized solar array that will cover their home’s energy needs and demonstrate the added benefits of EV charging with renewable energy.

As a trusted electrical contractor, beyond providing excellent services, your role is to educate homeowners about electrification solutions they might not be aware of and show benefits that align with their needs.

Installing EV Chargers: The First Step

There is a strong demand for residential EV chargers, with 80% of EV owners charging primarily at home for convenience and cost reasons. Additionally, with the ongoing shortage of electricians and installers, expanding your skill set in this area presents a strategic growth opportunity for your business.

A way to demonstrate your commitment to providing safe and high quality services and to ensure you stand out as an EV installer is by obtaining and maintaining industry certifications, including the EVITP certification. Pulling the proper permits, using high-quality materials, and clearly communicating about performance and benefits will contribute to an optimal experience for your clients and ensure your reputation continues to bring in new and repeat business.

By offering your customers an annual service or maintenance agreement for their EV charging stations, you not only offer peace of mind and future savings, but you can also take the first step in creating a long-term relationship with your customers that allows you the opportunity to discuss changing electrification needs and introduce new solutions as required, such as electrical contractor solar services, panel upgrades, and other energy transition technologies.

Upgrading Electrical Panels: Building on the Foundation

At-home EV charging significantly increases the energy a home draws from the grid, making panel upgrades a common electrification need especially in older homes or homes with many appliances.

Before installing an EV charger, you should always perform a load calculation to see if any upgrades, load management devices, or other changes are necessary. Use your findings to discuss evolving energy needs and recommend a panel upgrade if required.

Ensure that you are clear in explaining the need for an upgrade, if immediately necessary to support the installation of their EV charging station, and the benefits of an increased panel size if the customer is considering additional electrification upgrades in the future.

Establish yourself as a trusted electrification partner by educating customers about key benefits and selling points. Highlight the importance of future-proofing homes for upcoming electrification projects, emphasizing the added value of a new electrical panel and the enhanced safety of the electrical infrastructure.

Panel upgrades can also be an opportunity for the customer to adopt a smart panel and increase their control and visibility over their energy consumption.

Transitioning to Solar: Completing the Energy Transformation

Pivoting your skills to include solar services or partnering with a local solar company can unlock additional opportunities in an exciting market.

Integrating solar panel systems into a residential electrical infrastructure gives EV owners access to clean and affordable power, maximizing the benefits of going electric. Solar panels are better performing and more affordable than ever, and many homeowners are opting for battery solutions and nanogrid technology to enhance their independence from the grid. Securing repeat business with customers for these types of contracts leads to larger projects that offer a higher return on investment, providing significant growth opportunities and increased profitability for your business, while also bringing major benefits to your customers.

With 4.4 million homes already equipped with solar panels, existing installations can also become a lucrative market for your solar power business. The residential solar market is strong, but it’s going through some significant changes with more than 100 solar installers declaring bankruptcy last year, leaving millions of customers without a service agreement. Plus, millions of panels are approaching the end of their 25 to 30-year lifespan and need to be recycled.

Upgrading old solar products, integrating existing solar solutions into modern electrical infrastructures, and taking over old service agreements are emerging as compelling strategies for long-term growth.

As an electrical contractor, adding solar panel installation and integration to the services you offer your customers is a great way to diversify your business and create a recession-proof model unhindered by the challenges that solar-only companies have faced.

Nurturing Long-Term Relationships

Customer retention is generally cheaper than acquisition, and focusing on long-term relationships gives you the opportunity to diversify your services. Additionally, building an audience of loyal customers can enhance word-of-mouth marketing and help you grow organically.

The key to nurturing long-term relationships is to offer high-quality work and stay in touch via subscription products such as maintenance plans, annual or seasonal inspections, or similar offerings. A personalized approach can set customers on an electrification journey that keeps them engaged and piques their interest in further solutions, while also fostering long-term connections that strengthen customer loyalty.

By establishing yourself as a reliable provider, adding value with every service call, and fostering ongoing relationships with your customers, you can not only help them achieve even greater sustainability and savings with their home, but also continue to build your business and your reputation as the leading electrification expert in your area.

Growing Your Electrical Contractor Solar Business With Qmerit

As you build a modern electrical contractor business that emphasizes quality work, communication, and value to your customers, joining Qmerit’s network can become a strong differentiator.

As the largest network of certified EV charger installers in North America, Qmerit is North America’s electrification leader and is recommended by automakers, EV charger manufacturers, utilities, businesses, and homeowners alike.

Our network of certified electricians has installed more EV chargers and other electrification technologies in the last decade than anyone else in the industry—more than 450,000 EV charging station installations, 37,000 battery storage installations, 81,000 solar panel system integrations, and 86,000 electric panel upgrades in homes and businesses across the U.S. and Canada! We have the knowledge and experience to help electrical contractors grow their electrification business to include these additional services and secure initial customers through exclusive EV charger installations with our partners.

By joining our unique Certified Solutions Partner program, you can access comprehensive training on installing and servicing energy transition technologies, including the prestigious Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) and direct training and installation opportunities with our leading auto manufacturer and EVSE partners.

But we don’t just help you train your existing electricians—Qmerit is here to help you build your business every step of the way. Partner with Qmerit today to learn more about recruiting new electricians for your electrical contracting company and building your business for tomorrow!