A solar company CEO decides how the business sells, pays for and installs rooftop, ground-mount and battery systems. They choose the lenders, suppliers and markets it relies on, and give the board or owners a straight read on growth, profit and risk.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
Solar Panel Install & Service - Chief Executive Officer
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Executive Leadership
Reports to:
[Owner or board of directors]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Provides visionary leadership to define strategy and drive the overall success of the solar panel installation and service company. Secures solar projects and fosters strong partnerships to expand the company's market presence. Ensures strict industry compliance and exceptional profitability through innovative business practices. Acts as the primary spokesperson and decision-maker to promote sustainable growth and operational excellence.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and implement strategic initiatives that align with long-term company goals.
Secure new solar panel projects and cultivate key relationships with industry stakeholders.
Oversee comprehensive compliance measures in all operational activities to adhere to solar industry standards.
Monitor financial performance and implement strategies to drive profitability and sustainable growth.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Lead executive team meetings to review performance metrics and project progress.
Engage with potential clients and partners to secure new solar projects.
Evaluate operational risks and ensure all projects meet regulatory and safety standards.
Review financial reports and adjust business strategies to meet revenue and profit targets.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue growth: 15% year-over-year increase.
New solar projects secured: Minimum of 10 projects per quarter.
Compliance adherence: 100% adherence rate to industry regulations.
Profit margin: Maintain a gross margin of at least 25%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience within the home services or renewable energy industries.
Strong strategic planning, financial management, and operational oversight skills.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with a proven record in business development.
6. Preferred Experience
Advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) is highly desirable.
Experience in the solar energy or renewable energy sectors with a focus on project management.
Proven track record of driving growth and profitability in a senior executive role.
Familiarity with state and federal regulations in the renewable energy industry.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to participate in site visits as required with moderate physical activity.
Occasional travel to project sites and industry events.
Comfortable working in a variety of settings, including office, client sites, and outdoor environments.
No specific heavy lifting requirements, standard office environment.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Occasional travel required for industry events, meetings, and project site inspections.
Availability for extended work hours during critical project phases.
Flexible work environment with both in-office and remote working options.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range: $150,000 - $250,000 USD per annum, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure tied to revenue and profitability metrics.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
Additional benefits include 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and leadership development programs.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We pride ourselves on fostering an innovative and inclusive environment that values every team member’s contribution.
Our culture emphasizes continuous learning, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence in renewable energy solutions.
We encourage a growth-oriented mindset, empower creative problem-solving, and reward initiative.
Join us to be a part of a forward-thinking organization dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solar solutions while driving environmental sustainability.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A CEO in any trade sets direction and answers for results. In solar, tax law, imports and lenders can change demand and cost faster than any sales push.
Plan for sales without the homeowner credit
The IRS says homeowners can't claim the residential clean energy credit for money spent after December 31, 2025. That credit covered solar panels and battery storage. If your sales pitch leaned on it, decide what the company sells on now, such as lower power bills, backup power or business customers. Then set the sales plan and staff to match. Source: IRS: One, Big, Beautiful Bill provisions.
Panels can be stopped at the border
Under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, goods made wholly or in part in Xinjiang, China, are presumed to be made with forced labor and barred from import. To bring them in, the importer must show clear and convincing evidence that the supply chain is free of forced labor. DHS lists silica-based products, including polysilicon, as a high-priority sector and names solar panels among the goods made from them. Buy from suppliers who can show where their cells and silicon came from, and keep a second source ready. Source: DHS: UFLPA frequently asked questions.
One lender can stall a month of sales
If most of your jobs close on a loan or lease from an outside finance company, that partner's rules shape your pipeline. When a lender tightens approvals or leaves the market, signed jobs stop moving. Ask candidates how they spread that risk and how fast they replaced a partner before.
Warranties outlast the sale
Panel and inverter makers back their own products. Your workmanship warranty is your own promise. Customers call you, not the maker, when a roof leaks or a system goes quiet. The CEO decides how long that promise lasts, who does the service and how it's paid for, and what happens to it if the company is sold.
How much solar company CEOs make
The closest BLS group for solar company CEOs is chief executives. Chief executives who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $172,410 a year ($82.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 630 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Base pay plus a bonus on revenue and profit, per the template. Owners hiring from outside may also offer ownership shares or a cut of profit.
Electrical contractors
$172,410$172,410 median Middle half $118,510–$266,910 10th–90th $90,720–$403,030
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$90,720
$118,510
$172,410
$266,910
$403,030
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for solar installers on their own. These figures cover electrical and wiring contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
A record of leading a solar, roofing or electrical contractor through a drop in demand
Knows how loans, leases and power purchase deals change cash and margin
Sound judgment on supplier risk and where equipment is made
The ability to hire and keep strong sales and install leaders at the same time
Plain, steady reporting to owners or a board
Teach these on the job
The utility territories you serve and their approval steps
Your permit offices and inspectors
Your lenders' funding rules
Your monitoring platforms and service process
The local builders, buyers and community groups you work with
A solar CEO works from the CRM, the design and proposal tool (such as Aurora Solar or OpenSolar) and the monthly financials. Expect them to read job costs by system size and margin by type of financing, not just total sales.
Solar company CEO interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Leading through incentive changes
A major incentive your customers relied on is ending, and sales are slowing. What do you do?
A strong answer: Models the impact on sales and cash, adjusts the offer and costs, keeps messaging honest, plans staffing early and looks at other lines like batteries or service.
Behavioral · Choosing the install model
Tell me about a time you changed who does your installs, such as moving from subcontracted crews to your own or the reverse.
A strong answer: Explains what drove it (leak claims, cost, capacity, quality control), how they ran the numbers, how they switched without stranding customers or jobs, and what changed afterward.
Use the template's targets only to begin. Rebuild them from your own signed jobs, installs and margins, then have the owners or board sign off.
Revenue growth
Set installed revenue beside the same months a year ago, broken out by homeowner, small business and service work. Keep signed contracts not yet installed on their own line.
New solar projects secured
Count signed contracts that clear finance approval and the site survey, not every signature. Track cancellations against the month each job was sold.
Compliance adherence
Log every failed inspection, permit correction, utility rejection and safety citation by job, and review the open items with the operations leader each month.
Profit margin
Use job costing that includes equipment, labor, permits, lender fees and warranty reserves, and read it by system type and by finance product.
Career path
Sales managerBuilds a sales team that signs jobs the crews can actually install.
General managerRuns sales, installs and service together for one market.
Chief executive officerSets the company's markets, partners and capital plan.
Board member or investorBacks or advises other energy and home improvement companies.
Other roles in a solar installation & service business
Should a solar CEO come from sales or from the field?
If your company grew out of a sales team, a seller can work as CEO. That works best with a strong operations leader who keeps installs, permits and service on pace. If cancellations, failed inspections or a service backlog hurt you most, a CEO who has led install or building crews may fit better. Find the weakness that costs you most, then hire for it.
How much does a solar company CEO make?
Chief executives who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $172,410 a year ($82.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $118,510 and $266,910 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What should a new solar CEO look at first?
Look at cancellations by seller and by type of loan or lease. Then look at jobs waiting on permits or the utility, the service queue, open warranty claims, and the terms with each supplier and lender. These show where cash and trust are slipping before the monthly numbers do.
How should a solar CEO plan for policy changes?
Keep a short list of what could change: federal tax law, your state's rules for selling power back to the grid, and your utilities' rate cases. Build a plan that no single incentive holds up. Run a bad-case version each year. Join your state solar trade group to hear about changes early.
Should a solar company add battery storage or a service line?
Batteries and paid service plans can steady revenue when new sales slow. Each needs its own trained staff, prices and parts, so it costs real money to start. Ask candidates which lines they have added or shut down, and what the numbers showed.
What does a site visit involve for a solar CEO?
The template asks for site visits with moderate physical activity and says there's no heavy lifting. In practice, that means walking a ground-mount array or a customer's property with the project manager. It also means meeting a homeowner or business owner on site and touring the warehouse. Roof access isn't part of it unless you say so. Anyone who goes up follows your crew's roof safety rules.
