"Is Solar Worth It?" Your Website Needs to Answer That Question.

AISO Score

AEO

SEO

Readability

Engagement

The State of Solar Websites

A homeowner opens their electricity bill and winces. $350 in July. Again. They type into ChatGPT, "is solar worth it for a 2,000 square foot house." The AI gives a detailed breakdown: average system cost, payback period, monthly savings, and tax credits. It cites three solar companies. None of them is yours. Your company installs panels on houses this size every week.

We scanned 289 solar company websites across the United States. The average AISO score is 62 out of 100. SEO averages 92. AEO sits at 47. Readability scores 66. Engagement lands at 52. Solar sites have some of the best educational content potential in home services, but most fail to deliver it.

10% of solar websites score below 50. 19% have no schema markup. Solar is the most researched home service. Homeowners spend months deciding. The company that educates them best earns their trust and their business.

Why This Matters for Solar

Solar is the longest sales cycle in home services. Homeowners research for months. They compare costs, calculate ROI, check incentives, and read reviews. Your website needs to be their guide through this entire journey.

ROI content is defined as website pages that help potential customers calculate the financial return on their investment, including costs, savings, payback period, and long-term value. Solar companies with strong ROI content close more deals because they build confidence through transparency.

A residential solar system costs $15,000 to $30,000 before incentives. With federal tax credits and state rebates, the net cost drops significantly. Homeowners need to understand these numbers. Your website should explain them clearly.

Incentive awareness refers to making sure potential customers know about all available financial benefits: federal tax credits, state rebates, net metering, and SRECs. Most solar sites mention the federal tax credit but miss state and local incentives. This is a content gap that costs leads.

Solar is the most researched home improvement. The company that educates homeowners best wins their business.

Key Findings

10%

Score Below 50

19%

No Schema Markup

No Open Graph Tags

47/100

Avg AI Engine Score

Key Takeaways

•
Solar has the longest research cycle in home services. Homeowners spend months deciding. Sites that educate win the contract.
•
ROI and cost content is the most searched topic. "Is solar worth it" and "solar panel cost" drive enormous search volume. Your site must answer both.
•
19% lack structured data. Without schema, search engines cannot identify your products, service area, or financing options.
•
Incentive content is incomplete on most sites. Federal tax credits get mentioned. State rebates, net metering, and SRECs often do not.
•
AEO is a major opportunity. At 47, solar sites miss AI citations despite having the best content potential in home services.
•
State-specific pages are underused. Solar incentives, regulations, and potential vary by state. State-specific pages capture targeted traffic.

Common Mistakes in Solar Websites

No ROI calculator or payback timeline. The top question in solar is "how long until it pays for itself." Sites without payback content lose the most valuable research-stage traffic.
Only mentioning the federal tax credit. State rebates, net metering policies, and SRECs vary by location. Sites that cover all incentives for their state build more trust and convert better.
Too much jargon. "Polycrystalline vs. monocrystalline" and "string inverter vs. microinverter" confuse homeowners. Explain technology choices in plain language with clear recommendations.
No state-specific content. Solar economics vary dramatically by state. A solar company in Arizona has a different value proposition than one in Michigan. Generic content misses location-specific searches.
Buried financing information. Lease vs. buy, loan options, and $0-down programs are major decision factors. This content should be prominent, not hidden in fine print.

How to Improve Your Solar Website

Build a comprehensive "Is Solar Worth It" page. Cover average system cost, monthly savings, payback period, and long-term value. Include your specific state's solar potential and incentives. This is the highest-traffic page in solar.
Create a solar cost page with real numbers. Cost per watt, total system cost for common home sizes, and what affects price. Include before-incentive and after-incentive numbers.
Write state and city-specific solar guides. Cover local incentives, utility net metering policies, average sun hours, and typical system sizes. Each location page captures targeted search traffic.
Add a financing comparison page. Cash purchase vs. solar loan vs. lease vs. PPA. Show the pros, cons, and total cost of each option over 25 years.
Set up LocalBusiness and Product schema. Include your service area, brands you install, and financing options. Add FAQPage schema for your FAQ sections. Use HowTo schema for installation process content.

Dimension Breakdown

AI Engine (AEO) (30%)

SEO (20%)

Readability (25%)

Engagement (25%)

Score Distribution

AISO Score Ranges

0-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

123

70-79

80-89

90-99

Grade Distribution

4 (1%)

61 (21%)

123 (43%)

71 (25%)

30 (10%)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AISO score for a solar website?

An AISO score is defined as a composite rating from 0 to 100 that measures how well a website performs across SEO, readability, engagement, AEO, and accessibility. Solar websites average 62.

What is AEO and why does it matter for solar companies?

AEO refers to AI Engine Optimization. It measures how well your content works with AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview. When someone asks AI "is solar worth it," AEO determines if your site gets cited in the answer.

What do homeowners search for about solar?

The top searches are cost-related: solar panel cost, is solar worth it, and solar payback period. Incentive searches like "solar tax credit" and comparison searches like "solar lease vs. buy" also drive major traffic.

How do solar websites compare to other home services?

Solar sites have massive content potential but often underdeliver. The home services average is around 60. Solar should outperform given the research-heavy nature of the purchase.

Should solar companies show pricing on their website?

Yes. Ranges are expected. "Residential solar systems typically cost $2.50 to $3.50 per watt before incentives" is helpful. Transparency builds trust in a high-investment decision.

What content drives the most traffic for solar companies?

ROI calculators, cost breakdowns, incentive guides, and financing comparisons. State-specific solar guides also perform well. FAQ sections about installation timeline and maintenance drive AI citations.

What schema markup should solar websites use?

Use LocalBusiness schema with service area and product brands. Add Product schema for panel and inverter types. Use FAQPage schema for FAQ sections. Add HowTo schema for installation process content.

How long does solar content take to rank?

New pages typically take three to six months to rank in Google. But well-structured content with schema markup can appear in AI answers much sooner. Start creating content now for results by next season.

All 289 Audited Sites

Domains are partially blurred. Scores range from 0 to 100.

#	Domain	AISO	Grade	AEO	SEO	Read.	Eng.
1	pal*****.com	83	A	91	98	75	69
2	eco*****.com	80	A	91	100	63	67
3	myunli**********.com	80	A	71	99	86	71
4	consum*********.com	80	A	73	99	75	80
5	goldp********.com	79	B	70	99	82	69
6	edge-*******.com	78	B	76	98	73	69
7	kcs****.net	77	B	58	100	85	74
8	revis*********.com	77	B	61	99	82	72
9	mosola**********.com	77	B	63	99	83	69
10	cn**.com	77	B	75	95	72	69
11	green********.com	77	B	66	99	86	64
12	solu*****.dominionenergy.com	77	B	79	99	75	57
13	a**.com	76	B	78	95	73	62
14	organmo***********.com	76	B	60	99	90	64
15	smalle*********.com	76	B	76	99	77	57
16	ener******.com	75	B	83	93	62	62
17	bigd*******.com	75	B	71	99	77	60
18	missou*********.org	75	B	71	94	77	64
19	so***.bobsrepair.com	75	B	63	100	83	62
20	ncso******.com	75	B	60	97	88	62
21	s**.solar	75	B	60	94	85	69
22	lonestar*************.com	75	B	75	92	84	54
23	conve********.com	75	B	63	100	88	57
24	solar*******.com	74	B	73	84	80	62
25	ctp***.com	74	B	75	99	76	52
26	hori******.com	74	B	68	99	80	57
27	future***********.com	74	B	66	99	73	64
28	strawb*********.com	74	B	78	99	70	54
29	gobi*****.com	74	B	71	92	88	49
30	stit******.com	73	B	64	100	77	57
31	lumi*******.com	73	B	70	92	79	54
32	allen*********.com	73	B	74	100	63	59
33	schoen*********.com	73	B	71	100	61	67
34	joi****.io	73	B	70	93	76	59
35	re**.solar	73	B	53	98	85	64
36	a-r*****.com	73	B	61	100	75	64
37	en***.solar	72	B	73	94	75	50
38	georgi**********.com	72	B	60	99	84	53
39	solarun*************.org	72	B	52	80	80	81
40	barkl*******.com	72	B	56	100	88	54
41	summ*******.com	72	B	56	100	84	57
42	l**.com	72	B	70	92	72	57
43	green*********.com	72	B	63	92	86	51
44	sola*******.com	72	B	58	97	80	62
45	all*****.energy	72	B	66	100	68	61
46	floridaso**************.com	71	B	54	93	86	59
47	florida*************.com	71	B	56	90	74	69
48	solaren************.com	71	B	55	100	80	59
49	solar*********.net	71	B	61	99	78	54
50	sun***.solar	71	B	46	99	82	67
51	freed*********.com	71	B	66	91	86	47
52	montan***********.org	71	B	70	83	84	50
53	solarpr***********.com	71	B	66	100	71	54
54	nws****.com	71	B	56	97	82	57
55	fullsp***********.com	71	B	66	92	84	48
56	yup*****.com	71	B	61	99	68	64
57	ene***.gov	71	B	55	80	80	72
58	s**.solar	70	B	58	98	86	45
59	alternat*************.com	70	B	71	100	61	52
60	1sour*******.com	70	B	51	99	72	68
61	jackso*********.com	70	B	58	97	76	57
62	603*****.com	70	B	54	95	84	54
63	infini**********.com	70	B	60	95	79	52
64	afford**********.com	70	B	40	94	86	69
65	vtst*******.com	70	B	50	100	81	57
66	ctgr*******.com	69	C	60	78	84	59
67	trini*******.com	69	C	51	95	74	64
68	ne***.us	69	C	58	100	65	60
69	georg*******.com	69	C	52	77	81	69
70	revo*****.com	69	C	58	100	79	49
71	sunco********.solar	69	C	48	99	75	64
72	shinn*******.com	69	C	67	100	62	52
73	sunup********.com	69	C	48	100	81	58
74	ppc*****.com	69	C	75	82	67	55
75	think********.com	69	C	52	100	83	52
76	endriesso**************.com	69	C	48	97	77	62
77	sol***.com	68	C	52	95	68	67
78	sandb*******.com	68	C	52	100	82	46
79	delt******.com	68	C	40	94	83	64
80	ce***.com	68	C	42	99	86	57
81	bois******.org	68	C	48	95	84	56
82	eaglep*********.com	68	C	56	94	68	62
83	southc*********.com	68	C	40	100	85	57
84	everl*********.com	68	C	60	77	78	59
85	sunw******.com	68	C	48	100	76	57
86	positiv************.com	68	C	53	97	80	50
87	ohiopow***********.com	68	C	40	100	79	64
88	renewso************.com	68	C	53	97	78	52
89	ckr*****.com	67	C	63	99	57	57
90	bluer*********.com	67	C	56	94	69	57
91	premieri**************.com	67	C	40	99	84	58
92	hann*******.com	67	C	42	95	87	56
93	hust*******.com	67	C	48	95	77	57
94	true******.com	67	C	42	98	77	62
95	jeh*****.com	67	C	48	92	80	58
96	assur*******.com	67	C	56	100	78	42
97	yell******.com	67	C	57	100	56	64
98	esolu********.com	67	C	52	90	66	69
99	liveoak*************.com	67	C	58	99	63	55
100	catam*********.com	67	C	52	100	77	49
101	virt*******.com	67	C	30	97	84	69
102	bloss*******.com	67	C	40	97	92	49
103	pugets*********.com	67	C	48	95	72	64
104	homet*********.com	67	C	43	100	87	50
105	revol********.com	67	C	48	99	74	59
106	alaba*******.com	66	C	40	79	79	72
107	rooft*******.us	66	C	40	100	77	57
108	aev*****.com	66	C	66	99	76	30
109	nr**.solar	66	C	61	98	60	51
110	sola*******.com	66	C	42	95	86	52
111	solarinst***************.com	66	C	40	84	91	56
112	pureen*********.com	66	C	58	92	63	59
113	mann*****.com	66	C	61	94	57	57
114	ecob******.com	66	C	56	99	74	42
115	penins*********.com	66	C	40	100	69	67
116	solars**********.com	66	C	38	96	84	57
117	sollu*******.com	66	C	60	92	67	51
118	8ms****.com	66	C	40	99	80	55
119	ligh*******.io	66	C	53	92	57	69
120	ok**.solar	66	C	42	100	78	57
121	greenr*********.com	66	C	48	85	83	54
122	safeha**********.com	66	C	38	100	70	67
123	endles*********.com	66	C	40	100	89	45
124	ipsu******.com	66	C	42	98	73	62
125	renewa*********.com	65	C	40	92	80	59
126	envisi**********.com	65	C	40	100	83	48
127	a**.solar	65	C	52	84	70	59
128	namas*******.com	65	C	40	97	83	52
129	intermt*************.com	65	C	52	94	69	52
130	straig*********.com	65	C	30	100	98	47
131	iowa*****.com	65	C	48	88	72	59
132	lombar**********.co	65	C	48	99	76	49
133	sun***.com	65	C	63	94	64	47
134	offgrid***********.org	65	C	52	95	73	47
135	newyorkp*************.com	65	C	40	82	82	64
136	portla*********.com	65	C	48	65	100	51
137	greenp**********.com	65	C	45	99	76	52
138	ethical***********.com	65	C	38	100	76	57
139	svt*****.com	65	C	54	97	77	41
140	arsola*********.com	64	C	63	100	57	43
141	sola******.com	64	C	61	100	59	45
142	simp*******.com	64	C	56	99	60	49
143	hipow*******.com	64	C	42	95	67	64
144	solardi***********.com	64	C	43	98	77	49
145	goodene************.com	64	C	52	99	57	57
146	bost*******.us	64	C	52	77	80	53
147	cbs*****.com	64	C	52	95	70	48
148	momen********.com	64	C	40	100	84	43
149	psok******.com	64	C	52	70	78	59
150	circl*******.com	64	C	37	93	90	47
151	same*****.com	64	C	42	89	76	57
152	lum*****.com	63	C	40	95	70	59
153	sola*******.com	63	C	48	80	77	53
154	urba******.com	63	C	40	95	66	62
155	solare**********.com	63	C	51	95	66	49
156	mississi*************.com	63	C	47	94	79	40
157	mss****.net	63	C	38	80	82	60
158	sun*****.com	63	C	30	99	88	47
159	sunsol***********.com	62	C	30	100	63	67
160	ind****.universalsolardirect.com	62	C	35	97	77	50
161	ecg*****.com	62	C	38	100	70	53
162	sola******.net	62	C	48	78	65	64
163	sunup*******.com	62	C	38	80	77	62
164	warner*********.com	62	C	35	90	91	42
165	norwi*******.com	62	C	40	100	73	47
166	newfa*******.com	61	C	28	87	91	50
167	lets*******.com	61	C	71	95	36	45
168	nrgcl********.com	61	C	58	99	42	52
169	fusion***********.org	61	C	42	95	83	33
170	coli******.com	61	C	63	95	40	51
171	independe**************.com	61	C	58	94	56	45
172	ma***.gov	61	C	66	97	48	40
173	firs******.solar	61	C	40	77	86	47
174	ussu******.com	61	C	48	97	45	64
175	wolfri***********.com	61	C	55	98	54	47
176	renuene************.com	61	C	48	97	69	40
177	casscou***********.com	61	C	40	70	79	59
178	lgcy*****.com	61	C	30	97	85	45
179	ces****.com	61	C	30	98	78	50
180	theso*******.org	61	C	52	95	76	30
181	revoluti*************.com	61	C	52	70	83	44
182	gold*******.net	60	C	40	94	65	52
183	southernsolar************************.com	60	C	52	98	58	40
184	cedarc**********.com	60	C	37	100	67	47
185	sola******.org	60	C	38	88	65	59
186	ion*****.com	60	C	42	95	74	40
187	imagi********.net	60	C	38	86	77	48
188	mtv*****.com	60	C	40	84	61	62
189	ilso******.com	59	D	55	75	76	33
190	dailyg*********.com	59	D	30	100	67	52
191	effici*********.com	59	D	40	88	69	50
192	maineco*************.com	59	D	30	99	82	37
193	auror********.com	59	D	42	92	53	57
194	missis**********.com	59	D	46	65	64	63
195	oksola**********.com	59	D	40	75	81	46
196	earth*********.com	59	D	45	95	45	59
197	goodfa*********.com	59	D	56	94	27	66
198	solar********.com	58	D	20	89	78	57
199	backw*********.com	58	D	40	73	74	50
200	se***.com	58	D	30	97	72	48
201	newda*******.net	58	D	33	93	81	37
202	so***.com	58	D	42	95	53	52
203	redg******.com	58	D	40	98	53	53
204	inty*****.com	57	D	38	99	43	59
205	anev******.com	57	D	40	99	42	57
206	solarandgr******************.com	57	D	40	93	57	47
207	mala*******.com	57	D	30	97	83	30
208	empo*****.solar	57	D	53	65	77	37
209	rethin*********.com	57	D	30	99	73	40
210	cbso******.com	57	D	38	89	75	37
211	kansass***********.com	57	D	25	90	77	48
212	cromw********.com	57	D	42	98	41	59
213	sust*******.coop	57	D	40	99	53	47
214	sunli********.com	57	D	20	99	72	53
215	tx***.com	57	D	42	95	62	38
216	olsons**********.com	57	D	40	92	68	40
217	susit********.com	56	D	27	77	90	38
218	shaw*****.com	56	D	38	77	77	38
219	se***.us	56	D	40	100	33	62
220	greente************.com	56	D	30	93	67	46
221	suntr*******.com	56	D	30	100	50	57
222	sunda********.com	56	D	42	92	46	53
223	env*****.com	56	D	58	99	30	47
224	sun****.us	56	D	35	73	83	40
225	midwes*********.com	56	D	45	65	77	42
226	was***.org	56	D	35	88	65	45
227	wyomin***********.org	56	D	40	81	72	40
228	whistle************.com	55	D	58	73	64	26
229	califo***********.ca.gov	55	D	47	60	70	44
230	are*****.com	55	D	38	95	46	51
231	californi****************.com	55	D	40	97	38	55
232	sunsp*********.com	55	D	20	87	78	47
233	g**.energy	55	D	30	98	52	53
234	ecre*******.com	55	D	42	97	29	62
235	ene***.ri.gov	55	D	52	81	35	57
236	wycowi**********.com	55	D	37	97	33	64
237	paradis************.com	54	D	32	100	38	59
238	se**.org	54	D	53	93	10	67
239	hols*******.com	54	D	40	97	52	37
240	ecoho********.com	54	D	30	94	44	62
241	suner*********.com	54	D	30	89	63	47
242	mwsol*******.com	54	D	37	92	59	37
243	kum****.com	53	D	23	83	71	48
244	co***.com	53	D	23	92	86	23
245	mns***.org	53	D	30	89	66	37
246	truno********.com	53	D	20	99	71	37
247	solar*******.com	53	D	38	82	51	48
248	ges*****.net	53	D	40	65	71	40
249	redston************.com	53	D	40	85	47	47
250	sunergy************.com	52	D	53	98	10	57
251	cwso******.com	52	D	52	85	41	37
252	bigsk*********.com	52	D	30	100	48	42
253	kokos********.com	52	D	48	99	10	62
254	cal****.com	52	D	33	92	54	40
255	oeso*****.com	51	D	40	95	44	37
256	troysal************.com	51	D	38	92	49	35
257	credi********.com	51	D	66	82	11	47
258	onsite*********.com	50	D	30	100	52	33
259	energy*********.com	50	D	40	97	30	46
260	sola******.com	49	F	55	72	10	64
261	redemptio****************.com	49	F	30	95	48	37
262	innovat*************.com	49	F	35	67	76	25
263	tx**.com	49	F	20	93	52	44
264	nalab********.com	48	F	36	92	40	37
265	perihe*********.com	48	F	15	80	75	35
266	southerns**************.com	47	F	30	30	96	30
267	electr***********.com	47	F	35	73	52	37
268	crom*******.com	46	F	25	87	46	38
269	windso***********.org	46	F	38	87	10	60
270	state*********.net	45	F	30	85	27	47
271	gen*****.net	44	F	25	92	25	47
272	o**.maryland.gov	44	F	31	75	28	52
273	isi*****.com	44	F	38	92	21	37
274	green*********.com	44	F	30	85	23	50
275	blackh*********.com	43	F	35	89	13	47
276	renewa***********.com	42	F	30	92	10	47
277	solars*********.com	42	F	32	100	19	30
278	carolin************.com	41	F	30	62	43	34
279	renew*********.org	41	F	25	65	40	41
280	akin******.com	40	F	30	90	10	43
281	illin********.org	39	F	30	78	10	47
282	mnren*******.org	39	F	35	78	10	40
283	arc*****.com	39	F	30	98	10	30
284	solarpow*************.com	38	F	35	73	10	40
285	tnoffg**********.com	37	F	20	94	10	37
286	np**.com	35	F	25	55	15	52
287	n**.solar	35	F	20	92	10	32
288	route*******.com	33	F	20	70	10	42
289	so***.sc.gov	29	F	15	78	10	27

Methodology

Each website was scored using AISO Studio's production scoring engine across four dimensions:

AEO (30%) — AI Engine Optimization: direct answer format, FAQ patterns, structured content, citation signals, topical authority
SEO (20%) — Title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, links, images, keyword optimization
Readability (25%) — Flesch reading ease with normalized scoring, sentence complexity, audience appropriateness
Engagement (25%) — Content hooks, calls to action, questions, lists, quotes, emphasis, paragraph variety

289 sites collected across US states using geographic search queries. Scores reflect the state of each website at time of audit.

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