Solar advisor or salesperson? How to tell the difference

The cleanest tell is how the person gets paid. A salesperson earns a commission tied to your purchase, often to a specific product. A genuine advisor's pay shouldn't swing based on which option you choose. It's a fair question to ask out loud, and the answer tells you whose outcome they're really optimizing for.

This isn't cynicism, it's documented. The CFPB found that commission-driven solar sales channels buried markups and fees that pushed the financed amount 30 percent or more above the cash price.^[1] When the pay is tied to the sale, the incentives bend that way.

Sales shows up in the behavior. Urgency, a price that expires tonight, reluctance to put promises in writing, and a push to sign on the first visit are all sales tactics, not advice. The FTC is direct that you should never be rushed, and that 'free' or 'no cost' solar offers are a scam.^[2]

A real advisor does the opposite. They slow you down, encourage you to compare, and are comfortable telling you a deal is bad or that now isn't the time. Advice that never says no isn't advice.

It matters more here because the stakes are higher. Connecticut's Attorney General has sued solar companies over deceptive and unlawful sales practices, from forged signatures to undisclosed terms.^[3] The higher the pressure in a market, the more a genuine advocate, someone who doesn't profit from your specific choice, is worth.