AI Receptionist for solar and battery storage electricians
Solar enquiries are high-value and fast-moving. The installer who answers first wins the install.
AI receptionist for solar and battery storage electricians — Ava confirms MCS certification, captures roof and property detail, and books the site survey.
A solar and battery storage installation is worth £8,000–£14,000. Homeowners call two or three MCS-certified installers and book the first survey available — one or two enquiries ring out unanswered each week during active roof surveys, each handing a five-figure contract to a competitor who simply answered.
The short answer
- Solar enquiries are high-intent and time-sensitive — a homeowner calling three MCS installers books with whoever offers the earliest survey. Ava ensures you are always first.
- Ava confirms your MCS certification, captures property type, roof orientation, angle and shading, whether battery storage or an EV charger is wanted, and books the site survey.
- A residential solar and battery installation is worth £8,000–£14,000. Three missed enquiries a week is up to £42,000 in contract value.
- She integrates with ServiceM8 and Commusoft to book the survey visit, creating the job card with the full site summary before the call ends.
- Ava works 24/7, capturing evening and weekend enquiries from homeowners who research solar after receiving their energy bills — typically evenings and weekends.
The problem
A homeowner has just received their energy bill and they've decided this is the year they go solar. They've spent an evening researching MCS-certified installers and they're calling the top three today. You're on a rooftop installation. Your phone goes to voicemail. They book a survey with the firm that answered.
What Ava does
Ava answers every solar and battery storage enquiry, confirms your MCS certification, captures the property type, roof orientation, and whether they have an EV or want battery storage, and books the site survey into ServiceM8 or Commusoft — before the homeowner moves to the next installer.
A residential solar installation with battery storage averages £8,000–£14,000. Miss three enquiries in a week and that's up to £42,000 in contract value handed to a competitor.
How does Ava handle a solar panel and battery storage enquiry?
Ava answers immediately, confirms your MCS certification, asks about the property type, roof orientation, shading, and whether battery storage or an EV charger is part of the plan, then books the site survey. The homeowner has a survey date before they have called the second installer.
MCS certification is the primary credibility signal for residential solar clients. Ava confirms your MCS status in the first exchange — homeowners who are aware of the MCS requirement will shortlist only certified installers, and hearing that confirmation immediately signals that your firm meets the standard.
The qualifying questions she asks — south-facing or east-west split, angle and shading from trees or chimneys, whether the roof is suitable for the required panel count, existing tariff and consumption — give your surveyor the information they need to prepare an accurate assessment before arriving. This reduces the number of surveys that don't convert to installations.
For installations that include a Tesla Powerwall, GivEnergy, or SolarEdge battery system alongside solar panels, Ava notes the preference and the EV charging requirement where relevant. The combination of solar, battery, and EV charger is an increasingly common spec — your surveyor should arrive knowing the full scope.
Why do solar installers miss high-value enquiries and what does each cost?
Solar installers are on rooftops or conducting surveys during peak calling hours. An unanswered call from a homeowner comparing MCS installers is a lost £8,000–£14,000 contract — because the homeowner books the first available survey, not the best brochure.
The solar market has a 'first survey wins' dynamic. A homeowner comparing three installers will book the first credible, certified firm that offers them a date. The second and third installer who call back later are competing for the consolation prize. Ava gives you the first-mover position on every enquiry.
Evening and weekend enquiries are particularly common in the solar market. Homeowners research solar after receiving their energy bills, which arrives quarterly and triggers a spike of enquiries in the evenings of the next two weeks. Ava captures these calls when your team is off — the survey visit appears in the diary Monday morning rather than in a voicemail folder.
The combined solar-plus-battery-plus-EV market is growing quickly as homeowners realise the three systems interact to minimise grid draw. A caller who enquires about solar panels and also mentions their Tesla or their planned EV purchase is worth considerably more than a standard solar installation — Ava captures this expanded scope from the first call.
What should homeowners know about MCS certification before booking a solar survey?
MCS certification is a government-backed quality mark required for solar installations to be eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — which pays homeowners for the electricity they export to the grid. Only MCS-certified installers can certify the installation. Ava confirms your certification in the first call.
The Smart Export Guarantee replaces the old Feed-in Tariff and allows homeowners to earn payments from electricity suppliers for surplus solar energy exported to the grid. Eligibility requires an installation certified by an MCS-registered company. Ava explains this connection clearly to callers who ask about export tariffs.
Beyond the SEG, MCS certification means the installation meets the standard required for Building Regulations compliance. For homeowners in conservation areas or with listed buildings, additional permitted development rules apply — Ava flags these scenarios for your surveyor so the right planning guidance is prepared before the visit.
For battery storage systems, MCS now covers battery installation certification as well as solar. Ava confirms that your MCS registration covers battery storage where relevant, reassuring callers who want a combined system that they do not need two separate certified contractors.
How does Ava integrate with ServiceM8 for solar survey booking?
Ava reads your ServiceM8 or Commusoft diary, books the site survey against the right surveyor and postcode zone, and creates the job card with the property details, roof information, and scope summary — all during the call. No double-booking and no manual data entry.
ServiceM8 is widely used by sole-trader and small-team electricians who have expanded into solar. The job card Ava creates contains the homeowner's name, address, roof orientation and pitch, shading notes, whether battery and EV charging is in scope, and the caller's existing energy tariff where they have shared it.
For larger solar installation firms using Commusoft or Simpro, the same structured data entry applies. The survey visit is assigned to the right engineer based on location, and the homeowner receives an SMS confirmation with the surveyor's name and the expected duration of the visit.
Where a solar lead comes from a third-party comparison website or a Google Ads campaign, Ava can note the source in the job card so your team can track which channels are generating the highest conversion rate from survey to installation.
£8,000–£14,000
Average residential solar and battery storage installation value
UK electrician industry estimate
MCS
Certification required for SEG eligibility — Ava confirms your status in every call
UK Government MCS scheme
First survey
Homeowners comparing three installers typically book with the first to offer a survey date
UK electrician industry estimate
The difference
Voicemail takes a message. Ava books the appointment.
What callers ring about
Every solar & battery storage call, handled.
- Residential solar panel enquiries
- Battery storage and Powerwall calls
- Solar-plus-EV charger combination installs
- Commercial solar installation quotes
Hear it in action
This is what your callers hear.
- Good evening, SunPath Solar — how can I help?
- Hi — I'm interested in getting solar panels and maybe a battery. My energy bills have gone through the roof.
- Completely understandable — a lot of our customers are in the same position. We're MCS certified, so any installation qualifies for the Smart Export Guarantee. Can I ask — is the roof south-facing, and are there any obvious shading issues like trees or chimneys?
- It's mostly south-facing — there's a chimney at one end but not too bad.
- That should work well. I can book a free site survey for Saturday morning or next Monday — which suits you better?
Before you choose
What to look for in an AI receptionist for solar & battery storage.
MCS certification communication
Your AI receptionist must confirm your MCS certification in the first call. This is the primary qualifying filter for residential solar clients — hearing it immediately removes a key objection.
Roof and site qualification
Ask whether it captures roof orientation, pitch, shading, and existing consumption data. Surveyors who arrive with this information complete more accurate assessments and convert at a higher rate.
Battery and EV charger scope capture
The combined solar, battery, and EV charger specification is increasingly common. Your AI should capture all three dimensions in a single call so the surveyor knows the full project scope before arrival.
SEG and export tariff knowledge
Homeowners ask about export payments frequently. Your AI receptionist should be able to explain the Smart Export Guarantee clearly enough to reassure the caller — without giving financial advice.
Common questions
Everything you’re wondering.
Can Ava confirm our MCS certification to callers?
Yes. Ava confirms your MCS certification in the first call — which is the primary credibility signal for residential solar clients and the requirement for Smart Export Guarantee eligibility.
What details does Ava collect for a solar survey booking?
Property type, roof orientation and angle, shading from trees or adjacent buildings, approximate consumption, whether battery storage and EV charging are wanted, and the homeowner's existing energy supplier — everything your surveyor needs to prepare.
Can Ava book a solar site survey into ServiceM8?
Yes. Ava creates the job card in ServiceM8 or Commusoft during the call, books the survey against the right surveyor, and sends an SMS confirmation to the homeowner.
Does Ava explain the Smart Export Guarantee to callers?
Yes. Ava explains that the SEG allows homeowners to receive payments from their electricity supplier for surplus solar power exported to the grid, and that MCS certification is required. She does not give financial projections.
Can Ava handle Tesla Powerwall and GivEnergy battery enquiries?
Yes. Ava captures the battery brand preference and whether the client wants it integrated with solar and EV charging — giving your surveyor the full scope before the site visit.
Does Ava handle commercial solar enquiries?
Yes. For commercial sites, Ava captures the roof area, site consumption, and decision-maker's details, then routes the lead to your commercial estimator for a proposal call.
What if the caller is on a tight deadline for installation before winter?
Ava captures the timeline urgency and flags it in the job summary. Your team can prioritise the survey booking and give the client a realistic installation timeline based on current capacity.
Can Ava tell callers whether our installation is eligible for the SEG?
Ava explains the MCS certification requirement and confirms your registration. She does not calculate specific export earnings — those projections are produced by your surveyor using your modelling tools.
Pricing
Ava pays for herself on call one.
A residential solar installation with battery storage averages £8,000–£14,000. Miss three enquiries in a week and that's up to £42,000 in contract value handed to a competitor. Plans from £397/mo. One recovered job a month covers it — everything else is pure upside.
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