Checklists
Solar Panel Installation Checklist (2026)
Complete checklist for residential and commercial solar installations. Covers site assessment, permitting, installer selection, financing, and post-installation monitoring.
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Site Assessment & Planning
Financing & Incentives
Installer Selection
Permitting & Installation
Post-Installation
Pro Tips
- 01Get at least 3 quotes and normalize them to cost-per-watt. The cheapest quote isn't always the best — compare equipment quality, warranty terms, and installer track record
- 02Schedule installation before summer if possible. Demand peaks in Q2-Q3, which means longer wait times and less negotiating power on price
- 03Battery storage makes financial sense only if your utility has time-of-use rates or weak net metering. Run the numbers before adding storage to your quote
- 04Check your roof warranty before installation. Solar panels last 25+ years — if your roof needs replacing in 10, you'll pay to remove and reinstall panels
- 05The federal ITC drops from 30% to 26% in 2033. Filing correctly is critical — use a CPA who has handled solar credits before, not general tax software
Tech & Innovation Tools
Strategic Playbooks
Roles That Use This Knowledge
Role
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
C-suite executive owning all revenue-generating functions — sales, partnerships, customer success, and often marketing — at scaling B2B companies.
Role
Director of Channel Partnerships
Senior partnerships leader running the channel program — resellers, distributors, MSPs, and SI partners — including recruiting, enabling, and managing partner-sourced revenue.
Role
Head of Strategic Partnerships
Senior leader who designs and runs the company's strategic partnership program, owning partner relationships, deal structures, and partner-sourced revenue contribution.
Decisions to Compare
Compare
Business Development Rep (BDR) vs. Account Executive (AE): Roles and Career Path
Compare Business Development Rep (BDR) and Account Executive (AE) roles — what each does, comp differences, and how to progress between them.
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Business Development vs. Sales: How They're Different and When to Use Each
Side-by-side comparison of business development and sales — the motions, the metrics, the org structures, and how to know which function you actually need.
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Channel Partner vs. Reseller: Are They the Same? Differences Explained
Compare channel partners and resellers — overlapping terms, real differences, and how to structure a program that works.
Explore Further
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Tools
Free calculators and interactive utilities
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Playbooks
Strategic playbooks for partnerships and BD
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Case Studies
Strategic breakdowns of leading companies and projects
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Lists
Curated rankings of the best companies, tools, and programs
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Profiles
Founders, investors, and operators shaping tech
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Strategies
Pattern analysis of how top companies built their advantage
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Postmortems
Why FTX, WeWork, Theranos and other major failures collapsed
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Roles
Business development and partnership roles defined
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Salaries
Compensation data by role and city
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Compare
Side-by-side comparisons of roles and strategies
About the Author
David Shadrake
David Shadrake works on strategic business development and tech partnerships, with focus areas across AI, fintech, venture capital, growth, sales, SEO, blockchain, and broader tech innovation. Read more of his perspective on partnerships, market dynamics, and emerging technology at davidshadrake.com.