Insights and guides to help you grow your clean tech business.
US solar installers don't have one national permitting clock - they have as many as they have AHJs. Here's what that variance actually costs a growing install business, backed by NREL data.
Matt Franklin
July 10, 2026
Vague payment terms are why installers wait 60 days for money they earned in a day. Here's how to set terms that hold up, what you can charge for late payment, and how to make getting paid the default.
Felix Rusby
June 15, 2026
Taking a deposit at the kitchen table is normal. Doing it without handling the customer's cancellation rights is how installers end up unable to enforce payment. Here's what to get right.
Felix Rusby
June 8, 2026
Connect your AI assistant straight to your Payaca account and ask it to do real work: pull stuck jobs, bulk-update projects, draft follow-ups, build reports. Here's why we built it and the practical things install teams can do with it.
Matt Franklin
June 4, 2026
HubSpot wins solar, heat pump and EV installers on the way up - and loses them as soon as the install team starts using it. Five patterns we keep seeing in migration calls.
Matt Franklin
May 28, 2026
Mid-sized US solar and clean-energy installers spend two engineers a year keeping a bespoke CRM alive that handles maybe 60% of the workflow. Permits, AHJ inspections, NEM interconnection and ITC handling end up on spreadsheets. Here's the real cost of the build, and what the off-ramp usually looks like.
Matt Franklin
May 27, 2026
Decision-stage migration guide for US clean-energy installers leaving HubSpot. What imports cleanly, what doesn't, what HubSpot stays good at, and how to sequence a 4-week cutover without losing project history or AHJ permit state.
Matt Franklin
May 25, 2026
Pipedrive is the SMB sales pipeline that lots of US solar and battery installers reach for first. It does the sales side well and stops at deal-closed. A side-by-side workflow walkthrough through permitting, interconnection, ITC documentation, install and PTO.
Jamie Duncan
May 22, 2026
EV charger install businesses live or die on throughput. A practical operational playbook for teams running 40+ installs a month - scheduling density, quote speed, mobile field completion, and keeping margin tight as volume grows.
Jamie Duncan
April 28, 2026
A step-by-step guide to setting up automated deposit collection, payment schedules, and invoice triggers so nothing falls through the cracks.
Matt Franklin
April 6, 2026
Salesforce, HubSpot, and ServiceTitan weren't built for clean tech. Here's what happens when installers switch to a purpose-built platform.
Matt Franklin
April 4, 2026
ServiceTitan dominates field service, but it was built for HVAC. Here's an honest comparison of the alternatives for solar installers - including where each one is strong, where it falls short, and how to choose based on your business stage.
Matt Franklin
March 25, 2026
Ben Clarke, Account Executive at Payaca with 10+ years in field service management, explains why solar businesses keep abandoning Salesforce and generic CRMs - and what actually works instead.
Ben Clarke
March 10, 2026
The US is adding a record 86 GW of new power capacity in 2026, led by solar and battery storage. But the residential market is restructuring fast. Here's where demand is headed, which states are hottest, and what growing installers need to do now.
Matt Franklin
March 4, 2026
The solar companies that thrive in 2026 won't just install panels. Here's how leading installers are diversifying into home energy companies with recurring revenue, adjacent services, and new business models.
Matt Franklin
February 27, 2026
Jamie Duncan, Head of Customer Operations at Payaca, shares what separates thriving renewable energy businesses from those that stall out. Structured onboarding, AI tools like Agent Dave, and a willingness to embrace change.
Jamie Duncan
February 26, 2026
In a conversation with Digital Tool Bag, Payaca CEO Matt Franklin demos Agent Dave, the AI assistant built into Payaca that can set up automations, analyse pipelines, create templates, and configure accounts through simple chat.
Matt Franklin
February 20, 2026
A practical guide to the software options for EV charger installation businesses. Covers the difference between charger management and installer management, compares tools from spreadsheets to purpose-built platforms, and explains what to look for as you scale.
Jamie Duncan
February 14, 2026
A practical comparison of CRM and business software options for heat pump installation companies. Covers generic CRMs, HVAC field service tools, and purpose-built clean tech platforms.
Joe Gravestock
February 13, 2026
Battery storage installers have unique operational needs that generic field service tools don't address. We compare the software options available, from spreadsheets and solar-specific tools to purpose-built clean tech platforms.
Jamie Duncan
February 12, 2026
A comprehensive guide to the software solar installation businesses use, from CRMs and field service tools to design platforms and compliance systems. Covers what to look for at every stage of growth.
Ben Clarke
February 11, 2026
A practical guide to scaling your HVAC business. Covers marketing, operations, hiring, customer retention, and the systems you need to grow sustainably.
Matt Franklin
February 10, 2026
Where is solar energy headed? From perovskite cells to agrivoltaics, we cover the technology, policy, and market trends shaping the future of solar power in the UK and globally.
Felix Rusby
February 6, 2026
String inverters vs microinverters: which should you recommend? An installer-focused comparison covering cost, performance, shading, monitoring, and when to use each.
Felix Rusby
February 5, 2026
Proven HVAC lead generation strategies for contractors. Learn how to attract more customers through local SEO, PPC advertising, content marketing, and referral programs.
Matt Franklin
February 3, 2026
A complete guide to generating leads for your heat pump installation business. Covers digital marketing, referrals, partnerships, and strategies specific to the heat pump market.
Matt Franklin
January 22, 2026
Proven solar marketing strategies for installation businesses. Learn how to generate quality leads through SEO, social media, referrals, and content marketing.
Matt Franklin
January 15, 2026
Enterprise wins, profitability, and why we're betting big on AI that actually does things.
Matt Franklin
December 19, 2025
This value represents our commitment and focus to remove complexity for our clients. In order to achieve this, it needs to be adopted across the whole organisation.
Joe Gravestock
December 18, 2025
Stop messy paperwork! Learn to create simple digital forms in Payaca for your team to use on-site. Get accurate job info straight to your mobile app, every time.
Matt Franklin
May 31, 2025
Payaca has achieved ISO 27001 certification, the internationally recognized standard for information security management, demonstrating our commitment to protecting customer data and privacy.
Matt Franklin
December 30, 2024
Ben Clarke, an Account Executive at Payaca with over a decade of field service management experience, argues that renewable energy businesses suffer when using generic CRM software designed for other industries.
Ben Clarke
December 19, 2024
Join Matt Franklin, CEO of Payaca, as he sits down with the company's new Chief Technology Officer, Matt Bessey, to discuss how software innovation is driving the adoption of low-carbon technologies.
Matt Franklin
October 15, 2024
This article compares different types of solar technology that are available to choose from.
Felix Rusby
August 8, 2024
Breaks down how solar panels are recycled and some of the challenges involved in the recycling process. This article covers specific examples from the UK as well as predictions about where the industry is headed.
Felix Rusby
July 26, 2024
Understanding the global solar panel supply chain - from raw materials to final assembly. Learn where components originate and what this means for the industry.
Felix Rusby
June 24, 2024
Understanding when quotes become legally binding agreements. Learn the five essential elements that create enforceable contracts and how to protect your business.
Felix Rusby
March 6, 2024
This article weighs up the reasons why you should consider investing in a CRM, including signs that you need it and what type of solution to look for.
Felix Rusby
January 20, 2024