The $2/Watt Challenge: Can We Get There?

Is $2/watt solar a pipe dream—or a real target we can hit in the next few years?

Patrick Crane, Global Head of Growth at OpenSolar (and solar pioneer since Sungevity), says not only is it possible, but we already know how to get there. In this conversation, Patrick breaks down the most bloated parts of the cost stack—from customer acquisition to permitting delays to clunky tech stacks—and lays out a clear path to radically cheaper solar installs.

“We're entering an era in many parts of the world where solar's bought, not sold." - Patrick Crane

Drawing on two decades in solar and his time as CMO for LinkedIn, Patrick shares how smarter software, better referral systems, and AI-driven tools could change the economics of solar forever. If you’re serious about scaling solar and building a profitable, future-ready business, this one’s required listening.

Expect to learn:

🔹Why CAC is still solar’s biggest cost lever (and how to fix it)
🔹How AI-powered design tools are slashing sales timelines
🔹What SolarApp is doing to eliminate permitting bottlenecks
🔹Why simplifying your tech stack could unlock 40+ cents/watt in savings

🎧 Hit play to hear how Patrick and the OpenSolar team are helping the industry move from “solar sold” to “solar bought.”

Not convinced we can get to $2/W for US Resi solar?  Sound off - what are we missing?

RESOURCES:

Connect with Patrick Crane:

• LinkedIn

Check out OpenSolar:

• Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Interview with Andrew Birch:

Episode 794: Solar Will Be 50% of Global Primary Energy by 2035 – Here’s How According to Birchy

Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0

"Manual transferring of data from different apps. Sometimes APIs, wrestling with APIs and trying to transfer data from spreadsheets to design apps and back again. That is expensive. It is error prone. It really sucks up the operations team's time." - Patrick Crane