A major shift is occurring in the solar industry, particularly in the solar sales model. Powur Solar®, many times simply referred to as Powur®, and Apricot Solar are leading this shift. Each company has adopted a very different model from the model that traditional solar sales companies use. The result for both companies is rapid growth and a scalability factor that will help solar market penetration from the existing 4% of homes in the U.S. The traditional solar business model has failed in that effort and has seen many solar companies grow and then retract, and some fail altogether. A recent example of this is the demise of one time solar powerhouse, Titan Solar
Enter REACH Solar
As of 2024, there is a new solar dealer that has emerged, REACH Solar. Home Based Solar Sales has joined forces with REACH Solar as an Independent REACH SOLAR Representative. You will see much more about REACH Solar here but for now, visit Solar Sales from Home to learn more. You can also visit our beautiful Independent REACH SOLAR Representative website.
What you are about to read regarding Powur and Apricot Solar is still valid. But wait until you compare the two to REACH Solar!
The Compensation Model
The primary factor is that both Powur Solar®, Apricot Solar, and REACH Solar have adopted different commission structures. Many solar companies use a redline compensation model that penalizes only the salesperson when the price of the solar system must be lowered to win the deal from a competitor. Or when additional equipment or costs (adders) need to be added yet still trying to make the system affordable for the homeowner. This creates a very fragmented situation where new salespeople learn the business with one company and leave to go and find better compensation (a lower redline) elsewhere.
The Powur Solar®, Apricot Solar, and REACH Solar commission models are based on the Costs of Goods Sold method. If the system price is lowered, each participant in the commission stack gets a reduced amount. This model has allowed for more competitive pricing and more loyalty from sales reps. Instead of continually looking for a better commission plan, sales reps stay where they know they are being treated fairly. This commission model also allows solar sales reps to compete for sales in markets with a lower average price per sale or price per watt (PPW).
Solar Sales from Home
All 3 companies provide the opportunity for people to sell solar from home or from anywhere they have an internet connection. Technology for designing solar systems has advanced to the point where solar designs can be created from any laptop or PC. Because they have devised a way for salespeople to achieve great success without having to knock on doors, this has encouraged many more women to join the solar sales industry.
Building a Team
The old sales model also required sales reps to train their own people so recruiting and building a team wasn’t possible until they had gained a lot of experience. Powur Solar®, Apricot, and REACH Solar allow a new solar sales rep to start building a team immediately. They have devised a way for new Mentees (Powur®) or Trainees (Apricot) or Setters (REACH) to be trained by others in the company. So, a new Mentee/Trainee/Setter can start building their business immediately to take advantage of bonuses and overrides later.
Other similarities between the 3 companies include support for solar sales reps in building solar designs. Powur Solar® does all that for their reps whereas Apricot simply provides the option. REACH Solar is unique as it partners with the top regional solar installation companies around the U.S.. So, the system design is some cases is done by the Sales Rep while other installation companies employ design personnel to do it for them. In most cases, a seasoned solar pro can keep control of the solar design and pricing of the system.
One other similarity is in the tedious project management of the installation. Again, Powur® manages this for their reps while Apricot provides the option of project management through its only installer, Freedom Forever, but allows reps to do their own project management if they choose. REACH Solar has inhouse project management to assist sales reps.
Sales & Installation Opportunities
However, there are of course differences between the 2 companies. Powur Solar®, according to their website can install solar systems in 23 states and Puerto Rico. Apricot Solar installs solar systems in 34 states and Puerto Rico though its sole installation partner, Freedom Forever. REACH Solar, as of July 25, 2025 installs in 35 states through its partnerships with 14 of the top regional solar installation companies in the country.
Who Does the Installations?
Another difference is that Powur Solar® uses many different general contractors around the country for installations. This can lead to issues regarding the actual installation of the system, including the time it takes and the quality of work.
Apricot Solar represents one company, Freedom Forever. Freedom Forever has over 50 separate locations to serve its install base. Unfortunately the reviews vary greatly amongst these locations. Some have 4+ stars in Google Reviews while many have close to 3 stars.
REACH Solar has decided to it differently. As mentioned above, REACH Solar works with 14 regional installation companies that typically have an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and are accredited, and have 4.5+ stars oout of 5 on Google. They have vetted each installation company to make sure they are partnering eith the best company in each region.
Salesperson Costs
With Powur Solar®, reps must pay an enrollment fee of $99.00, a monthly technology fee of $49.00, and a $35/month fee for advanced training. With Apricot Solar there is no enrollment fee nor fees for training for their Solar Advisors. REACH Solar also has no enrollment fee nor training fees. They provide a robust back office to their Sales Reps with a well stocked Resource Center, and each Rep received their own replicated website.
The Biggest Difference in These Companies is in the Compensation
Even though all 3 companies use a cost of goods or revenue share compensation model there are differences between them. With Powur Solar®, when someone starts, they must complete 3 training sales with a Mentor unless they are considered a Solar Pro. A Solar Pro needs to only do 1 training sale with a Mentor. To be considered a Solar Pro that person must have at least one year of solar sales experience. In any case, commissions are split 50/50 between the Mentor and Mentee. Once the training sales are completed, the sales rep, whether they are new to solar or a Solar Pro, must complete 5 of their own sales. Then they may take additional training and testing to become a Mentor.
With Apricot Solar, someone new to solar also must complete 3 training sales. However, a Solar Pro need not complete a training sale and can start selling on their own, and/or become a Trainer, right away. If someone has no prior experience and completes the 1 training sale, they may now take additional training and testing and become a Trainer. A Trainer can work with new Trainees, split those commissions, and make full commissions on their own sales. Although it may seem like a quicker road to sales independence with Apricot, the lack of oversight often leaves new sales reps on their on too quickly.
With REACH Solar, it is more similar to Powur than to Apricot. Someone with no solar sales experience comes in as a Setter and works with a Company Sales Rep to complete their 1st 3 sales. They then can take additional training to learn system design and presenting solar to homeowners and sell on their own. Once they have completed 7 total sales, they are no eligible to work with new Setters on their opportunities.
Overrides on Your Team
There is no requirement with any of the 3 companies to build a team. You can do sales on your own your entire career. However, the biggest difference in the commission category is when you look at overrides on your team’s sales. With Powur® you receive overrides 6 levels deep in your organization ranging from $150 to $600. The amount you receive depends on what level the sales rep is on who did the sale. According to the latest information we’ve received as of the date of this article’s publication, to get paid as deep as your 6th level, you must recruit a minimum of 40 people yourself.
In comparison, Apricot pays average overrides of $1,000 on any sales in your organization once you reach the level of Junior Partner provided that you produce 2 sales a month yourself. This is one of the main reasons we switched to REACH Solar. This means that in order to get overides, you can never quit selling. Who wants to work for the rest of their life to reap the benefits from the business they built?
Junior Partner is achieved once you have a minimum 3 people on your team and that team installs 20 solar systems in a 60-day period. At that point, you will be paid these overrides down to the next person at the Junior Partner level if you continue to produce 2 sales a month personally. You therefore can be paid on every sale within your organization. The amount that can be earned on overrides with Apricot is significantly more than with Powur®.
REACH is similar to Apricot but has no minimum monthly personal sales requirement. This gives everyone the opportunity to work with their organization and help them produce while still getting paid on the entire team. They can decide to stop working and still get paid. REACH Solar also has Builder and Producer Bonus Pools that can add significantly to a Sales Reps income. For more detail on the REACH Solar Compensation Plan visit Remote Solar Sales and watch a detailed video.
Comparison Summary
In summary, we are comparing 3 very good companies. They all provide a better avenue for someone that wants a part-time or full-time career in solar sales.
However, Powur Solar® does subcontract a significant number of their installations which is a detraction. They also do not allow sales reps to control their own designs. And, you have to recruit a lot of sales reps to start earning overrides on a large part of your team.
Apricot Solar only has one option for installation, Freedom Forever. Inconsistent results for homeonwers and negative reviews can cause an issue in certain parts of the country. As well, requiring Junior Partners to produce 2 sales a month doesn't allow someone to build a business and walk away. They can never stop selling in order to get paid on the business they built.
REACH Solar has had the advantage of watching both Powur Solar® and Apricot Solar. They seem to have taken what works and make the most sense for the company, the Sales Reps, and homeowners and discarded what doesn't. REACH Solar is more progressive than either of the other 2, and provides the most robust technical and daily support for it's Sales Reps.
If solar salespeople want to create leverage in their business and gain the benefit of residual income so they don’t have to sell the rest of their career, REACH Solar provides a faster path to making more money than Powur Solar® and more long term benefit than Apricot Solar.
To learn more about a sales career with REACH Solar, visit Solar Sales from Home. If you like what you see, click the link below the video on that page to schedule a Zoom Meeting to get all your questions answered and join the fastest-growing team in the solar industry.
*The information contained in this article has been obtained through web searches and was not directly provided by either Powur Solar® or Apricot Solar. We do not make any claims that any or all of this information is correct. Please do your independent research by visiting the websites of either or both of these companies.
You May Be Interested in These Topics
Apricot Solar - Why We All Left
