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Key Takeaways
- The minimum operational burn rate, combining fixed overhead ($39,500) and starting payroll ($75,000), requires approximately $114,500 monthly to sustain operations.
- To cover costs during the initial ramp-up phase until profitability, a minimum working capital buffer of $349,000 is essential for the first five months.
- Despite high initial costs, the financial model projects a rapid path to profitability, achieving break-even within five months by May 2026.
- Solar equipment and installation materials are the primary cost drivers, consuming roughly 260% of first-year revenue alongside the $75,000 monthly payroll commitment.
Running Cost 1 : Employee Wages and Salaries
Starting Payroll Hit
Your initial payroll commitment for 11 full-time employees (FTEs) in 2026 hits $75,000 per month before you add in employer taxes or benefits packages. This sets your baseline fixed labor expense right away, demanding high revenue volume early on.
Base Salary Load
This $75,000 covers base pay for 11 FTEs starting in 2026, covering roles like sales staff and installation crews. It’s a fixed expense that must be covered regardless of installation volume. What this estimate hides is the true cost: you’ll likely spend another 25% on employer-side payroll taxes and required insurance premiums.
- 11 FTEs base pay.
- Fixed monthly commitment.
- Taxes add significant overhead.
Managing Fixed Labor
Since this is fixed payroll, you can’t easily cut it month-to-month. Avoid hiring specialized roles too early; use outsourced consultants for complex design or permitting until volume justifies a full-time hire. A common mistake is offering high base salaries to sales staff; tie compensation defintely to closed deals instead.
- Delay hiring support roles.
- Use performance-based pay.
- Keep admin lean early on.
Fixed Cost Anchor
That $75,000 payroll is just one anchor. Add the $20,500 for office/fleet and $8,300 for software, and your baseline monthly fixed operating expense hits $103,800. You need substantial installation volume just to cover staff and overhead before factoring in equipment costs or customer acquisition spend.
Running Cost 2 : Office and Vehicle Costs
Fixed Overhead Baseline
Your baseline overhead includes keeping the lights on and the trucks running. Fixed operational costs for office rent, utilities, and maintaining the vehicle fleet total $20,500 monthly. This number sets your minimum revenue floor before you even install the first panel. It’s a non-negotiable starting point for cash flow planning.
Cost Components
This fixed bucket covers the non-negotiable costs of physical presence for your operations. You need quotes for commercial leases, utility estimates based on square footage, and maintenance contracts for the installation vehicles. If you start with 11 employees, this $20.5k is a significant portion of your initial burn rate.
- Rent and utilities estimates.
- Fleet lease/maintenance contracts.
- Base operating necessity.
Optimization Tactics
Since this cost is fixed, managing it means locking in favorable lease terms early on. Avoid large, dedicated office spaces initially; consider shared industrial space for warehousing equipment. For vehicles, prioritize fuel efficiency over sheer size, as maintenance scales with fleet complexity. Don't overpay for prime retail frontage, you're a service provider.
- Negotiate lease length upfront.
- Use shared warehouse space first.
- Focus fleet on fuel economy.
Contextualizing Fixed Spend
Compare this $20,500 to your other fixed commitments. Employee wages are $75,000, insurance is $6,200, and software/fees are $8,300. Your total fixed overhead, excluding COGS and marketing, is roughly $109,000 monthly. This $20.5k is about 18.8% of that total fixed base, making it the second-largest fixed line item.
Running Cost 3 : Solar Equipment Inventory
Equipment Cost Shock
Your starting equipment cost structure is unsustainable because the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for solar gear hits 180% of total revenue in 2026. This means gross profit is negative before accounting for labor or overhead. You must defintely address sourcing or pricing models immediately before scaling installations.
Total Direct Costs
This 180% figure covers the panels, inverters, racking, and wiring needed for each installed system. It directly relates to supplier contracts and the bill of materials (BOM) per job. Since installation materials are an additional 80% of revenue, your total direct costs are 260% of revenue.
- Equipment COGS: 180% of revenue
- Materials Cost: 80% of revenue
- Total Direct Cost: 260% of revenue
Fixing Procurement
You can't sustain 180% COGS; that's a guaranteed loss on every sale. Focus on negotiating volume discounts with panel manufacturers or diversifying suppliers immediately. If you can cut this down to 70% of revenue, you create margin room for your $75k monthly payroll and other fixed expenses.
- Seek 40% reduction in equipment cost
- Lock in multi-year supply rates
- Leverage American-made panel commitment for better pricing
Break-Even Reality
If you launch with these assumptions, you'll burn cash quickly. Achieving break-even requires revenue to cover $109,000 in base fixed monthly costs ($75k wages + $20.5k overhead + $6.2k insurance + $8.3k software). With 260% direct costs, your pricing must reflect a radical shift in procurement strategy just to cover variable costs.
Running Cost 4 : Installation Materials
Material Cost Shock
Installation materials and hardware are a massive variable cost, hitting 80% of revenue during the initial 2026 ramp-up. This figure dictates gross margin immediately. Watch this percentage closely; even small shifts severely impact profitability before scale is achieved.
Tracking Hardware Spend
This 80% covers hardware like racking, wiring, inverters, and mounting systems needed per job. To estimate this cost accurately, you need the bill of materials (BOM) per system size. If your average system yields $50,000 in revenue, materials cost $40,000. This cost is defintely your biggest lever.
- Racking and mounting hardware costs.
- Wiring and connection components.
- Inverter costs per unit.
Controlling Material Waste
Managing this high material spend requires aggressive supplier negotiation and inventory control. Since you use top-tier, American-made panels, bulk purchasing agreements are crucial for Year 2 savings. Avoid rush shipping fees, which erode margin fast.
- Negotiate volume discounts early.
- Standardize hardware SKUs where possible.
- Minimize safety stock holding costs.
Margin Reality Check
Since materials are 80% of revenue, your gross margin is only 20% before factoring in installation labor. This structure means revenue volatility directly translates to severe cash flow pressure until you achieve better supplier terms or higher average selling prices.
Running Cost 5 : Customer Acquisition Marketing
2026 Acquisition Spend
Your 2026 plan dedicates $180,000 to marketing, aiming to bring in exactly 150 new solar installation customers. This means every new client must cost you no more than $1,200 to acquire. Hitting this target is non-negotiable for profitability.
Budget Inputs
This $180,000 budget covers all lead generation, digital ads, and sales support required to convert prospects into signed solar contracts for the year. Since you need 150 paying customers, the math is simple division. If you spend over this, your margins shrink fast.
- Budget is fixed for 2026.
- Target is $1,200 per new customer.
- Need 150 total acquisitions.
Controlling CAC
To keep CAC down, focus heavily on referral programs and high-intent local search engine optimization, which are often cheaper than paid media. Avoid broad awareness campaigns until unit economics are proven solid. A common mistake is overspending on untested channels; defintely track payback period closely.
- Prioritize low-cost referrals.
- Monitor lead-to-close rates.
- Test paid spend slowly.
Profitability Check
If your average system sale yields a gross profit margin below $3,000, a $1,200 CAC is too high to support overhead growth. You must increase Average Order Value (AOV) or drastically cut acquisition spend immediately.
Running Cost 6 : Insurance and Compliance
Insurance Cost Structure
Insurance and compliance costs are structured with a fixed base plus a revenue share. Your monthly fixed premium is $6,200. Variable permitting and inspection fees add another 15% to every dollar of revenue you bring in, meaning compliance scales directly with sales volume.
Cost Breakdown
The fixed $6,200 covers general liability and specialized installation insurance policies required to operate legally across your service area. The variable 15% component is tied directly to the volume of permitted jobs you complete monthly. You need accurate monthly revenue figures to calculate this variable spend.
- Fixed cost: $6,200 monthly premium.
- Variable rate: 15% of gross revenue.
- Input needed: Monthly revenue projections.
Managing Variable Fees
Managing this cost means optimizing the variable portion, as the fixed premium is hard to shift quickly. Focus on high-margin projects to absorb the 15% fee efficiently. Avoid scope creep on permitted jobs, which drives up inspection costs unnecessarily. You need to defintely track inspection overruns against initial quotes.
- Benchmark fixed costs against industry peers.
- Ensure permit fees match actual scope.
- Negotiate annual insurance renewals aggressively.
Impact on Margin
Since compliance is 15% of revenue, it acts as a significant drag on gross margin until you achieve scale. If your average job value is low, this variable fee eats profit fast. You must model this cost against your contribution margin per installation to ensure profitability thresholds are met.
Running Cost 7 : Software and Professional Fees
Fixed Software & Legal Spend
Your fixed monthly spend on essential software and legal support clocks in at exactly $8,300. This covers critical design tools needed for system blueprints and necessary ongoing legal compliance for installations.
Cost Breakdown Inputs
This $8,300 covers recurring fixed overhead for specialized design software, likely CAD or simulation tools, and retainer fees for legal counsel. Since this is fixed, it must be covered regardless of how many solar jobs you complete that month. Here’s the quick math: $8,300 divided by 30 days is about $277 per day just to keep the lights on here.
Managing Fixed Fees
Audit design tool usage quarterly to cut unused seats; don't just pay the annual invoice. For legal support, shift from expensive retainers to project-based billing for non-routine matters, like permitting reviews. A common mistake is over-licensing specialized design software that only one person uses. You defintely should try bundling services.
- Audit software seats every 90 days
- Negotiate legal retainer minimums
- Bundle design tool subscriptions
Fixed Cost Pressure
Since this $8,300 is a fixed cost, it directly impacts your break-even volume. If revenue dips, this overhead percentage inflates fast, making every new installation critical to absorb the fixed burden.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Total fixed operating expenses (excluding variable COGS) start around $114,500 monthly in 2026, comprising $75,000 in payroll and $39,500 in fixed overhead Variable costs add another 310% of revenue (260% COGS, 50% variable OpEx);