Solar lead conversion benchmarks, with the maths.
The short version
On exclusive, verified leads: 36 to 40% of leads become a booked appointment and 6 to 12% become a sale. On shared leads, 2 to 6% become a sale. Cost per install is lead price divided by lead-to-sale rate, and across Capital Leads partners it lands between $500 and $1,600. Generating your own leads on Google Ads costs $12 to $28 per click on the main solar terms in September 2026, which at a typical landing page conversion works out to more per lead than buying, though not always more per install.
The funnel, step by step
| Step | Exclusive, verified | Shared (2 to 5 buyers) | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads delivered | 100 | 100 | Verification before delivery |
| Booked appointments | 36 to 40 | Lower; you race other buyers to the phone | Speed to first call, SMS in your name |
| Sales | 6 to 12 | 2 to 6 | Sit rate, quote quality, holding price |
| Cost per install at $60 a lead | $500 to $1,000 | $1,000 to $3,000 | Lead price divided by lead-to-sale rate |
The published figures above are the ones the ROI calculator is grounded to: 38% appointment rate and 21% close rate on appointments, which is 8% lead-to-sale. Move either slider and the cost per install moves with it.
The CAC formula and a worked table
Cost per install = lead price ÷ lead-to-sale rate. Fully loaded, add your setter's time per lead and your CRM and dialler per month, divided by installs. The table below is the unloaded number at three lead prices you will actually be quoted.
| Lead price | 4% (weak shared) | 6% | 8% (calculator default) | 10% | 12% (strong exclusive) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45 a lead | $1,125 | $750 | $563 | $450 | $375 |
| $60 a lead | $1,500 | $1,000 | $750 | $600 | $500 |
| $99 a lead | $2,475 | $1,650 | $1,238 | $990 | $825 |
What it costs to generate your own: live Google Ads CPC, September 2026
These are Google's own averages for Australia, pulled from the Google Ads keyword data on 23 September 2026. Monthly searches are national averages. The bid range is what advertisers were paying for the top of the page.
| Keyword | Searches a month | Average CPC | Top-of-page bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| solar battery | 22,200 | $11.98 | $3.34 to $12.03 |
| air conditioning installation | 12,100 | $16.91 | $4.78 to $18.95 |
| solar quotes | 9,900 | $6.45 | $3.33 to $13.54 |
| solar panel installation | 8,100 | $22.92 | $5.84 to $22.24 |
| air conditioning installers near me | 4,400 | $17.88 | $5.34 to $22.09 |
| home battery | 3,600 | $8.41 | $2.58 to $8.13 |
| solar panels perth | 2,900 | $22.72 | $4.83 to $22.10 |
| solar panels brisbane | 2,400 | $18.30 | $5.23 to $20.52 |
| battery rebate | 2,400 | $7.32 | $2.18 to $6.79 |
| cheaper home batteries program | 2,400 | $8.34 | $2.29 to $7.34 |
| solar panels melbourne | 1,900 | $18.73 | $5.13 to $17.44 |
| solar rebate | 1,900 | $9.24 | $2.85 to $8.85 |
| solar rebate victoria | 1,900 | $10.53 | $3.15 to $9.80 |
| solar rebate nsw | 1,600 | $8.72 | $2.88 to $8.72 |
| split system installation | 1,600 | $17.80 | $4.56 to $17.66 |
| solar and battery package | 1,600 | $14.61 | $3.93 to $14.38 |
| solar installer near me | 1,300 | $16.89 | $5.98 to $23.58 |
| solar rebate qld | 1,300 | $10.35 | $2.92 to $9.62 |
| ducted air conditioning installation | 1,300 | $17.27 | $4.32 to $19.07 |
| solar installers | 1,000 | $19.23 | $5.89 to $21.03 |
| solar panels sydney | 880 | $15.83 | $4.67 to $19.42 |
| solar panels adelaide | 880 | $25.27 | $5.46 to $24.44 |
| commercial solar | 390 | $27.77 | $6.35 to $26.68 |
| solar battery installers | 320 | $33.25 | $7.64 to $29.78 |
| commercial solar installers | 90 | $23.38 | $8.32 to $47.47 |
Turning clicks into leads: a well-built landing page converts 5 to 10% of paid clicks into a form. At $18 a click that is $180 to $360 per lead before agency fees, landing pages, tracking and a CRM. At $23 a click it is $230 to $460. Capital Leads pricing starts from $45 a lead in some metro areas because one provider's spend on those same clicks is spread across every buyer in the network, and because verification and speed lift the contact rate at the other end.
What to do with the numbers
Track four figures by lead source every month: minutes to first call, contact rate, appointment rate, close rate. Put them into cost per install with the formula above and compare sources on that number alone. For what the terms in a lead contract mean, read solar lead buying terms explained. For the rules on calling the leads you buy, read solar lead compliance in Australia. For the script that gets the 36 to 40%, read solar appointment setting scripts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion rate on purchased solar leads in Australia?
On exclusive, verified leads Capital Leads partners see 36 to 40% of leads become a booked appointment and 6 to 12% become a sale. On shared leads, where 2 to 5 installers get the same homeowner, lead-to-sale runs about 2 to 6%. Contact rate is the number that moves both: it depends on verification quality and how fast you call.
How do I calculate customer acquisition cost for a solar business?
CAC equals total spend to acquire customers divided by customers won. For purchased leads: lead price divided by lead-to-sale rate. A $60 lead at 8% lead-to-sale is $750 per install. Add setter wages and CRM costs for a fully loaded figure. Across Capital Leads partners the loaded cost per install lands between $500 and $1,600 depending on area, density and close rate.
What CAC is sustainable for a solar installer?
It depends on gross margin per job, not sale price. On a $12,000 to $18,000 residential system, a cost per install under about 5% of job value is comfortable, 5 to 8% is workable, and above 8% needs a higher close rate or cheaper leads to hold margin. The ROI calculator on the buy-leads guide colours your result by those bands.
How much does it cost to generate your own solar leads with Google Ads in Australia?
Google's own keyword data for September 2026 puts the average cost per click for 'solar panel installation' at about $22.92, 'solar panels perth' at $22.72, 'solar panels brisbane' at $18.30, 'solar panels melbourne' at $18.73 and 'solar battery' at $11.98. At a landing page that converts 5 to 10% of clicks into a form, that is roughly $120 to $460 per lead before agency fees, landing pages and a CRM, against exclusive purchased leads from $45 in some metro areas.
Is a purchased lead cheaper than a Google Ads lead?
Usually, per lead, because a provider spreads its ad spend, landing pages and verification across many buyers. Per install it depends on close rate. Run both through the same formula: cost per lead divided by lead-to-sale rate. Many installers do both, buying leads for volume in the states where they are thin on brand searches.
What contact rate should I expect on purchased solar leads?
It is the least published number in the industry because it depends on two things you control: verification before delivery and speed to call. A lead confirmed by two-factor mobile and email, called inside five minutes after the homeowner has received an SMS in your name, connects far more often than a batch-delivered lead called the next morning. Track it by source and by minutes-to-first-call.
How fast do I need to call a new solar lead?
Inside five minutes. The homeowner is still at the screen and, with real-time delivery, has just received a text telling them you will call. Every hour of delay lowers contact rate. Capital Leads delivers into your CRM in about 1.4 seconds so the five-minute window is yours to use.
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Written by the Capital Leads team, who build exclusive lead flows for solar installers in every Australian state. Updated July 2026.