The Solcertain Podcast
Foundational conversations with solar industry veterans — for the installers who sell this stuff for a living.
Short, foundational interviews with the people shaping solar — manufacturers, financiers, policy folks, veteran installers. Built for installer owners and operators who want to hear from the industry without the jargon.
Episodes
First episodes are recording this quarter. If you’ve spent a decade or more inside the solar industry — manufacturing, finance, policy, installing, consulting — we’d like to hear from you. Apply to be a guest.
Every guest answers the same five questions.
Foundational, not advanced. The point is to teach installers who are new to a corner of the industry something they can actually use — and to let guests shine without jargon.
01
What is it, really?
In plain English, what's actually in the piece of the solar deal you work on — hardware, financing, install economics — that a new installer should understand first?
02
How do you spot quality?
How do you tell a quality module, inverter, finance product or install from a bad one — without being an insider?
03
What's new in 2026?
What are you seeing in your corner of the industry right now that most installers haven't noticed yet?
04
Who's the ideal customer?
Who's the perfect customer for the model you work with — and, just as important, who should walk away?
05
How to choose remotely?
For an installer outside your region, what would you tell them to look for when picking a distributor, financier, consultant or vendor they can trust?
Hosted by
Stephen Burkhalter
Founder & CEO, Solcertain
Stephen started selling solar in 2013 — before proposal software or shading reports — and founded Solcertain in 2017 after a stint at the Golf Channel. He's spent the years since turning solar marketing into something installers can measure.
Spent a decade inside solar? Come on the show.
Apply to be a guest