75% Storage Attach Rate: How Cape Fear Solar Systems Sets the Standard
Results at a Glance
Storage attachment rate
CFSS has completed over 4,800 solar installations
The Contract Manager tool saves about 70 min per week (10 min per contract)
Storage attachment rate
CFSS has completed over 4,800 solar installations
The Contract Manager tool saves about 70 min per week (10 min per contract)
CFSS has achieved a 33% close rate, highlighting their effective sales processes
CFSS has saved over 180 hours using Aurora’s Sales Mode for their proposals

4.8-star average rating for Cape Fear Solar Systems on Google, backed by over 150 glowing reviews
CFSS has achieved a 33% close rate, highlighting their effective sales processes
CFSS has saved over 180 hours using Aurora’s Sales Mode for their proposals

4.8-star average rating for Cape Fear Solar Systems on Google, backed by over 150 glowing reviews

About
Cape Fear Solar Systems (CFSS), headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a prominent solar energy provider known for delivering top-tier solar solutions to both homeowners and businesses. Since its founding in 2007, CFSS has earned a stellar reputation for exceptional quality, customer service, and innovative solar installations.
With a team of highly skilled professionals, CFSS specializes in designing, installing, and maintaining custom solar power systems that cater to the unique energy needs of their clients. Their commitment to sustainability and renewable energy shows in their holistic approach, which includes education, consultation, and ongoing support to ensure optimal system performance and customer satisfaction.
CFSS helps clients reduce energy costs and carbon footprints by using cutting edge technology and industry best practices. As a trusted name in the solar industry, they continue to lead the way toward a greener future with their dedication to excellence and passion for renewable energy.
Challenges
The solar industry, often referred to as the "solar coaster," presents numerous challenges that solar providers must navigate. For CFSS, these challenges included:
Inefficiency and Data Fragmentation
Relying on tools like SIGHTEN (now EverBright), SunEye, and custom Excel sheets led to time-consuming, manual processes and fragmented data, making it hard to maintain accuracy and cohesion.
Scalability Issues
Scaling operations while maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy became challenging without a unified platform.
Sales Process Complications
The inability to make real-time adjustments during sales consultations resulted in longer sales cycles and potential lost deals.
Educational and Competitive Hurdles
Educating homeowners effectively about solar and storage, and staying competitive in the market, required more advanced software than basic, cobbled-together tools could provide.
Staying Competitive
Competing with other solar providers required more accurate and efficient designs and proposals, which was difficult to achieve with basic tools.
CFSS recognized that speed and accuracy are vital in solar sales. Lengthy design reworks could slow down the sales process, causing potential deals to fall through. They needed a tool that would allow for real-time adjustments and enable a collaborative design experience with homeowners.
Educating homeowners and building trust was another critical aspect of the solar sales process. Homeowners needed to understand how solar works to fully embrace it. CFSS sought a solution that would empower their sales representatives to easily demonstrate solar concepts and explain technical details, helping them stand out in a competitive market. Educating homeowners and building trust was another critical aspect of the solar sales process. Homeowners needed to understand how solar works to fully embrace the idea of going solar. CFSS sought a solution that would empower their sales representatives to easily demonstrate solar concepts and explain technical details, helping them stand out in a competitive market.


In a world where equipment costs are dropping, maintaining project value is crucial. Adding storage to our solutions has been key to achieving this, and Aurora has definitely helped in improving and increasing our storage attachment rates.
- Gabe Amey, CMO
Innovative Solutions
Cape Fear Solar Systems began using Aurora in 2019, which catalyzed remarkable growth. By adopting a consultative approach, CFSS involved homeowners in decisions from the very first interaction, setting themselves apart from competitors.
Collaborative Sales Approach
CFSS sales reps design solar systems in real-time with homeowners, creating a consultative and collaborative experience that leaves a lasting impression. Using interactive sales tools, reps can create designs within seconds, making adjustments on the spot and eliminating the need for back-end designers. This streamlined approach not only shortens the sales cycle, it strengthens the connection the homeowner has with the project. By guiding homeowners through the design process, reps can provide valuable visuals that clearly demonstrate key aspects such as irradiance and sunpath, making the benefits of solar energy both understandable and engaging.
Advanced Storage Modeling
Aurora’s advanced storage modeling plays a crucial role in addressing homeowners' growing interest in energy independence and backup power. By asking focused discovery questions, sales reps can customize their pitch to align with each homeowner's unique needs, effectively educating them on the numerous benefits of solar-plus-storage. Aurora's customizable proposals and intuitive visuals further enhance this approach, empowering homeowners to make well-informed decisions.
Streamlining with System Settings
Aurora’s highly flexible platform enables CFSS to configure the software to their unique business needs and pricing models. By simplifying the process of dynamically updating pricing, Aurora saves time and provides a single source of truth. This flexibility ensures that sales reps can quickly adjust to changes, delivering accurate and up-to-date information to homeowners, all while meeting the specific demands of CFSS’s business.
Financing Integrations
Aurora’s built-in financing comparisons eliminate the need for separate tools or multiple proposals for different financing options. This integration simplifies the proposal process, making it easier for homeowners to understand their options and choose the best one for their needs.
Contract Manager
Aurora's Contract Manager automates document generation, speeding up the sales cycle and eliminating manual errors. It allows CFSS to keep track of document statuses in real-time, with notifications when customers view and sign documents. Fully automated contracts save 10 minutes per contract, improving efficiency and enhancing the customer experience by ensuring a smooth and hassle-free contracting process.
By leveraging Aurora’s advanced tools and processes, CFSS has overcome industry challenges and maintained a competitive edge. This strategic approach has allowed them to enhance their service offerings, build customer trust, and achieve significant growth.


In a world where equipment costs are dropping, maintaining project value is crucial. Adding storage to our solutions has been key to achieving this, and Aurora has definitely helped in improving and increasing our storage attachment rates.
- Gabe Amey, CMO
Innovative Solutions
Cape Fear Solar Systems began using Aurora in 2019, which catalyzed remarkable growth. By adopting a consultative approach, CFSS involved homeowners in decisions from the very first interaction, setting themselves apart from competitors.
Collaborative Sales Approach
CFSS sales reps design solar systems in real-time with homeowners, creating a consultative and collaborative experience that leaves a lasting impression. Using interactive sales tools, reps can create designs within seconds, making adjustments on the spot and eliminating the need for back-end designers. This streamlined approach not only shortens the sales cycle, it strengthens the connection the homeowner has with the project. By guiding homeowners through the design process, reps can provide valuable visuals that clearly demonstrate key aspects such as irradiance and sunpath, making the benefits of solar energy both understandable and engaging.
Advanced Storage Modeling
Aurora’s advanced storage modeling plays a crucial role in addressing homeowners' growing interest in energy independence and backup power. By asking focused discovery questions, sales reps can customize their pitch to align with each homeowner's unique needs, effectively educating them on the numerous benefits of solar-plus-storage. Aurora's customizable proposals and intuitive visuals further enhance this approach, empowering homeowners to make well-informed decisions.
Streamlining with System Settings
Aurora’s highly flexible platform enables CFSS to configure the software to their unique business needs and pricing models. By simplifying the process of dynamically updating pricing, Aurora saves time and provides a single source of truth. This flexibility ensures that sales reps can quickly adjust to changes, delivering accurate and up-to-date information to homeowners, all while meeting the specific demands of CFSS’s business.
Financing Integrations
Aurora’s built-in financing comparisons eliminate the need for separate tools or multiple proposals for different financing options. This integration simplifies the proposal process, making it easier for homeowners to understand their options and choose the best one for their needs.
Contract Manager
Aurora's Contract Manager automates document generation, speeding up the sales cycle and eliminating manual errors. It allows CFSS to keep track of document statuses in real-time, with notifications when customers view and sign documents. Fully automated contracts save 10 minutes per contract, improving efficiency and enhancing the customer experience by ensuring a smooth and hassle-free contracting process.
By leveraging Aurora’s advanced tools and processes, CFSS has overcome industry challenges and maintained a competitive edge. This strategic approach has allowed them to enhance their service offerings, build customer trust, and achieve significant growth.
“Aurora has made it easy to educate homeowners on solar-plus-storage, boosting our attachment rates and delivering a more informed customer experience.” - Dar Hubsch, Residential Project Developer
Impact and Results
5X
CFSS has sold 5X more storage in 2024 compared to 2023
10X
Year-to-date storage-specific revenue in 2024 (through July) has already paid for the cost of using Aurora 10x over.
Revenue Growth from Storage
- 75% attach rate: Advanced storage modeling and engaging sales tools have driven a 75% storage attach rate. By integrating storage seamlessly into their proposals, CFSS makes it easy for homeowners to decide on adding storage, enhancing the overall sales process.
- 95.5% Duke Energy attach rate: Since March 1, CFSS has achieved an impressive 95.5% storage attach rate for Duke Energy customers.
- 5x more storage sold: CFSS has sold 5 times more storage in 2024 compared to 2023.
- 10x Return on Investment: Year-to-date storage-specific revenue in 2024 (through July) has already paid for the cost of using Aurora 10x over.
Increasing Business Efficiency
- 180+ Hours Saved: In 2024, CFSS has saved over 180 hours using Aurora’s Sales Mode for their proposals, thanks to the 5-10 minutes saved per proposal change.
- Real-Time Adjustments: The ability to make real-time proposal changes shortens sales cycles, reduces redesigns, and leads to faster project completion and higher customer satisfaction.
- 70 Minutes Saved Weekly: The Contract Manager tool saves about 10 minutes per contract, totaling 70 minutes saved weekly with approximately seven contracts sent out each week.
Installations and Environmental Impact
- Installations: CFSS has completed over 4,800 solar installations.
- Environmental Impact: These installations have offset 68,296,000 lbs of CO2, demonstrating CFSS's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Delivering Better Experiences
- Customer Satisfaction: CFSS maintains a high customer satisfaction rate with a 4.8-star rating on Google.
- Referral Rate: The positive customer experience has led to a high referral rate, with even non-solar customers recommending CFSS's services. For instance, CFSS is nearing their 100th install in one community, largely driven by referrals.
- Close Rate: CFSS has achieved a 33% close rate, highlighting their effective sales processes and the impact of using Aurora’s advanced tools.
Why Aurora
Cape Fear Solar Systems chose Aurora for its unparalleled accuracy, efficiency, and support. Aurora’s ability to forecast and provide precise projections of system performance without needing to get on a roof ensures that all variables, such as system losses and soiling factors, are accurate. This precision minimizes redesigns, shortens sales cycles, and prevents lost deals, giving CFSS a significant edge over competitors.
Aurora empowers CFSS’s sales team with tools that enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Sales reps can create accurate designs in minutes — making real-time adjustments during consultations to provide a collaborative experience that helps CFSS stand out in the market.
Aurora's support is unmatched, addressing any questions and challenges that arise. Additionally, the visualizations and tools, like the self-consumption calculator, simplify technical concepts, making it easier for sales representatives to educate homeowners about solar and storage solutions. By leveraging Aurora, CFSS not only enhances its operational efficiency and customer satisfaction but also maintains a competitive edge in the dynamic solar industry.