Accounting for solar installers — residential and commercial PV.
Job costing, customer ITC documentation, utility-rebate timing, and the cash-flow planning for businesses where one job ties up six figures of inventory for 90 days.
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Solar contracting has a unique cash flow profile. You buy panels and inverters at wholesale, hold them through permitting and inspection, install over 1–3 days, then wait for utility approval and final commissioning. Cash leaves your business 60–120 days before you collect the balance from the customer or financier.
We work with residential PV installers and small commercial solar contractors. The framework is built around managing that cash gap and getting the customer-facing tax credit paperwork right.
What we handle for solar shops
- Job-level cost tracking per system: panels, inverters, racking, electrical, labor.
- Customer ITC documentation — Form 5695 guidance for residential clients claiming the federal Investment Tax Credit (30% as of 2026, verify current rules).
- Utility rebate timing — Xcel and rural electric rebate accounting, recognized when approved by utility.
- Equipment inventory — panels, inverters, batteries with proper inventory accounting.
- Crew payroll with NABCEP-related licensing tracking and prevailing wage where applicable.
A 4-truck residential solar shop was running 8 jobs in flight at any time. Average job cash position: $42,000 negative until utility commissioning. We built a 90-day cash flow model that mapped every job's expected cash inflow. Their first $250K line of credit at the bank was approved using that report.
If you do under 20 jobs/year, monthly bookkeeping is enough.
If you carry inventory above $50K, perpetual inventory accounting matters.
If you scale past 5 trucks, cash flow projection becomes critical.
Solar accounting for the cash gap, the ITC paperwork, and the rebate timing.
Built for PV contractors growing through the cash-intensive middle.
Frequently asked questions
How do customers claim the ITC?
Federal residential customers file Form 5695 with their personal return, claiming 30% of qualifying system cost (2026 — verify current rules). We provide a customer-facing summary at commissioning that documents the qualifying basis.
How do you handle Xcel rebates?
Recognized as customer-side income reduction or contractor-side revenue depending on contract structure. We code per your specific arrangement so the IRS treatment matches reality.
Inventory or job-cost panels?
For shops carrying stock for staging, inventory. For just-in-time ordering, direct-to-job-cost. We pick the right method at engagement.
Do you handle multi-state work?
Yes. Solar is increasingly multi-state for commercial. We apportion correctly and file in each state where you have nexus.