916: Where Solar Contractors Are Losing (and Finding) Margin | ABC Supply

916: Where Solar Contractors Are Losing (and Finding) Margin | ABC Supply

From SunCast by Nico Johnson

March 31, 2026 · 41 min · Season 18 · Episode 916

About this episode

This episode discusses the changing landscape of residential solar contracting and where contractors are losing profit margins.

The residential solar playbook did not just change. It got torn up. If you are still operating like yesterday’s incentives, product assumptions, and sales motions will carry you forward, this episode is a reality Margins aren’t disappearing overnight. They’re leaking — in places most contractors don’t even notice. In this live conversation from IESNA 2026, Nico Johnson sits down with Rob Smith and Eric Cieslak of ABC Supply to break down where solar contractors are quietly losing profit — and where the smartest operators are starting to take it back. From jobsite efficiency and logistics to financing-driven product decisions, this episode connects the dots between day-to-day operations and long-term business survival. ABC Supply brings a unique vantage point, seeing how contractors across the country are adapting — or failing to — as the market shifts. If you’re still running your business the way you did two years ago, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what’s actually driving your margins today. Expect to learn: 🔹 Where contractors are losing margin in time, labor, and logistics 🔹 Why contractors need a new operating playbook in a finance-driven solar market 🔹…

People in this episode

Host: Nico Johnson

Guests: Rob Smith, Eric Cieslak

Topics covered

  • solar contractors
  • margins
  • jobsite efficiency
  • logistics
  • financing

Keywords

  • profit
  • business survival
  • market shifts

Mentioned in this episode

Products: OpenSolar OS 3.0, ABC Supply

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