Which Seattle solar installers do ChatGPT and other AI assistants name?

What the answers show about solar installers in Seattle

Our data On October 14 we asked ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot six questions a Seattle homeowner might ask about solar installers. All 24 answers came back, and together they named only 28 different companies. 10 of them were named once, and 4 were named by all four assistants. This is one run per question, so read the counts as a snapshot, not a ranking.

The answers were concentrated. Puget Sound Solar was named in 23 of 24 answers: in all 6 answers from ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Gemini, and in 5 of Copilot's 6. Sunergy Systems was named in 18, including every answer from ChatGPT and Google AI Mode. SolTerra followed with 15 and A&R Solar with 11, both by all four assistants. Northwest Electric and Solar came next with 8 answers from three assistants.

Clean Energy Innovators was named in 6 answers and Sphere Solar Energy in 5. Smart Solar Energy and Omnidian were each named in 4 answers, all of them from Copilot.

For a solar installer in Seattle, a small group of companies appeared in nearly every answer in this run. The other names varied between the six questions.

The alternatives question named Puget Sound Solar first

Asked about alternatives to Puget Sound Solar, all four assistants named Puget Sound Solar first in their answer, then listed others such as Sunergy Systems, A&R Solar and SolTerra. Its 23 of 24 includes these 4 answers, but it was also named in nearly all the other answers.

Roofers and equipment brands

The question about installers who specialize in older residential roofs included a neighboring trade. Gemini and Copilot named Pinnacle Roofing, Gemini also Three Tree Roofing, and ChatGPT cited the websites of several roofing companies plus seattle.gov.

Gemini also listed equipment brands next to installers: Tesla Powerwall, Maxeon, REC, Enphase, SolarEdge, LG Chem and QCells came up in its answers. These are not installers, and they show that some answers mix "who installs" with "what to install".

Google AI Mode answered with Google Maps places

Our data 5 of Google AI Mode's 6 answers came as Google Maps places: 26 places in total. Their average rating was 4.86 stars, and every one had 4.5 stars or more. The median place had 142 reviews, and none had fewer than 43.

That does not show why a place was included. It records that every place in this run had a rating of 4.5 or more and at least 43 reviews.

Which websites the answers cite for solar companies

Our data ChatGPT attached source links to all 6 of its answers, Copilot to 5, Google AI Mode to 2 and Gemini to none. The most-cited websites were solar guide and comparison sites: solarinstallerguild.com, solarpowerfix.com and energysage.com in 4 of 24 answers each, and solarlearninglab.com and serviceagent.ai in 3. General contractor directories were cited less: angi.com, homeadvisor.com and expertise.com in 2 answers each. seattle.gov and solarreviews.com were also cited twice.

Installers' own websites appeared too: sunergysystems.com in 3 answers, a few others once. For the older roofs question, ChatGPT cited the sites of installers and roofers directly; for the broad "best rated" question, it cited mainly directories and solar guide sites.

Where US solar installers are usually listed (advice): Google Business Profile (it feeds Google Maps), EnergySage and SolarReviews (both in our sources), Yelp, the Better Business Bureau and Angi. Panel and battery manufacturers often run installer locators for certified partners. Guide sites that publish "best solar installers in Seattle" lists choose on their own; you can check what they say about you, but you can't simply add yourself.

Related snapshots of what the assistants named: roofers in Minneapolis and heat pump installers in Chicago.

How homeowners ask AI assistants about solar installers in Seattle

Our six questions covered top ratings, older roofs, affordability, trustworthy reviews, a fast consultation and alternatives to a well-known local installer. Homeowners often ask about their roof, batteries, the utility and the neighborhood. Questions worth testing for your own company:

• "Solar installer in Ballard who also installs battery backup"
• "Is solar worth it on a partly shaded roof in West Seattle?"
• "Solar panels on an old roof in Shoreline, do I need a new roof first?"
• "Solar installer in Bellevue who handles the utility paperwork"
• "Who in Seattle can install solar and an EV charger together?"

Use the neighborhoods you serve and the systems you install. A question without a place in it can return installers in another state.

What a solar installer can check to show up in AI answers

Advice: these checks are concrete and most take an hour or two. None of them can promise a mention; they make the facts about your company easy to find and hard to get wrong.

1. Explain how you handle older roofs. Do you inspect the roof first, do you reroof yourself or work with a roofer, and what happens to the panels when the roof needs work later? In this run, the older roofs question named roofers next to installers.
2. Name the equipment you install. State the panel, inverter and battery brands you install, and whether you are certified for any of them. Equipment brands appeared next to installers in this run.
3. Be realistic about production in a cloudy climate. Explain how you estimate output for a Seattle roof and what the estimate is based on. A plain, careful page answers the "is it worth it" question better than a sales line.
4. Describe permits, interconnection and incentives. Say whether you handle the permit, the utility interconnection and any incentive paperwork, and for which utilities in your area.
5. Show licenses and certifications. Put your Washington contractor registration, electrical license and any NABCEP certification on the site as text, not only as badge images.
6. State consultation and install lead times. One question asked for a fast consultation. Say how soon you can usually do a site visit and how long installs are booked out.
7. Check the guide sites that were cited. Open energysage.com, solarreviews.com and the "best installers" lists cited for Seattle. Are you there, and are your company name, service area and reviews correct?

How to check whether ChatGPT names your solar company

Write five or six questions your customers would ask, with Seattle or your neighborhood in them and the systems you install, and ask several assistants the same questions. Note who is named and which websites are cited, then repeat in a few weeks, because the answers change. CheckAI checks your own customer questions across the same four assistants and shows the names and the cited websites for each answer; a first check on ChatGPT and Google AI Mode is free. Our guide on how to check if ChatGPT names your business walks through the manual version.