Monalee Uses AI to Reduce Solar Panel Costs and Increase Transparency

The rooftop solar panel industry faces significant challenges due to pushy salespeople, costly middlemen, and complicated installation processes, leading to companies like ADT Solar, Titan Solar Power, SunPower, and Lumio Holdings exiting the market or filing for bankruptcy in 2024. Monalee, a Boston-based solar energy startup, is defying this trend through its technology-first approach that leverages artificial intelligence to reduce soft costs by over half and pass savings to homeowners.

As one of the first AI-driven direct-to-consumer solar companies, Monalee uses advanced machine learning to provide transparent and accurate pricing online, eliminating the need for door-to-door salespeople. Homeowners can enter their address at https://monalee.co/ to receive an instant design and quote within seconds. The company's proprietary technology analyzes millions of data points, considering factors such as roof direction, pitch, and potential shading from trees to determine optimal solar panel placement.

Monalee's AI-powered software utilizes satellite imagery to assess roof planes, azimuth, pitch, and obstacles like chimneys and vents, then employs computer vision algorithms to virtually place solar panels. The system runs multiple simulations to calculate sunlight exposure across different roof areas and determines the most efficient panel placement. After establishing the optimal design, the software incorporates financing options from partners including GoodLeap and Mosaic, along with federal, state, and utility incentives, to generate quotes that are 85% accurate, reducing surprises and changes to final bills while maintaining project timelines.

The company's technological approach has saved over 2,000 customers an average of $12,000 by eliminating soft costs such as sales commissions. Operating in 26 states and expanding, Monalee also offers lifetime warranties for solar equipment, uncommon in an industry where typical warranties cover panels for 25 years and batteries for 10 years. This combination of cost savings, transparency, and reliability addresses homeowner demands for affordable and straightforward solar solutions while supporting the transition away from fossil fuels.