The verdict in three sentences
For a commercial solar installer in Miami, the website has to quantify savings on the FPL bill and on generator fuel before the first sales call. A serious build with a yield and savings simulator, a 40-project portfolio and a qualified form costs 20,000 to 40,000 USD in 2026, with a 9-week timeline. The simulator filters out tire-kickers and turns the site into a pipeline of paid feasibility studies.
Why a simulator changes B2B solar sales in Miami
In South Florida, a warehouse, a hotel or a cold-storage facility pays commercial demand charges and often runs a diesel or natural gas backup generator during hurricane season. The CFO does not think in kWp but in dollars avoided per year and months to payback, net of the 30 % federal Investment Tax Credit. A simulator that asks for three inputs (monthly bill, generator hours, roof area) and returns a savings range speaks that language.
The simulator uses average irradiance of 5.3 to 5.7 kWh/m²/day in Miami-Dade, a system efficiency of 78 to 82 % and an editable utility rate. It shows a conservative result, clearly labeled as an estimate, and then offers a site survey.
| Input from the prospect | Use in the calculation | Example: 80-room hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly utility bill | Consumption baseline | 14,500 USD |
| Generator hours per year | Fuel avoidable | 300 h |
| Generator rating | Hourly fuel burn | 250 kVA, 12 gal/h |
| Roof or carport area | Installable capacity | 15,000 sq ft, 220 kWp |
| Daytime share of load | Self-consumption rate | 65 % |
| Battery option | Resilience coverage | 400 kWh |
| Result shown | Savings and payback | 4.1 years, estimate |
The result is never presented as a firm offer. It triggers a form that collects industry, county, decision maker name and consent to a site visit. Those records feed the sales pipeline.
2026 budget: three project tiers
Cost depends mainly on simulator depth and CRM integration. These are 2026 ranges for a Miami-based EPC, built by a specialist agency.
| Component | Essential tier | Advanced tier | Complete tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages (offer, sectors, references) | 12 pages | 20 pages | 30 pages |
| Savings simulator | Bill only | Bill + generator fuel | Bill + fuel + batteries + PDF export |
| Project portfolio | 15 case pages | 40 cases with kWp and savings | 40 cases + interactive map |
| Form and CRM | Simple CRM | CRM + lead scoring | |
| Languages | English | English + Spanish | English + Spanish + county pages |
| Timeline | 6 weeks | 9 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Indicative budget | 20,000 USD | 28,000 USD | 40,000 USD |
Recurring costs: managed hosting from 40 to 120 USD per month and maintenance from 120 USD per month to update utility rates, incentive rules and new references. A simulator running on two-year-old parameters quickly loses credibility.
What the 40-project portfolio must show
Every reference page should be quantified: sector, installed capacity, annual production, fuel saved, payback period. An industrial buyer wants to see a case close to their own, such as a distribution center in Doral or a hotel in Brickell. Filters by sector (industrial, hospitality, healthcare, retail) and by size let them find it in two clicks. Real site photos, inverter brand and performance warranty build more trust than stock imagery.
Mini case study
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Marcus, sales director of a commercial solar EPC in Miami, currently receives 12 inbound requests a month, of which only 2 lead to a site survey. After launching a 28,000 USD website with a simulator, he gets 30 simulations a month, 9 of them with survey consent. With a 20 % close rate and an average margin of 9,000 USD per 150 kWp project, he closes 1.8 projects a month versus 0.4 before. The extra monthly margin of roughly 12,600 USD pays back the site in a little over two months, as an estimate.
FAQ
Does the simulator need to be accurate to the kWh?
No, it needs to be conservative and transparent. A range with a 15 % margin and an "estimate before survey" label protects the installer and is enough to qualify the prospect.
How long does delivery take?
Plan for 9 weeks on the advanced tier, including 2 weeks to validate simulator formulas with your engineering team. The complete tier with batteries and PDF export takes about 11 weeks.
Can the simulator account for the federal tax credit?
Yes, the 30 % ITC and any local incentive are editable parameters. You can update them in seconds from the admin panel when rules change.
How does the site perform on mobile?
The simulator runs in the browser and weighs under 150 KB. It stays fast on a phone, which matters for facility managers who check it on site.
Can the site cover other Florida markets?
Yes, with location pages and irradiance set per city. Adding Tampa, Orlando or Fort Lauderdale costs around 900 USD per location.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of references, your engineering assumptions and your target date: we will price the site and simulator between 20,000 and 40,000 USD depending on scope. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
