Commercial and industrial solar retained the 48E tax credit and gained it back for TPO residential. Most residential shops pivoting to C&I underestimate how different the buyer is. C&I isn't a bigger residential sale, it's a different sale entirely. Different vocabulary, different decision committee, different timelines.
Multi-stakeholder qualification. A residential call is one homeowner. A C&I inquiry is a facilities manager, an energy consultant, a CFO, and sometimes a sustainability director. The AI asks who else is involved in the decision early, captures the org chart, and routes the follow-up cadence to the right person at the right time.
Regulatory fluency. The AI knows the July 4 2026 construction-start deadline for 48E eligibility, the four-year completion window after start, and the FEOC restrictions that apply to 48E equipment selection. It doesn't surprise a procurement director with an equipment proposal that violates their domestic-content requirements.
Longer nurture windows. C&I sales cycles are typically 4-9 months, not 60-180 days. The AI's follow-up cadence stretches accordingly, monthly touch, quarterly rebuild, without bothering the buyer.
Residential qualifies on "monthly bill + roof orientation." C&I qualifies on "annual kWh + sustainability mandate + facility lease structure."
Residential average contract: $30K. C&I average contract: $180K to $2M+. Every mistake costs 6-50x more. Discipline matters proportionally.
July 4 2026 construction-start deadline for 48E eligibility is weeks away as of now. Shops that can move fast will eat the pipeline.
The prototype includes a C&I-native qualification flow and a dedicated 48E-aware follow-up cadence. Tested on your real C&I inquiries before any commitment.