About Southern Solar Franchise
Southern Solar is a solar energy franchise that has been offering franchise opportunities since 2022.
The brand helps residential and commercial property owners reduce their energy costs and environmental footprint by designing and installing custom solar panel systems.
The franchise fee ranges from $65,000 to $95,000.
Southern Solar Franchise Cost & Fees
Minimum Investment
$170K
Average Investment
$205K
Maximum Investment
$240K
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $65,000 to $95,000 | One-time payment upon signing |
| Royalty Fee | 5.5% of Gross Sales (tiered) of gross sales | Ongoing; paid monthly |
| Marketing/Ad Fund | 0.5% of your Gross Sales (Brand Development Fund) | National brand fund |
| Total Investment Range | $169,900 – $239,600 | Includes build-out, inventory, working capital |
The investment range of $170K–$240K reflects variability in build-out costs, store size, lease terms, and market. The combined royalty (5.5% of Gross Sales (tiered)) and marketing fee (0.5% of your Gross Sales (Brand Development Fund)) are ongoing costs paid as a percentage of gross sales.
Investment Breakdown (Item 7)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $65,000 | $95,000 |
| Rent Deposits | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Utility Deposits | $300 | $600 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $3,000 |
| Insurance Deposits | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Travel and Living Expenses While in Training | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Opening Package | $12,000 | $19,000 |
| Vehicles | $3,600 | $4,500 |
| Licenses, Certificates and Permits | $0 | $4,000 |
| Additional Signage, Equipment and Supplies | $500 | $1,500 |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $3,500 | $8,000 |
| Professional Fees | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Dues and Subscriptions | $0 | $1,000 |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $75,000 | $85,000 |
Additional Fees (Item 6)
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | $20,000 per transfer (reduced to $10,000 for transfers to existing Southern Solar franchisees) |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Technology Fee | 0.5% of your Gross Sales |
| Audit Fee | Cost of audit (payable if understatement of 2% or more) |
| Local Advertising and Cooperatives | $5,000 per month (at least half spent on telemarketing) |
| Interest | The lesser of 18% per year or the maximum lawful rate on overdue amounts |
| Late Fees | $100 for each late payment or late report (accrues daily for late reports) |
| Additional Training at Our Headquarters | $500 per day for each trainer, plus our costs of providing the training (at our option) |
| On-site Remedial Training | $500 per day for each trainer, plus reimbursement of all our trainer’s related costs (at our option) |
| Management Fees | If implemented, 10% of your Gross Sales, plus our related costs (travel, lodging, wages, meals) for personnel operating your business |
| Inspection and Testing | Cost of inspection, if applicable, and cost of testing (varies) |
| Indemnification | Varies according to loss |
| Enforcement Costs | Our costs of enforcement (including attorney's fees and costs) if you do not comply with the Franchise Agreement |
| Annual Conference Fees | Up to $1,000 per person per conference (plus $500 penalty if not attended) |
| Insurance Fee | An amount equal to our actual expenses for the required coverages (if you fail to maintain) |
| Telemarketing Leads Fees | Approximately $100 per lead |
| Telephone Service Fees | Approximately $83 per month |
Training Program (Item 11)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Total Duration | 5 to 10 days |
| Classroom Training | 44 hours |
| On-the-Job Training | 24 hours |
| Training Location | Fort Worth, Texas, or another designated location (on-site and at franchise location for Post-University Training) |
| Additional Training | The franchisor may require the Principal Owner and General Manager to attend additional training programs and seminars (up to 5 days per year) at a designated location, with a reasonable fee (up to $500 per day per trainer) at the franchisor's option. Franchisees must pay all related expenses. |
Territory Rights (Item 12)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Territory Type | Protected Area |
| Exclusive Territory | No |
| Territory Size | Minimum of at least 160,000 single family detached homes |
| Description | The Protected Area is a geographic area defined by zip codes, including a minimum of 160,000 single-family detached homes. Boundaries are determined case-by-case based on factors like the number of homes, household income, and site-specific data. While the franchisor and its affiliates will not establish other Southern Solar Businesses within the Protected Area, the affiliate SSLLC currently services customers throughout Texas and will continue to do so. Franchisees may face competition from other franchisees, company-owned outlets, or other distribution channels/competitive brands controlled by the franchisor. Relocation requires franchisor consent. |
Renewal, Termination & Transfer (Item 17)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initial Term | 10 years |
| Renewal Term | Three additional 10-year terms |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Renewal Conditions | To renew, franchisees must give written notice (6-9 months before term end), refurbish/upgrade the business to current standards, not be in default, timely satisfy all monetary obligations, retain rights to the franchise location, sign the then-current franchise agreement (which may have materially different terms but not higher fees than similarly situated renewing franchisees), execute a general release of claims, and comply with current qualification and training requirements. |
| Transfer Fee | $20,000 (reduced to $10,000 if transferring to an existing Southern Solar franchisee in good standing; waived for transfers to an entity solely owned by the individual franchisee) |
| Transfer Conditions | Franchisee cannot transfer any direct or indirect interest without franchisor's prior written consent. Conditions for consent include: satisfaction of all monetary obligations, no defaults, execution of a general release by transferor, transferee meeting current qualifications and completing required training, transferee assuming all obligations, transferee executing a new franchise agreement, transferor remaining liable for pre-transfer obligations and obtaining a one-year tail on insurance, and payment of the transfer fee. |
| Termination for Cause | The franchisor may terminate the agreement upon franchisee's default, which includes automatic termination events (e.g., insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, levy against business) and termination on notice without cure opportunity for specific events (e.g., operating outside Franchise Location/Protected Area, failure to construct/open, abandonment, public health/safety threat, felony conviction, unauthorized transfer, disclosure of confidential information, false records/reports, material breach of covenants/warranties, repeated defaults, asset blocking under terrorism laws, intentional understatement of Gross Sales). |
| Non-Compete Period | During the term of the franchise and for 2 years following termination or expiration |
| Non-Compete Details | During the term, franchisee and owners cannot directly or indirectly divert business to competitors or have an interest in a similar business within the US, its territories/commonwealths, or any country/province/state/geographic area where the franchisor/affiliates use/registered marks or operate/license similar businesses. Post-termination/expiration (for 2 years), restrictions apply to the Franchise Location, Protected Area, and within a 100-mile radius of the Franchise Location or any other Southern Solar Business then in existence or under construction. |
Operations & Supply (Items 8 & 15)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Owner-Operator Required | Yes |
| Participation Details | The Principal Owner, who must hold an ownership interest in the franchisee entity (or be the individual franchisee), must successfully complete initial training and be approved by the franchisor. Unless a separate General Manager is approved, the Principal Owner must devote full-time efforts to supervising the Southern Solar Business for at least 12 months after opening. If a General Manager is appointed, they must also devote full-time efforts and complete training. The Principal Owner cannot engage in other businesses without consent. All owners must personally guarantee performance and comply with the Franchise Agreement. |
| Required Suppliers | Franchisees must purchase certain products only from the franchisor, its affiliates, or other third-party designated suppliers. These include the Southern Solar Web App, Initial Solar Panel Array Design Services (for the first 6 months), Roof Replacement and Repairs (from SGFS affiliate), Solar Panels, Mounting Racks and Inverters (exclusively from Consolidated Electrical Distributors dba Greentech Renewables), Financing Services (from designated lenders), Telemarketing Services (from designated vendor), Accounting/Bookkeeping (from WeBook4You), Telephone System (from GoTo), Vehicle Wrap (from SpeedPro), Engineered Plans (from Illumine i), and Branded Items (from designated vendors). |
| Supply Restrictions | Franchisees must comply with all franchisor standards and specifications for all services, supplies, materials, fixtures, furnishings, equipment, computer systems, and other products used or offered. Only products and services expressly approved in writing may be offered and sold. Franchisor reserves the right to add or remove items from the standard list and to establish maximum, minimum, or other pricing requirements. |
| Franchisor Revenue from Suppliers | In fiscal year 2021, neither the franchisor nor its affiliates received revenues from the sale of products or services to franchisees. The franchisor reserves the right to receive rebates, refunds, or other material consideration from approved or designated sources in the future. |
Financing (Item 10)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Financing Available | No |
| Description | The franchisor does not offer direct or indirect financing, nor does it guarantee franchisee notes, leases, or other obligations. |
Southern Solar Franchise Earnings — Item 19
Average Revenue
$3.9M
Sample Size
9 units
Past financial performance does not guarantee future results. Individual results will vary.
Southern Solar Litigation & Risk Flags
Clean Litigation RecordSouthern Solar has no pending litigation actions listed in their FDD. There is also no bankruptcy history disclosed.
Litigation and bankruptcy data is sourced from Items 3 and 4 of the FDD. Always verify current status directly from the most recent FDD.
Southern Solar System Growth
Total Units
1
Franchised
0
Company-Owned
1
Southern Solar currently operates 0 franchised locations and 1 company-owned units. Unit count data is sourced from Item 20 of the FDD.
Unit History (Item 20)
| Year | Opened | Closed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Transfers: 0 | Closures: 0
State Registrations
Registered in 14 states: CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NY, ND, RI, SD, VA, WA, WI
Franchisor Financials (Item 21)
Total Assets
$603K
Audited by Whitley Penn for year ending December 31.
Southern Solar Franchise — FAQ
The total investment to open a Southern Solar franchise ranges from $169,900 to $239,600, per their Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the initial franchise fee of $65,000 to $95,000. The investment covers build-out, inventory, equipment, signage, working capital, and other startup costs.
Southern Solar charges a royalty fee of 5.5% of Gross Sales (tiered) of gross sales, plus a 0.5% of your Gross Sales (Brand Development Fund) contribution to the marketing/advertising fund. These fees are paid on an ongoing basis.
You can download the Southern Solar Franchise Disclosure Document free on this page. The FDD is a public document filed with state franchise registries. Always also request the current FDD directly from Southern Solar to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.
According to the Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD, Southern Solar franchise owners report average revenue of $3.9M. This is based on a sample of 9 units. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Southern Solar has been franchising since 2022. The FDD shows an investment range of $169,900-$239,600, a 5.5% of Gross Sales (tiered) royalty, and includes an Item 19 earnings disclosure. There is no pending litigation. Review the full FDD and contact current franchisees listed in Item 20 before making any investment decision.
The franchise fee is $65,000 to $95,000 and the total investment ranges from $169,900 to $239,600 depending on location size and market. Contact the franchisor directly for current net worth and liquid capital requirements, territory availability, and application details.
Similar Home Services Franchises
Interested in Southern Solar?
Get free info on this franchise. We will send you a detailed FDD report by email.
Data Source & Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or buy a franchise. This profile is based on publicly available FDD data sourced from state franchise registry filings. All information is for research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Data may be outdated or contain errors. Always obtain the current FDD directly from Southern Solar and consult a qualified franchise attorney before making any investment decision. FranchiseOverview.com is operated by Franchising Compliance, LLC and is not affiliated with Southern Solar or any of its subsidiaries. To report an inaccuracy: info@franchiseoverview.com