Doug Crissman

Modernizing Solar Financing Tools

Written by

Doug Crissman

in

Simplifying complex workflows to help reps close deals faster

The core Spruce platform supported solar and home-improvement sales teams in qualifying homeowners, creating financing proposals, and advancing projects toward approval. As UX/UI Designer, I focused on making this complex process faster and more intuitive, enabling sales reps to spend less time hindered by technology and more time engaging customers.

Challenges

Designing SpruceFlow meant balancing the complexity of solar financing with the need for a clear, sales-friendly experience.

  • Complex Financing Products: Sales reps had to navigate leases, loans, and compliance requirements—often switching between different tools and documents.
  • High Learning Curve: New reps struggled to adopt the system quickly, slowing down onboarding and limiting sales capacity.
  • Slow Sales Cycle: Detailed solar designs required scheduling a site audit, delaying proposals and creating friction in moving projects toward approval.
  • User Confidence: Without clear guidance, reps risked errors or delays that undermined homeowner trust during the sales process.

Qualification & Selling App

Selling residential solar systems and energy-efficiency upgrades involves navigating multiple financing products, compliance requirements, and approval workflows. I worked with Product and Engineering to simplify these interactions into a clear, step-by-step app experience.

  • Reduced learning curve: Designed an interface that new sales reps could quickly adopt, shortening onboarding time.
  • Streamlined flows: Prototyped and tested different approaches to qualifying homeowners, leading to fewer errors and faster application completion.

Quick Solar Design

One of the most impactful features I designed was Quick Solar Design, a tool that allowed sales reps to model a solar panel system for a homeowner’s property on the spot.

Previously, detailed system specs required scheduling a site audit, often taking weeks. With Quick Solar Design, reps could:

  • Generate a detailed view of system size, energy savings, and installation cost in minutes.
  • Show homeowners financing options during the same visit.
  • Submit proposals for underwriting immediately—cutting down financing approval timelines.

This tool not only accelerated the sales cycle but also gave reps more confidence in front of customers, helping them close deals faster.

Project Impact

SpruceFlow transformed how sales reps qualified homeowners and proposed financing. By simplifying workflows and introducing tools like Quick Solar Design, the platform shifted from being a barrier to becoming a sales enabler.

  • Faster Financing Approvals → Quick Solar Design cut proposal timelines from weeks to same-day.
  • Increased Adoption → A more intuitive interface reduced onboarding time and encouraged wider rep usage.
  • Stronger Customer Experience → Sales reps gained confidence in front of homeowners, making the financing conversation smoother and more trustworthy.

Together, these improvements modernized solar financing at Spruce—helping sales teams close deals faster while giving homeowners a clearer path to clean energy.

More posts