Founded in 2007, Solar Smart Living is a veteran-owned cooperative based in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, serving El Paso and Las Cruces. With over 50 employees, the company takes pride in its democratic structure, where every employee’s input is valued and considered important.
What sets Solar Smart Living apart is its broader electrification mission: in addition to solar PV, the company delivers battery storage, EV chargers, HVAC/mini-splits, and electrical upgrades, teaching customers not just how to generate energy but how to use it more effectively. This diversification has positioned Solar Smart Living ahead of many regional competitors now scrambling to expand beyond solar.
The Challenge: Disconnected Tools and Missed Visibility
Solar Smart Living began looking for new software when its patchwork of Zoho CRM, spreadsheets, and design tools created inefficiencies and a lack of transparency. Consultants had no reliable way to track projects or keep customers updated, and operations staff often had to duplicate data across multiple platforms.
This fragmented stack created several pain points:
- Manual data entry and duplication: Customer and project data had to be re-entered across multiple systems, resulting in errors and wasted time.
- Lack of integration: Tools like OpenSolar, Aurora, Sighten, Housecall Pro, and spreadsheets did not connect with Zoho CRM or each other, leaving gaps in visibility.
- Sales-to-operations friction: Consultants often bypassed process steps, creating downstream issues in project creation, permitting, and handoffs.
- No central source of truth: Without a unified system, project milestones and documentation could be lost, delaying installs and payment collection.
Why Scoop
The team evaluated options including OpenSolar, Aurora, Sighten, Solar Graph, and Zoho Projects, but none could effectively integrate with their existing systems. Housecall Pro was also tested for service work but proved costly and created another silo. Scoop stood out for its ability to connect Zoho CRM, OpenSolar, and operations workflows in a single flow.
Key reasons for choosing Scoop:
- Integrations: With Scoop’s GLOO services, Solar Smart Living connected Zoho CRM, OpenSolar, and Housecall Pro to create a seamless data flow from lead to install.
- Customizability: WorkApps with Conditional Display Rules (CDRs) hide irrelevant fields, simplifying adoption for consultants and operations staff.
- Scalability: Unlimited users and flexible project templates enable Solar Smart Living to manage residential, commercial, and multi-product projects within a single system.
- Support partnership: The company valued the hands-on support from Scoop’s customer success team in building and refining workflows.
Alan Morgan, Director of Residential and Commercial Business and Market Development, describes Scoop as “one of the nicest experiences working with a software vendor”.
Scoop in Action
Solar Smart Living runs every residential and commercial project through Scoop, using it as the central hub that connects Zoho CRM, OpenSolar, and operations. The result is streamlined workflows, reduced errors, and consistent customer experiences across all service lines.
Commercial Workflows
| Before Scoop | After Scoop |
| Operations were tracked in separate spreadsheets for permitting, design, and installations. | Scoop centralizes all project phases in one platform with full visibility. |
| Projects stalled for 60+ days, tying up receivables and delaying revenue. | Dashboards flag at-risk projects so managers can act quickly. |
| Drawings, permits, and communications scattered across email and drives. | Centralized comments and documents create a single source of truth. |
| Managing multi-product projects (PV + HVAC, batteries, EV chargers) meant duplicate records. | Scoop workflows manage multiple scopes in one project record without duplication. |
Residential Workflows
| Before Scoop | After Scoop |
| Leads are entered manually into Zoho or spreadsheets, with inconsistent follow-up. | Zoho CRM is automatically synced with Scoop projects, ensuring all customer information is kept up to date. |
| Consultants had to scroll through long forms, increasing errors and missed details. | Conditional Display Rules show only fields relevant to the stage, simplifying adoption and reducing mistakes. |
| Site surveys often missed required photos or data, leading to repeat visits. | Scoop’s mobile app enforces mandatory fields and photo capture before moving forward. |
| Customers rarely received timely updates unless consultants manually reached out. | Automated reminders and milestone updates keep customers informed throughout the process. |
By integrating data flows across systems, Scoop eliminates manual re-entry and keeps all departments aligned. Sales, operations, and subcontractors collaborate within a single system, ensuring no step is missed and every team member has access to timely, accurate information.
“With regards to investing in Scoop, I think it’s smart money spent. You don’t begin to realize how much of a benefit it is until you see the savings in time and coordination,” says Alan Morgan, Director of Residential and Commercial Business and Market Development.
Growth Opportunities Unlocked
Without a connected platform, Solar Smart Living would have faced much more cumbersome processes to manage solar, HVAC, EV charger, and battery installations. Manual workflows made it difficult to coordinate multi-product projects efficiently, and project bottlenecks risked delaying revenue collection.
With Scoop in place, every sold job now flows automatically from Zoho into operations, ensuring accuracy and transparency for customers.
Since adopting Scoop, Solar Smart Living has achieved measurable improvements:
- Standardized Operations: Every residential and commercial project runs through Scoop, eliminating reliance on ad hoc spreadsheets.
- Reduced Errors & Duplicates: Integration between Zoho, OpenSolar, and Scoop ensures data is entered once and synced across systems.
- Customer Confidence: Automated updates and transparency reinforce Solar Smart Living’s reputation as the reliable choice for PV and electrification projects.
- Capacity to Diversify: Scoop’s flexibility allows Solar Smart Living to manage PV, HVAC, EV, and batteries within one platform, future-proofing the business.
- Operational Discipline: Projects are flagged if they exceed 60 days in pipeline, preventing revenue from being locked in receivables.
The company has also been able to pursue commercial projects and launch new offerings such as PV + HVAC maintenance memberships with greater confidence. Scoop’s ability to flag stalled projects and streamline handoffs has helped protect cash flow and maintain discipline while supporting growth into diversified services.
