--- title: How Was Project Solar Founded? description: The idea for Project Solar started in 2016 when Trevor Hiltbrand, our CEO, was looking into buying solar.  Like many solar shoppers, he was taken aback by how expensive it was; companies were pricing --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/how-was-project-solar-founded#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![project solar logo - for light bg.png\]](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/project%20solar%20logo%20-%20for%20light%20bg.png?height=20&name=project%20solar%20logo%20-%20for%20light%20bg.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - projectsolar.com projectsolar.com Hello. How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [FAQ](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration?hsLang=en) 2. [Additional Info](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/additional-info?hsLang=en) # How Was Project Solar Founded? The idea for Project Solar started in 2016 when Trevor Hiltbrand, our CEO, was looking into buying solar.  Like many solar shoppers, he was taken aback by how expensive it was; companies were pricing 10kW systems as high as $40,000. To understand why the prices were so high, he talked to salespeople, compared quotes, and did his own research. He learned that companies were training their salespeople to price systems as high as possible while staying just below the customer’s monthly utility bill. So even though customers could generate savings off an excessive price point, they were still wildly overpaying because of commissions ($3,000 - $13,000) and company greediness ($3,000 - $15,000). After a few years, Trevor and Matthew Smith, our Co-founder, invented a new business model with fair pricing and digital marketing instead of salespeople. This dropped the price of solar so low that word-of-mouth referrals alone turned the passion project into a full-time business.  Today, Project Solar’s prices are unbeatable. Trevor and Matt have made their prices about 50% less than the national average, making solar a financially prudent energy option for all homeowners.   - [Solar Basics](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/solar-basics?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Solar 101: The Fundamentals](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/solar-basics?hsLang=en#solar-101-the-fundamentals) - [Solar Insights: Deeper, More Technical Info](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/solar-basics?hsLang=en#solar-insights-deeper-more-technical-info) - [Custom Solar Projects](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/custom-solar-projects?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Full Service Install](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/custom-solar-projects?hsLang=en#full-service-install) - [Financial Information](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/financial-information?hsLang=en) - [Project Solar Power Bank Products](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/project-solar-power-bank-products?hsLang=en) - [Additional Info](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/migration/additional-info?hsLang=en) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://knowledge.projectsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/project%20solar%20logo%20-%20for%20light%20bg-1.png?width=201&height=17&name=project%20solar%20logo%20-%20for%20light%20bg-1.png "Chill listening crop-3")](https://projectsolar.com) At Project Solar, we aim to make solar so incredibly easy and affordable that it becomes the financially prudent energy option for all homeowners. Copyright © 2026, Project Solar