She built a successful solar business by being honest

Rearch shows that women make 90% of the financial decisions in American households. But that’s often overlooked when it comes to making the sales pitch—especially with solar panels.

That’s part of the reason why Martyna Kowalcyzk, CEO of Solar Time USA Dallas, says being a woman in this industry is an advantage.

“My sales team takes advantage of it all the time when they talk to homeowners. They're like, ‘I want to put Martyna on the phone,’ or, ‘I want to bring Martyna over so you guys can meet her,’” Kowalcyzk said. “It helps when I talk to women.”

In this episode of Plugged In: The Full Conversation, Kristina Zagame sits down with Kowalcyzk to learn how she created a thriving solar business in Texas despite being initially underestimated as a young, female CEO. We also discuss how her family had to change their approach to marketing solar in the U.S. compared to Poland, and why she became known online as the ‘Solar Girl’ in effort to fight industry scams.

Kristina Zagame: Martyna, thank you so much for coming on to Plugged In. We are obviously pretty big fans of you around here, and personally you're one of my favorite solar content creators. I want to backtrack and really introduce you to our audience. You've been very open about your origin story, but for those who don't know you, can you share about how you grew up in Poland and how you became the owner of a solar company in Texas?

Martyna Kowalczyk: I am originally from Poland—born and raised in Europe. My dad started in solar in 2009, so I was only a teenager. I remember sleeping in the warehouse while they were taking out panels. Actually, in the very beginning when he started, they were doing a lot of hot water collectors, which haven't really made a big intro into the American market, but are extremely popular in Europe. I was raised with my dad pumping solar into my head—solar, solar, solar. A lot of my friends since I was a kid would laugh at me because no matter where I saw solar panels, I would always point them out.

So I am a solar freak—a solar-obsessed person. In 2015, I moved to Texas from Poland, and my dad followed me. He said, let's open a Solar Time branch in Texas as well. That's how I got started in the business. I was actually in college when he started, and I remember he offered me a job as a receptionist at the beginning. Then slowly but surely I got really, really into it—to the point where I quit college after two years and said, I really want to devote myself to this business. I would love for you to be my mentor, Dad. He said, let's do it. So I quit college in 2017, invested into the business, and we went for it. Fast forward—it's actually ten years now, since 2016 when we started Solar Time USA. I'm now the CEO of the business. I can't believe my dad is halfway to retirement! But I love it. The solar coaster is crazy—it keeps things interesting.

Kristina Zagame: That was perfect. I have so many follow-ups. But first—the transition from growing up and seeing how solar works in Poland and then coming to Texas. What were the biggest differences in how a solar business operated overseas compared to in the States?

Martyna Kowalczyk: That is such a good question. In our first year starting Solar Time in Dallas, all of our marketing was very focused on eco-friendliness and saving the planet, because growing up in Europe, everything is extremely focused on eco-friendly living. We recycle everything at home—if you finish a bottle of yogurt, you wash it before you recycle it. That's how I was raised.

The difference between the American and European market was that when we came in heavy on saving-the-planet messaging in 2016, we hit a wall. People just did not care. So we had to pivot and redo our marketing strategy to focus on independence, money, control, and resiliency—rather than saving the planet. I would tell my dad, people can think this is fully about control and resiliency, but in the background, we're still doing what we love—going green and using clean, renewable energy.

Kristina Zagame: Right—any means to convince people it's a good idea, and those small benefits turn into a much larger benefit. So you talked about being solar-obsessed as a little girl, and now online you've built quite a significant brand for yourself as the Solar Girl. What made you want to go beyond your solar business and build a whole brand around being a solar educator?

Martyna Kowalczyk: The reason we started with the education side is because of how much of a scam we saw in the solar industry—not just in America, there are bad actors everywhere, but the level of it was really painful to me because I'm so proud of being in solar. I would tell people, ‘I'm in solar,’ and people hated it. Because of leases back in 2016, the horror stories, dealer fees—so many people got into bad situations because of solar salespeople. I figured I needed to do something so that people have good information available online. If they're only looking, they'll find it. That's exactly what you do too—you try to educate people so they don't make mistakes they're not even aware they're making. The primary reason was simply that I really hate seeing people upset with a product that I love so much.

Kristina Zagame: You've built something extremely impressive. I'm curious though—solar was very instilled in you by your dad. You had an amazing role model. But when you took over the reins, did you feel any pushback or extra obstacles from being a female in this space, since it is primarily male-dominated?

Martyna Kowalczyk: Yes—and also from being young. Most of the employees I've had over the past ten years were usually older than me. I remember hiring my sales manager back in 2017, and I was 23 years old and he was 43. It takes time to build confidence and to trust in yourself that you know what you're talking about. I like to say fake it till you make it. I positioned myself as someone who knows what they're talking about—because I know I do. If you have a problem with that, I'm sorry, but that's your problem, not mine.

Kristina Zagame: Have you ever had a moment where you felt really underestimated—in field meetings, business meetings, or even with customers?

Martyna Kowalczyk: Yes. It was actually my partner who helped me understand that I have to really believe in myself, and it took years. You're right—I would be in meetings and people would look at the sales manager, even though I was the one who taught him everything. But over time, I feel like what I've done is turn being a woman into my advantage. It's my unique advantage. There are so many YouTubers and tech educators in solar who are primarily male. I just try to use my identity to my advantage.

Kristina Zagame: Use it as a power instead of a hindrance. And actually, research shows that women are the primary decision makers when it comes to big home purchases, but they often seem to be left out of the conversation with solar, with marketing, really any home improvement project. Is that something you see as well?

Martyna Kowalczyk: Yes. What my dad would always say is that the dad is the head of the family, but the mom is the neck—and wherever the neck moves, that's the primary decision maker. We do see that a lot. Most of the customers we talk to are male, but they always go back to making sure their wife is happy and comfortable with the investment. Because happy wife, happy life, you know.

Kristina Zagame: Do you feel like there's anything about the solar buying experience in particular that might be off-putting or alienating to female homeowners?

Martyna Kowalczyk: The traditional dynamic in many families is that men tend to be the one making that decision. But it is shifting—I myself am a career woman, and in my personal relationship, I feel like my partner may end up staying home with the kids while I keep hustling. The whole dynamic is changing. But I still find that men are usually the ones who call to request a quote and have the initial conversation.

Most of our customers just want to know they're saving money and that it makes financial sense. The biggest resistance back in 2016 and 2017 was more aesthetic—women saying, I don't want it on my roof, put it on the north side, I just don't want to see it. I compare it to when one neighbor gets a pool and then five neighbors get pools—suddenly everyone wants one. The same thing is happening in solar. The more you see it, the more okay you are with it.

Things changed a lot after COVID. I feel like people don't really care about the looks anymore as much as they used to. For the first five years of this business, it was about convincing women that solar is good for you, good for your family, good for your wallet. Now it really is a financial decision. And I love solar, but I love solar when it makes financial sense. What I don't like is when people get put in bad financial situations where they shouldn't even be going solar—because solar is not for everyone.

Kristina Zagame: Yes, and that's something I love about your content. Even though solar is your bread and butter—your livelihood—you are very honest about not forcing your product on someone if it doesn't make sense for them. Do you feel like—and I keep coming back to this because I'm honestly curious as a woman in this field—have you had conversations with wives where they see you and feel more confident about making the decision to go solar?

Martyna Kowalczyk: Yes, and to be honest, my sales team takes advantage of that all the time. When they talk to homeowners, they'll say, I want to put Martyna on the phone, or I want to bring Martyna over so you can meet her. They bring me into meetings, and it genuinely helps. When you can sit down with both homeowners—whether that's a husband and wife or two wives or two husbands, we work with a lot of gay couples too—it's always better to hear both sides and both concerns, because they're both very valid.

Kristina Zagame: For the homeowner who is interested in solar or energy storage but feels overwhelmed or intimidated by the process—what's your go-to way to cut through the technical jargon and just help them get started?

Martyna Kowalczyk: When someone is very overwhelmed with all the information they're getting online, I sometimes say—and I know this might hurt my business—please take a week. Take two weeks. Don't talk to any of us. First, get the quotes. I tell people to take a step back. One of the things I teach at my business is: we're not going to push anybody to sign today. Nobody is signing today. When you're ready, you're going to tell us you're ready. You're going to ask us for the contract.

That's one of our mottos. We try to tell people upfront—this is a big purchase. You have to feel right with the company you're talking to. You're going to get a lot of conflicting information out there. Just two days ago, a homeowner told me he got quotes and the Tesla Powerwall 3 ranged from $14,000 to $20,000 for one unit. He asked why there's such a big difference—and that's exactly where you need to do your research.

The short answer is: take your time. This should not be a rushed decision. And if somebody says you have to sign today or the price goes up tomorrow, that is not a company you want to go with. Period.

Kristina Zagame: Totally. And also for anyone listening—if you're getting quoted $28,000 for a single Tesla Powerwall, run. Do you feel like there is a lie about solar or storage that customers are still being sold today?

Martyna Kowalczyk: You know, I think I'm just super lucky because I deal with so many educated customers—it's almost like I don't deal with people who would believe those lies. A lot of the customers who call us came from YouTube, so they're already educating themselves. It's funny—five years ago I would say panel-level monitoring is a must. But now we're actually moving away from panel-level monitoring. Tesla, Franklin, SolarEdge—all of those big brands are stepping back from it. Which is wild, because five years ago everyone was talking about the Christmas lights effect: if one panel is shaded, the whole string goes out. Which, by the way, was never true since bypass diodes.

But honestly, the worst things I see are people being overcharged or being sold a lease—and defrauding the IRS in the process.

Kristina Zagame: Fair enough. Going back to when you started your Solar Girl YouTube channel—you were mainly focused on educating people. How many people now come to you because of that free education and trust you and your company enough to install solar on their roof?

Martyna Kowalczyk: It's been extremely helpful, honestly. Not only are we providing content that helps people make a good financial decision, but if you're going solar with me, you know that I've put myself out there on the internet. I will not hurt you. I will not screw you over—because I'm a public person at this point, and it's very easy to leave a negative review. That's something I've been very proud of across the whole Solar Time team: we have five-star reviews and not a single negative review from homeowners. I think that just sells itself.

Kristina Zagame: Not a single negative review for a solar company—you deserve an Oscar-level trophy for that. Let's talk about Texas—a very fascinating and complicated solar market, both politically and practically. What is the current state of solar adoption there, and are you seeing any big shifts post-Inflation Reduction Act?

Martyna Kowalczyk: The biggest change I've seen is the battery attachment rate. For the first five years of Solar Time, I was selling solar mostly by itself because we had really good net metering policies. Ever since the 2021 freeze, the buyback rates have changed drastically. Net metering is no longer 1-to-1. If you produce solar and you're not home to use that energy, you have to sell it back to the grid at a reduced rate—kind of like what NEM 3.0 did to California.

Solar on its own still makes sense—it just has to be designed properly. If someone doesn't want to invest in a battery and just wants to save as much as possible, we'd look at their daytime consumption and design a smaller system, maybe sized for 50 to 60% of their usage rather than going for 100%. Because—and you asked me earlier about lies that are still being sold—a zero dollar electric bill is basically impossible in Texas unless you have a very large system, a lot of batteries, and you're essentially off-grid but still connected.

With the net metering changes, a battery is almost a given now if you really want to minimize your bill. The return on investment for a battery isn't just financial either. What if there's a power outage and pipes burst and you're spending $15,000 replacing floors? There's that non-financial protection aspect—the peace of mind.

So to answer your question: I've seen a huge shift toward batteries. I'd say eight out of ten people who go solar with us also get a battery installed. And I'll add—people are freaking out about losing the tax credit, but on a cash deal for solar only, without a battery, you can generate power at roughly 6 to 7 cents per kilowatt hour. That's already lower than what most utility providers charge—usually by half. So financially, if you can buy a system cash, you are scoring an amazing deal. With batteries it ends up being closer to 10 to 12 cents here in Dallas. With the tax credit, we were at 3 to 4 cents. Now we're more like 6 to 7—still well below utility rates.

Kristina Zagame: So definitely less than what people are paying outright for electricity. You mentioned going off-grid. What are your feelings about people who want to go completely off-grid? Do you think it's possible? Does it ever make financial sense?

Martyna Kowalczyk: People want to be as independent as possible, and I understand that. But I like to say you still want to be tied to the grid as a backup. You can build a system where you largely coexist on your own, but if twenty people come for Christmas and you need twice the energy you can produce, it's good to have the grid to pull from. Or if you have seven days of rain and didn't store enough energy and don't want to run a generator.

Off-grid is for certain people—not for everyone. It's more hands-on. You have to have a generator, multiple days of backup storage capability. There is a market for it. But primarily, what we focus on is grid-tied systems where you're saving money, you're energy-independent, and you're protecting yourself from outages and grid instability—especially important in Texas.

Kristina Zagame: Out of curiosity, have you ever installed an off-grid system for a customer?

Martyna Kowalczyk: I have. A homeowner from Dallas—we were working on his home here, but he also has a home in Hawaii, and that system is completely off-grid. He flew us out to Hawaii to his home by the ocean. It was a super cool experience! But it's a whole different kind of work, you know. I think the primary good products for the off-grid market are going to be inverters that are capable of being off-grid—Tesla, Franklin, SolarEdge—those are kind of like the Apple vs. Android comparison. Apple is user-friendly, for everyone. Off-grid is more like the intense Android version—for people who really want the tech and can afford it, because going off-grid is quite expensive.

Kristina Zagame: What do you think the future of the solar industry looks like? Things seem a bit uncertain right now.

Martyna Kowalczyk: I think it's pretty bright, but I think it's going to be a weeding-out situation. There are a lot of bad players in this industry who are not going to survive this first year of no-tax-credit reality. People are so fixated on needing the tax credit—but oftentimes the equipment ends up costing more just to get that 30% discount. Does it really make sense to pay more just to get a discount?

Solar is not going to slow down. It's just a matter of when people get used to the idea that the tax credit isn't in the picture anymore. And here's the thing—people don't call us because of the tax credit. They call because they have a $500 electric bill and they don't want to pay the utility anymore. They'd rather invest in equipment that generates energy for them. The tax credit is a cool bonus, but it's not the reason.

I also think there's going to be a reset in pricing. The more incentives are available, the higher prices go—installers tack on a few extra thousand dollars just because the homeowner is getting a rebate. If there are no incentives, homeowners are going to get really good deals on solar. And electricity prices are not going down anytime soon—they're about to go up with everything happening in the world. Higher electricity prices will only drive more solar adoption.

I do think a big challenge is the grid. I actually did a video on how solar-only, without batteries, might not be so great for the grid—but that's a whole other conversation.

Kristina Zagame: I have to check that out—we've been talking about the grid a lot lately. I remembered my earlier question: you brought up the 2021 Texas ice storm, Winter Storm Uri. Obviously very historic and tragic for a lot of people. Have any of the more recent storms enticed people to reach out to you for storage?

Martyna Kowalczyk: Absolutely. Any time there's a winter storm, more homeowners reach out. You probably see a lot more people reading about solar on your website or channel too. Situations like that definitely motivate homeowners. January through May tends to be slower for us because people don't have high electric bills right now. If you're paying $100 a month for electricity, you're not very motivated to look into solar—even though right now might actually be the best time to do it. When times are slower, you get more negotiating power with installers. When we hit summer and people start getting $500 to $700 bills, the phones start ringing. But yes—winter storms and high electric bills are the two biggest drivers.

Kristina Zagame: Switching back to you personally—you've become a pretty prominent member of the solar industry, both online and at industry events. I see you posting from conferences all over. Do you meet a lot of other women, or is that a growth area you're hoping to see expand?

Martyna Kowalczyk: I'm seeing a lot more women in solar. In fact, most of my distribution partners now are women. I had a meeting with Lori from a distributor this morning, and we were just talking about how when guys go to meetings they go play golf—we should have a spa day. We can still talk business while getting a facial or a massage! But yes, I do see a lot more women in solar, and I love working with and supporting women.

I also want to say: if you are a woman in solar, take who you are and turn it into an advantage—a positive—instead of viewing it as a limitation. We have the same brains. We're just as capable. In fact, we're women. I think that's a pretty good advantage.

Kristina Zagame: Yes—just as good, if not better. And it's funny you mention the spa day idea, because I was just at an energy marketing conference in San Antonio and we were joking about how going to the nail salon is networking—you're always chatting with everyone.

Martyna Kowalczyk: Lori and I literally said today, next time we should just have that meeting at a nail salon—kill two birds with one stone!

Kristina Zagame: Alright, Martyna—anything else about you or this industry that you want people to know?

Martyna Kowalczyk: I think the biggest thing is, whether you're a solar installer or a homeowner looking into solar—going solar makes sense. You don't need the bells and whistles to sell it. As a homeowner, if you're looking for solar, I always tell people: look up reviews. Reviews will tell you the story. Look at when the first review was left. How long they've been in business.

I almost feel like if you're mad at solar, you should be mad at yourself for not doing the due diligence—because it's in your best interest as a homeowner to select a highly reputable installer and look up the equipment. This is not a purchase to take lightly. Take your time.

Solar makes absolute sense. Batteries are awesome. Being financially independent—charging your batteries, using them at night, feeling as independent from the grid as possible—it's just such a cool feeling. I've had solar on every home I've ever lived in: in Poland, in Wylie, in Garland. I have it on one of my rental properties, and I'm about to put it on another one. Solar is so cool.

Kristina Zagame: It's so interesting—I asked you what else people should know about you, and you immediately went into solar. That is so on brand. You are the Solar Girl. My final question: if you were not doing solar, what do you think you would be doing?

Martyna Kowalczyk: I do have a second business with my dad—it's in a completely different field. But I just love running a business. I love working with people. Sometimes I feel bad because I stay at work so late, but I love it. I get up in the morning and I want to come to work. I love my job so much. So I think I'd just be doing business—but I don't foresee a future where I'm not doing solar.

Kristina Zagame: All right, Martyna—you've answered all of my questions. You've been such a great guest!

Martyna Kowalczyk: Thank you so much for having me. I always see your new episodes on YouTube and think—she was meant to be doing this.

Kristina Zagame: I feel the same way about you! Before I forget—where can people find you?

Martyna Kowalczyk: On YouTube, it's Solar Time with Martyna, and on Instagram, it's @solargirl.dallas.