As solar consultants know all too well, getting permits and grid access often takes way too long.

It's something that we know is needed, but that we'd like to get done as quickly as possible.

And the only way for that to happen is for governments to make the process as fast as possible.

This is why a recent Joint Statement by the Global Wind Energy Council and Global Solar Council brings hope that this is about to happen soon, worldwide.

Here are some of the positive measures that the Councils are calling for:

1. Mandating maximum lead times to permit solar energy plants (1.5 years for utility-scale projects and 6 months for repowering, which can be reduced to 6 months to 1 year for utility-scale and to 1 month for repowering.);

2. Centralizing the siting and permitting process through a "one-stop shop" model;

3. Implementing a mechanism for quickly settling legal disputes, thus avoiding delays.

While this Statement isn't a legally binding document, it's great to see initiatives to speed up the adoption of renewables.

And, logically, if it's going to get easier for industrial and commercial solar, the same is bound to happen for residential.

So home solar installations will become faster and simpler.

Customers will notice and tell others about it.

After all, complying with government bureaucracy usually feels slow and painful.

When it isn't, people remember and spread the word. Others will want in on it, too.

And they'll expect their solar consultants to be just as fast.

But this can often be a challenge.

Especially when consultants are dealing with a big number of leads at the same time.

Which is all but certain to happen in the next years in solar.

Solar consultants who aren't able to quickly follow through on all their leads will have unsatisfied customers.

This leads to less word-of-mouth publicity and fewer deals in the long run.

But consultants who want to prepare for the coming solar boom need every advantage they can get.

This means having the right tools to work many leads quickly and efficiently.

And our Solar Pipeline does just that.

Built from scratch by solar consultants for solar consultants, Solar Pipeline is a Solar CRM tool designed to help solar consultants (beginner or experienced) streamline and automate as much of the sales process as possible, from lead generation to deal closing.

Among other things, you can automate your SMS and email follow-ups, which speeds up the time it takes to close a deal, and frees you up to either get more new clients or nurture existing ones.

The app has its own calendar, which synchronizes and updates automatically, to ensure that each step of the process is done on time, for every client.

And we have a team of virtual assistants, ready at any moment to book appointments for you.

To see all Solar Pipeline's features, and to schedule a free Demo with our expert, go to solarpipeline.com/calendar

And, if you want to get a free quote and design, from a certified Solar Consultant, click here.