When I first met Blake Gailey, he was helping shape the SunPower dealer program. Later, I knew him during his time at Solaria—before it became Complete Solaria and then SunPower by Complete Solar.

If you’ve followed the solarcoaster, you know how fast this industry moves. By the time I finished writing The Solarcoaster and reached the final chapters, Complete Solar had already been acquired and rebranded under the iconic SunPower name—marking a major shift in strategy and leadership for one of the best-known brands in solar.

The full interview with Blake didn’t make it into the book—but it was too good not to share. In this candid conversation, Blake offers a behind-the-scenes look at SunPower’s transformation, the lessons learned, and what it takes to win trust and market share in today’s evolving solar market.

Note: By the time The Solarcoaster went to print, Blake had moved on from SunPower, and the company had launched a nationwide branding campaign positioning Blue Raven as its primary consumer-facing brand.

Founded in 1985, SunPower has long been a pioneer in solar innovation. Now, under the leadership of T.J. Rodgers, the original executive who took SunPower public in the ‘80s, the company is undergoing a full strategic reboot focused on operational excellence, partner empowerment, and profitable scale. With a 10+ gigawatt national supply chain, strong relationships with Tier One suppliers, and coast-to-coast fulfillment capability, SunPower is back—and it’s built to last.

The early numbers speak volumes. According to Ohm Analytics, SunPower’s two divisions—New Homes and Blue Raven—now make it the 5th largest solar installer in the U.S. as of Q1 2025. And when it comes to new construction, Complete Solar is already the 3rd largest installer in the country, on pace to become the second largest in the months ahead.

To learn more about the company’s vision and momentum, I sat down with Blake Gailey, Vice President of New Homes and a long-time SunPower veteran, to talk about rebranding, rebuilding, and what it takes to win trust—and market share—on the solarcoaster.

Blake Gailey on the Vision for the New SunPower

Anna: Blake, we’ve seen major changes in the solar landscape, including Complete Solar’s acquisition and rebrand of SunPower. What does this mean for the future of the company?

Blake: It’s a rebirth. We’re not trying to be a manufacturer or financier—we’re focused on being the best partner-centric platform in solar. That means working with top-tier manufacturers, financing partners, and builders. We’re keeping what works, cutting what doesn’t, and rebuilding SunPower’s operations from the ground up.

Anna: What’s driving this transformation?

Blake: Part of it is legacy. TG Rogers—the guy who originally took SunPower public in the ’80s—is back at the helm. He’s 76 now, but this brand is his legacy, his “baby.” He’s determined to save it, and frankly, I’ve never worked with a more intense business leader. It’s not about ego or profit—it’s about building something enduring.

Anna: What are the core pillars of the new SunPower strategy?

Blake: We’re focused on three powerful channels:

• New Homes – That’s my wheelhouse. We’re working with 170 builders nationwide, and our #1 priority is making sure we don’t miss closings—because in construction, timing is everything.
• Internal Sales – That’s Blue Raven, now a SunPower company, with over 2,000 reps in the field. It’s a well-oiled machine and a big part of our growth engine.
• ND (Non-Installing) Dealer Network – We’re rebuilding a robust, modern dealer program for entrepreneurs who want to plug into our system without the complexities of installation, backed by a network of trusted professionals who handle fulfillment from start to finish.

Anna: How are you building trust back in the market—especially with the bankruptcy still unfolding in the background?

Blake: Transparency and performance. That’s it. Builders and partners want to know we’re going to last—and we are. We’ve been intentionally quiet the last few months to get our house in order. Now, year-to-date, we’re hitting our numbers, stabilizing operations, and putting points on the board.

And we’re seeing competitors stumble—Sunnova’s new homes division just collapsed. Meanwhile, we’ve been investing in infrastructure, fulfillment, and service. That’s how you build trust. You show up when others fall back.

Anna: What’s different this time around? What lessons are driving your new model?

Blake: The biggest shift is focus. In the past, the industry tried to do everything—manufacturing, financing, installing, and leasing—and it broke under its own weight. We’re not doing that.

We’ve streamlined our model. We’re not chasing hardware margins or building our own financial products. Instead, we’ve built one of the most scalable and resilient supply chains in the industry. We’ve partnered with Tier One suppliers across the U.S., giving us national reach and real-time sourcing power. We’ve already moved over 10 gigawatts of equipment across residential and commercial projects—and that kind of backend strength allows us to fulfill faster, install smarter, and deliver on our promises.

We’re here to scale profitably. We’re here to win trust back. And we’re doing it with real infrastructure, not vaporware.

Anna: One of the challenges with the old SunPower model was how capital-intensive and vertically integrated it had become. How has that changed?

Blake: We’ve completely flipped that script. The old model was bloated—warehouses, proprietary financial products, single-source manufacturing. It worked until it didn’t. We stripped it down to what delivers value.

Today, we run lean operations. No capital tied up in warehouses. We’ve partnered with Tier One suppliers—we don’t manufacture, which keeps us nimble. On installs, we’re flexible: Blue Raven handles in-house installs across most of the country, while our new homes division uses trusted local partners in key markets. That hybrid model allows us to stay agile, reduce overhead, and speed up fulfillment.

And we’ve moved away from SunPower Financial. We now work with the best finance providers in the market, which gives our customers and partners more options and better flexibility. That’s a big shift—and a necessary one. We’re not locking anyone into rigid programs. We’re here to support what works.

Anna: So how do you survive the solarcoaster from here?

Blake: Discipline, clarity, and real partnerships. We’ve partnered with REC, Qcells, SEG, Silfab, GAF Energy, JA Solar, Pegasus Solar, Enphase, and other top-tier suppliers, and we’re innovating where it matters—like offering builders in-house installs for new homes. We’ve cleared out the legacy inventory and course corrected, and we’re now built to be profitable—without having to raise cash. That’s rare in solar.

Anna: And the brand itself—how do you reconcile Blue Raven and SunPower under one roof?

Blake: We’ll operate with two divisions. Blue Raven: A SunPower company will continue to drive internal sales and fulfillment. Meanwhile, the SunPower name carries the legacy and the trust—and that’s powerful. Together, we’re reintroducing the brand with real substance behind it.

Anna: You mentioned rebuilding the dealer program—what does that look like, and how are you supporting those partners with leads?

Blake: We’re reintroducing a dealer-first model that’s modern, transparent, and scalable. It’s still in the works, but the goal is clear: give dealers the tools and structure to succeed without the red tape that’s plagued the industry. We’ve learned from past mistakes—dealers want ownership, fair margins, and reliable fulfillment. So we’re creating a flexible system where they get real support—tech, training, and back-end operations—while still owning their customer relationship.

On the lead side, we’re not building some bloated in-house marketing department. Instead, we’re forming strategic alliances with top-tier demand generation partners and tapping into Blue Raven’s powerhouse infrastructure when appropriate. Dealers will have access to quality leads, but more importantly, they’ll have the systems to convert and close them profitably.

We’re designing this to be win-win and long-term. It’s not fully public yet, but it’s coming soon—so stay tuned.

California AB2-42 breaks current NEM. Urging to take action. Mosaic sent an email. 

Within seconds of filling out a Facebook form, we got a call. We called back. Are we meeting with Sunpower? Are you installing? BlueRaven would be the installer. What got us upset is they’re leveraging the SunPower name with all our customers who we have had with warranty, and it’s causing confusion. They are hiding comments from lots of upset people. Who is servicing systems? He gave us a number to call. He was just booking appointments. We should add SunPower keywords into our campaign in search. We dissociated from them and took off warranty details from the website. Maybe that’s changed. Will they be advertising to the customer list?