About Solmerce
Solmerce is a solar energy company based in Tallinn, Estonia, serving residential and commercial customers across multiple European markets. It supplies solar panels, inverters, battery storage, and other solar equipment, while connecting customers with vetted installers to complete installations.
As the demand for solar energy grew, Solmerce needed a solar eCommerce solution that could simplify the buying journey, from assessing a property’s solar potential to selecting the right equipment, calculating potential savings, and booking an installer. The company wanted to bring these steps into one localized mobile platform, making it easier for customers to make informed purchasing decisions while helping Solmerce manage sales and installations across different European markets.
Creating an effective online shopping experience requires careful planning around functionality, user experience, and the purchasing journey. Following eCommerce application development best practices helps businesses build platforms that meet customer needs and support smooth online transactions.
Project Summary: Solmerce needed a solar eCommerce solution that could simplify solar purchases, system sizing, and installation management across multiple European markets. We developed a React Native app for iOS and Android, supported by a Bagisto and Laravel backend with a REST API. The platform uses Google Solar and Maps APIs to assess roof potential. Google Vision OCR extracts details from electricity bills, while an ROI calculator recommends suitable solar kits and estimates potential savings. It also combines online shopping, secure payments, installer onboarding, and job management in one app. This helps Solmerce streamline the customer journey from product discovery to verified installation while supporting localized commerce across multiple markets.
Project Challenges
The first challenge was helping customers choose the right solar system. Most homeowners don’t know how much solar capacity their property needs or which equipment best suits their electricity consumption. Solmerce needed a solar eCommerce platform that could assess roof potential, analyze electricity bills, and recommend suitable solar kits, rather than leaving customers to navigate a product catalog without guidance.
Another challenge was managing sales across multiple European markets. Solar generation, electricity prices, export tariffs, currencies, languages, and product availability vary by country. The platform needed flexible localization that covered product catalogs, pricing, content, and ROI calculations, allowing Solmerce to expand into new markets without building a separate app for each region.
The buying journey also extended beyond online purchases. Customers needed reliable installers to complete their solar installations, while installers required dedicated tools to manage job requests, communicate with customers, and confirm completed work. Bringing both experiences into one app required distinct user roles and workflows.
Security and reliability were equally important. High-value transactions required secure payment processing and dependable order confirmation, while mobile users needed a smooth experience even with unstable network connections. Solmerce also needed a verification mechanism to prevent installation jobs from being marked complete without on-site confirmation. Finally, the platform needed to support customer education through localized FAQs, blogs, reviews, and solar guides, all manageable by Solmerce’s internal team.
Solutions and Impact
To simplify solar purchases across European markets, we built a mobile commerce platform using React Native, Laravel, and Bagisto. Our mobile app development services help eCommerce businesses create tailored shopping experiences with flexible product catalogs, localized pricing, and streamlined checkout processes. The multi-store architecture connects product catalogs, pricing, availability, and localized content through a REST API. Customers can browse products, compare specifications, apply coupons, complete checkout, and access order history from their phones. Solmerce can also manage FAQs, blogs, solar guides, reviews, and country-specific landing pages through its admin panel.
To help customers choose the right solar equipment, we developed a solar advisor and ROI calculator. The app uses the Google Solar API to retrieve roof characteristics, including usable area, orientation, and sun hours. Google Vision OCR extracts electricity consumption and pricing details from uploaded bills. Using this information, the platform recommends suitable solar kits with current product prices and estimates payback periods, annual savings, and long-term returns. Customers can adjust recommended products and add the configured system directly to their cart, simplifying the journey from research to purchase.
To connect online sales with physical installation, we created a dual-role app for customers and installers. Installers submit their company details, base address, and license document for Solmerce’s approval before accessing job management features, where they can manage requests, accept assignments, and contact customers. An on-site verification code confirms job completion before customers can submit reviews, adding accountability to the installation process.
We also integrated Stripe-hosted checkout for card payments, with webhook-based payment confirmation and backend order verification. Firebase Cloud Messaging supports push notifications, while the API handling layer manages authentication, retries, and network interruptions.
The resulting solar eCommerce platform brings product discovery, solar system sizing, ROI estimation, payments, and installation management into one connected solution. Its flexible architecture also provides a foundation for future enhancements, including more detailed solar assessments, improved product recommendations, and personalized shopping experiences as Solmerce’s business needs evolve.
Technologies and Tools Used
Results
The solar eCommerce app brought Solmerce’s sales and installation workflows into one platform. Customers can assess their solar needs, explore suitable kits, estimate savings, and complete purchases, while installers manage jobs through the same app. The platform also gives Solmerce the flexibility to manage localized stores and expand into new European markets.
Key Outcomes:
- Combined the entire solar buying and installation journey in one app.
- Enabled faster purchases with instant solar sizing and pricing.
- Improved system recommendations using roof and electricity data.
- Simplified expansion into new European markets.
- Verified installation completion using on-site confirmation codes.
- Unified customer shopping and installer management in one app.
Words of Appreciation
“WPWeb Infotech helped us turn our vision of simplifying solar purchases into a complete mobile platform. Their team developed an app that allows customers to assess their roof, calculate potential savings, purchase the right solar equipment, and connect with verified installers, all in one place. The platform also gives us the flexibility to manage multiple markets, languages, and sales operations efficiently.”
Future Scalability
The solar eCommerce platform provides a flexible foundation for Solmerce to expand into new European markets and enhance its solar buying and installation services. Future upgrades can include advanced shading analysis, dynamic electricity tariffs, battery optimization, financing options, installer scheduling, and post-installation services such as production monitoring and warranty tracking. Its modular architecture allows new features, integrations, and localized storefronts to be introduced as business needs evolve.
As the platform grows, Solmerce can extend its capabilities by adding new commerce features, integrating additional services, and improving existing workflows. Ongoing development and maintenance will help the platform accommodate changing market requirements while maintaining a consistent shopping and installation experience across supported regions.
