When EnergySage CEO Vikram Aggarwal looked at the results of his company's solar-homeowner survey conducted earlier this year, he was happy to see they validated his instincts. In one question, the 4,000 homeowners who participated were asked where they got the idea to buy solar. Only 30 percent of them said they were influenced by an advertisement or solar company salesperson. The other 70 percent said they started their solar journey through an internet search, social media, news stories, personal recommendations or a community event.