®Protect margin as manufacturers sell direct
Channel analytics and demand data give a distributor the visibility to compete on service and speed where price alone is under pressure.
Sunhub for your business
Solar solutions for distributors
Channel analytics, liquidation, white-label portals and warehousing built around the margin and inventory-turn pressures distributors actually manage.
Sunhub for distributors
A slow manual quote hands the deal to whoever answered faster, and every order is scattered across email, spreadsheets and calls while your cash sits in upfront inventory. Connected Supply Chain Management Services and the Fulfillment Center pull quoting, deal tracking and stock into one place so you answer first and carry less.
Defend margin and inventory turn
Move aging inventory before it's a write-off
Liquidation access reaches buyers a distributor's existing book never would.
Scale storage without a new lease
Cross-docking and forward-stocking flex with demand instead of committing to fixed warehouse space.
Liquidate overstock and aged solar inventory
Aging and excess inventory reaches a wider buyer pool than existing relationships, recovering more value than a fire-sale write-off.
How overstock liquidation recovers value
Access to a wider buyer pool
Aging and discontinued inventory lists to buyers actively searching the secondary market, well beyond a distributor's existing customer relationships, which is where the real recovery value comes from.
Bulk lot and individual unit options
Inventory can move as a bulk lot for a fast, single transaction or broken into smaller listings for buyers with more targeted needs, depending on which path recovers more value for the specific inventory.
Pricing informed by real secondary-market data
Listing prices get set against actual secondary-market activity, not a guess at what a write-off would have cost, which is what turns liquidation into a recovery strategy instead of a clearance sale.
More recovery than a write-off
Recover more than a write-off
Secondary-market buyer reach typically recovers meaningfully more value than an internal fire sale or a straight write-off.
Move inventory at the right lot size
Bulk or broken-lot listing gets chosen based on what actually clears fastest for the specific inventory.
Cross-dock and forward-stock solar without a new warehouse
Cross-dock and forward-stock solar equipment without committing to a new warehouse lease.
Cross-docking and forward-stocking without a lease
Overflow capacity without a lease
Warehousing scales up during a demand spike or a large incoming shipment without committing to additional leased space that sits underused the rest of the year.
Cross-docking for fast-moving orders
Time-sensitive orders move through cross-docking instead of a distributor's own storage cycle, freeing internal warehouse capacity for standard inventory.
Forward-stocking that extends a distributor's own network
Regional forward-stocking positions inventory in markets a distributor's own warehouse footprint doesn't reach, without building a new facility.
Flex capacity and extend your network
Handle a demand spike without a new lease
Overflow capacity flexes with demand instead of requiring a long-term space commitment.
Extend reach into markets without a warehouse there
Forward-stocking fills a gap in a distributor's own network without new construction.
White-label B2B sales portal for distributors
A branded B2B storefront running on Sunhub's infrastructure, so a distributor's own brand stays front and center with its buyers.
Inside a branded distributor storefront
A storefront that carries the distributor's brand
Buyers see the distributor's own branding throughout the portal experience, with Sunhub's infrastructure running underneath rather than visible to the customer.
Catalog and pricing set independently
Product catalog, pricing tiers and account terms configure specifically for the distributor's own business, separate from the general marketplace listings.
Team access built in
Sales reps and account managers get their own access within the portal, so team-based account management works the same way it would on an internally built system.
Your brand, no build required
Keep the distributor's brand in front of its buyers
The portal experience reads as the distributor's own storefront, not a third-party marketplace listing.
Launch without building infrastructure from scratch
A white-label portal deploys on existing infrastructure instead of a custom development project.
Distribute your solar catalog to thousands of B2B buyers
A distributor's catalog reaches thousands of B2B buyers digitally, extending reach beyond what a regional sales team covers by phone and site visit.
How catalog distribution reaches more buyers
Catalog reach beyond a regional sales team
A distributor's product catalog surfaces to thousands of B2B buyers searching the marketplace, extending reach far past what a regional sales team can cover through calls and site visits.
Sync with existing inventory data
Catalog listings sync against a distributor's existing inventory and ERP data, so a listing reflects real stock instead of a manually maintained spreadsheet that drifts out of date.
Visibility into what buyers are actually searching for
Search and view data on a distributor's own catalog shows which products are drawing buyer interest, informing what to feature or restock.
Wider reach, accurate listings
Reach buyers a sales team never would
Digital catalog exposure extends beyond a distributor's existing regional relationships.
Keep listings accurate without manual upkeep
Inventory sync keeps catalog data current against real stock automatically.
Manage B2B accounts, pricing and terms in one place
Account pricing, terms and order history managed in one place, so a growing account base doesn't outgrow a spreadsheet or a rep's memory.
Account pricing, terms, and order history
Pricing and terms managed per account
Account-specific pricing tiers, minimum order quantities and payment terms live on the account record itself, replacing a spreadsheet or a rep's personal notes as the source of truth.
Order history that survives a rep change
Full order and quote history stays with the account permanently, so onboarding a new rep to an existing relationship doesn't mean reconstructing history from an old inbox.
Built for the scale a growing distributor reaches
The system holds up as an account base grows past what a spreadsheet or a small team's institutional memory can reliably track.
Account context that survives rep changes
Stop losing account context when a rep leaves
Pricing, terms and history stay with the account record, not a departing employee.
Scale past what a spreadsheet can handle
Account management holds up as the distributor's customer base grows.
Channel analytics for solar distributors
Demand and pricing data across the categories a distributor carries, surfacing margin compression before it shows up in a quarterly review.
What channel analytics surface
Demand trends by category and region
Demand data across product categories and regions shows where a distributor's stocking plan is ahead of or behind where the market is actually moving.
Margin visibility before the quarterly close
Category-level margin trends surface early, giving a distributor time to adjust pricing or stocking before compression shows up as a surprise in financial reporting.
Market pricing context, not just internal sales data
Pricing benchmarks against broader market data, not just a distributor's own transaction history, showing whether a margin squeeze is company-specific or market-wide.
Adjust before margin erodes
Catch margin compression early
Trend data surfaces a pricing problem while there's still time to adjust, not after a quarter closes.
Stock ahead of where demand is moving
Category and regional demand trends inform stocking decisions instead of reacting after the fact.
Guides for your next decision
Your questions, answered.
How does Sunhub help distributors manage margin pressure from manufacturers selling direct?
Sunhub gives distributors tools to defend margin as manufacturers go direct, including channel analytics to see where they compete, white-label portals to hold their own customer relationships, and liquidation to move aging inventory before it becomes a write-off. The aim is to protect turn and margin rather than race the manufacturer to the bottom on price.
Can a distributor run a private, white-label storefront through Sunhub?
Yes. Sunhub offers a white-label sales portal so a distributor can run a branded storefront under its own identity, keeping the customer relationship and catalog experience its own while using Sunhub's underlying platform.
Does liquidation reach buyers beyond a distributor's existing customer base?
Yes. Selling overstock through Sunhub's liquidation channel exposes aging inventory to the wider marketplace of buyers, not just the distributor's existing accounts, which helps move stock before it turns into a write-off.
How much value can liquidation typically recover versus writing off aging inventory?
Liquidation generally recovers more than a write-off because aging and excess inventory reaches a wider buyer pool than existing relationships, and pricing is informed by real secondary-market data rather than a fire-sale guess. The exact recovery depends on the product, its condition, and current demand, so results vary by lot.
Does liquidated inventory reach buyers outside a distributor's normal sales channel?
Yes. That is the core benefit. Liquidation exposes aging and excess stock to a wider buyer pool than a distributor's existing relationships, so units reach demand that the normal sales channel would not have found, which helps recover more value than a write-off.
More questions about these services
Can liquidation move inventory in bulk lots or only individual units?
Both. You can move inventory as bulk lots or as individual units, so you can match the lot size to the buyer and the product. Pricing is informed by real secondary-market data at either scale, which helps recover more than writing the stock off.
Can a distributor use overflow warehousing without a long-term lease commitment?
Yes. The point of overflow warehousing is capacity without a lease, so a distributor can absorb extra inventory when volume spikes and release it when demand settles. That avoids committing to fixed square footage and rent for what may be a temporary surge.
Does cross-docking help during a seasonal demand spike?
Yes. Cross-docking moves fast-selling orders through a facility without putting them into long-term storage, so inventory keeps flowing during a seasonal spike instead of piling up. It is well suited to fast-moving equipment where speed matters more than holding stock.
How does forward-stocking interact with a distributor's own warehouse network?
Forward-stocking positions inventory closer to end markets, extending a distributor's own network into regions it does not have a warehouse in. It supplements rather than replaces existing sites, letting a distributor reach new markets without signing a lease there. That expands service coverage while keeping the core network intact.
Does a white-label portal show Sunhub branding to a distributor's buyers?
No. A white-label portal carries the distributor's own brand front and center with its buyers, running on Sunhub's infrastructure behind the scenes. The storefront presents as the distributor's, so its buyers see its brand rather than Sunhub's.
Can pricing and catalog be customized per portal?
Yes. Each portal's catalog and pricing are set independently, so a distributor controls which products appear and what its buyers pay rather than inheriting a fixed list. That lets the storefront reflect the distributor's own assortment and margins while running on shared infrastructure.
Does the portal integrate with the distributor's existing team and order management?
The portal includes built-in team access so a distributor's staff can manage the storefront and orders within it. How deeply it ties into an existing external order-management system depends on that system, so the specifics of any integration are best scoped directly against what the distributor already runs.
How does a distributor's catalog get uploaded and kept current?
A catalog can be loaded from your product data and then kept current through syncing rather than manual re-entry, so pricing and availability stay accurate as they change on your side. The aim is listings that update without ongoing hand-maintenance. Support is available to map your data into the format the marketplace uses during onboarding.
Does digital distribution reach buyers outside a distributor's regional sales territory?
Yes, that is the main advantage. A digital catalog puts your products in front of thousands of B2B buyers across regions a phone-and-site-visit sales team would never cover, extending reach well beyond a single territory. You also gain visibility into what those buyers are actually searching for.
Can catalog data sync with a distributor's existing ERP or inventory system?
Yes, catalog data is designed to sync with existing inventory and ERP systems so listings reflect current stock and pricing without manual upkeep. The exact integration path depends on your system and how your data is exposed, which is worked out during onboarding. Keeping the sync in place is what keeps listings accurate over time.
How is B2B customer management different from a general CRM for a distributor?
A general CRM tracks leads and contacts, while B2B customer management for a distributor holds account-level pricing, terms, and order history that drive actual transactions. It is built around how accounts buy, not just sales pipeline notes. That keeps negotiated pricing and history in one place as the account base grows.
Can pricing and terms be set per account?
Yes, pricing and terms are managed per account, so each customer's negotiated rates and conditions are applied consistently. That removes the reliance on a spreadsheet or a rep's memory to remember who gets what. As you add accounts, the pricing stays attached to each one rather than living in someone's head.
Does order history stay with the account if a sales rep changes?
Yes, order history is tied to the account itself, so it survives a rep leaving or changing. The next person picks up full context instead of starting blind. That continuity is exactly what a spreadsheet or an individual rep's memory tends to lose.
What demand data does channel analytics surface for a distributor?
Channel analytics shows demand trends by category and region across the lines a distributor carries, so you can see where volume is building or softening. Paired with market pricing context, it points to where to stock ahead of demand rather than reacting after the fact. The intent is a forward view, not just a rear-view read of internal sales.
Can analytics flag margin compression before it shows up in financials?
Yes. By tracking market pricing against demand by category, analytics can surface margin compression as it develops, before it lands in a quarterly close. Seeing pricing move against a category early gives a distributor time to adjust sourcing or pricing rather than discovering the squeeze after the numbers are booked.
Does analytics cover pricing trends across competitors, not just a distributor's own sales?
Yes. The analytics add market pricing context, not only a distributor's internal sales data, so you can see how category pricing is moving across the market. That external view is what makes it possible to catch margin compression early rather than benchmarking only against your own history.
Find your next selling opportunity
Tell our team what you need, and explore the Sunhub services that fit your business.