Spearhead was founded in June 2009 by Daniel Parrella, at the time a UC Santa Barbara Senior. He had grown up building small scale solar panels to power his fathers train sets and model airplanes. While attending college he witnessed the effectiveness of "Solarize Santa Barbara" in encouraging people to go solar.Inspired by that program, he duplicated the success of that group purchasing deal in his hometown of Davis, California.

 A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study showed that solar homes sold 20% faster and for 17% more than their traditional counterparts. ​ Houses with Solar tend to appreciate faster as well. A suburban Shea Homes development in California equipped with solar went up in value by over 55%, compared to about 45% for homes in a non-solar development.The California Energy Commission has released data that shows home buyers look for energy efficient homes when they buy houses. ​ 91% of Californians see energy efficiency as an important factor when considering the purchase of a new home. ​ 70% said the cost of the monthly electric bill was an important factor in their decision to buy a new home. ​ 81% believe that a home solar system allows homeowners to start saving on monthly living costs immediately.