Availability: Solar CRM edition. Projects and tasks are core in all editions; the solar installation statuses are part of the Solar vertical, which is a paid add-on module an Administrator must enable.
Overview
The installation project is where a sold solar job is delivered. It is a standard OneSolar CRM project, so it has members, milestones, tasks, time logs, expenses and files, but in the Solar CRM edition it also advances through the permit, installation, inspection, utility-connection and commissioning statuses that describe a solar installation's real progress.
How It Works
The project is created for the approved job and linked to the customer and the site. Delivery is planned as milestones and tasks, and the crew works the tasks and logs their time. Separately from task progress, the project carries the solar-specific statuses that record how far the installation has moved through permitting, physical installation, inspection, utility connection and commissioning.
- The project statuses run in parallel with the standard project lifecycle of not started, in progress, on hold and finished or cancelled.
- Material for the job is drawn from the BOQ through material requisitions, so consumption is attributable to the project.
- Where the Budget module is enabled, the project carries a Budget tab, and the Solar budget template plans Equipment, Labour, Permits and Incentives seeded from the estimate's cost totals.
- In the projects card view, a solar project's tile shows system size, site, next payment and next maintenance, so the whole portfolio can be scanned at once.
- The payment schedule and the maintenance schedule both hang off the delivered job.
User
- Create the installation project and link it to the customer and site.
- Plan milestones and tasks and Assign them to crew members.
- Advance the permit, installation, inspection, utility-connection and commissioning statuses.
- Log time and expenses against the project.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator.
Prerequisites
- An approved solar estimate for the job. See How to Create Solar Estimates and Proposals.
- Permit and inspection types configured in solar master data.
- The customer's client record, so the project can be billed and reported against them.
- Crew members added as users with access to projects and tasks.
Step 1: Create the installation project
Select Add and create the project for the sold job. Link the client and the solar site, and add the project members who will deliver it. Consider starting from a project template so every installation follows the same plan. See How to Create and Use Project Templates.
Step 2: Plan the delivery
Break the installation into milestones, then add the tasks under each. Milestones are what you will report and bill progress against.
Step 3: Record the permit position
Update the project's permit status as applications are submitted and granted. Use the permit types configured in solar master data so reporting is consistent across jobs.
Step 4: Work the installation
As the crew installs, update the installation status and let them work their tasks and log time. Draw materials against the job as material requisitions so consumption reconciles with the BOQ.
Step 5: Record inspection and utility connection
Update the inspection status when the installation is inspected, and the utility-connection status when the connection is made. Both are commonly the longest waits on a solar job, so keeping them current is what makes the portfolio view useful.
Step 6: Commission and close
Update the commissioning status when the system is commissioned, complete the remaining milestones, and mark the project finished. Then confirm the payment schedule and set up the maintenance schedule.
Field and Option Reference
Progress of the permits the installation requires.
Progress of the inspections the installation must pass.
Progress of connecting the system to the utility.
Whether the system has been commissioned and handed over.
Expected Result
The installation project exists against the customer and site, its milestones and tasks are planned and worked, and the permit, installation, inspection, utility-connection and commissioning statuses reflect the true position of the job.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- The solar statuses are separate from task completion. A project can be fully installed and still be waiting on utility connection.
- Project budgeting, the Project Roadmap and Resource Utilization are paid add-on modules. Confirm inclusion in your plan before relying on them.
- Material requisitions and purchase orders are what tie spend to the job, so record them against the project rather than handling them outside OneSolar CRM.
Common Scenarios
Example: installed but not yet exporting. A rooftop system is physically complete and inspected, but the utility has not yet completed the connection. The installation and inspection statuses show complete, the utility-connection status shows the job is waiting, and the commissioning status remains open. The card view then shows at a glance how many jobs are stuck at the same point.
Troubleshooting
No. The standard project lifecycle still applies, and the solar statuses record permitting, installation, inspection, utility connection and commissioning separately.
Yes. Save a completed installation as a project template, or import a template from Excel.
The projects card view shows solar tiles with system size, site, next payment and next maintenance.
The Solar budget template plans Equipment, Labour, Permits and Incentives, seeded from the solar estimate's cost totals. See How to Create a Project Budget.