GUIDE FOR EPC TEAMS

This guide is written for Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) teams that use SolarGrade to standardize fieldwork across the full project lifecycle. It walks through five common EPC use cases and explains, step by step, how to accomplish each one using functionality that exists today in the SolarGrade web (desktop) and mobile applications. 

Every instruction below maps to a real SolarGrade feature. Where a feature is restricted (for example, to Admin users, to desktop only, or to Business/Enterprise plans), that restriction is called out. For deeper detail on any module, refer to the matching article in the SolarGrade Support Center. 

Before you start: Two core rules apply throughout this guide: 

1. Inspectors must be assigned to both the project and the site visit to see project information and complete fieldwork.
2. Always sync the mobile app after fieldwork. If data is on the device but has not synced, it is not on the server and cannot be reported on.

A pre-construction site survey captures existing site conditions, access constraints, and as-found information before crews mobilize. In SolarGrade, a survey is run as a site visit built from a survey-oriented template, anchored to a georeferenced drawing so every observation is tied to a physical location on the planned layout. 

1. Set up the project and lifecycle status 

Create the project first so the survey has a home and so its drawings, contacts, and findings stay together. 

• Click Projects in the side navigation, then Add Project and Add New Project. 
• Enter the project name, location (by address or coordinates), and a primary contact — these are the only required fields. 
• Add a Custom ID if your company uses an internal naming system. 
• Enter any known system information, modules, inverters, racking, and energy-storage details from the design package. 
• Set the project status to Development or Pre-Construction so the project clearly reflects its phase. 
• Assign your survey team, then click SAVE. You will then be prompted to upload drawings. 

Lifecycle statuses available: Development, Pre-Construction, Construction, Commissioning & Energization, Operational, Systemic Remediation, and Decommissioned. Update the status as the project moves forward so dashboards stay accurate. 

2. Record stakeholder contacts 

Contacts are people or organizations connected to the project who do not need to log in to SolarGrade. They are used for stakeholder tracking and for sharing reports. For a survey, capture the parties you will coordinate with on access and conditions. 

• Add the asset owner / landowner, the developer, and any general or civil contractor using the appropriate Role (for example EPC, General Contractor, Civil Contractor, Developer, Asset Owner). 
• Record each contact's company, full name, email, and phone so survey crews can reach them on the day. 
• Set the main client as the Primary Contact by clicking the star icon next to their company name (every project requires one). 

3. Upload and georeference the site drawing 

Georeferencing overlays your PDF site plan onto a satellite map so survey pins drop in the correct real-world position. This is what lets the survey report show exactly where each condition was found. 

• Open the project and select the Documentation tab. 
• Click Edit/Add Drawings, select your site-plan PDF(s), then click Add Drawings. Link all drawings but upload roughly 10 for optimal performance. 
• Choose the drawing to georeference, rotate or crop it so only the site layout is showing. 
• Drag the red and yellow pins to opposite corners on both the drawing and the Google Maps view (for example red to the top-right, yellow to the bottom-left). 
• For large or greenfield sites where the map does not yet show the array, enter exact coordinates in the fields below the map instead of dragging pins. 
• Click Match, adjust if needed, click Ready, name the layout, then DONE. 

4. Build a survey template from informational items 

Surveys are about capturing data, not just pass/fail checks. SolarGrade templates organize work into sections, categories, and items, where items are either informational items (data you record) or issue items (failures you flag). For a survey, lean heavily on informational items. Start from a default template and adapt it rather than building from scratch. 

To start from a default: open Templates, toggle to Default Templates, choose one, and select Use as a pattern for a new template. Then drag and drop sections, categories, and items to match your survey checklist. 

Useful informational item types for a survey: 

Keep failures as issues: Anything that is a genuine non-conformity or pre-existing defect should be an issue item, not an informational item. Only issue items feed the issue summary and Analytics. 

5. Create the survey site visit 

• Open the project and select the Site Visits tab. 
• Click Create Site Visit (top-right). 
• Select your survey template from the library (copy a default into your space first if needed). 
• Assign the surveyor(s), a date range, and a scope, then save. Remember inspectors need to be on both the project and this site visit. 

6. Prepare for the field (mobile, offline-ready) 

Solar sites often have poor or no cell service, so prepare the device before leaving. SolarGrade works offline once data is downloaded. 

• On the mobile dashboard, filter Sort by next site visit to find the project. 
• Open the project and tap DOWNLOAD to store the drawings offline (faster on Wi-Fi). 
• Switch to the Site Visits tab and tap the blue download icon to sync the survey to the device. 
• Confirm the phone has location services, camera, and photo access enabled. 

7. Capture findings on-site 

• Work through the survey checklist; section and category colors move from gray to yellow (in progress) to green (complete). 
• Fill in informational items as you go: take geotagged photos, drop geolocations, and complete text and table fields. 
• If you find a pre-existing defect, flag it as an issue and set the status to Observation when it is a flag for the record rather than scoped remediation work. 
• Use the map / layout view to drop pins directly on the georeferenced drawing or satellite image. 

8. Sync, generate, and share the survey report 

• Sync the device: enable auto sync in Settings and manually sync photos. Confirm you see “all items synced” and “all photos synced.” 
• Write the executive summary, then Generate Report (desktop: from the top of the site visit; mobile: from the Details tab). 
• Share via the Share button — enter recipients, pick saved contacts, or create a shareable link. You can also Download PDF or Download .docx. 

QA/QC in SolarGrade is driven by standardized templates and the issue workflow. Inspectors run a consistent checklist, mark each item pass / fail / N/A, and document failures as structured issues with severity, location, and photos. Those issues then roll up into reports, punchlists, and portfolio-level Analytics. 

1. Build QA/QC templates from the defaults 

Every SolarGrade account ships with default templates built using NREL guidelines. They are comprehensive and easily adapted to EPC commissioning and quality inspections, so it is faster to trim a default than to build from scratch. 

• Open Templates and toggle to Default Templates. 
• Select the template closest to your inspection and click Use as a pattern for a new template. 
• Drag and drop sections, categories, and items to reflect your QA/QC workflow; delete what you do not need. 
• Keep categories broad (for example a single “Inverter 1” you can duplicate per unit during the inspection). 

Merge specialized checklists: Use the Merge icon on a template to combine, say, an inverter-specific checklist with your standard QA/QC list. Sections, categories, and items with the same name are combined automatically. 

2. Configure issue items for reliable data 

Issue items are the heart of QA/QC because each one supports pass, fail, and N/A and feeds analytics. Set them up well before fieldwork begins. 

• Give every issue a clear description stating what the issue is, why it matters, and the recommended next step. 
• Preset the severity for known issue types so criticality stays consistent across crews. 
• Make critical checks required so the site visit only reaches 100% when they are addressed. 
• Validate before rollout: create a test site visit, flag a few issues, and Export template as .pdf to confirm the output looks right. 

3. Complete the inspection 

• Create the QA/QC site visit from your template (Projects → the project → Site Visits → Create Site Visit). 
• On-site, mark each item: tap PASS when it conforms, FAIL (the yield icon) when it does not, or N/A. 
• To show good workmanship, add photos to pass items; they appear under “Issues marked as pass” in the report. 

4. Document failures as structured issues 

When you mark an item FAIL, the issue form opens. Complete these fields so the finding is fully documented and reportable: 

Closing in the field: If a crew corrects an issue on the spot, set the status to Closed and include two photos labeled “before” and “after.” 

5. Track installation progress 

Progress tracking turns countable QA/QC work (modules, piles, inverters, RSDs) into cumulative metrics and line graphs. 

• In the project's Project Details, expand Progress Tracking and click Add Project Tracker. 
• Name the tracked item and set a target quantity. 
• During each site visit, in the Progress Tracking section above Generate Report, enter the quantity completed; it adds to the project total and appears as graphs in the report. 

6. Manage remediation with punchlists 

A punchlist carries open issues forward into focused remediation work. 

• Remediation-only punchlist: on the Site Visits tab, click the three dots on a site visit line and choose Create Punchlist; it narrows scope to previously found issues. 
• Custom punchlist: on the Issue Summary tab, filter the issues you want, click Create Custom Punchlist, and optionally Add Template Data to merge those issues into a full template-based site visit. 
• Close issues by reopening the site visit or punchlist, tapping the failed item, and changing status to Closed. 

7. Generate QA/QC reports 

Reports are interactive and follow your template structure (sections become headings, categories subheadings). They open with an issue summary by status and criticality, a georeferencedmap with issue pins, the executive summary, project details, and an issue table ordered from highest to lowest criticality. 

• Use Report Customizations (the gear icon on the Reports tab) to control logos, footers, cover pages, which issue statuses/severities appear, whether pass photos are included, photo size, and more — and save different customizations per client. 
• Set a default customization per space, or as an account default under Settings (Admin only). 

8. Analyze QA/QC trends 

Analytics turns issue data into a dashboard of charts for portfolio-wide quality and reliability insight. 

• Open Analytics (Admin users, desktop, Business/Enterprise plans). The dashboard refreshes every six hours. 
• Filter first by projects, then by issue type (severity, category) to surface trends and problem areas. 
• Export the underlying issue data at the portfolio, project, or site-visit level (Projects → Export → Export Issues, or Download Issues from a site visit's three-dot menu). 

Clean data starts with templates: Consistent, concise issue names across the portfolio keep Analytics meaningful. Standardize naming in your templates, and remember failures must be issue items — issues logged as informational items will not appear in Analytics. 

EPCs frequently direct subcontractors and need their work documented to the same standard as in-house crews. SolarGrade supports two models: bring subs in as licensed Inspector users, or send them a license-free SG Lite form. Either way, the Planner, punchlists, and report import keep oversight centralized. 

1. Choose an oversight model 

2. Option A — Add a subcontractor as an Inspector 

Inspectors can conduct site visits but cannot edit or delete them, and only see projects they are assigned to — appropriate permissions for a subcontractor. 

• On the Teams page, click Invite, enter the sub's details, set the role to Inspector, and send. 
• Assign the sub to the project (Project → Team Members → EDIT → +), searching by name or company. 
• Assign the sub to the specific site visit as well — without both assignments they cannot open the work. 

Reference SolarGrade's subcontractor guide, which walks the sub through accepting the invite, downloading the app, selecting the correct account, downloading drawings offline, completing the site visit, and syncing. 

User roles at a glance: Account Owner, Admin, Manager, Inspector, and Viewer. Viewers only see reports shared with them and do not consume a license — useful for a sub's office staff who only need visibility. 

3. Option B — Use SG Lite for license-free contractors 

SG Lite is a simplified, web-based site-visit form that opens in a browser on desktop or mobile (where there is service) and needs no SolarGrade license. It is available on Enterprise accounts and is designed to let subs close out issues directly. Data entered through SG Lite is attributed to “SG Lite.” 

• In the project's Site Visits tab, create or locate the site visit (or punchlist) for the sub. 
• Click the share icon next to Generate Report (or on the site-visit line), generate the shareable link, and email it to the contractor. 
• The contractor opens the link, reviews the scope, and works through items — marking PASS / FAIL / N/A, dropping locations, adding annotated photos, and setting criticality, occurrence, prevalence, and status. 
• When finished, the contractor selects Submit for Approval; after submission they cannot edit further. 

4. Assign remediation work via punchlists 

• Generate a remediation-only punchlist from a site visit (three-dot menu → Create Punchlist) to hand a sub a focused list of open issues. 
• Or build a custom punchlist from the Issue Summary tab to pull issues across multiple site visits into one remediation scope. 
• Assign the punchlist's inspector (the sub or its lead), set the date range and scope, and save. 

5. Coordinate and schedule sub work with the Planner 

The Planner is SolarGrade's work-order system for scheduling and tracking on-site activity. Use it to direct subcontractor scopes and watch progress. 

• Create a Work Order for the sub's scope, with a status, dates, budget, projected hours, contact, project, and assigned team. 
• Add tasks: link or create a site visit, create a punchlist task from open issues, or add a custom task (for example “Mobilize crew”) with no linked site visit. 
• Track status on each task (Created, Scheduled, In progress, Under review, Approved, Delivered, Invoiced, Closed, Stuck/delayed) and watch percentage completion based on completed tasks. 
• Use the Notes field on a site visit to pass on access details or status to the sub; all users with access see who wrote it and when. 

6. Review, reopen, and close out submissions 

When a sub uses SG Lite, you control the form's state from the share menu on the site-visit line: 

• Change status from Pending Review to Open to let the contractor make further edits. 
• Change status to Closed to lock the form from any further outside edits once the work is acceptable. 

Keep statuses honest: Do not switch a remediated issue to Pass — keep it as Fail and set its status to Closed so the history of the defect and its fix is preserved. 

7. Consolidate work across companies with Report Import 

When a sub or partner runs work in their own SolarGrade account, importing their report gives you one consolidated, portfolio-wide view. 

• On the Reports tab, click Import Report, select the shared reports, and choose or create the project to attach them to. 
• Imported site visits arrive read-only; to act on them, create a punchlist or duplicate the site visit to make edits. 

Beyond individual inspections, SolarGrade gives EPC project managers a way to plan, schedule, budget, and report on field operations across every project. The Planner provides work-order and task management, while project status, progress tracking, the issue summary, and Analytics give at-a-glance visibility. 

1. Set up the project and keep its status current 

• Create the project with its system details, drawings, and contacts (see Section 1.1). 
• Move the project status through the lifecycle (Development → Pre-Construction → Construction → Commissioning & Energization → Operational) as work advances so dashboards and filters stay accurate. 
• Use the project tabs — Project Details, Team Members, Reports, Issue Summary, Photos, Site Visits, Drawing Set, and Work Orders — as the single folio for everything on that project. 

2. Organize the team and permissions 

Match SolarGrade roles to your project organization so people have the access they need and nothing more. 

• Add people on Teams → Invite, then assign to projects from the project's Team Members tab or from the Associated Projects column on the Teams page. 

3. Plan and schedule with Work Orders 

A Work Order (WO) is a group of tasks delivered for a client under a contract or scope. You can scope WOs however you like — per task, per contract/invoice, or per annual scope. 

• Open the Planner tab and click + ADD WORK ORDER. 
• Name the WO and set its status: Created, Contracted, Scheduled, Completed, Delivered, Invoiced, or Archived. 
• Set dates, a budget, projected hours, and a scope (add a new scope with an abbreviation if needed). 
• Select the contact, the project, and the team members associated with the project. 

4. Break work orders into tasks 

Tasks are the line items inside a WO. There are three types: 

Each task carries its own status (Created, Scheduled, In progress, Under review, Approved, Delivered, Invoiced, Closed, Stuck/delayed), dates, team, and description, and saves automatically. 

5. Track schedule, budget, and completion 

• Switch between the table view and the Gantt view (toggle, top-left). Drag dates directly on the Gantt chart to reschedule. 
• Compare budget vs. actual budget and hours vs. actual hours: the planned figures are your estimates; the actuals are the sum of completed task budgets and hours. 
• Watch percentage completion, which reflects completed tasks, and open a WO's History log to see every change over time. 
• Duplicate a WO (three-dot menu → Duplicate) to reuse its framework as a template for a recurring contact. 

6. Monitor field progress and open issues 

• Use the project's Progress Tracking graphs to see installed quantities against targets. 
• Use the Issue Summary tab to filter open vs. closed issues by severity, section, team member, and date, and to change a mis-categorized severity directly. 
• Use Analytics (Admin, desktop) for a portfolio-level view of safety and reliability trends. 

7. Report to stakeholders and export data 

• Generate and share interactive reports; apply client-specific Report Customizations and bulk-share to recipients. 
• Export to keep external systems in sync: Export Projects and Export Issues from the Projects page, and Export Work Orders (with all tasks) from the Planner — all to CSV. 
• Bulk-download photos from a project's Photos tab; files are renamed to their section and category. 

SolarGrade is one platform, but how an EPC configures it shifts with project scale. The core workflow — project, template, site visit, issue, report — is identical; what changes isgeoreferencing approach, template granularity, progress tracking, offline reliance, and reporting. This article highlights the practical differences. 

1. Utility-scale projects 

Large greenfield sites with many repeated assets, multiple crews, and limited connectivity. 

• Georeference with exact coordinates rather than dragging pins — during construction the array is not yet visible on satellite maps. Enter coordinates in the fields below the Google Maps view. 
• Keep templates broad and duplicable: a single “Inverter 1” or “Block 1” category you duplicate per unit on-site is easier to manage than hundreds of pre-built ones. 
• Lean on Progress Tracking for piles, modules, and trackers installed at scale, and use prevalence (Isolated → Systemic) plus occurrence to characterize widespread issues without pinning every one. 
• Treat offline mode and syncing as essential: download drawings and site visits before mobilizing, enable auto sync, and offload old site visits to keep the app fast. 
• Coordinate multiple crews and scopes through the Planner, and watch portfolio trends in Analytics. 

2. Commercial & industrial (C&I) projects 

Rooftop, carport, and mid-size ground mounts, often delivered to a developer or asset owner with specific reporting expectations. 

• Georeferencing usually works well from satellite imagery or a clear roof plan; crop the drawing to the array footprint before matching pins. 
• Capture roof- and structure-specific data with informational items (penetrations, attachment types, conduit runs) alongside the standard QA/QC issue checks. 
• Maintain a report customization per client so logos, cover pages, and included sections match each stakeholder's expectations. 
• Use Work Orders aligned to the contract/invoice, and Report Import when an O&M partner or owner's engineer shares findings. 

3. Residential / home projects 

High volume, small systems, fast turnarounds, and often a single technician per visit. 

• Use lighter templates focused on the essential install and code checks so visits stay quick and the progress bar reaches 100% cleanly. 
• Record the homeowner as a Contact (no login needed) so crews can coordinate access and the final report can be shared with them. 
• Where a roofing or electrical sub does not need a license, send an SG Lite link to capture or close out work (Enterprise plans). 
• Consider bulk project upload (via the CSV template from Support) when onboarding many homes at once, and use Custom IDs to match your internal job numbers. 

4. Side-by-side comparison 

Common thread: Whatever the segment, the fundamentals do not change: assign inspectors to both the project and the site visit, log failures as issue items (not informational items), and sync before leaving site. Get those right and every report, punchlist, and Analytics view stays accurate.