Site Visits — Mobile App

Site visits are the meat of SolarGrade. We use “site visits” to refer to all site visits or fieldwork instances. The site visit feature is where teams can work through a streamlined checklist that standardizes the fieldwork into reports.

These site visits are built using templates and can be customized according to each site. All site visits will display the template from which they were created in italics at the top of the page underneath the title. 

Navigating Progress Within Site Visits
As you work through a site visit checklist, your progress is tracked via the progress bar at the top of the mobile app. To help you determine what you’ve accomplished already, your findings are color-coded.

• Gray (blue on desktop) — indicates that a section or category has not been started
• Yellow — in progress
• Green — completed

• Select the project from the dashboard
• Tap the ADD SITE VISIT button in the top right corner
• Select the desired template from your template library
• Assign
  • Inspectors (Please note: inspectors need to be assigned to both the project and the site visit in order to access both the project information and site visit information)
  • Date range
  • Scope

**This checklist is very important for inspectors to complete!

Solar is often built where land is cheap. You’re not always guaranteed to have good cell service, or any at all. Luckily, SolarGrade works both on- and off-line. But to ensure that you’re prepared for any scenario, we’ve developed a checklist for technicians, engineers, and anyone on-site to conduct prior to going to a job site.

1. Locate the project of your upcoming site visit by filtering SORT BY NEXT SITE VISIT on the mobile app dashboard
2. Download the project drawings to have off-line by selecting DOWNLOAD (note: this process will go faster if you have wifi or good service)
3. Toggle over to the SITE VISITS tab
4. Find your upcoming site visit by using the filter button (by site visit name, inspector name, site visit scope, date range)
5. Sync the upcoming site visit to your device by selecting the download icon (blue downward arrow)
6. Double check that your phone has location services, camera, and photo access enabled

Adding New

For Sections and Categories—

• Select the + symbol at the top of that page
• Type in the name of the new Section or Category

For Informational Items—

• Select the + symbol at the top of that page
• Type in the name of the new Informational Item
• Select the type of Informational Item
  • Binary checkboxes
    • Indicate confirmation and negation options
  • Multiple checkboxes
    • Input various options
  • Date
  • Number
    • Input options if applicable
  • Range
    • Input range options if applicable
  • Signature
  • Text
  • Photo
  • Table
    • Label the table
  • Progress Bar
  • Geolocation

For Issue Items—

• Select the notepad symbol at the top of that page
• Type in the name of the new Issue
• Write out the new description
  • Include what the issue is, why it’s significant, and recommended next steps

Editing Existing

All Sections, Categories, and Items can be edited or duplicated in the field. 

For Sections and Categories—

• To open the edit tray, you can either (1) tap the 3 vertical dots in to the left of the Section or Category title or (2) select the EDIT button at the top of the page
• Select the pencil symbol to edit
• Select the double rectangle to duplicate
• Select the trash can to delete (you will be prompted to confirm you wish to delete)
• To close the edit tray, you can either (1) tap the 3 vertical dots to the left again or (2) select DONE at the top of the page

For Items—

• To open the edit tray, you can either (1) tap the 3 vertical dots in to the left of the Section or Category title or (2) select the EDIT button at the top of the page
• Select the pencil symbol to edit
• Select the double rectangle to duplicate
  • When you duplicate an issue, the severity, status, and description are also copied over. This leaves you free to snap a new photo and add a new location.
• Select the trash can to delete (you will be prompted to confirm you wish to delete)
• Select the circle arrow to clear the item and reset to the template setting
• To close the edit tray, you can either (1) tap the 3 vertical dots to the left again or (2) select DONE at the top of the page

Merging Items

Accidentally created two of the same issue? No problem. Now you can merge two issues and condense all of the photos and locations into 1 issue with multiple locations. The occurrence values will be added together. You will have the option to choose which description and which severity you want for the merged issue. 

To merge an issue: 

• Select the 3 vertical dots near the issue title 
• Select MERGE 
• Choose the issue you would like to merge with 
• Choose the description and severity fields you would like to include 
• Click MERGE 

There are two ways to create an issue from a site visit: one using the notebook view and the other using the map view. The notebook view is the default setting for all SolarGrade users. You know you’re in this view when you have to swipe between sections, categories, and items and see a checklist of items to check.

This article is designed to walk you through how to create an issue when you find a failure on-site.

• When you find an issue item, select FAIL or tap the yield icon in that item’s line
• The description box will populate with a pre-written description that states what the issue is, why it’s significant, and the recommended action
  • You can modify the description
  • Use the barcode scanner to add serial numbers of the equipment as necessary
• Georeference the issue
  • Tap the Location button to start the process. You can manually drop a pin on the map or drawing by tapping the screen. On the mobile app, you can add pins using the Google Maps satellite view or the drawing layout view by selecting the tab at the top of the page. 
  • You can also use phone or tablet’s GPS to add location coordinates of the issue. To do this, tap the Location button to open the map or drawing view, then tap the compass icon in the bottom left corner. Adjust as necessary. 
  • On the mobile app, you can also add a location by uploading or taking a photo within SolarGrade (if you have location services turned on for your device’s camera app). If you do, you will be prompted to confirm the photo’s location as the issue location once you take or upload a photo. If the location is not accurate, you can cancel or disable this feature.
  • You can add multiple locations per one issue
    • Select the Location button as you would ordinarily select a location
    • Select the carrot/arrow button in the bottom right corner
    • Select the + sign
    • Tap where on the screen you would like to add an arrow (you can do this indefinitely)
    • You can move or delete locations using the other icons
• Add photos of the issue
  • Use the app to snap new photos
  • Upload photos from your camera roll (note: if you have the location settings turned on for your device, then you will be prompted to use that image’s location as the issue location) 
  • The uploading user is tagged under that photo along with a timestamp of the upload or image edit
  • You can edit photos by tapping/clicking on the uploaded photo. This will pull up an editing window where you can add shapes, text, draw, and annotate the photo. Hit SAVE to save your edits.
  • You can add a caption to the photo by selecting the caption icon transposed on the top right corner of the photo.
• Choose the criticality level
• Assign occurrences
  • The occurrence value will default to the number of locations tagged. However, users can add a value greater than the number of locations.
  • For systemic issues: you will likely add a new issue or duplicate an existing issue until it is revealed to be systemic, in which case you will want to update the occurrence to 100%
• Assign a prevalence
  • This is a way to indicate the pervasiveness of an issue without noting each location or occurrence. There are 4 options: isolated, prevalent, endemic, and systemic. 
• Choose the status
  • Closed
    • If you were able to correct in the field
    • Include 2 photos — one labeled “before” and the other labeled “after”
  • Open
    • Creates an open issue for future remedy
  • Observation
    • For when you’re not certain if it’s against code, but want to flag it nonetheless
    • For keeping information internal — does not show as a task in the report

No matter where you are in a site visit, there is a button in the bottom left with a compass icon. If you double tap this icon, it pulls up a layout view of the site with all of the issues flagged. This view is also as interactive as a SolarGrade report. If you tap on the pin once, you will see the name of the issue. If you tap on the pin again, you will be taken to that particular issue within the site visit. It’s the perfect tool for punchlists.

If you double tap the icon again, you can also see your device’s GPS location to find your location on-site.

Creating Issues from the Map View

Traditionally, SolarGrade checklists have appeared in a notebook view, allowing you to swipe between sections, categories, and items.

With the layout mode, you can create an issue from the map. To do this:

• Select the compass icon in the bottom left corner of the site visit.
• Select the button with the arrow pointing upwards
• Select the flag icon
• Choose the location
• Choose the section, category, and item. If it is a new issue, select OTHER to create a new issue.
• Add a description, photos, prevalence, and any other related information
• Select SAVE

You can also add issues by dipping into the repository of recent issues. To do this:

• Once you select the flag, toggle over to RECENT tab
• Select the issue that you would like to use
• Add any additional information
• Select CLOSE

If you want to duplicate an existing issue, simply:

• Tap the pin
• Select the DUPLICATE button
• Choose a new location
• Add any additional information
• Select CLOSE

If you want to delete an existing issue, you can either:

• Tap the pin
• Select the DELETE button
• Confirm that you want to delete that item

OR

• Select the button with the arrow pointing upwards
• Select the trash can icon
• Tap the pin you want to delete
• Confirm that you want to delete that item

**This action is critical for inspectors. If the data is on your device and has not synced with the server, we do not have access to that information.

When you have completed the site visit in the field, be sure to sync your mobile device with the server. 

Auto sync capability:

SolarGrade auto sync can be enabled on any mobile device. This feature allows for the automatic syncing of issue data with any type of connection, not only wifi, and has no speed threshold. If there is a connection, elements will be synced as soon as they are added/edited. If there is no connection, the sync will start when the device is online. 

Note: you will still need to manually sync photos!

• To enable auto sync, select the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the mobile app
• Tap Settlings
• Toggle on auto sync
• Please also note that the app will need to be open to start the auto sync. Then, it will continue if the app is minimized (not closed) or the screen is off

To manually sync issues:

• Pull down during a site visit
• Return to the site visit details page and select the sync button

To sync photos:

• Return to the site visit details page and select the sync button

You know that you have synced properly when there are 2 checkmarks and the text “all items synced” and “all photos synced” when you navigated to the site visit details page.

If you encounter sync issues:

• Select the menu button (3 horizontal lines in the top left corner of the app)
• Tap Cloud Sync. This page will show you which issues or photos have not synced.

The Cloud Sync page is where you can see all of the data you have on your device that is pending synchronization with the SolarGrade server. Remember to perform this process after a site visit so that photos and items get uploaded in a timely manner.

Note: If you ever encounter an error message while syncing or are unable to sync aspects of a site visit, the Cloud Sync menu is also where you would see that error message and be able to sync with the server.

To access Cloud Sync:

• Tap the 3 horizontal lines in the top left corner of your mobile app
• Select the CLOUD SYNC option
• Here you should be able to see all of the pending data. Here you can easily sync the data for multiple site visits. 

Hey! You must be a subcontractor who’s been asked to work in SolarGrade. This article/video is designed to get you feeling comfortable with the software.

• To kick things off, you will need to be invited to an account by an existing SolarGrade user.  
• Once you have received your invitation via email, go ahead and click ACCEPT INVITE to create a SolarGrade account.
• Note: you will need to create an account using this link. If you do not create one using this link, you will not have access to the shared account. 
• Once you create an account, head to the Google Play or App Store, search for SolarGrade, and download the app.  
• Use your SolarGrade credentials to log in. 
• Once in the app, make sure you’re in the right account. An account is where all of a company’s projects and associated work is stored. 
• If you only have one available account, it will default to that account. However, if you do subcontractor work for multiple companies using SolarGrade, select the account you wish to use.  
• This brings you to the project dashboard. Use the filters at the top of the page to sort by upcoming site visit or scroll down to choose the project you are working on.  
• Here you have all of your project information. These are great references as you work on-site. At the very bottom of the page, be sure to select the DOWNLOAD button for the project drawings. This means you will have access to the project drawings offline. 
• To access the site visit, toggle over to “Site Visit Log” 
• Click into the site visit you are working on. This will download the site visit to your device, so it will be available offline.  
  • If nothing appears here or you’re not able to make changes to your site visit, you were likely assigned to the project, but not the site visit. You will need to coordinate with someone in the company account to add you to both the project and the inspection. 
• Once in the site visit, there are two pages. 
  • The first page is titled “Site Visit Details” and includes all the pre-site information — who’s going, when they’re going, what they’re doing, etc. It also includes a field for your executive summary. 
  • To get to the second page, select the toggle at the top of the screen titled “Site Visit Form”. This will bring you to the on-site checklist. You can navigate between site visit sections, categories, and items by swiping back and forth. Here you can create issues using the notebook view and the map view. Be sure to check out our Support Center for more information on those. 
• When you’ve completed your site visit, make sure to sync your device with the cloud. You can do this by: 
  • Pulling down in a site visit, or 
  • Selecting the SYNC buttons on the “Site Visit Details” page, or 
  • By navigating to the Cloud Sync page and selecting the sync buttons there 
  • Again, check out our Support Center for more information on syncing. 

As always, be sure to reach out with any questions.

Creating a Remediation-Only Punchlist

• From the dashboard, navigate to the relevant project

• Select the site visits tab

• Locate the site visit from which you want to create a punchlist

• From the details page, scroll down and click the CREATE PUNCHLIST button

• Assign

  • Inspectors

  • Date range

  • Scope

• Scroll to the bottom of the page and select SAVE SITE VISIT

Exporting the Support File from your mobile app allows our developers to investigate what has happened in a more detailed manner. Please send all files to solargrade@heliovolta.com.

If you have not already spoken with a SolarGrade support member, we will reach out.

Here is how to export the support file:

• On the mobile app, select the icon with 3 horizontal lines to open the SolarGrade menu.
• Select the item called Settings next to the gear icon. 
• Tap the button to “Export Support file” at the bottom of the screen.
• Please then email this file to solargrade@heliovolta.com.

Need to leave a note for your team about access to a site? Want to give a head’s up that the report is ready for review? You can now enter a short note to a site visit to notify other users of important events on-site, site visit status, and more. This new field is on the Site visit details page on the mobile app or at the top of a site visit on the desktop. It is a text rich field, which means you can bold, italicize, add hyperlinks, and add bullets and numbering. Once a note is added, all users with access to that site visit will see the note, the user who wrote it, and the date/time that it was added. However, any data in the Notes field is not included in the report.

To create a note:

• Select the NOTES section
• Add your note. This is text rich field, so you can use bold, italics, numbering, or bullet points.
• When you’re finished, click the ADD button to add your note.

Many teams don't want their reports to only include issues of errors and failures. Many teams want to include examples of things that were done correctly on-site. Does this sound like you? Meet your newest favorite feature: adding photos to pass issues. 

You can now add photos to issues that are marked as pass. To do this:

• Mark an issue as pass
• Select the ADD PHOTO button
• Add any related photos
• Select SAVE

These photos will now appear in the report in the "Issues marked as pass" category. 

To opt out of including these in reports, please create a report customization. To learn more about report customizations, click here.