Q. how to scale plan into open solar
Once I have a floor plan loaded into open solar how do I adjust the scale of the plan?
A You can upload or import your floor plan by doing:
1. Go to your Design tab.
2. Click Add Site Plan or Upload Image.
3. Choose your floor plan or aerial image (JPG, PNG, or PDF).
Once uploaded, it will appear as the background for your design.
• Go to Advanced settings:
• Select the Roof tool.
• Once that is done, click the align button.
• Use the arrows on the side of the image in conjunction with the rotating and moving arrows to align the image in its correct location using the created line as a guide
Q. How do i remove shading override ?
Why are you not able to track the shading of Single tilt racking
A. You may click on any panel group (horizon shading applies to all arrays in the project).
Go to the Shading section in the left-hand settings menu.
You may select the Shading Method.
OpenSolar’s shading analysis relies on a 3D model of roof geometry or mounting surfaces to simulate shadows from obstructions and nearby objects.
When you select Single Tilt Racking, the system treats it as a ground-mounted or flat-surface structure without detailed 3D geometry
Q. How can I extend the expiry date on a project?
How to I change the date created as I think this is the issue?
Where will I find the configuration settings of the expiry date?
A. If you need to extend or change a proposal’s validity period:
You may change the Valid date of the Proposal by going to Control > Purchase Experience > Proposal Template > Proposal Settings > update the Valid date
Or
- Navigate to the Online Proposal section of the project.
- Click “Customise Proposal”
- Update the “Valid Until” field with your desired expiration date.
Q. Can I put didfferent tariffs on different systems within the same design
how do I do this
Can you override the consumption on different systems?
I cannot see this option
A. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to apply two different tariffs within the same project in OpenSolar, even if multiple systems are included. As an alternative, I recommend creating separate projects, each with its own tariff configuration. This approach will allow you to accurately model and present the different tariff options for each system.
Q. Client accidentally marked the wrong system as approved how can I undo that?
A. Follow these steps to unsell a project in OpenSolar:
- Open the Project
- Go to the Manage section of the project you want to update.
- Update Sales Status
- Expand the Sales tab.
- Uncheck the Sold box.
- This will remove the sale date, selected system, and payment option.
- Delete the Transaction
- Scroll back up to the Documents section.
- Click on the Transactions tab.
- Click the Trash icon next to the transaction to delete it.
- Change the stage to Design
- Scroll up to in the manage page.
- Select the "Designing" stage
- Save
- Confirm your changes by saving the window.
At this point, the project is marked as unsold and open for updates.
Q. Where can I enter the system price?
A. You may follow the steps below.
- In the Pricing section, click “Enter Price Manually”.
- Enter the system price directly.
- Add any relevant Adders or Discounts, which will adjust the manual price accordingly.
Q. How/where Can I show the required area for the panels in the proposal?
A. You change the currency of your account by going to Control > Company > Business Information > Change the correct country > Then the currency will automatically change depending on your location.
Q. How to change panel orientation?
A. You can click on the panel array (the group of panels) you want to modify. You can choose between Portrait or Landscape orientation.
Q. Why do my custom tariffs not show up on my proposal? I want the custom tariff to be visible to the customer on the proposal. If you use a simple flat rate will it be visible to the customer in the proposal I need to make it visible. Why wont the tariff show up on the proposal at all.
A. You can enable this in the Control > Purchase Experience > Proposal Template > edit > Proposal Settings > make sure that the Tariff Showcase tile and Bill savings are enabled. You can also add the Tariff Summary Table (Proposed) placeholder in the Bill Savings to show the Tariffs in the Proposal by going to Control > Purchase Experience > Proposal Template > edit > Proposal Content > Bill Savings content box.
Q. Is there a way to mark declined quotes?
A. At the moment, OpenSolar doesn’t have a dedicated “Declined” status specifically for quotes.
Q. How Can I restore a deleted cost scheme?
A. Unfortunately, once a Cost Scheme has been deleted, it cannot be directly restored within OpenSolar. Deletion permanently removes that scheme from your organization’s settings.
Q. How do I complete a structural roof survey report for a project?
A. You can generate the Structural report by going to the Project > Manage > Document > + Sign . Generate Document > Choose Structural Report > Then customize the mounting weight.
Q. can you calculate voltage rise and AC cable sizing in open solar?
A. As of now, OpenSolar does not have a built-in tool for calculating voltage rise or automatically sizing AC cables within the design interface. However, here’s how you can manage this aspect within OpenSolar and through external support:
Q. What does it mean if somebody read the invitation email?
A. This mean your customer opens the invitation email Proposal.
Q. Why is the Project ID number greyed out?
A. It is greyed out because it can't be edited.
Q. Can I assign all unassigned project at once?
A. Unfortunately, we don't have a way of assigning the projects at once.
Q. How do I delete a proposal?
A. To delete a proposal, follow these steps:
Old UI:
Go into the manage page of the project.
Scroll to the end of the page.
Select the delete option.
New UI:
Go to the manage page.
At the top of the page, click the three vertical dots on the right-hand side.
Select "Delete project."
Q. When creating a custom role in OpenSolar, is it possible to also assign a default costing sheet to this custom role?
A. Unfortunately, currently cost scheme can only be auto applied to State, zip code/postcode, component codes, and system size.
Q. How can I check if a customer has opened a link?
A. To check if a customer has opened a proposal, you can look for notifications in your system. When a customer views an online proposal, the assigned team member will receive a notification. You can also this in the Manage tab > Activity.
Q: what roof material is fiber cement from the drop-down menu
A: A fiber cement roof is a roofing material made from a combination of cement, cellulose fibers, and additives. It's a popular choice for both residential and commercial buildings.
Q: how long does an ACH take to hit our bank account
A: ACH payments usually take 3 business days to get approved. they are paid out 2 days after they get approved
Q: How can I add trenching to a project?
A: You can add trenching to a project by going to control > pricing and payment > Adders library and creating an adder for the trenching. After this is created, it can be added to the project from the pricing tab by selecting +adder/discount. You can find more information about creating your adders here: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4416757946393-Adders-Library
Q: Do I need to pay for the Lite version?
A: You do not have to pay for the lite version of OpenSolar. The entire OpenSolar application is completely free.
Q: What does In progress mean in the cashflow tab
A: The in-progress status appears in the cashflow tab when you are in the onboarding process and the requested files have been uploaded. The in-progress shows these documents are being reviewed.
Q: Can I limit the "designer" user rights so they can't not chose a different pricing schema than the standard one?
A: You can limit the designer's rights so they can't choose a different pricing scheme by creating a custom role for them. Custom roles can be created by going to control > Company > Custom Roles. From there, remove the pricing access on the design section.
Q: how do you change the color of walls
A: At this time the color of the walls can not be changed when creating a manual 3D design
Q: When you send the proposal online how do you add another email address in
A: To add another email address to receive the proposal please go to the manage tab of the project and in the customer section select "Add another". This will allow you to enter the information for a second customer.
Q: hi there, how can i change the tiles or add tiles to a roof when I'm using the manual design tool
A: When designing in manual 3D, you can click the view at the bottom of the screen and select "more". From there, select the alternative texture button which will give you a shingle effect for the roof. At this moment, this is the only option and color for the roof.
Q: is there a way to access old signed contracts?
A: You can access old singed contracts by going to the project this was signed in. From there go to the manage tab and under the document section there should be the original contract and proposal that was signed by the customer.
Q: archive tariff
A: At this time tariffs can not be archived but you can delete a manually created tariff by going to control > other > utility tariff. From there, select the trash icon to delete the tariff created.
Q: how much does Nearmap pay per project cost in the US?
A: At the moment, Nearmap pay per project has the following cost:
AU - $5.45 plus $0.55 GST
UK - £3.99 plus tax
US - $4.50 plus tax
Q: How do I stop setbacks from automatically being added when building a 3d design?
A: To stop setbacks from automatically being applied to projects you can go to control > design and hardware > setbacks and design settings. From there, edit the default template and toggle off the "auto-apply".
Q: Can we add a customer-facing OpenSolar design on our website?
A: At the moment, the OpenSolar design can not be added to a different website.
Q: soiling
A: Soiling can be added by going to control > design and hardware > setbacks and design settings. From there, edit your template and expand the simulation settings. Under the SAM losses, there will be a field to add soiling information.
Q: manual item should not have the 30% tax credit applied to it
A: To stop a manual item or adder from being counted towards the 30% tax credit, please go to the pricing tab within the design. From there, enter the amount that should not be counted in the "non-solar amount included" field.
Q: How to check the user role?
A: You can check a user role by going to control > company > team. From there edit the team member and under the "role" drop down you should be able to see the role they have assigned.
Q: Are you familiar with Zapier?
A: OpenSolar does not currently have an integration with Zapier but we have an open API you can use to make these types of connections. To obtain an API you will need to hire an external software development company. You can find all the information on this URL https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407230526745-Using-the-OpenSolar-API and your developers can use this link https://developers.opensolar.com/#introduction to access
Q: What is costing schemes
A: A costing scheme is a template that details all the costs your company inquires from each of the jobs completed. In this template, you can add costs like labor, and acquisition among others. This can be set up within the control > Pricing and payment > costing scheme. You can find more information about this here: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407182185625-How-to-set-up-your-Cost-Schemes
Q: can I replace all panels with one click
A: You can replace all panels with one click by going to the module tab within the design and clicking on the selected panel. This will open up the module pop-out which will allow you to select a new module and this changes all the panels in the design that are laid out to the new selection.
Q: how to connect with Pabbly?
A: OpenSolar does not currently have an integration with Pabbly but we have an open API you can use to make these types of connections. To obtain an API you will need to hire an external software development company. You can find all the information on this URL https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407230526745-Using-the-OpenSolar-API and your developers can use this link https://developers.opensolar.com/#introduction to access
Q: how do i access the control zone
A: You can access the control zone by clicking on the word "control" in the top left corner.
Q: Unspecified 504
A: This error shows when there is too much information for the project to complete the calculations successfully. This could be due to a very big system or too many system options. If you have a big system, please take a look at this article with tips on how to help it run smoother: How to design commercial projects in OpenSolar. If you have more than 4 system options please delete a few options to allow the system to finish calculations.
Q: How can I tell Opensolar that the system I am designing is nem 2 or nem 1?
A: You can tell if your project is on NEM3, NEM2, or NEM1 by going to the energy tab within a project. From there, scroll down to the tariff section and take a look at the name of the tariff. All tariffs in NEM3 will say NEM3, all the tariffs on NEM2 will say NEM2 on the tile, and all others on NEM1 will not say any information.
Q: do roi numbers take into account the federal tax credit
A: The number taken into account for the ROI and payback time is the net system cost which is deducting the ITC or federal tax credit which means this is taken into account for the ROI.
Q: Import 3rd party energy production
A: You can import 3rd party energy production by going to the design > summary > advance settings and within the calculator select "import 3rd party"
Q: What simulation engine is used by OpenSolar?
A: Currently, OpenSolar design uses, MCS, SAM, and PVWatts as their engine calculator to simulate the production information. MCS is only available in the UK while SAM and PVWatts are available everywhere. You can find out more about the calculators here: How is Output Calculated in OpenSolar?
Q: can I use a private account in OpenSolar so the team does not see the OpenSolar brand?
A: At the moment OpenSolar does not provide accounts completely free of the OpenSolar branding.
Q: is there any option for team members to log in with a different login form?
A: At the moment there is no option for team members to log in with different login forms. Each team member should have one login to be used at all times. This should be set up within the control > company > team. Each team member should be given a role that will determine their level of access to the application
Q: how to change icon colors
A: The icon colors of the design can not be changed. The only color that can be currently changed in the software is the color that is shown in the proposal. This can be changed within the control > company > business information using the field "color highlight".
Q: operation and maintenance costing
A: Operation and maintenance costs can be added within the adders library located in the control > Pricing and payment > adders library. You can find more information about adding your adders here: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4416757946393-Adders-Library
Q: Is there a letter of consent form in OpenSolar?
A: OpenSolar does not a a letter of consent as a template available but you can upload one to use for your organization within the control > other > document template. You can find more information about this here: How to add or edit documents to OpenSolar
Q: How can I add custom products to a proposal?
A: You can add your custom product by entering the specification of the component manually. Or, you can also send us a copy of the spec sheet and we can upload it for you in our database. You can the following articles below: How to add your hardware components
Q: How can I get rid of the "review and sign contract" step when I click on authorization agreement?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to remove this step. The purpose of this is for the customer to see the full details of the project and the contract first before accepting it.
Q: How to have a setting that there will be an email notification sent to the "quote provider" once a customer views the proposal?
A: If the quote provider is the assigned team member in the project, this member will receives a notifications regarding the activities of the project including when the customer views the proposal.
Q: Can I set up an automatic reminder for the customers that have not opened the proposal?
A: Unfortunately, this is not possible in OpenSolar. We will send this to our team for enhancement purposes.
Q: I want to edit the quotation number?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to change the project ID no. It is being automatically generated by the system.
Q: Can multiple people work on a single project?
A: Yes, as long as the team member as the access on the specific project. You can customize the roles and permissions of the team members in this help center article. How to create custom roles and add team members
Q: How do I calculate battery savings with existing solar?
A: To calculate battery savings with an existing solar system, you would have to set up the original system as normal and then, under the advanced settings of the existing system, duplicate the original system, and add the battery as required, including any additional inverter. Hide the original system, and then the online proposal shows the benefits of the battery. You can also refer to this article for more information: How to design on existing system (Retrofit)
Q: What is a node?
A: A solar node is a self-powered device that uses solar energy to connect to a network and collect data. Solar nodes can be used for a variety of purposes, including monitoring solar radiation and collecting data from transducers.
How does a solar node work?
A solar panel connects to an access point (AP)
A charging controller stores the electrical energy from the solar panel into a battery
The node consumes energy from the battery to supply energy continuously
Q: how to remove the open solar brand name under the offer
A: At this moment the OpenSolar branding can not be removed from any of the offers
Q: Once interval data is uploaded, is it possible to add more usage for future use, for example adding an air conditioner in the future
A: If you want to add extra usage on top of the interval data, this must be added to the file you are loading prior to loading the file. Once the file is loaded, unfortunately there is no other place to add the extra usage in.
Q: Does it cost me more to create additional projects?
A: No, you can create as many projects as you like in OpenSolar.
Q: Where can I change the text in the proposal disclaimer?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to edit the text in the proposal disclaimer.
Q: What is margin in the context of OpenSolar?
A: The margin in the context of OpenSolar is how much profit you are going to make from a project. You can see it in under the Pricing tab section in the Design Studio.
Q: How do I use mounting systems that are not listed?
A: To use the mounting system, it would be advisable to send us a spec sheet of all the components if the mounting system is not currently on OpenSolar. This is normally a very large document with all the information so that we can get the products uploaded to OpenSolar. This will not be easy for you to select all the components, but it will give you all the product codes for the bill of materials. If you have contact with the manufacturer and want to pass that over to us, we can reach out to the manufacturer and see if they want to join us as an exhibitor with the auto builder, but that will take some time.
Q: Can I drop a pin for an address instead of putting a coordinate?
A: Unfortunately, dropping a pin for an address is not yet possible in OpenSolar.
Q: Position obstruction set distance from roof edge
A: When adding an obstruction to the roof, you will need to manually place the point where the obstruction will be located. With the obstruction selected, you can right-click on the point to change the shape of your obstruction. You can use the menu on the left-hand side to change the length, Width, and Height of the obstruction.
Q: I’m trying to upload a utility bill but I'm getting a communication service error.
A: Normally, the file size causes the Server Communication Error when uploading a utility bill. We suggest uploading a file that is less than 1 MB.
Q: In California the power push feature we mentioned during the high export times are critical to show our customers the specific savings. Let us know if there is a way for the modeling software to show this feature even if it's specifically for the major California utilities market.
A: The value of selling energy back to the grid is still calculated using the Avoided Cost Calculator (ACC) in which feed-in-tariffs are modeled in different hourly prices per month, and per weekday vs weekend corresponding 576 generation export rates and 576 non-generation export credits for each year (12 months x 24 hours = 288 different export rates for weekday and another 288 export rates for weekend).
When you create a project and proceed to Energy > Proposed Tariff, as long as the proposed tariff is set to any NEM3 rate, you would notice that there is a portion of the tariff tabulating export rates (combination of generation and non-generation) that averages the 576 point export credits. That being said, these are also well-taken into consideration as we calculate the bill savings in the Online Proposal section.
Q: How do you create a 400mm boundary around the panel layout in the design?
A: Unfortunately, it is not possible to add a 400mm boundary around the panel layout. The texture of the panels is based on how the panels look in real life. Hence, if a particular panel appears black, it means that the panel is an all-black/triple-black model.
Q: Why isn’t there a price against inverter and batteries in COGS?
A: To show the pricing for inverters and batteries in COGS, you will need to input the price in the “Detailed Pricing” for each component. Here’s a helpful article that provides the step-by-step process for setting up How to Add Pricing for Components
Q: How do I add optional extra to the proposal?
A: Unfortunately, adding optional extra is not possible in OpenSolar.
Q: Set preferred solar panel for design.
A: You can follow these steps to set your preferred solar panel:
Go to Control
Click the Design & Hardware drop-down which will show the settings there
Go to Modules
If your preferred module is not in the active list yet, you can click the + Add From Database to search and add the module
Once added to the active list, toggle on the Default Module button at bottom of the specification to set it as the default panel for your projects
Q: How do I straighten up the modules?
A: You can use the rotate button to straighten up the modules when it appears after adding the modules to the design.
Q: How can I get emails to let me know when a proposal has been opened?
A: To receive an email notification when a customer opens a proposal:
Ensure you are the assigned team member for the project
Go to the Manage tab to make sure that you are the assigned team member.
Q: Why does my panel have a yellow box around when designing?
A: The yellow box around the panel when designing is used to identify the separation between panels.
Q: Is it possible to upload a custom proposal template?
A: Uploading your custom proposal template is not possible in OpenSolar. However, you will be able to create/customize your proposal in OpenSolar. Here's an article that will walk you through how to How to create your proposal template
Q: Under Net Financial Impact, Detailed Financials - how is Net Present value calculated?
A: This is calculated by dividing the years n total cash flow by (1+ discount rate)^n or using the following formula: "The Net Present Value (NPV) is the sum of the total cash flows for each year, discounted to their present value using a specified discount rate. Each year’s cash flow is divided by (1 plus the discount rate) raised to the power of the corresponding year."
Q: How can I check if a customer has opened a link?
A: You can check if the customer opened the link in the "Manage Tab" > Activities. If you're the assigned team member, you will also receive an email notification when the customer views the proposal link.
Q: How can I remove the pricing schemes?
A: You can remove the pricing scheme in 2 ways.
To remove or change a pricing scheme in your project:
Go to Design > Pricing.
Find "Pricing Schemes".
Click the arrow-down button to update or remove the pricing scheme.
To remove a pricing scheme at the account level:
Go to Control > Pricing & Payments.
Click Price Scheme and locate the pricing scheme that you want to remove or edit.
Click the trash bin icon to delete it.
Note: If a pricing scheme is applied to any project, it cannot be deleted. Instead, you can archive it by clicking the pencil icon and enabling Archive, ensuring it won't be used moving forward.
Q: How do I change the title for quote acceptance.
A: You can follow these steps in change title button for accepting proposal.
Go to Control
Go to Purchase Experience
Go to Checkout Experience
Accept Proposal Button
Q: Is it possible to upload a price catalog via a file?
A: You can upload a price catalog as an extra file by following these steps.
Go to the manage tab of the project and locate the project files section
Select the upload file button
Add the file you want to attach to the pop-out window
Add the tags "sales proposal - extra file"
Click the save button
These steps, as well as images of the process, can be found here: Attach PDF Documents to the Sales Proposal
Q: how to I add bonus depreciation for a non profit?
A: You can add bonus depreciation by going to the control > other > incentives. From there, you can create a new incentive or duplicate the current base depreciation you have. Simply change the setting to match the percentage the bonus depreciation.
Q: how to make a template in Catalan
A: To make a template in any other language like Catalan, you can go to control > purchase experience > proposal template. From there, you can click on + proposal template which will allow you to create a new template. Once you have the template created, you want to expand the sections of the proposal and start translating each of the sections to the needed language.
Q: What does the dealer fee adjustment do
A: the dealer fee adjustment adds to the total price of the system. This is normally a fee some finance companies change on top of their interest rates.
Q: What if Google and Nearmap imagery are not recent enough for my new build site?
A: If Google or Nearmap are not recent enough for your builds you can use our manual mode to model the home. You can take a look at the following article with steps to achieve this: How to design in Manual mode
Q: How many designs per project?
A: We advise keeping 3-4 system options when creating a design for one project to minimize slowness and issues.
Q: Can I edit what roof types show for consultants?
A: You can edit the roof type by going to the manage tab of the project, which is located under the Site details. However, unfortunately, this is project-specific and can’t be assigned to specific consultants or team members.
Q: Can I send automatic emails to the client after 7 days if they have not accepted?
A: Sending an automatic email after 7 days and the proposal is not yet accepted is unfortunately not possible in OpenSolar.
Q: Does the energy production estimate take into consideration the PV module Vmp and the mppt range of the inverter?
A: Yes, OpenSolar does take into consideration the PV module's maximum power voltage (Vmp) and the MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) voltage range of the inverter when estimating energy production. You can also check the following articles for additional information:
How is Output Calculated in OpenSolar?
Q: How can we exclude the vat in the pricing in the proposal?
A: The workaround to exclude the VAT from your total system price and purchase price is by change the project from residential to commercial. You can do it by following the steps below.
Go to Project
Go to manage Tab
Go to Site Details
Change the tagging from Residential to Commercial
Q: Where do I find the monthly production?
A: You can find the monthly solar generation in the Online Proposal then click the detailed savings table link.
Q: How do I change my proposal email address?
A: You can update your proposal email address to your personal email by following these steps:
Enter your SMTP settings in JSON format under Control > Company > Settings > Email Settings.
Make sure to include the required fields:
Host
Port
Username
Password
Once you've entered the details, your email will be updated. You can also check this article:
How to send proposal invites from personal email server
Q: Does open solars contracts comply with MCS?
A: Yes, OpenSolar is an MCS compliant. OpenSolar follows the MCS guidelines for generation, shading and self-consumption. We offer a full management solution capable of catering for all MCS documentation and our proposals tick the necessary boxes in terms of content and datasheets.
Q: Am I able to include an option in my proposal that allows the client to throttle between adding a battery and not adding a battery?
A: Unfortunately, currently, throttling between adding a battery and not adding a battery is not a feature. However, what we can suggest is to create two (2) system options in one (1) project that has a battery and no battery system options.
Q: Can I sort the panels so that my most used panels appear at the top?
A: Unfortunately, currently, we do not have a way to sort which panel goes at the top. What we can suggest is to archive or delete the ones that you don’t use and need, and then toggle on the Default Module (replaces existing default) button for the panel that you want to use for your projects.
Q: Does OpenSolar account for the Tesla Powerwall 3's built-in solar inverter?
A: OpenSolar works slightly differently, where inverters and batteries are separate. What you would need to do is add the inverter first, followed by the battery, and then any other components.
Q: How do you change the priority number of our payment options?
A: To change the priority number of payment options, please follow the steps below:
Go to Control > Pricing & Payments
Payment Options > Locate the Payment Option that you want to edit
Click the pencil icon > Scroll down and locate Advanced Settings
Then locate Priority
Hit Save once done
Q: Delete quote from proposal
A: You can delete a quote from your proposal when you go to the Design Tab > Summary > Scroll down and “Delete System”
Q: is it possible to model the PV systems with a diesel generator added as a backup electrical power source? Our country is favoring PV plus batteries plus genset backup for small commercial projects and I would like to model this as part of the proposal.
A: This can be added to your design however the system will not take it into account for calculations.
Q: Can I import a 3d model?
A: Unfortunately, it is not possible to import a 3D model in OpenSolar.
Q: Add shingles to my 3D model
A: At this time, our platform is unable to support designs using solar shingles. We have the option of uploading shingles as an "Other Component", but this would not model the production from the shingles; rather, they would be listed as hardware that has been added to the design, and would appear on the proposal and calculated into the cost of the system. If you'd like us to upload these solar shingles as Other Components, we'd be happy to submit that request, just send us the pdf spec sheet via https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/requests/new.
Q: How do I overlay Nearmap Image?
A: Unfortunately, this is not possible in OpenSolar. You can only upload a new image in the design section.
Q: How to remove a CSV file from the energy tab?
A: To remove the CSV file in the energy tab, you can choose other Data source and hit Save.
Q: How do i include a generator into my design?
A: To include a generator in the design you will need to go to Design Tab > Other Components. If the generator is not listed on our database you can send us the spec sheet and we can upload it In our database.
Q: Does opensolar's "Treetrimmer" function estimate the size of the tree it is "trimming"?
A: When placing a Tree Trimmer yes It will estimate the size of the tree. You can also edit this once you place the tree trimmer, in the upper right corner of your screen you will have the option to manually input the length, width, height, and rotation.
Q: How do i get the details for battery whole site backup hours?
A: Unfortunately, getting the details for battery whole site backup hours is not yet available in OpenSolar. For more detailed information on how OpenSolar models battery energy storage, you can refer to their support article: How OpenSolar Models Battery Energy Storage
Q: How to change the quote number on the proposal?
A: Unfortunately, you can’t change the quote number of your proposal. This is automatically assigned when creating a Project.
Q: How to assign my own quote number to a proposal?
A: Unfortunately, it is not possible to assign your own quote number to a proposal. This is automatically assigned when creating a Project.
Q: How do I sort my project list by date created?
A: To sort the project list by date created:
Click the Filter button on the right side of the projects zone
Choose the filter ‘created on/after’ or ‘created on/before’
Q: client can preview proposals without login in first
A: The client can preview the proposal without having to log in. Just make sure that they don’t have an account with OpenSolar because the system will recognize the account as tied to an organization.
Q: How do I show the AC battery charger on my proposal?
A: To show the AC battery charger on the proposal:
Go to Control and then the Design & Hardware section
search the component in the Other Components section
Click the ‘Customise Specification’ button to enable the specifications above
Toggle on the ‘Show in Your Solution Section’ button, then Save.
Q: How do I expand the detailed savings model in the proposal to cover two years?
A: Unfortunately, currently, the detailed savings table covers monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, and annual bill frequencies from the selected tariffs in the Energy tab.
Q: Does the proposal have an option that displays the electricity escalation rate over the years?
A: Yes, the proposal has an option that displays the electricity escalation rate over the years. To do this:
Go to Control and then Design & Hardware
click edit from the Setbacks & Designs if you already have a default preset or click ‘+ Add Setbacks & Designs Settings” to create one
expand the Simulation Settings and you will see utility inflation annual under Utility inflation settings. Modify accordingly and this should appear in the Bill Savings.
Q: How to make annotations smaller?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to customize the size of the annotation in the Design and Proposal section. We will send this to our team for enhancement purposes.
Q: Make 1 specific component appear on all quotations
A: You can make a component set as your default in your Control Zone. Please see the detailed process below:
Go to Control > Design & Hardware
Modules
Search for the component that you want to set as default
Click Edit > Scroll down and enable “Default Module (replaces existing default)”
Please note that this is the same process with Inverters and Batteries
Q: Where do I change the projected energy cost?
A: You can change the Projected Energy Cost in your Energy Tab.
Go to the Project
Click Energy
Scroll down and click the selected tariff
From there, you are able input all the needed information.
Q: How do I see the distance between nodes?
A: You can view the distance between nodes by hovering your mouse over the space between them. Alternatively, click the connecting line, and the length will appear in the upper left corner, where you can also edit the information.
Q: How can I input existing FIT data into a project?
A: You can input your existing FIT data into a project by creating a custom tariff. You can check this article on How to create a tariff in OpenSolar
Q: How do I delete a quote?
A: To delete a quote or a project:
Go to the manage tab of the specific quote or project that you want to delete
scroll down at the bottom part and hit the Delete Project button
Please note that this action cannot be reversed. Once we delete the project, we cannot restore it.
Q: How do I copy an array?
A: Click the array that you want to copy and then hit the Duplicate button located at the bottom part on the left side pane.
Q: How is cumulative bill saving calculated?
A: In OpenSolar, cumulative bill savings refer to the total amount of money a customer is projected to save on their electricity bills over the life of the solar system, compared to what they would have paid without going solar.
Here’s a breakdown of how OpenSolar typically calculates cumulative bill savings:
Cumulative Bill Savings = Total Utility Bills Without Solar – Total Utility Bills With Solar.
Q: How fast is the response for DNO Application?
A: Unfortunately, OpenSolar does not have an information about the ETA for DNO application. You might need to communicate directly to DNO to have this information.
Q: Does PVwatts v8 do backtracking or single axis?
A: Yes, OpenSolar does support single-axis tracking with backtracking, and it uses PVWatts v8 as its underlying simulation engine.
Q: What does minimize grid import mean?
A: refers to a battery storage dispatch strategy — it determines how the battery charges and discharges during the day.
Q: Can I delete the proposal if they have not accepted it yet?
A: If you want to delete a proposal here are the things that you can do:
You can remove the email address and the customer won't be able to access it anymore
You can delete the project and start over again
Q: Which countries have access to SLD Tab?
A: Currently, the countries that have access to SLD Tab are the following: AU, US, UK, DE, IT, and ES.
Q: Can I send contracts from the manage tab?
A: Unfortunately, it is not possible to send a contract in the Manage Tab.
Q: If I apply with Lightreach will the Lightreach contract include my own company contract? or just the lightreach one?
A: Unfortunately, the lightreach contract will not include your company contract. It will only include the Lightreach contract.
Q: Split proposal for mosaic financing between solar and battery
A: Unfortunately, splitting the proposal in one design or project for solar and battery is not possible in OpenSolar, especially when you are applying for Mosaic financing.
Q: How do I view my profit on a job?
A: You can check your job profit under Design > Pricing Tab > Scroll down and check “Margin”.
Q: How do you use metromaps 3D imagery?
A: Unfortunately, currently, metromap is not integrated with OpenSolar. You can use the available imageries in the design studio or upload your own custom image.
Q: So what can I do to add insurance which the client will pay yearly?
A: Unfortunately, we do not have a function where you can add a yearly insurance cost or a price added that will repeat in a yearly basis. What you can do is to add the total amount of the insurance to the Project as an adder.
Q: How do you archive a custom tariff on a solar?
A: Unfortunately, we don’t currently offer an option to archive custom tariffs. However, you can effectively remove a custom tariff from your active priority list by setting its priority to 0.
To do this, go to Control > Other > Utility Rates, then edit the custom tariff. Scroll down to the "Popularity" field, set it to 0, and click Save once done. This will ensure the tariff no longer appears in your prioritized list.
Q: Can I assign all unassigned projects at once?
A: Unfortunately, it's not currently possible to unassign a project in bulk — you'll need to unassign each project manually.
Q: Can you prevent a salesperson from selecting certain products?
A: Unfortunately, you can’t restrict specific components to be added by a salesperson.
Q: How to show address and name of customer in proposal?
A: Unfortunately, it is not possible to show the address and the name of the customer in the Online Proposal. However, it will be shown on the first page of your PDF proposal.
Q: Is there a way to set up a proposal to show the price per khw on a lease?
A: To show the price per watt of your proposal, you can follow the steps below:
Go to Control > Pricing & Payments > Payment Options
Locate the payment option that you want to edit
Enable Custom Quatiaion Table
Locate and enable System Price / Watt
Hit Save once done.
Q: How do I fix the alert that says the assigned user for this project does not have a valid Sungage email?
A: You are getting this error because the assigned team member to the project does not have a Sungage email associated with their teams page. To resolve go into Control, Company, Team and edit the team member. At the bottom of the page, there will be a field called “Sungage email”. Please make sure their Sungage email is stated here. Once this is done, go ahead and recalculate the project and this error will disappear.
Q: What does this field do: Custom data field max dc power?
A: It refers to the maximum DC power for the entire component, also known as the Max PV Input Power. It is usually located in the DC PV inputs section of the inverter.
Q: How do I calculate overnight battery usage?
A: The UK uses the MCS’s energy profiles from the energy tab under the advanced settings when the customer is using the energy as standard, this information can be found on the MCS website. But for the customer to get the most accurate information, we would need the interval data and then use that to show how the batteries working.
Q: How do I delete Proposal?
A: To delete a project or a proposal, you ca follow these steps below:
Go to Project
Go to manage Tab
Scroll down and delete the project.
Q: How i put the single line diagram into the g99 letter of authority?
A: To include the SLD in the G99 Letter of authority, please follow these steps.
Go to Project
Go to SLD section
Click "Apply"
Click "File"
Click "Save"
Go to manage tab of the project
Generate a new G99 Letter of Authority Form.
Q: Can I change the system performance graph to show monthly kWh?
A: On the project:
Go to the energy tab and select the tariff section at the bottom from this tariff section.
Select the tariff to edit, scroll down the new pop-up that appears, and find Bill frequency.
Swap this from quarterly to monthly and then save.
Go back to the design and allow it to recalculate and then you'll find it on the updated online proposal.
Q: Where can I change the fonts in my proposal? I am making a Template and would like to have Poppins as the main font for my proposal
A: Unfortunately, changing the font on your online proposal is not possible at this time. However, OpenSolar's text editors allow you to format text with various styles, including bold, italic, underlined, and strikethrough.
Q: How do I add maintenance cost?
A: You can add your maintenance cost as an adder to your project. You can check this article for additional information on you can add a custom cost and price adders: Add custom cost and price Adders per system
Q: What does it mean if somebody read the invitation email?
A: The "Read the Invitation Email" notification indicates that the customer has opened the email you sent along with the proposal. When you send a proposal, the first communication the customer receives is an email. Once they open that email, this notification is triggered.
However, please note that this does not mean the customer has viewed the actual proposal yet. A separate notification will be sent when the customer clicks the link within the email and opens the proposal itself.
Q: Do I factor in maintenance cost for the calculation of financial impact?
A: You have an option to include the maintenance cost for a project by adding an adders for maintenance. You can visit this help center article for your reference in adding adders.
How to create adders in your organization, Add custom cost and price Adders per system
Q: Can I create a design that can be reused for multiple projects?
A: Yes, after creating a project you can just duplicate the project by going to the manage section, scroll down then duplicate project. After this, you can change the customer information in the manage section as well.
Q: If we get DocuSign, can we have multiple files signed internally with OpenSolar, or only the proposal and contract? For example, the California Consumer Protection Guide and Solar Disclosure form also.
A: If you want your other documents to be signed using Docusign instead of adding it as a document template, you will need to include it in your contract and assign the necessary placeholders.
Q: Hi there, Id like to remove some of the pages from the proposal. How do I do that?
A: You can remove some of the pages from the proposal when you edit your proposal template. You can follow the steps below:
Go to Control > Purchase Experience
Click > Proposal Template
Select the proposal template that you want to edit.
Click Proposal Settings
You will see checkboxes on the left side
You can uncheck the details that you don’t want to include in your proposal.
You can also check this article for additional information: How to create your proposal template
Q: How do I add an inverter replacement after end of product warranty for the financial simulation?
A: We do not consider any cost pertaining to the replacement of the inverter unless you add this as an "other component" in your proposal. We also do not count this towards the calculations. We do however, consider depreciation on these items meaning the system's production would be smaller and smaller the older the system gets.
Q: Can I assign more than one contractor to a project?
A: Unfortunately, you can only assign one contractor to a project. You can check the other roles that you can assign by going the Manage tab, and then Team. From there, select the drop down beside the name of the team member to reveal the available roles.
Q: How can I e-sign the G99 form before it is generated?
A: At the moment, there isn't a direct integration that allows customers to e-sign the G99 form before it's generated. However, as a workaround, if you have an image of the signature, you can insert it into the signature box. This way, when generating the document for any proposal, the signature will automatically be pre-filled.
Q: Can the admin get emailed when a project is being sold by a team member?
A: Unfortunately, the assigned team member is the only person who will get notified for a project.
Q: What does it mean if someone has read the invitation email?
A: A read invitation email means that the customer has received and read the quote that you sent.
Q: Is there a way to move more than one group of panels besides grabbing one single set?
A: Unfortunately, this is not possible in OpenSolar. We can send this to our team for enhancement purposes.
Q: How do I add someone to get notification when a customer signs a proposal?
A: The only person, who can get a notification to any activity in a project is the assigned team member.
Q: How can I share the project to the installer.
A: If the installer is a team member of your org, you can assign this person as the installer of the project by following these steps.
Go the Project.
Go to Manage Section.
Edit "Team" in the upper part of the screen.
Assign Installer in the project.
Q: How do I adjust my Margin in a project?
A: If you are looking to customize the margin in the design section manually, unfortunately, this is not possible. To change the margin, you can make some changes in your pricing scheme. You can visit this help center article for your reference.
Q: Turn off CashFlow payments
A: You can disable the cashflow at any time by going to the Cashflow tab and turning off the 'Auto Apply' option. This will prevent the cashflow configuration from being applied to cash payments. After that, navigate to Control > Pricing & Payment > Payment Option, and edit your cash payment. There, you'll find a 'Cashflow Configuration Override' dropdown—set it to 'None' to remove the configuration.
Q: How to I remove optimizer?
A: You can remove it by following these steps
Go to Project.
Go to Design.
Go to Panel Tab in the left toolbar.
Delete Optimizer
Please note that there is no option to delete certain numbers of optimizer. The system will automatically based the quantity of the optimizer on the number of your panels.
Q: How do I delete Tariff details in the Proposal.
A: To delete tariff information in the proposal, you can follow these instructions below:
Go to Control.
Go to Purchase Experience.
Go to Proposal Template
Edit the Proposal Template that is being applied in the project.
Go to Proposal Settings.
Disable Tariff Showcase Tile.
Save.
Recalculate the Project.
Q: When I have a system with a string inverter and a hybrid inverter, the SLD only shows the hybrid inverter.
A: Our SLD section is still under improvement. It will only show what is being reflected in the design section. If there is an additional information that you want to add, you will need to manually customize it. You can visit this help center article for your reference. How to use the Single Line Diagram (SLDs)
Q: Is there a way to turn off auto calculations?
A: Currently there is no way to remove or turn off auto calculations. As soon as anything is added/removed or changed in the design the auto calculations will happen.
Q: Can I duplicate the design from one project to another?
A: You can definitely duplicate the design from one project to another. To achieve this, go to the manage tab of the project. From there, click the 3 dots found at the top to the right-hand side. From there, select Duplicate project. The system will create a new project for you with the same information as the existing one.
Q:Why isn't my panel system selecting all panels?
A: When selecting panels, you want to click onto the panel array. The system will only highlight in yellow and select the array you click into. If multiple arrays are present, all of them will not be selected at the same time and each needs to be selected individually.
Q: Can I design a ground mount with single axis trackers?
To design a ground mount with single-axis trackers, go to the design and and draw our your panels. Once this is done, click on the panel array and select the advanced tab. From the advanced tab use the tracking mode drop-down to seelct the single axis tracker or any other tracker you may want to use.
Q: Where to find Energy curves and downloading energy files
A: To locate the energy curves, navigate to the project’s Energy tab, then go to Advanced Settings and select Configure Usage Profile Curves. The data will be visible once the usage profile has been properly configured.
Regarding the energy files, we don’t have a separate file specifically for this. However, you can find the energy data included in the PDF proposal once it’s downloaded. You may also want to check the System Generation Report, which can be downloaded by navigating to Manage > Documents within the project.
Q: How to manually upload imagery onto the project
A: To manually upload an image in the Design Studio, please follow the steps below:
- Navigate to: Design Studio > Imagery > Manual, then select ‘No Ground Imagery’.
- Upload Image: Drag and drop your image directly onto the map in Studio mode.
Note: The image file size must not exceed 1 MB. - Adjust Image Placement:
- Use the arrow icons to reposition the image.
- Use the rotate icon to adjust orientation.
- Manually input the width and height values to scale the image as needed.
This will allow you to overlay and align the image accurately within your design. You can refer to this article for more information. How to design in Manual mode
Q: Where to download the pdf BOM
A: The "Download BOM" is no longer available within the project's management page. This was removed to ensure professionals' workflow was optimized to submit your orders.
You can still see the BOM information in the following locations
- Within the project > Hardware (review quote stage).
- Design page (RHS BOM)
- COGS Override Modal (Pricing > Customise Hardware Cost)
-
New Hardware tab
- Review Quote stage: the complete BOM applied to the Design
- Manage Order stage: the ordered BOM
Additionally, the installation instruction document still includes a BOM list if needed.
Q: Where can i see a list of all imagery i have bought using nearmap pay per project?
A: You can find your purchased imagery through Nearmap Pay-Per-Project by going to the Design Studio, clicking on the imagery panel on the right side, and then selecting your imagery provider under 3D or 2D.
Q: Find shading
A: To find shading, click on the panel system under the Panels section in Design Studio and scroll to the Shading section.
Q: How do change the slope?
A: To change the slope, click on the panels and ensure they are highlighted with yellow lines. Once selected, you’ll see the slope option in the left-hand toolbar. Click the pencil icon next to the numbers in the slope section to override the slope.
Q: Where can i find the battery daily flow chart
A: There are two sections where you can find the daily energy flow:
- Go to Design Studio > Summary
- In both the online and PDF proposal, the Daily Energy Flows section is included under System Performance. Just make sure it’s enabled by going to Control > Purchase Experience > Proposal Template > Proposal Settings.
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