Q. How can I resolve the "Calculation error" related to the duplicate entry for the key 'osapi_system.uuid'?
A. This issue was caused by an adder without any label. This error might also happens when you have multiple designs opened at the same time prevent this issue in the future, we recommend avoiding having multiple designs open at the same time.
Q. How to I see jobs that have been docusigned?
A. You can locate the signed contract in the Project Info tab > Project Files.
Q. What could be causing the "Could not solve for normalized coefficients" error in the System Advisor Model when I have 24 panels and a battery?
A. The reason why you are receiving this error message is that the production calculator was set to SAM when there was no 3D data available. You can change the "Energy Production Calculator" by going to Design > Summary > Scroll down and locate "Energy Production Calculator" > Change it to PVWatts v6 > Recalculate > Then hit "Save" once done.
Q. How can I change all existing proposals to be managed by one person?
A. You can change the assigned team member by going to Project zone > Manage tab of the app.
Q: Which tariff should I select for a no-export system?
A: The tariff being selected depends on the location of the system you are building. If you do no want the system to export any energy to the grid you can go to the design > summary tab > advance settings and set the export limit field to 0.
Q: Can OpenSolar automatically create a design for me?
A: Unfortunately, OpenSolar cannot create a design automatically. You will need to manually do it in the design section.
Q: How can change the currency for just one project?
A: To change the currency of the project, you can go to the Project > Info > Address > Change the country for the system to set the correct currency.
Q: Do you support batteries with inverters?
A: For any battery that has an inverter integrated, the battery and inverter need to be selected individually since the system does not have the functionality to consider the battery and the inverter.
Q: How is the system size calculated?
The system size for the project is calculated by multiplying the module's watts times the amount of panels. For example, if you have 8 panels and the panels are rated at 395W then the system size would be 8 X 395.
Q: How is the annual output calculated:
A: The normal calculation is approximately ((System Size x Approx. Daily Generation Hours)x(365 Days)=Annual Generation)). When an inverter is added, the calculations are ((Inverter Size x Approx. Daily Generation Hours)x(365 Days)=Annual Generation))
Q: How can I do a design with PDF drawings?
A: Unfortunately at the moment it is not possible to do a design in PDF drawing. You will have to convert these to images to load into OpenSolar. Once you. have the images, you can use the following article to assist you in creating a manual 3D design: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408777098649--Designing-on-an-Uploaded-Custom-Image
Q: Is it possible to have the production of one group of panels alone?
A: Unfortunately at the moment it is not possible to only obtain the information for one group of panels. The other panel arrays would have to be removed for this to happen.
Q: How do you add payment details for a project?
A: To add payment details, you can go to Control > Purchase Experience > Checkout Experience > Enable Accept Offline > Provide your bank information in Offline Payment Details. Once added, this will be applied to a project.
Q: How do I change the currency of my proposal?
A: To change the currency of your org, you can go to Control > Company > Business Information > Choose the country depending on your preferred currency > Save.
Q: Can I add a quick design on my website?
A: Unfortunately this is not currently possible. The only option we have right now for website is a lead caption form. You can find all the information here.
Q: How do I add notes to a quote/proposal?
A: Please go to control > purchase experience > proposal template and edit your template. From here, you can expand the proposal content section and pick a section where you want the note to appear. Once you have the section, add the "site notes" placeholder. Once this is added save the template. From now on, you can go into the info section of the project and under site details use the site notes field to add notes you want to show on the proposal. You can find more information about editing your proposal template here.
Q: Does the proposal link expire?
A: Assuming you've sent out the proposal, the link would only expire with the following scenarios:
-
- Making modifications to contact details (Adding, removing or changing the details would trigger the sent link to be invalid)
- Disabling the shareable link and enabling it again (The old link would expire whenever you toggle it off and on again)
Q: Is it possible for the stage of the project to automatically move to selling once the customer accepts? Can the stages move automatically?
A: Unfortunately right now the stages need to be manually changed.
Q: How do I configure the Tesla to be used as a battery and inverter?
A: For this, you want to go into the battery tab and add "Tesla Powerwall 3 [BAT]" as the battery. From there go into the inverter tab and add "1707000-xx-y" as the inverter.
Q: Why am I not getting a notification when a customer views the proposal?
A: You will need to check if you are the assigned team member in the project. OpenSolar only notifies the assigned team member of any activities in the project.
Q: The battery doesn't show on the online proposal.
A: Please go to control > checkout experience > proposal template end edit the template. From there, expand the proposal settings section and ensure the show product styles field has battery selected
Q: When a user is deleted what will happen to their Projects?
A: In the Info Tab the assigned Team Member will be blank. Meaning the Project is not transferred to anyone. You will need to manually assign all the Projects to the Team Member who will be handling/managing the Project.
Q: curved roof.
A: Unfortunately at the moment we do not have a curved roof option.
Q: How to download customer information, email address, name, or project information?
A: Currently, the only option for downloading customer information or project information are the following:
- Going to the project zone, scrolling all the way to the end and selecting the download button. If you have more than 50 records we recommend using the filter functionality to narrow down your result to 50 or less than 50. You can use the filters created on/after alongside created on/before to narrow down your results. If you try to download too many records this download will either fail or cut information to be able to download.
- Use an API integration to pull this information. To obtain an API connection you will need to white and 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 to access: https://developers.opensolar.com/#introduction
Q: What is the self-consumption override?
A: Depending on the selected tariff and the output of the system the software will determine what percentage of the output is consumed by the customer and what percentage is sent to the grid. If for any reason you want to change the percentage that is self consumed, you can use the self consumption override to do so.
Q: How to assign a proposal to a team member?
A: To achieve this go to the manage tab for the project. From there use the field "assigned team member" to state who the assigned team member should be.
Q: How to add the occupancy type
A: To do so please follow these steps:
- Go to the energy tab of the project
- Select advance settings
- Use the weekend and weekday sections to select the correct type of usage for your customer
Q: Carports:
A: Unfortunately at the moment OpenSolar does not have the carport functionality. That being said, you can take advantage of our advanced roof option to design a manual shed or A-frame roof which will allow you to place the panels on top. The roof structure would resemble that of a home but the shape would be that of a carport.
Q: Can I copy projects from one organization to another?
A: Unfortunately at the moment it is not possible to copy projects from one organization to the other. The best way to achieve this is to connect the two organizations through the teams functionality and share the projects from one to the other. You can find more information on the teams functionality here: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/7870010494095-Teams-on-OpenSolar
Q: Can I add a .PAN file to update a component?
A: Unfortunately at the moment it is not possible to add a .PAN file to update a component. You can send us the spec sheet and our data team can update it for you. You can find more information on how you can manage/update components here:
- How to Add/Update and manage Modules
- How to Add/Update Batteries
- How to Add/Update Inverters
- How to Add/Update Optimisers
Q: How to change CO2 settings in OpenSolar?
A: Currently, we do not have a manual customization option for our Pros to alter the Environmental offset in their projects.
Q: What happens to the projects of a deleted user?
A: The projects of the deleted user will be unassigned to them. In case you re-add the deleted user to your account, you will also need to re-assign them to the Projects.
Q: What if I don't want the panels in either portrait or landscape orientation?
A: You can use this button to move your panels.
Q: How can I set up notifications to be sent to more than one email address in OpenSolar?
A: Unfortunately, this is not yet possible. Email notification is only being sent to the assigned team member of the project.
Q: I want to delete or deactivate a salesman or a team member. Will I lose any data on my customers?
A: No, you will not lose any data of your customers but you need to re-assign a new team member. To do this, go to the Manage tab > Assignment.
Q: My project won't load up correctly and allow design in 3DE mode.
A: The 3D availability of OpenSolar is highly dependent on Google Maps 3D availability. Some locations do not have 3D imagery. In this case, you can always design a project using custom or uploaded images and create a manual 3D. Please visit these help center articles for your reference.
Designing on an uploaded/custom image
Q: How can I search for search for adders in the design view/pricing tab?
A: To search for your adders that has been created in your control zone, you can go to Pricing Section > Adders & Discounts > Search from Adders Library > Or you can also create an Adder manually.
Q: Why are the modules showing beneath the roof?
A: To move the panels upward or downwards, you can click your arrays and click and drag the arrows up and down icon. Please see the screenshot below:
Q: Is it possible to run OpenSolar software without internet access?
A: Unfortunately, you will need internet access to access OpenSolar.
Q: How to change the roof color?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to change the roof color only the roof type.
Q: Where can I add an array mounting certificate?
A: If you want this document for a specific project, you can go to the Project > Info > File > Choose "Sales Proposal - Extra File" in the File tags > Upload the Certificate > Save > Generate new Sales proposal.
Q: How can I generate a proposal in Word?
A: Unfortunately, PDF is the only format available in OpenSolar in generating proposals and other documents. You can search for a converter in Google to change it from PDF to Word manually.
Q: Archive projects
A: Unfortunately, currently, there is no option in OpenSolar to archive a project. However, what we can suggest is to set the priority of a project to low. This will remove it from the default search results, but you can still view it by selecting "Low Priority" in the search filter.
Q: Can I import an image from Google manually?
A: Of course! You can use our manual mode to add any image you may have saved on your computer. You can follow this help center article to assist you:
Creating a 3D Design in Manual mode
Manual-3D on imported Sight Plan
Q: How can I add images of the solar panels to the proposal?
A: Unfortunately at the moment, only our exhibited partners have the right to display the image of the panels next to the panel information within the proposal. That being said, you can add images as well as the specification to show at the end of your PDF proposal or as a hyperlink within the online proposal. To achieve this,
- Go to the info 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 - equipment documentation" and "sales proposal - extra file".
- Click the save button.
These steps as well as images of the process can be found here:
Q: How can I change the quotation date in OpenSolar?
A: You can modify the validity date by going to the Project > Online Proposal > click the Customise Proposal button on the left side of the page > change the Validity Date > Save.
You may also check this help center article on Handling Expired Proposals for more information on this.
Q: I am having an error message server communication error when going to the online proposal.
A: This normally happens if you have more than 5 system options in a project. We highly suggest to limit your system options from 3 to 5 to avoid this error.
Q: Why us the Nearmap image only showing as blank?
A: Multiple factors are causing this issue aside from intermittent connection. This could be because your Nearmap is not yet integrated with your OpenSolar account or your Nearmao subscription is already expired.
Q: Can I turn off email notifications?
A: Yes, you can turn off the email notifications. Currently, you can turn off the email notifications at the project level, back in the Manage section. However, this would also disable all email notifications (including customer interactions). To do this, go to the Project > Manage > toggle off the 'Allow Email Notifications for this Project' button.
Q: How to change the color of the panel
A: Please reach out to our support team so this can be changed in the system.
Q: Can I export a list of projects?
A: Yes, you can export your projects by following these steps:
- Go to the project zone
- Scroll to the end of the page
- Use the download button
Note: If there are more than 50 records the download might fail or information will be removed to allow the download to happen. We recommend only downloading 50 records at a time for all the information to be present. Please use the filter feature at the top of the projects zone to narrow down your results.
Q: How to change the usage profile
A: This can be done by:
- going to the energy tab
- select the advanced settings
- toggle on the configure usage profile curves.
This will allow you to select the user profile that is in line with the customer use. You can use this article to further assist you: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406902698521-How-to-Customize-Electricity-Usage
Q: Can I export the Daily energy flow?
A: Unfortunately at this moment this can not be exported.
Q: Can I model plot velus windows?
A: Unfortunately at the moment we do not offer this option.
Q: How to add a roof window?
A: This can be done by following these steps:
- Go to the design
- Select the manual mode
- Select obstruction from the advanced settings
- Set the obstruction in the location of the window
- Right-click on the obstruction to change the shape of the obstruction and use the arrows on the side to expand it to the correct size.
Q: I can't find the SLD/unavailable SLD tab
A: SLDs are only available to users in Australia, the UK, and Germany at the moment. You can refer to this article for more information: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/5779676510607-Single-Line-Diagrams-SLDs-on-OpenSolar
Q: How can I see grid export data?
A: Gird export data is only available when the selected tariff has net billing as the compensation mechanism. Within the online proposal, you can expand the "detail savings table" hyperlink to display the export credits:
Q: VAT override
A: You can override the VAT by going to the design and selecting the pricing tab. From there scroll to the end and use the VAT override fields to achieve this.
Q: How to add two signers?
A: To add two signers you will need to have the DocuSign integration enabled. For this, want to go into control > purchase experience > contract template. From there, edit your template and at the top in the in integration field select "DocuSign". Once this is selected, you can use the DocuSign section on the placeholders menu:
add the first customer's signature and the second customer's signature to the area where you want these signatures to appear. Once this setup is completed and the changes saved, you can add both customers to the info section of your project and send them the proposal. They will each receive a copy to their own emails and they can sign individually.
Q: Can you add your favorite products to your design?
A: You can add your favorite products by going to control > design and hardware > and clicking on the module, inverter, battery or other component window. Once you select each, the favorite window will appear. From here you can use the + component at the top right corner to add more favorites or you can delete them using the trash button. Note: If the item has been added to a project it will not allow you to delete it. When this happens you can go into the edit icon and the edit window will have an archive button to use.
Q: Can the values from the Daily Energy flow be exported?
A: Unfortunately the information on the graphs can not exported.
Q: How to make changes to a project after it has been signed
A: To achieve this you will have to unsell the proposal. This can be done by following these steps:
- Go to the project zone and select the project
- Select the Info tab and scroll down to the Transaction section. From here select the edit button
- Select the "Delete Transaction" option
- From the info tab again, expand the Sale section and delete all the sale information
- Save all the done changes.
Once you have done this, you can make changes to the proposal and then resend the proposal for your customer to sign. The customer will have the "accept proposal" enabled now and they'll be able to sign once again.
Q: Can I change multiple projects from design to sold at once?
A: Unfortunately, you cannot mark as sold multiple projects all at once. They will be marked as sold individually when the stage has been moved to 'selling'.
Q: Unable to find datasheet link
A: Unfortunately, additional marketing content is exclusive to OpenSolar partners only. It is possible that the component that you are using is not an OpenSolar Partner. Therefore, we can’t attach the spec sheet, logo etc.
Q: What file formats are compatible with OpenSolar for roof plans?
A: Please ensure your plans are images JPEG or PNG (not PDF), and the file size must be less than 400kb.
Q: How many modules can I select when adding from the database in OpenSolar?
A: You can only use one Module Manufacturer when designing a Project.
Q: Can I reduce the number of optimisers?
A: Unfortunately, we don't have a feature that allows you to manually apply the quantity that you want to individual panels. OpenSolar automatically just apply one to every single panel. We do have a workaround solution to apply the correct quantity; there is a drawback involved with that workaround, though. You can go to Control > Design & Hardware > Other Components, edit that optimizer, customize the specification, change it from a DC optimizer to a general component, and save.
On the Project, go to Design > Other > add other and you can edit how many optimizers you can have for the project. Please refer to the screenshot below.
Q: Can not find the SLD tab.
A: The SLD tab is not available in all regions at the moment. You can still access it by:
- Goin to the design tab
- Locate your URL and change the last word "design" for "SLD"
This will make the SLD window appear and you can use one of our templates to create your SLD. You can find more information about SLD here
Q: Snow losses
A: You can account for snow losses by:
- Going to control
- Expand design and hardware
- Select setbacks and design settings.
- You can edit an existing template or create a new one
- Expand the simulations settings section
- Add the Snow losses in the soiling field.
Q: Can different types of solar panels be used together in a single design?
A: Unfortunately, OpenSolar does not support different manufacturing brands for panels on one system option.
Q: How to disable Payment Milestone?
A: To disable the payment milestone.
- Go to Control > Pricing & Payments > Search for the payment option
- Go to the payment milestone section > Re-enable it again
- Within the section, find the toggle with the label "Show Milestone table with Quotation table" - highlighted in red in the screenshot
- Disable that toggle instead > Return to the proposal and recalculate
Q: Can I upload multiple video links in the proposal template?
A: Unfortunately, currently, you cannot upload multiple video links in the proposal template.
Q: Some quotes are not being shared with the team.
A: Depending on the role each team member has on the organization they might have access to seeing all quotes or only those assigned to them. Please go to control > company > team and check the role the team member has. If it is anything other than admin, then this will most likely be the case. Please go to control > company > custom role and create a role that has the option " Grant Access to projects from these users" enabled.
Q: Where can I view the invitation email after I send it?
A: This can be seen in the manage tab under the project history. It will show the message that was sent to the customer but the entire email as the customer receives it can not be seen.
Q: what is the self-consumption override?
A: The self-consumption override allows you to change the amount of energy the customer consumes before sending to the grid.
Q: Can I make a system that feeds 100% to the grid?
A: This can be done by creating your system and going to the summary tab. From there select "advance settings" and use the self-consumption override field to achieve the amount you want the customer to consume. If you want all of it to be sent to grid just set the self-consumption to 0.
Q: We are designing in a farm that will be feeding back 100% of the power to the grid. how do I accomplish this?
A: This can be done by creating your design and expanding the summary tab. From there expand the advance settings and set the export limit to 100 or the self-consumption to 0.
Q: Does exported energy have any increase on it.
A: By default our system does come with a utility escalator but this must be modified in control > design and hardware > setback and design settings > simulation setting. From there edit the utility inflation annual field to ensure the correct escalator is used for your organization.
Q: How are the environmental benefits calculated?
A: Trees planted - This figure is calculated by the equivalent average amount of CO2 displaced by trees (default value = 0.00998 trees per kg of CO2 avoided by installing a PV system). We have it sourced from: Forestry.gov.uk
Car km avoided - The number of car km avoided due to the equivalent average amount of CO2 produced by a vehicle that has been displaced by installing a PV system.
OpenSolar currently uses a default value of 2.5 miles per kg of CO2 displaced. (Sourced from: US EPA 2018)
CO2 saved each year - Values used by Opensolar to calculate this metric are based on the following sources:
- Australia - National Greenhouse Accounts Factors.
- New Zealand - provided by solarZero.
- Carbon Footprint (United States, Canada and all other countries documented here).
- Ecometrica (All other countries not already provided in the above sources).
Q: Can I use two different panels on the same design?
A: Unfortunately this is not possible to do at the moment.
Q: Why is the ITC amount wrong
A: The ITC amount is not automatically updated. This must be manually done by going to control > other > incentive and editing the incentive. From there edit the ITC incentive and edit the percentage value.
Q: How can a customer resign an accepted proposal?
A: To unsell the proposal please follow the following steps
1. Go to the project zone and select the project
2. Select the Info tab and scroll down to the Transaction section. From here select the edit button
3. Select the "Delete Transaction" option
4. From the info tab again, expand the Sale section and delete all the sale information
5. Save all the done changes.
Once you have done this, you can make changes to the proposal and then resend the proposal for your customer to sign. The customer will have the "accept proposal" enabled now and they'll be able to sign once again.
Q: how do I delete solar panels in multiple numbers at a time
A: To do this, select the array by left-clicking on it. Once selected left-click on top of one and with the left click hold, move the mouse over the other panels and this will delete it.
Q: who can edit cost schemes
A: To edit a custom scheme, please go to control > pricing and payment > cost scheme. From there you can edit or create a new template. You can also visit our help center article for more information on cost schemes: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407182185625-How-to-set-up-your-Cost-Schemes
Q: What is the process of submitting final invoice?
A: At the moment invoicing process is only available in the US. If you are currently a user from US, you can check the following articles that discusses CashFlow Invoicing: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/sections/9878882799119-Invoices
We are looking to close this loop soon but in the meantime we have an open API and you can check here the information that can be integrated:
- https://www.opensolar.com/api
- https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407230526745-Using-the-OpenSolar-API
- You will need a developer for the integration and this article explains how to proceed: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407439614361-Add-API-Keys
Q: In Colombia, how can I configure my proposals to reflect the 0% tax for panels a nd investors?
A: Unfortunately, this can’t be done automatically. However, you can check this article for instructions on setting up your pricing scheme. https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407182137113-How-to-set-up-Pricing-Schemes
Q: Is it possible to create a usage profile for an air source heat pump?
A: Unfortunately, this is not possible in OpenSolar.
Q: Why can't the installer go by the limits on the actual manufacturer's datasheet instead of those advised by OpenSolar platform?
A: If you’re seeing warning messages in orange, please note these are informational and not errors. They don’t affect your project in any way.
Q: How can I manually type in payment amounts for financing in the proposal section?
A: Unfortunately, payment milestones for financing aren’t available for proposals, it will only be applied for contract placeholders. If you provide your preferred format, we can set up the milestone accordingly.
Q: Can you add a different-sized panel to a project?
A: The size of the panels in OpenSolar is based on the specification sheet of the component. There is no option to customize the size in the design stage.
Q: How to rename a project?
A: You can change it by changing the "First" and "LAST" names. You can go to the Project > Info > Customer Contacts > Edit the First and Last names > Save.
Q: How to add Chimney
A: Unfortunately, there is no specific way to add a chimney to the roof however, for all items found on the roof, the best way is to use the obstruction tool. Once the obstruction is placed, you can use the 
to rotate the item. You can also use 
icon to move the item up/down/side to side.
Q: Can I archive a project?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to archive a project, you can either delete it by going to the Info Section > Scroll down > Delete or Move it to "Other" by going to the project Section > Stage > Move it to Other (Which you can use as an archived folder.
Q: How can I download projects with contact information?
A: You can go to Project Section > Scroll Down and click Download. We highly suggest limiting the number of projects to 50 or less to avoid experiencing an error. You can use the filters to lessen and specify the projects that you want to download.
Q: Auto system calculation does not work
A: The root cause for this issue could vary. However, OpenSolar recommends that you use the tool on the Google Chrome browser, which generally has the best performance for the app. If the issue persists, please submit a ticket through this link: https://support.opensolar.com/hc/en-us/requests/new for further investigation.
Q: How can I back up the data for my project?
A: Unfortunately we do not have a way to backup the data. The best way to have a record of it is to download the PDF proposal and keep it for your records.
Q: How to generate a handover pack.
A: This can be generated from the info page by going to the project file and selecting generate document. From there select UK - Handover Pack (MCS)
Q: When to use the system advisory model (SAM) in the summary tab?
A: SAM is typically used when there is 3D available or being created in manual mode while PVWatts is used for 2D since PVWatts does not have shading calculations and 2D mode does not offer shading calculations.
Q: I have a customer wanting to cancel their payment that is already processed. (CashFlow)
A: Once a transaction has been approved, we are unable to process a refund. If this were an OpenSolar fee, we would happily refund the fee to you, but OpenSolar receives no money on these credit card transactions (the entire fee goes to the credit card company).
Q: How do I get the panels to look individual instead of one big square
A: The texture of the panels is based on how the panels look in real life. Hence, if a particular panel appears black, the panel is an all-black/triple-black model.
Q: How does open solar contemplates batteries amortization in it's costs-financial equations?
A: OpenSolar accounts for the battery's end of life by modeling the degradation every year until the battery reaches its end of life. From this point on, the project no longer calculates having the battery as a backup and there is a dip in the savings because of that.
Imagine you're working on a project. The project involves using batteries to store excess energy generated by solar panels. These batteries are an essential part of the project as they can provide power when the solar panels aren't producing electricity, such as during the night or on cloudy days. Now, let's talk about the sudden increase in the proposed bill that you're observing after the solar panels have been added on OpenSolar. The increase in the bill is due to the way the project models the behavior of these batteries over time. The project on OpenSolar takes into consideration the degradation of the batteries. Degradation means that over time, the batteries become less efficient and lose their capacity to hold as much energy. This degradation is modeled linearly, which means that the battery's capacity to store energy decreases at a consistent rate.
To model this degradation, OpenSolar uses a metric called "Total Warranted kWh," which represents the amount of energy the battery can store before it's considered to be at the end of its useful life. The project assumes that each time a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy is cycled through the battery (charged and then discharged), the battery's overall capacity decreases by a certain amount. For instance, let's say the battery's Total Warranted kWh is 1000 kWh. As the battery is cycled, its capacity reduces. When it reaches 900 kWh cycled, its capacity might have decreased to 90% of its original capacity. As it continues to cycle, it eventually reaches a point where it's no longer functional, which is when the Total Warranted kWh reaches 0. At this point, the battery is considered to be at its end-of-life. Now, the financials of the project are affected by this battery degradation model. As the battery degrades over time and its capacity decreases, it contributes less to saving costs by providing stored energy.
This reduction in savings becomes more prominent as the battery approaches its end of life. The speed at which the battery degrades depends on various factors, such as the size of the battery, the way it's controlled, and how much it's utilized. A larger battery used in a smaller system might degrade more slowly because it undergoes fewer cycles compared to a smaller battery used in a larger system that gets fully cycled each day.
So, the increase in the proposed bill after the solar panels are added and the batteries are used is due to the fact that the battery's capacity is decreasing over time as it goes through charging and discharging cycles, leading to a reduction in its contribution to energy savings.
Q: How do I get the bill reduction to 100%
A: The bill reduction goes hand in hand with the tariff used. If you are using a tariff that has a minimum charge the bill reduction will never be 100% because the customer will always have to pay the minimum charge. If the tariff is net billing, it will also be difficult to get the bill reduction to 100% as the created energy is either being used or being exported real-time. To maximize the self-consumption, it is best to add a battery when using net billing to ensure what it not used in the moment can be saved for later.
Q: Can I export the basic details of my sold projects into a spreadsheet?
A: Yes, You can go to Project > Use the filter to reflect only the sold projects > Scroll down and click "Download". We highly suggest limiting your down to 50 per batch to avoid having a concern or error in downloading.
Q: How to add multiple tariff inflation rates?
A: Unfortunately, you can't add multiple tariff inflation rates. You can check this article for additional information on how to edit tariff inflation rate: Changing the Financial Simulation Settings.
Q: How can I access deleted Projects?
A: Unfortunately, it is not possible to access deleted projects.
Q: How can I add export limits to the line diagram (SLD)?
A: Unfortunately, you have to manually add this to your SLD. Here's a helpful article that provides more detailed instructions on working with Single Line Diagrams (SLDs) in OpenSolar. You can check it out here.
Q: Payback calculations:
A: The payback is calculated by taking into account the bill savings and the amount the customer is paying for the system. The payback is nothing more than the year the amount the customer is paying breaks even with the amount they are saving every month for having the system. Basically let's say the system price was 10,000 and each month the customer saves 200. The system starts taking 200 off each month until the savings reach 10,000. When this happens then that will be the payback time. Because savings and system price are the two options that affect the payback the only way to lower the payback would be to increase the bill savings or by lowering the system price.
Q: How do I change wall type
A: You can change the wall type by going to the summary tab of the project and selecting advance settings. From there you can select the wall type as well as the roof type.
Q: How to change the pitch on a manual design?
A: Once you set down your roof type, you can input it as shown in the picture below. You can also check this helpful video: Creating a 3D design without 3D data
Q: How to view System AC Capacity?
A: You can use the placeholder "System AC Capacity (kW)" in your contract. Or you can use this code: <p>{{system.inverterTotalRatingKw}}</p>
Q: How to change Default to OpenSolar self-consumption calculations?
A: If you would like to make one of these modeling softwares the default (so that every new project created uses this), head into the control zone > design & hardware > setbacks & design settings > edit/create your default > simulation settings > and select from the dropdown.
Q: Unable to access to envelope
A: We typically see this error when there is an issue with the Docusign account. You will need to check if your account is active and has enough envelopes to process this request. Additionally, you will need to check if your Docusign account is in good standing. (No overdue invoice)
Q: How to add scaffolding to the design?
A: You can add scaffolding via the adders library. You can refer to this article for more information: Include price adders/discounts in the proposal.
Q: Does the shading report accepted by LightReach, Sunlight, and Enfin?
A: You do not need to make any changes in the shading losses for these finance payment options.
Q: How to add hot water loads?
A: Unfortunately, this feature is not yet available in OpenSolar. This has been forwarded to our technical team for enhancement purposes.
Q: Can I change the project owner?
A: Yes, you can go to the Project > Manage > Change the "Assigned Team Member".
Q: How can I add a postcode in the project?
A: You can go to the Project > Info > Address > Add the postcode information.
Q: If the components are not stocked in Segen, can OpenSolar still provide a price for them?
A: If the component is not in stock in Segen, the price will still be there in the Segen list. The only reason why the pricing is being removed is because the system is telling you that the item is not in stock and there is no information about when it will be available again.
Q: Update address on map
A: You can update the address by going to the Project > Info tab > Address. Don't forget to save after making some changes.
Q: How do I email a proposal?
A: You can email the proposal by going to the online proposal and at the end of the page to the right select the button "Send proposal to customer". From there select the option "customise and send proposal" which will allow you to edit the message they will get along with their proposal.
Q: Is there a way to CC ourselves when we send the proposal link to the customer?
A: Unfortunately this is not possible at the moment.
Q: OpenSolar automatically adds an upfront payment even though i have no prepayment setup in the payment options
A: This is most likely due to the ITC incentive you have added in your project. The ITC is set up to be counted to pay down the loan. Because of this, the system considers it a down payment. If the lender takes the ITC as a prepayment, the best way to remove this would be to go into control > pricing and payment > payment option and edit the payment option. From there, toggle on the prepayment section and enter the prepayment information. If the lender does not take the ITC as a prepayment, the other option would be to turn off the pay-down information on the ITC by going to control > other > incentive and editing the incentive. Please note that by doing so will also affect all other loans in the account.
Q: How to show power generation graph shown in the summary of the design tab on the PDF proposal.
A: To show this, please turn on the daily energy flow in the proposal template.
Q: Can I see an old version of a proposal?
A: Unfortunately, unless the PDF proposal was downloaded this can not be seen. If the PDF proposal was downloaded, you can go into the info tab and under the document section, this PDF will display.
Q: How does OpenSolar determine if a project is residential or commercial?
A: This must be manually selected in the info tab of the project by expanding the site details.
Q: How do you duplicate the layout of string panels?
A: This can be duplicated by selecting the panel array you have created and in the menu on the left-hand side use the duplicate button.
Q: How to add module spacing?
A: You can add module spacing by selecting your panel array. From there select the advance tab and use the vertical and horizontal spacing fields to enter the module spacing.
Q: How to know when an email was sent to a customer?
A: You can see this by going into the manage page and the project history will show the email sent and when it happened.
Q: Can I export the projected half-hour generation?
A: Unfortunately the generation information can not be exported.
Q: How to create a battery price separate from redline?
A: To add a battery price, please go into control > designs and hardware > battery and edit the battery. From there, use the adjustment fields at the end to add the pricing.
Q: How to add custom labor rates in the cost scheme?
A: This can be entered in the control > pricing and payment > cost scheme. Simply edit or create a new cost scheme and inside there is a labor option.
Q: What does ground clearance mean in OpenSolar?
A: This is how lifted the panels are from the ground.
Q: Does OpenSolar provide solar production kWh's for each month?
A: Yes, this can be seen in the online proposal under the bill savings table in a link called "detailed savings table". Please note that the section "bill savings table" must be turned on in the proposal for this to show.
Q: How do I add a Main Service Panel upgrade?
A: This can be added by creating the component as an "other component". You can find more information about creating an "other component" here: How to Add Other Components
Q: Is it possible to undertake photovoltaic projects with the option of selling the entire production?
A: This can be done by going to the design and setting self consumption override to 0%
Q: Can one OpenSolar project include different roof types?
A: Unfortunately, this is not possible in OpenSolar. You can only add 1 roof type per project.
Q: How do I remove Optimizer?
A: If you are looking to lessen the quantity of the optimizers that are being automatically applied based on the quantity of the panels in the design, unfortunately, this is not possible in OpenSolar. We already sent this to our technical team for enhancement purposes.
Q: How can I restore a job that was accidentally deleted?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to retrieve the deleted project.
Q: We are in South Africa in the Southern Hemisphere, how do I change my setting on my proposals to show summer in Dec Jan?
A: If the proposal is not showing the correct data it means the weather data set is not pulling the right information. We currently have two weather data sets and it's best to change the one selected by going to control > design and hardware > setbacks and design settings and editing the template. From there expand the simulations section and change the weather data file from the current selection to the second option. Once this is done, recalculate the project so the changes can take effect.
Q: Where do I find the Info page?
A: In the new UI, all the information previously in the Info tab is now under the "Manage" tab.
Q: How can I delete a data sheet from the Sales Proposal?
A: Unfortunately, you cannot delete data sheets from exhibiting partners because this is one of the additional marketing content exclusive to OpenSolar partners.
Q: Under Advanced Settings in the Energy tab, there is no choice for a business that operates 24/7 and has a flat consumption curve. The "Flat" option listed does ramp up until 8/9 pm in the evening and then tapers off again. Is there a way around this?
A: Unfortunately, this feature is not available yet within the platform.
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