Solar power projects have gained traction in recent times. With the government's focus on increasing the share of green energy in the overall energy basket, there is rapid growth in utility-scale as well as solar rooftop installations. A new breed of companies have ventured into these segment and are driving the growth of solar rooftop installations. Companies are discovering new challenges in managing projects that are specific to the solar rooftop industry.

Multiple Ongoing projects

Rooftop solar companies execute solar panel installation projects in major 3 major categories viz Industry rooftop, Commercial rooftop, and residential rooftop.

While companies specialize in one of the mentioned categories most of the companies are involved in all three types of projects in their portfolio.

Typically these projects have smaller rooftop areas, the project size tends to smaller at the same time most projects have to be executed in a few day's time. 

Typically solar rooftop companies are involved in the implementation of multiple small projects at a time. The sharing of resources and monitoring progress becomes quite a bit of a challenge. 

Tracking procurement and timely delivery of materials, optimum allocation of manpower, getting timely statutory approvals are few issues that arise in installation and commissioning on different sites. Companies need to maintain real-time communication with all teams to address the challenges they face at the project sites. 

Collectively there are a lot of issues and challenges that need to be tracked for all project sites. Without the help of any digital tracking platform, things can turn out to be real messy impacting the business bottom lines of companies.

Solution: Central Dashboard for all Inquiries and Projects

Initially, solar energy companies need to track customer inquiries, submit quotations, and track the status and do follow-ups with customers and ensure business closure. Once the projects are secured companies need a central online dashboard to monitor documentation, material availability and procurement, delivery, inventory, structure installations, and liaison with government. There is a large no of tasks across multiple projects that needs effective and timely implementations. 

Having a platform that makes it easier for teams to collaborate and monitor project status is a must to control a large no of factors that can go wrong and eventually impacts the business.

Rapid projects 

Solar rooftop projects are smaller in size and shorter in timelines.

Many projects are under implementation in parallel so the team cannot afford to be stuck in one project and have to work on all the projects simultaneously. 

Customer payments are linked with commissioning and handover of the project. Any delay can impact cash flow and profitability. Hence companies need to ensure constant progress on all the projects under commissioning. 

Solution: Project management with task timelines and tracking

A Project management module that tracks projects progress based on stages. Task management along with timelines. Deadlines based notification to the project team ensures the right time address of any delays.

Scattered team and disconnected sites

The nature of the solar rooftop project involves multiple teams like the design team, Installation team, material vendors, power distribution companies, and administrative teams. The task of each and every team is critical for the success and timely completion of the projects. 

Multiple projects are under execution across various locations at the same time, involving multiple stakeholders.  Coordinating with so many teams in real-time is a headache for any solar rooftop company.

Solution: A cloud-based collaboration platform

A cloud-based platform that connects with all the stakeholders on the central platform. A dedicated mobile app for entering all the task in real-time along with site photographs, installation updates 

Timely material availability at project sites

Maintaining optimum inventory at the central store and mobilizing the inventory as per project status in the solar rooftop project is a big issue. Ensuring that material consumed at a project does not exceed the planning is of prime importance. Purchase is not linked with actual stock levels and the use of the material at the project site. This results in either an understock or overstock scenario. 

Solution

An intelligent inventory management tool that ensures material is consumed as per project-wise material planning. Any excess consumption is notified to the management for corrective action. A solution that ensures optimum inventory level using minimum and maximum stock level for all materials. 

These 4 key challenges in solar rooftop projects can be answered by our team at Envoy Business Suite. 

The benefits of Envoy Business Suite is an integrated platform are

• 1. Centralize Project status tracking

2. Automate Inventory and purchase operations

3. Control material consumption v/s planning

4. Time tracking of the project task 

Envoy Business Suite assisted many Solar rooftop companies in Digital business transformation. Your company can also take the same benefits as well?

Contact us to set up a free trial account for your company.