Preparing for a site visit & Setting Availability for Site Surveys

Residential Solar Site Surveys are inspections performed to ensure the home is in good condition to have solar panels integrated.  The Site Survey requirements can vary per home, however, all of them fall within the same scope of work. All the information collected on-site is then assessed by the Electrical, Structural and Design engineering teams to create what we call the “project’s planset” or “permit package”.

This module will cover the following topics:

• Setting up Availability for Site Surveys

  • What is the Exactus Planner?

• How to prepare for a Site Survey

• How to greet the homeowner.

From the previous video, the main ideas you need to get are:

• Create a new Gmail account to be used with the Exactus Planner. Please include your first/last name or company name in the email address if possible so we can easily identify you.

• Share your Google Calendar with planner@exactusenergy.com and set sharing settings to "Make changes and manage sharing"

• Once you add an "Available" calendar event  in Google Calendar, you have committed to that time slot, and the  client can immediately see it and schedule a survey if they wish

• You will receive an event confirmation via email for each site survey that you are scheduled for. Please click  "Accept" on those emails to let us know that you are aware of the survey.  However, please note, even if  you have not clicked "Accept", you are still responsible for completing  that job, because you committed to that time slot when you input your availability in the Calendar

• Bonus Tip: make sure to link this Gmail account to your phone so you get notifications for new site surveys while on the go. The Google Calendar app is also useful for adding and removing availability on the go.

Additionally, as explained in the video, once a site survey is scheduled in your calendar it is assumed you will be there.  This date/time has been agreed upon with the homeowner already and we will not be rescheduling.

• Rescheduled site surveys should be avoided under all circumstances because they have a negative impact on the homeowner as well as our client.

• In the event of weather that prevents you from flying the drone - the same is true: we will not reschedule the site survey, proceed to the site as planned.

  • When you arrive on-site, if you confirm there is no possibility of flying the drone, you will perform a "Hover" of the site. This is an app used on your phone that will capture images around the home that will be explained in upcoming modules.

• In the rare case that the weather conditions make it unsafe to drive to the site at all, reach out to our Field Operations - Support Line at (617) 279-2452. They will ask you for extra information such as screenshots of the weather conditions.

The following slides will describe how we suggest you prepare for a successful site survey:

• Wear Appropriate Clothing

  1. Plain khakis (or similar) with no rips, stains, etc

  2. Work boots (or similar closed-toe, comfortable, durable rubber sole shoes). Absolutely NO loafers, sandals, etc.

  3. Plain collared shirt or client-specific T-shirt

  4. A high-vis vest

• Check Your Equipment

  1. Check your Equipment List and make sure you have everything in your car

  2. Make sure drone batteries, phone, or camera are charged

     1. Make sure to bring a car charger if you have multiple surveys in one day.

  3. Make sure there is enough space on the drone's memory card

  4. Bring a backup memory card

  5. Make sure gear is in safe working condition

• Review the Calendar Event
  Every site survey is booked on Google Calendar.  It is your most up-to-date reference for the site information.  The calendar is LIVE and can be updated with last-minute changes by Exactus staff or the client.

1. On the day of the site visit, review the most up-to-date* version of the calendar event (more than once!)

2. Ensure you know which client requested the site survey

3. Check for the homeowner's name, and use this name to refer to the homeowner throughout

4. Check if there is a client Customer Service Contact number (not all clients provide this)

• Prepare SiteCapture Checklist

Make sure you have access to your SiteCapture account and ensure the Job Site has been created. If you can't find the SiteCapture Job prior to the survey, reach out to the Field Operations Team for creation right away.

• Examine the house in Google Maps
  
  Before you go on-site, look up the house on Google Maps to a general idea of the property so you can avoid surprises when you get there.

• Check the Client's preliminary proposal

Our clients usually provide a proposal showing which roofs will get solar panels. It helps to check this before you go on-site so that you know which roofs are most important to the survey.

1. Proposals can be found attached to the Google Calendar booking for the survey

Important Note: As a rule of thumb, it's best to survey all accessible roofs in the home, even if they don't have panels on them in the prelim. Sometimes the client makes last-minute changes.

• Call the homeowner 30 minutes before arrival

1. Find homeowner number in Google Calendar inspection booking

2. Double-check the Calendar Event

3. Call the homeowner to let them know when you will be there and send them a follow-up SMS

Review the carousel of photos for a better understanding on this section.

When on-site, you represent both Exactus Energy and its Client. Therefore, greeting the homeowner accordingly, explaining what you'll do, arriving with the appropriate clothing, and keeping a professional but friendly attitude is a must to succeed in this position.

It is very important to always be prepared for site visits and have availability updated so clients have as many time slots available as possible to book surveys. More availability = More likeliness to get jobs.

It is important to always give the homeowners a 30-minute courtesy call and text before arrival, if there's no response, you are still required to assist to the Site and knock on the door and ringbell. If, after 15 minutes, you do not hear back from the homeowner, please contact the Field Operations - Support Line for further instructions.

Summary of the module:

What is the Exactus Planner?

• Setting up Availability in Google Calendar.

• Rescheduling surveys.

• Wear appropriate clothing.

• Check your equipment.

• Check your SiteCapture Checklist

• Double-check the Calendar Event

• Look up the home on Google Maps

• Review the Preliminary Proposal

• Call the homeowner 30 minutes before arrival