LightReach photo requirements

Overview:

Submission packages should include basic project info, including but not limited to:

• Customer/homeowner name, permitted address,

• Photos identifying that the permitted design matches the physical structure.

• Any pre-existing damage or conditions should also be documented, such as broken vent boot flashing, chimney cracks or leaks, altered satellite dishes, gutters, torn or missing shingles, shingle cap damage, and generally anything that could potentially be a workmanship liability in the project work area. Documentation helps reduce unnecessary service evaluations.

Safety should always be considered, and projects should meet all standard construction jobsite regulations. Photos including hazardous or unsafe conditions may be flagged for partner review.

Photo examples: Install photo examples - 2024.pdf (Large File size: approx 30 MB)

For the roof requirements, document all module attachment areas. The following are the main content sections needed to fully review and approve a system.

• Array(s)

• Under array(s)

• Tilt

• Junction Box

R1) Close up of attachments - Flashing & Sealant

• Flashing in relation to the shingle/tile course & Applied Sealant:

For racking systems that require flashing, provide photos showing properly installed flashing to manufacturer specs, along with sealant application. This typically means flashing length within the installed shingle course, or within the tile boundaries to prevent water intrusion.

Sealant should be applied to allow water shedding, while preventing decking/underlayment penetration. For flashless racking systems, photos should highlight properly applied sealant within or around the attachment.

• Attachment installed:

Attachments should adhere to manufacturer installation guidelines, including surface type limitations, sealant applications, and pitch constraints. Attachments detailed on planset should match attachments installed on site.

Stamped engineering plans should include wind/snow structural load calculations, and match installed racking structure.

R2) Rail with Optimizer/Microinverters mounted+ EGC installed + Wire Management

• Rail with Optimizer/Microinverters mounted & Wire Management:

Provide pullbacks of each mounting plane where all attachments, rail, and solar product like optimizers or microinverters are installed, with completed wire management.

Wires should be secured with permanent, outdoor rated clips, installed on rail or directly to the modules. Cable ties should be UV resistant, and used only as supplemental as necessary. Wire management should be accessible and reusable.

If the product secures directly to the modules, the photos should show how they’re secured and wire managed.

• Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC) Path:

Please include the route of grounding copper between the rails on the roof for each array installed.

R3) Complete Array + Rail Trimmed

When taking the complete array photos, show the full array with all modules visible. With low pitch roofs, or very tall homes, take photos of each array from the roof, accounting for every panel.

These photos should be taken only after the roof section of installation is complete, with rail cut, and tools/materials off the roof. All modules must be visible, and layout should match design.

R4) Rooftop Conduit run(s) with Bonding & Support

If roof conduit is used, show the full conduit run with sticker labels, flashed attachment points, bonding and grounding bushings. Interior conduit is preferred when possible.

Supports installed for conduit at standard maximum length per local building code.

R5) Under Array(s) Wire Management (1 picture per array)

Photos showing wire management for each array installed. Wires should not touch the roof surface for each array. Wire and bundles should be secured, and above the surface to prevent damage.

R6) Tilt (1 picture per array)

For each separate array, photo measurements of the tilt should be clearly legible. Tilt must be taken on the module, and not just the roof surface.

• Screenshots for apps like PVBuddy are acceptable only if it shows context of the array being measured.

R7) Rooftop Junction Box:

Each junction box should be shown, with completed wiring and bonding. It is required to include a closed box photo as well, to confirm properly sealed enclosures. Provide closeup of the conductor terminated, or the transition through conduit.

J box should not have any more than 2" of exposed conductors outside of the array. Any exposed conductor over 2" will have to be installed in a conduit.

For the Electrical requirements, document all balance of system (BOS) components. The following are the main content sections needed to fully review and approve a system.

• Inverter(s)/IQ combiner box

• Switches/Disconnects & Production Meters

• Sub Panel(s)

• Main Breaker & Busbar rating

• Point of Interconnection

• Pull back of BOS

• Grounding

• Production & Consumption Meters

• Commissioning

E1) Inverter(s)/IQ Combiner box

Inverters should be shown fully wired.

• DC wiring within lower cabinet for SolarEdge.

• If Enphase, complete AC wiring of IQ combiner box should be shown, including the breakers from the branch circuits.

Cell kits are required on all LightReach projects. A photo of dead front on with cell modem installed will be required.

• Cellular Plug in for SolarEdge

• Cellular Modems for Enphase

If equipment is placed indoors and the signal is weak, a cellular signal booster may be required. If cellular service is unavailable for the area, a wireless gateway or ethernet connection will be required to establish remote monitoring.

E2) Switches/Disconnects & Production Meters

• Switches/Disconnects

Most projects will require an accessible, lockable, knife-blade disconnect switch. When required, photos should show the completed box wiring including terminations & bonding and egress to grounding conductor as stated by the AHJ.

• Content should show wire terminations, including bonding method as applicable with conduit.

• A clear legible photo of the disconnect rating must also be provided.

• For fusible disconnects, include a closeup legible photo of the fuse ratings.

• If circuit breaker disconnects are also used, include a legible photo of the breaker rating.

• Production Meters

If a utility requires a utility owned production meter, please provide a completed wiring photo of the box. Direction of wiring should be identifiable, depending on utility requirements of wire placement to terminals.

E3) Combiner Sub Panels

For large systems requiring multiple inverters, IQ Combiner boxes, or large subpanels for branch circuits, each sub panel should be shown fully wired, with legible closeups of breaker ratings, and the panel’s bus rating label.

E4) Main Breaker & Busbar rating

Close up of main breaker with rating clearly visible & photo of panel label/sticker with rating clearly visible. Main breaker & Busbar rating will be verified to match one line & planset.

E5) Point of Interconnection

POI will need to match details shown on the one line & planset. Interconnection method will be verified to ensure code compliance. Include relevant contextual photos as needed. This includes pull back photo of the surrounding clearance, as well as close ups of the connection devices.

• Insulated piercing connectors, parallel lugs, distribution blocks, breakers, etc. and wire terminations.

• Breaker connections should clearly show the breaker rating.

• When using Hoffman or load side taps, a picture of downstream sub panel with OCPD rating clearly visible is required.

For complex electrical systems with multiple panels, please provide overview photos showing how the service is connected, and where the solar feeds into that system.

E6) Pull back of BOS

Photos showing the complete BOS equipment installed.

• General Idea of BOS location representative of the approved planset.

• Pull back would also show the grounding conductor (GEC) path and how the system is grounded as required by interconnection method and local AHJ preference.

• Include any pictures of additional paths to ground.

E7) Grounding

Photos of the Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC) should clearly demonstrate how the GEC is bonded to the house, ensuring compliance with the interconnection method and local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) requirements.

E8) Production & Consumption Metering

• Production Meter

Inverters must be equipped with internal revenue grade metering (RGM). If the inverter does not have a factory installed RGM, an external energy meter will be required for consumption data.

• Production CTs

  • If using Enphase microinverters, the production CT should show visible L1 wiring from individual branch circuits to pass through the single production CT in the IQ combiner box.

• Consumption Meter

All projects require consumption monitoring equipment installed to manufacturer specifications

• Consumption CTs

  • CTs on service feeders, with direction of CTs visible

  • CT wiring, including connection method when wire is extended

  • CT wire connections to solar product

If CTs are physically unable to be installed, please include photo context showing the situation (e.g. busbars in meter/main panels where CTs physically cannot be placed, or split service setups where whole home consumption is not possible).

E9) Commissioning

Commissioning of the system should be completed prior to leaving the site. Ensure all relevant screenshots from the commissioning app are uploaded. These should show a fully operational systems with all devices paired, active communication, reporting production and consumption data including cellular connection signal.

• SolarEdge SetApp should show all optimizers paired, with cellular S_OK. It is recommended to include the consumption meter settings screen.

• Enphase ToolKit should show the Devices & Array summary with all microinverters detected and active communication. It is recommended to include the meter configuration for consumption.

• Tesla screenshots should show 'LightReach' added as partner, inverter & CTs enabled, networking connected to Cellular. Include operations settings page for panel current limit & PCS settings.
  
  

• Inverter(s)/IQ Combiner

• Optimizer/Microinverter map

• MCI (Tesla)

• PV module + Unique serial on site

CI1) Inverter(s)/IQ Combiner serial

Clearly legible serial numbers for inverter & DC safety switch (SolarEdge/other) or Enphase IQ combiner box.

• If more than 4 branch circuits exist & a dedicated sub panel is being used - upload the photo of the serial # on the Enphase envoy.

CI2) Optimizer/Microinverter Map

All systems require the optimizer/microinverter serial stickers to be placed in a map with photo documentation. Stickers should be arranged to match the layout design installed on site, QR codes and serials should be legible for each device.

A diagram showing PV wire runs on the sticker map should also be included. Each string or branch circuit should be identified accurately.

CI3) MCI location & picture

For Tesla inverters, need MCI location on a string map & a picture of the MCI installed.

CI4) Module Label + Unique serial on site

Picture of the manufacturer label and a pull back for contextual.

Additionally, We need a single serial number picture from one of the modules being installed onsite

• For O&M purposes a single SN helps us track down the lot of modules with the manufacturer, should there be a module level failure or recall.
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• Main Panel Upgrade (for disqualified (DQ'd) panel manufacturers)

• Tree removal

PC1) Main Panel Upgrade

Any disqualified manufacturer listed in the electrical conditions article - here, should be replaced prior to install package submission at M1.
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If upgrade is scheduled to take place post install, these photos are acceptable as an M2 submission under 'Site Improvements' section.

Photos should clearly show:

• Close up of main breaker rating

• Panel label/sticker showing busbar rating

• Contextual shot of where the new upgraded panel was installed, replacing the old panel.

• Interconnection method in the new panel - close up of breaker rating if back feed breaker was used.

• Photos of CTs installed showing in the new panel (if applicable)

PC2) Tree removal

During design stage, if the generated production estimation used on the contract was based on the fact that trees would be removed at or post installation, then - photos of said trees removed on site would need to be provided.

If tree removal is scheduled to take place post install, these photos are acceptable as an M2 submission under 'Site Improvements".

Photos should clearly show:

• Stump(s) of tree(s) removed.

• Contextual wide shot of the area with project site visible in the background.
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• Ground Mount Systems

• Ballasted Systems

AMS1) Ground Mount System

Ground mount systems follow similar photo requirements as standard rooftops. Instead of flashing and attachment photos, please provide structure photos showing columns and rail attachment. Column embedment, footing depth and footing type should be clearly documented. Trench photos should include depth measurement, conduit run, warning ribbon as locally required, and transitions to structures.

Stamped engineering plans should include wind/snow structural load calculations, embedment depths and/or footing dimensions and match installed racking structure.

AMS 2) Ballasted System

Ballast systems follow similar photo requirements as standard rooftops. Instead of flashing and attachment photos, please provide structure photos showing the roof pads, bays with and without weight blocks, wind deflectors, and roof attachment clips as required.

If installation deviates from manufacturer recommendations, such as AHJ restrictions, please include context on the engineering plans. Blocks and weight should be identified on plan sets.

• Ballast blocks installed on site must match ballast schedule.

Stamped engineering plans should include wind/snow structural load calculations, ballast weights and roof structure ability to support added weight of ballast plus system.

S1) Arbitrage batteries

Battery requirements will be different depending on the product and scope. Photos should showcase:

• Clearly legible close up of product serial labels required for each battery.

• Complete wiring and terminals.

• CT location and direction.

• Pull back of install location with cover off and cover on showing manufacturer spec & code compliant clearance.

• Commissioning screenshots showing a functional and active battery should be included.

S2) Back up batteries

In addition to above, additional photos required are:

• Clearly legible close up of product serial labels are also required for each battery.

• Clearly legible close up of battery model & size.

• Transfer switch panels (Gateway) with all internal wiring and breaker ratings.

• CTs, location and direction.

• Any subpanels related to critical load backups. Relocated circuits should be properly identified on new and old label directories.

• Pull back of install location with cover off and cover on showing manufacturer spec & code compliant clearance.

• Commissioning screenshots showing a functional and active battery should be included.