Solar and battery handover checklist

Make handover useful after the installer leaves

A working app is only one part of a usable handover. You need to understand what was installed, what it can do, how to obtain help and what remains outstanding. Print this worksheet and record document locations and responsible parties. It does not replace commissioning, electrical testing or the installer’s system-specific instructions.

Document names and required certificates differ by jurisdiction and scope. Ask the installer which electrical compliance records, network permissions and metering confirmations apply to your project. Do not use this generic checklist to certify that an installation complies with every applicable rule.

1. Equipment and compliance records

• Final equipment list, models and serial references supplied by the installer.
• User manuals and the final system/design records relevant to the owner.
• Applicable electrical compliance certificates and any inspection records.
• Network connection/export conditions and metering status.
• Invoices, product warranties and installation/workmanship terms.
• A list of substitutions or agreed changes from the original proposal.

2. Monitoring ownership and normal behaviour

Confirm that the owner can access the intended monitoring account and understands any installer or third-party access. Ask how access is transferred if the property changes hands and how data can be exported. Do not write passwords on this public page or share them through an enquiry. The checklist itself stores nothing.

• Owner account access demonstrated on the owner’s device.
• Generation, consumption, import/export and battery fields explained.
• Normal seasonal expectations and data-upload delays discussed.
• Reserve, schedules and any remote-control arrangements documented.
• Support contact for missing data or alerts recorded.

Read solar monitoring data explained to check measurement boundaries. Questions about additional measurement belong with solar monitoring; battery modes and alerts belong with battery monitoring.

3. Backup and outage instructions

Ask for an installer-led demonstration

If backup is part of the contracted system, ask the installer to demonstrate it safely and identify the supplied circuits or phases, excluded loads and expected limitations. Do not create a test outage or operate electrical isolators yourself using a generic online procedure. Obtain the installed system’s written instructions for normal operation, outages and when to seek help.

• Backed-up circuits and excluded loads identified in writing.
• Startup and simultaneous-load limits explained.
• Solar recharging during an outage confirmed or explicitly excluded.
• Low-energy and return-of-grid behaviour explained.
• Emergency and support instructions supplied for this equipment.

The essential-loads backup guide helps frame the questions. A demonstration confirms behaviour under the tested conditions, not a guarantee of indefinite supply through every outage.

4. Support and follow-up

Agree the maintenance advice for the actual equipment and site through solar maintenance. Keep the first complete billing period and monitoring export for comparison. If something looks wrong, use the battery monitoring warning-sign guide to prepare a support record rather than attempting repairs. Handover is complete when the records and explanations are usable, not merely when every box is ticked.