Take pictures of everything when you are at the site. They are free, and very valuable. Place them in a file afterward.

From the conditions of the roof, the ceiling, distance between the rafters, even of your own measurements—take pictures of everything! Even if you are also writing down all the data, pictures provide invaluable help after the site evaluations, when the designing of the system begins.

Pictures can help minimize follow-up questions by team members or other parties. They may even help avoid scheduling additional site visits.

A solar array should be pointed as close to true south as possible (180 degrees).

Google Earth is a good tool to figure out cardinal directions (azimuth).

What is azimuth? What is azimuth?

Magnetic declination is the angle between magnetic north and true north. Declination is positive east of true north and negative when west.

Your GPS will tell you the building’s exact location coordinates, including the site’s latitude and longitude. This information is critical for determining the sun path.

In the photo, you can determine the cardinal directions easily. Look at the summer sun path. The modules should face south, ensuring the building receives great sun exposure through the day. Next, look at the winter sun path, where the sun is lower on the horizon. In the winter months there is less solar resource because the sun’s path is lower in the sky and the days are shorter.

Once a building has been selected, take precise measurements of the roof dimensions, including both inside and outside edges, distance to all vents or skylights, roof condition, and the type of roof (for example, shingles, metal). Use the angle finder to determine the roof’s pitch. And, as a general rule, take lots of pictures!

Draw diagrams by hand and take detailed notes. The collected data can be mapped into modelling software. Match your dimensions of the roof to the Google images. This is an easy way to double check and verify your work.

For longer measurements, use the 100-feet cloth tape. Additionally, Google Earth can assist in measuring buildings remotely.

Obtain the structural drawings of the building for review by structural engineers, who must confirm whether solar modules can be safely installed on the roof. If no structural drawings exist, document as much detail as possible through detailed pictures and notes:

The roof’s interior structure The thickness and spacing of the rafters The attic's accessibility and truss design The worksite
Perform a shading analysis by walking around the site. Identify any large poles or cell towers that could cast shadows. If there is a large tree, consider whether it needs trimming or if it provides seasonal shade.

Ground data collection involves gathering detailed information about the site itself. Is the building on level ground or is it on a hillside? Note accessibility issues for materials and equipment. Create a diagram mapping all objects and their distances from the building. Take photographs of the building’s surroundings to assess shading concerns. Evaluate soil conditions. Is the soil rocky or soft? A soil analysis may be required to assess pylon stability.
As shown in the photo, this site has both large and small trees. The larger ones may need trimming, while the smaller trees will grow over the next decade—so plan accordingly. The building is on a hillside, and utility poles are present. All of these factors should be considered when designing the system.

Solar modelling software aids in system design, energy consumption analysis, cost estimation, feasibility assessment, and production forecasting based on environmental factors.

Helioscope is one such software. It allows users to plot modules onto a roof and determine their stringing configuration. The software provides estimated energy production for each month of the year, illustrating seasonal variations in sunlight availability.

The software also integrates historical weather data from the past century, which improves its forecasting accuracy. For instance, January and February typically have lower solar output due to snow-covered modules, which the software accounts for in its projections.

By this point, all necessary data has been collected, and energy consumption has been mapped to align with the solar system design.

Discussions with structural engineers have been completed - they have reviewed all measurements and confirmed the feasibility of the system. With their approval, the project can now proceed to construction.

Before construction begins, obtaining a signed Building Approval Form is critical. It is a key milestone in the project.

This form outlines the site conditions, proposed construction, and installation plan. It includes:
Array location, size, and configuration Construction timelines Approval from building owners/managers
All relevant parties must sign off before construction begins.

The next step involves community stakeholders—building managers, Chief and Council, the Energy team, and the CEC—who will review the system before installation.

Similar to the Building Approval Form, this process ensures stakeholder input is considered.

For instance, if there are heat pumps on the roof, building managers must confirm that access remains unobstructed. Additionally, they need to ensure that roof drainage and ventilation systems remain accessible post-installation.

All concerns must be addressed before proceeding to construction.

Contractor site meetings occur regularly throughout the build process.

Before construction, schedule site meetings between the contractor, the Energy team, building managers, residents, and key personnel. These meetings help:
Discuss site conditions Address contractor concerns Ensure proper logistics for equipment storage Minimize disruptions to the community
Upon equipment arrival, coordinate secure storage arrangements with contractors.

Contractors are typically paid based on milestone completions, such as installation, inspections, and commissioning. Clear communication of these phases is essential.

Procurement should occur in parallel with site evaluations.

Once the necessary materials and services are identified, decide which equipment will be procured directly from manufacturers and which will be purchased by the contractor.

As a general rule, you should procure:
Solar modules Racking systems Inverters Certain electrical disconnects
The contractor will procure:
Wiring, clips, conduits, and miscellaneous components

Procurement of solar equipment includes choosing the right solar supplier along with equipment. It is very important to procure all the materials and equipment needed for the project before you start construction. If anything is missed out and procured later, it will affect the budget and timelines.

What do you need to know? What do you need to know?

Contractors will review the design, engineered drawings, electrical layouts, and the assimilation to the utility as well. Contractors review the drawings because they get to know different pieces of equipment from different sets of drawings—and they need this information to be able to build the system to spec.

Contractors will coordinate equipment shipments and locations of delivery. JAZZ also supports this. The company supports both the community and the contractors in coordination, especially for the equipment that it purchases.

Contractors take care of construction-related equipment and infrastructure. For example, if equipment such as a sky jack or fork lift has to be rented, it is better to leave it to the contractor. It is also more streamlined this way—they know where and when to accept the equipment.

Ensure that all workers onsite meet regulatory requirements, especially if they are working at heights.

Work closely with contractors, as well as coordinate between building managers and contractors, to ensure that timelines and budget are met.

The Energy Team and Community Energy Champions can provide valuable assistance to the project team throughout the construction. They can keep the community updated by providing key information such as scheduled progress reports, details of any incidents and their resolutions, including any property damage, updates on the EPC progress, and any delays or changes to the build. They can also guide the community when, post the build, permits are being closed with electrical and safety authorities, and with Hydro One.

By providing clear and accessible information, the Energy Team and Community Energy Champions can help address people’s concerns and maintain a regular flow of information to the community throughout the construction phase.

The spreadsheet in the photo is an example of part of a project schedule. Such documents not only help keep track of project schedules but are also useful for presentation to the community.

On final completion of the construction, the direct current (or DC) and alternate current (or AC) parts are commissioned differently. Therefore, the contractors working on the projects have slightly different sets of checklists to complete upon final completion.

DC contractors will give you a commissioning report, if required in the contract.

AC contractors provide Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) certificates. Both DC and AC contractors, however, have to provide an as-built drawing. Any deviations from the original drawings and design, made during the build, have to be indicated in red.

What is an ‘as-built’ drawing? What is an ‘as-built’ drawing?

Project managers should create a database to store all the project documentation—the paperwork for the drawing, designs, approvals, notices, warranties, etc. All such information should either be saved on the server or in physical files and should be accessible to all team members to refer to.

This is helpful if, for example, in 10 years’ time you have to ask a contractor to repair or replace something. Then the relevant documents are saved and available readily, not lost to time or memory. As well, in situations where a manager may not be reachable, the documents are easily accessible to anyone who needs them.

Document control ensures organized storage, easy retrieval, security, compliance, and efficiency in managing critical information for decision making and future action.

Before we close this lesson, let’s have a quick recap of what we have discussed.

This training lesson focused on the essential skills and knowledge required to manage the installation of solar energy systems. It covered key aspects such as site evaluations and contractor meetings, roof and ground collecting data, solar modelling software, design reviews, obtaining approvals, and choosing the right solar equipment suppliers.

We also saw how document control ensures organized storage, easy retrieval, security, compliance, and efficiency in managing critical information for decision making and future action.

The lesson also explained how to oversee the construction process, ensuring that solar modules, inverters, and other components are properly installed according to design specifications and warranty requirements.

Thank you!