Getting Started with the Solar CRM Edition in CrmLeaf
Solar CRM edition only (internal product type solar_crm). The Solar vertical is a paid add-on module, so an Administrator must confirm it is enabled for your account before the solar screens appear.
Availability: Solar CRM edition only (internal product type solar_crm). The Solar vertical is a paid add-on module, so an Administrator must confirm it is enabled for your account before the solar screens appear.
Overview
The Solar CRM edition of CrmLeaf is configured for rooftop and ground-mount solar installers. It runs the complete lifecycle from first enquiry to annual maintenance on the same engine as every other CrmLeaf edition, but with solar sites, site surveys, solar assessments, solar estimates and BOQ, installation projects and maintenance schedules in the navigation. This article covers the nine-step Getting Started checklist a new Solar CRM account is given, so you can set the account up in the intended order.
How It Works
The Solar CRM edition has its own signup and login route, so an account created there is stamped with the solar product type from the start. After signup you are taken to the solar onboarding checklist instead of the standard dashboard. Your progress against each step is saved, so you can leave the checklist and return to it later.
Sign up → Onboarding checklist → Master data → First site → Survey & assessment → Estimate → Delivery
- A new solar account is seeded with three predefined pipelines and a set of solar master settings, so the CRM and the solar screens are usable immediately.
- Sample data can be loaded during onboarding, which lets you explore the solar flow with populated records before you enter real customer data.
- Each checklist step deep-links to the screen where the work is done, and the checklist records which steps are complete.
- Vertical terminology follows the product type: the same screen reads as Solar Assessment in this edition and as Construction Assessment in the Construction CRM edition.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Complete the organisation profile and configure solar master data.
- Decide whether to load sample data during onboarding.
- Invite users, assign roles and set ownership-based record visibility.
- Confirm which add-on modules the account's plan includes.
This functionality is available only to Administrators.
Prerequisites
- A CrmLeaf account created through the Solar CRM signup route, so the account carries the solar product type.
- Administrator access to the account.
- Your company details, and the site and roof types your business actually surveys.
For Administrators
Step 1: Complete the organisation profile
What to do: Enter your organisation details and branding. This is step one of the checklist, Org Profile. Complete every mandatory field before you Save.
What to verify: The company name and branding appear on documents you send to customers, such as estimates and proposals.
Step 2: Configure site and roof types
What to do: Open the solar master data screens and set up your Site/Roof Types. Your account is seeded with solar master settings, so review what is already there, edit what does not match your business and add what is missing.
What to verify: The roof types you use in the field are available for selection when you create a solar site. See How to Configure Solar Master Data for the full list of configurable types.
Step 3: Set up CRM, leads and clients
What to do: Work through the CRM/Leads/Clients step. Review the three predefined pipelines seeded with your account, adjust their stages to match how you sell, and add or import your lead contacts and clients.
What to verify: A lead can be created and appears at the first stage of the pipeline you expect.
Step 4: Create your first solar site
What to do: Complete the Solar Sites step by onboarding one real site against a lead or client, recording its installation type, utility connection, meter type and ownership details, then putting it through approval.
What to verify: The site is saved with an approval status. See How to Create and Approve Solar Sites.
Step 5: Record a site survey
What to do: Complete the Site Surveys step against the site you created, including photo, video and sketch uploads. Surveys can also be captured in the mobile app by a field user.
What to verify: The survey is saved with a status and a feasibility result.
Step 6: Record a solar assessment
What to do: Complete the Solar Assessments step. The assessment links the lead, the site, the survey and the assessor, and carries the grid, inverter and battery design decisions.
What to verify: The assessment shows the correct site and survey.
Step 7: Produce an estimate and BOQ
What to do: Complete the Estimates & BOQ step by creating a numbered solar estimate from the assessment and building the BOQ that supports it.
What to verify: The estimate moves from draft to sent, and the BOQ lists the equipment the design requires.
Step 8: Create the installation project
What to do: Complete the Projects step by creating the installation project that will carry the permit, installation, inspection, utility-connection and commissioning statuses.
What to verify: The project is linked to the customer and to the site it installs.
Step 9: Add the delivery tasks
What to do: Complete the Tasks step by breaking the project into the tasks your crews will work. Consider saving the result as a project template so later installations start from the same plan.
What to verify: Tasks appear on the project and on the taskboard.
Expected Result
The nine onboarding steps are complete, the account has solar master data that matches your business, and one real site has been carried through survey, assessment and estimate. The solar screens are then usable by your wider team.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- The product type is set at signup and determines which login screen, onboarding flow and vertical labels the account sees.
- Several capabilities used later in the solar flow are paid add-on modules, including Purchase, Manufacture and Budget. Confirm they are included in your plan before you rely on them.
- If you load sample data, review it before you invite customers or crews, so demo records are not mistaken for live work.
Common Scenarios
Example: an installer setting up in one afternoon. The Administrator completes the organisation profile, trims the seeded roof types down to the three types the company actually installs on, keeps one of the three seeded pipelines, and then walks a single recent enquiry through site, survey, assessment and estimate. The rest of the team is invited only once that path works end to end.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| The solar screens are not in the sidebar | The account is not on the Solar CRM product type, or the solar module is not enabled for the account | Confirm the edition and ask your Administrator to check the module is enabled for your plan |
| The onboarding checklist cannot be reached | The onboarding page is gated to the matching product type | Confirm you are signed in to the Solar CRM account and not another workspace |
| A roof type you need is not offered on the site form | The type has not been added to solar master data | Add it in the solar master data screens first |
| A user cannot see sites created by colleagues | Their role permission scope is set to owned rather than all | Adjust the permission scope for that role |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to complete the nine steps in order?
The order is the recommended sequence because each step depends on data created in the previous one. You can revisit any step at any time.
Can I change the account to a different edition later?
The product type is set at signup and drives the whole experience. Contact your CrmLeaf representative about changing it.
Does the Solar CRM edition still include CRM, projects and invoicing?
Yes. All editions run on the same engine, so leads, deals, projects, tasks, time tracking and invoicing are all present.
Can field users work on mobile?
Yes. The mobile app exposes solar site-survey and approval screens and dispatch, gated by the account's product type. See How to Use Field and Solar Screens in the CrmLeaf Mobile App.
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