A quick look at where you are now

• How did you first start thinking about adding storage to this property?
• When was the last time you experienced a grid outage that affected this property?
• Describe what happens to your solar system during an outage today, including whether panels shut down and which loads lose power
• Select the outcomes that matter most to you right now Options: Backup power during outages, Maximize solar self-consumption, Reduce peak demand charges, Lower monthly utility cost, Reduce reliance on a generator, Improve resilience for critical loads, Increase property value
• Name the people or roles in your household or organization most affected by outages or changes to your energy setup
• Is there any non-negotiable constraint that would stop this project from moving forward, for example roof condition, HOA rules, or funding limits? Options: Roof structural limits, HOA or covenant restrictions, No available budget this year, Insurance will not cover batteries, Permitting likely to be blocked, No non-negotiables

When power goes wrong, what breaks first

• If nothing changes, what would the next extended outage cost you in real terms—lost revenue, spoiled inventory, safety risk, or something else?
• How often over the past 12 months has this site lost power for more than one hour? Options: Multiple times, Once or twice, Rarely (less than once), Never, Unsure
• Tell me about the most recent outage, including duration, time of day, and which services were interrupted
• And when that happened, which downstream failure caused the biggest disruption for you? Options: Loss of refrigeration/critical loads, Loss of internet/communications, Business interruption/lost revenue, Safety systems impacted, Other
• On a scale from 1 to 5, how acceptable is your current backup performance? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Your energy picture, in numbers and patterns

• What single energy cost, billing line, or outage-related expense would need to disappear for you to consider this project an obvious win within 5 years?
• How many kilowatt-hours does your site use in an average month, and during which hours do you see the highest demand?
• Identify the meter or billing account we should analyze for savings, main service or separate solar/export meter Options: Main site service, Separate solar/export meter, Tenant/tenant meters, Multiple accounts, see notes, Unsure
• Describe your rooftop solar configuration: approximate system size in kW, inverter type, age, and any known shading or string-level limitations
• Do you currently export energy to the grid, and if so, is export credited hourly, monthly, or under a feed-in arrangement? Options: No export (self-consumption only), Net metering, hourly, Net metering, monthly, Feed-in tariff or PPA, Unsure

Physical limits we have to respect

• What's the one roof or site condition that would make you stop the project immediately?
• Walk me through your main electrical distribution: panel location, service size, available breaker spaces, and any loads that must remain on in an outage
• Are there recorded fire-safety setbacks, structural reports, or HOA restrictions that limit where equipment can be placed? Options: Yes, fire setbacks noted, Yes, HOA restrictions, Yes, structural issues reported, No known restrictions, Unsure
• How many separate meters, tenant services, or subpanels are on site that would change the installation approach? Options: Single meter/service, Two meters/services, Multiple tenant meters, Commercial multi-meter bank, Unsure
• Could roof orientation, tilt, or age prevent placing battery cabinets or inverters where they are needed? Options: Yes, orientation limits placement, Yes, roof age/condition limits placement, No obvious limit, Unsure, needs inspection

Who needs to be aligned for this to happen

• If the pilot proves the modeled savings, who within your organization can sign the final agreement within two weeks? Options: Owner/CEO, Facilities Director/Manager, Property Manager, Procurement/Buyer, Legal/Finance sign-off required, No one can sign quickly
• List the internal stakeholders we need to engage, and call out who is the ultimate decision maker
• Are there procurement, legal, or finance steps that typically extend approval timelines here? Options: Board or committee approval, Capital expenditure approval, Leaseholder approval, Standard PO process, Other
• How much of the technical evaluation will your facilities team versus an external consultant own, and who will be the point person? Options: Facilities owns most, External consultant leads, Shared responsibility, Undecided
• Provide the name and role of the onsite contact who will coordinate access, inspections, and daily questions during installation

Safety, warranty, and the risks that matter

• Which single safety or warranty concern would make you pull the plug on this project?
• Tell me about any previous battery or generator installations on site and any post-installation issues or claims
• On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident are you that warranty and liability responsibilities will be clearly assigned between installer and manufacturer? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Identify the party that currently maintains your solar equipment and who would be responsible for battery maintenance after commissioning Options: Current installer/contractor, In-house maintenance team, Third-party O&M provider, No formal maintainer yet, Unsure
• Which insurance, fire-safety, or monitoring requirements would your insurer or authority having jurisdiction insist on before energizing a battery system? Options: Battery-rated enclosure or listing, Fire suppression or separation, 24/7 remote monitoring, Insurance rider/notification, No special requirements known, Unsure

Other routes you're weighing

• What's the one alternative you're most likely to choose instead of adding batteries, and why? Options: Do nothing (accept outages), Diesel generator, Increase grid capacity/UPS, Adjust operations to avoid peaks, Internal DIY battery project, Switch to a different vendor
• List any providers, incumbent installers, or internal 'do it ourselves' plans you have evaluated or are still considering
• What would have to be true about your current approach for you to stay with it rather than switching to a battery solution?
• Has anyone proposed solving this internally, and if so, how realistic is that given your staffing and permitting constraints? Options: Yes, very realistic, Possible with contractors, Unrealistic given current staff, Not proposed internally, Unsure
• Rate your incumbent's performance across responsiveness, technical transparency, and safety practices Options: Very satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied, Very dissatisfied

Can we actually build this here

• Name the licensing, permit, or utility approval risk that would stop the project before design is final
• Do you already have approved electrical plans, or will we need to create and file new ones? Options: Approved plans on file, Partial plans, updates needed, No plans, need full submission, Unsure
• Are there accessible meter, inverter, and production datasets for the last 12 months, and who can grant access? Options: Full system telemetry available, Only monthly bills available, Partial datasets, short duration, No data accessible, Unsure who can provide
• Does your utility require an interconnection study, and has one ever been completed for this site? Options: Study required and complete, Study required and not done, No study required, Unsure
• Do you have an AHJ contact or previous inspection notes we should review before engineering begins? Options: Yes, we have AHJ contact and notes, Yes, contact but no notes, No AHJ contact available, Unsure
• Point to any missing infrastructure prerequisites, such as service upgrades, transformer space, or structural reinforcements, that would force us to pause procurement

How we'll know this worked and what comes next

• If the installed system fails to meet your acceptance criteria, what specific outcome would end the relationship or trigger full remediation?
• Provide the measurable acceptance criteria you need to approve commissioning, for example minimum backup minutes at full load, cycle milestones, or percent demand reduction targets Options: Minimum backup minutes at full load, Measured kWh increase in self-consumption, Demand charge reduction percent target, Successful AHJ inspection, Monitoring verification for 30 days
• How soon after commissioning would you expect to see modeled savings, and at what point would you want us to initiate a contract review? Options: Within 1 month, 1-3 months, 3-6 months, At 1 year, Unsure
• Who must sign off on AHJ inspection approval and utility permission to operate before you accept system energization?
• Would you be ready to move to a site visit and preliminary design within the next 4 weeks? Options: Yes, within 4 weeks, Yes, within 8 weeks, In 3 months, Not ready yet, Unsure

• System Walkthrough: Backup, Self-Consumption, Demand Management

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm the demonstrated scenarios meet your operational backup duration needs for the prioritized critical circuits.
• Provide last 12 months of hourly load and solar production data and a prioritized list of critical circuits for backup.
• Deliver a scenario-specific performance and savings model plus a draft acceptance-criteria document within 5 business days after receiving the data.
• Orientation: What happens between signing and go-live
• You confirm the projected self-consumption uplift and demand charge reduction are sufficient to justify next-step investment and define what remaining evidence you require.
• Show the scenario models using your site data
• You agree on measurable acceptance criteria that will be used at commissioning and during the first 30 days of operation.
• Schedule a technical follow-up to review any AHJ or interconnection constraints uncovered during the scenario review.
• Demonstrate operational behavior and safety controls
• Agree measurable acceptance criteria
• Validate the future state

• System Walkthrough: Backup, Self-Consumption, Demand Management
• System Walkthrough Deck
• System Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Supply and Deliver Lithium-Ion Battery Packs
• Install Battery Enclosures and Mounting Hardware
• Electrical Panel and Breaker Upgrades
• Inverter and Solar Array Integration with Storage
• Automatic Transfer Switch and Backup Wiring Installation
• Commissioning and Functional System Testing
• Utility Interconnection and Approval Submission
• Manage Building and Fire Permitting and Inspections
• Install Fire-Safety Equipment and Compliance Measures
• Deploy Remote Monitoring Platform and Telemetry
• Warranty Registration and Service Plan Enrollment
• Preventive Maintenance and Annual Service Visits
• Configure Load Management and Demand Charge Controls
• Arrange Financing, Incentives, and Tax Credit Enrollment
• Customer Handover and System Operation Training

Supply and Deliver Lithium-Ion Battery Packs

• Do you require delivery to a secured staging area or to the final installation point on site? Options: Staging area on-site, Deliver to final installation point, Will coordinate delivery window with we
• Which battery capacity range best matches the sizing analysis for your site (round-trip kWh)? Options: Less than 10 kWh, 10-25 kWh, 26-50 kWh, 51-100 kWh, More than 100 kWh
• What nominal battery voltage or DC bus voltage does your planned inverter or existing system require? Options: 48 VDC, 400 VDC, 600 VDC, Other - specify in next field
• Who will provide single-line diagrams (SLD) and existing inverter serial numbers for shipment verification? Options: You provide SLD and serials, We will retrieve from your installer, No SLD available yet
• Provide any site constraints that affect delivery and offload such as gate width, crane availability, or maximum pallet weight.

Install Battery Enclosures and Mounting Hardware

• Which mounting configuration do you expect: indoor rack, outdoor NEMA-rated cabinet, or containerized skid? Options: Indoor rack, Outdoor NEMA cabinet, Containerized skid, Custom mounting — describe
• What is the required enclosure rating for your location based on exposure (e.g., NEMA 3R, NEMA 4X) or local AHJ guidance? Options: NEMA 1 / Indoor, NEMA 3R, NEMA 4X, AHJ-specified rating
• Is there a preferred anchoring method or structural limitation for the mounting surface such as concrete embed anchors, roof lag bolts, or seismic restraints? Options: Concrete anchors, Roof lag bolts, Seismic restraints required, No preference / assess on site
• List the maximum allowable point load and available clearances at the proposed equipment location (distance to roof edge, soffit, and service panel).
• Specify any required weatherproofing or cable entry gasketing details that must be provided with the enclosure.

Electrical Panel and Breaker Upgrades

• Which panels will be modified or added to support storage: main service, critical loads subpanel, or new backup panel? Options: Main service panel, Critical loads subpanel, New backup panel, Multiple panels — list
• What is the existing main service amperage and meter configuration as shown on your utility meter and service disconnect? Options: 100 A single-phase, 200 A single-phase, 400 A three-phase, Other - specify
• Specify required breaker sizes or main-tie ratings for the inverter output and battery inverter/charger connection (in amps).
• Are there existing panel space constraints or manufacturer restrictions that prevent adding the required breakers? Options: Yes - constraints exist, No - space available, Unknown - needs panel inspection
• Provide any utility or AHJ-required lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures or labeling standards that must be applied to new breakers and panels.

Inverter and Solar Array Integration with Storage

• Describe the inverter topology to be integrated (single-phase grid-tied, split-phase, three-phase, or hybrid inverter), including model family if available.
• Indicate whether your existing solar inverter supports AC-coupled storage, DC-coupled storage, or requires a separate battery inverter/PCS. Options: AC-coupled supported, DC-coupled supported, Requires separate battery inverter/PCS, Unknown
• Select required integration points with your solar array: export limiting, self-consumption optimization, or backup-power islanding. Options: Export limiting, Self-consumption optimization, Backup-power islanding, All of the above
• Specify the maximum continuous inverter output (kW) and expected peak export limit (kW) to be configured for demand charge control.
• Identify communications interfaces needed between battery management system (BMS), inverter, and building energy management system (BEMS) such as Modbus TCP, RS485, or API endpoints. Options: Modbus TCP, RS485 Modbus, REST API, BACnet / BEMS, Other

Automatic Transfer Switch and Backup Wiring Installation

• Do you plan to back up entire premise power or only selected essential circuits via an automatic transfer switch (ATS)? Options: Entire premise, Selected essential circuits, Critical loads panel only, Not backing up loads
• Which circuits or loads must be powered during an outage (list by panel circuit number or load description)?
• Specify the required ATS transfer time or holdover requirements for sensitive loads (milliseconds or seconds).
• Are the backup-fed loads expected to start motors or HVAC with high inrush currents that require soft-start or motor-start management? Options: Yes - motors/HVAC present, No high inrush loads, Unknown - provide motor list
• Provide details of any separate standby generator interface required for paralleling or open-transition operation with the battery system.

Commissioning and Functional System Testing

• Do you require staged commissioning with factory witness testing, on-site functional tests, and a final performance verification run? Options: Factory witness + on-site, On-site only, Final performance run only, Custom plan — describe
• Specify the performance thresholds the system must meet during commissioning such as round-trip efficiency percentage, usable kWh at specified state-of-charge (SoC), and sustained kW output.
• Provide the telemetry and logging interval required during commissioning for energy, SoC, and inverter output (e.g., 1-minute, 5-minute, 15-minute). Options: 1-minute, 5-minute, 15-minute, 30-minute
• Detail required safety tests such as protective relay trip tests, ground-fault tests, and BMS fault injection procedures to be executed during commissioning.
• What defines final acceptance for the commissioned system including specific measurable criteria and required test evidence (for example: recorded run demonstrating X kW for Y minutes, and SoC range)?

Utility Interconnection and Approval Submission

• Which interconnection type applies for your site: export-capable net metering, export-limited, or export-prohibited? Options: Export-capable net metering, Export-limited, Export-prohibited, Utility to advise
• Provide the utility name and any specific interconnection form or application ID if already submitted.
• State whether a witness test, anti-islanding studies, or UL certification evidence is required by the utility for permission to operate. Options: Witness test required, Anti-islanding study required, UL certification evidence required, None required / utility does not specify
• Indicate expected export limit settings or host-managed export control thresholds in kW required by the utility tariff.
• What evidence will validate that the utility has granted permission to operate (PTO) such as a signed PTO letter, stamped interconnection agreement, or portal approval screenshot?

Manage Building and Fire Permitting and Inspections

• Which Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) or fire department will issue permits and inspections for the installation?
• Provide any required local code references or editions (for example NEC 2020, local fire code) that the AHJ enforces for battery energy storage systems.
• Identify required submittal documents such as manufacturer spec sheets, fire-safety plan, photovoltaic and battery single-line diagram, and structural load calcs. Options: Manufacturer spec sheets, Fire-safety plan, SLD and structural calcs, All of the above, Other
• Estimate lead times and typical review durations you have experienced or expect from the AHJ for permit approval. Options: Less than 2 weeks, 2-6 weeks, 6-12 weeks, More than 12 weeks
• What evidence will validate AHJ final approval for the battery installation such as an approved permit stamp, final inspection card, or written sign-off from the fire marshal?

Install Fire-Safety Equipment and Compliance Measures

• Select the fire-safety measures required at your site such as thermal runaway mitigation, automatic suppression, dedicated ventilation, or smoke detection. Options: Thermal runaway mitigation, Automatic suppression system, Dedicated ventilation, Smoke detection, Other
• Does your site require UL9540A testing documentation or a third-party thermal runaway test report for AHJ review? Options: UL9540A report available, Third-party test report available, Not required by AHJ, Unknown
• Specify placement and clearance requirements for fire department access, including minimum distances to egress paths and vehicle access lanes.
• Are dedicated fire-safety devices such as smoke/heat detectors or suppression tie-ins required to be connected to a building fire alarm panel? Options: Yes - tie into fire alarm, No - standalone systems allowed, AHJ to decide
• Provide documentation or manufacturer instructions for battery enclosure ventilation and thermal management provisions that must be installed.

Deploy Remote Monitoring Platform and Telemetry

• Specify required telemetry channels to be reported such as energy throughput (kWh), instantaneous power (kW), state of charge (SoC), and battery temperature. Options: kWh energy throughput, Instantaneous kW, State of charge (SoC), Battery temperature, All listed
• Identify communications path preference for telemetry: cellular gateway, site Ethernet, or customer WAN integration. Options: Cellular gateway, Site Ethernet, Customer WAN / VPN, Other
• Choose the telemetry reporting frequency needed for billing or demand control verification. Options: 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes
• Provide API or endpoint requirements if you need the monitoring platform to push telemetry into your BEMS or third-party analytics platform.
• Specify retention period for monitoring logs required for warranty or regulatory audit purposes (days or months). Options: 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, Longer on request

Warranty Registration and Service Plan Enrollment

• Are you enrolling in a manufacturer warranty and an extended service plan at purchase or after commissioning? Options: Enroll at purchase, Enroll after commissioning, Manufacturer warranty only, Decline extended plan
• Provide required warranty registration details such as system serial numbers, commissioning date, and site address for registration submission.
• Specify the desired service-level agreement targets for response time and repair turnaround for covered faults. Options: 24-hour response, 48-hour response, 72-hour response, Custom SLA
• Identify whether you require a spare-parts kit on-site including fuses, communication modules, and replacement breakers. Options: Full spare-parts kit, Partial kit, No spare parts required
• State any conditions that would void warranty coverage at your site such as unapproved modifications, non-compliant ventilation, or unauthorized tampering.

Preventive Maintenance and Annual Service Visits

• How many annual preventive maintenance visits do you require for visual inspection, battery health check, and firmware updates? Options: None, 1 per year, 2 per year, Annual plus on-demand
• Specify the scope of each maintenance visit including thermal imaging, torque checks, and battery capacity diagnostics.
• Identify any site restrictions for maintenance windows such as business hours, weekend access, or after-hours only. Options: Business hours, Weekends allowed, After-hours only, Flexible with notice
• Estimate acceptable maximum downtime for maintenance-related outages in minutes or hours.
• Provide escalation contacts and preferred communication channel for urgent maintenance events. Options: Phone, Email, SMS, Platform ticketing

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Purchase Agreement / Order Confirmation
• Payment Schedule Agreement
• Warranty Assignment & Claims Process
• Permits, Inspections & Interconnection Addendum
• Agency Authorization for Permits & Utility Filings
• Commissioning, Acceptance & Final Sign-Off Certificate
• Insurance Requirements and Certificate of Insurance

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Performance Measurement (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Quarterly System Performance Review

• Open escalation for any warranty claim exceeding the agreed SLA and document the path to resolution.
• Correct monitoring or metering configuration errors and validate data continuity prior to the acceptance gate.
• Restate numeric acceptance criteria from Installation Scope
• Produce a documented acceptance decision tied to the numeric targets recorded in Installation Scope.
• For any unmet criteria, agree specific remediation tasks, verification steps, and firm resolution dates.
• Confirm the incumbent system is either decommissioned or formally retained read-only with data archived, when applicable.
• Publish the acceptance record or conditional-acceptance report to the shared workspace.
• Create remediation tickets for failed criteria with verification tests and target close dates.
• Execute the incumbent wind-down actions documented in the meeting, including data migration or archival as required.
• Trend review of production kWh versus modeled forecast
• Verify production remains within acceptable deviation from the modeled forecast, or document corrective plans.
• Ensure all warranty claims are tracked with expected resolution dates, and escalate any that exceed target timelines.
• Maintain a prioritized backlog with scheduled target quarters for resolution of top items.
• Update the shared performance dashboard with quarter-to-date production and uptime metrics.
• Prioritize the top five backlog items and publish target resolution quarters for each.
• Re-confirm acceptance criteria and owners
• Confirm commissioning evidence is complete and any low-level defects are logged with resolution dates.
• Ensure buyer has monitoring access and knows how to view alerts and basic system health reports.
• Agree immediate remediation actions required before first measurement, with dates for completion.
• Publish the commissioning report and open-issue register to the shared workspace.
• Grant monitoring dashboard access to the buyer's named contacts and confirm login success.
• Schedule any required field inspections or configuration fixes within the next 10 business days.
• Present first measurement data against targets recorded in Installation Scope
• Establish whether production (kWh) and bill reduction metrics are on track toward Installation Scope targets.
• Create a prioritized remediation plan for any gaps, with clear completion dates tied to the acceptance gate.
• Confirm monitoring and interconnection uptime is sufficient for reliable measurements, or log data gaps to be corrected.
• Open technical investigation tickets for each identified root cause, with expected resolution dates.
• Schedule a field inspection if hardware or wiring issues are suspected from the data.
• Present consolidated outcome data against each acceptance criterion
• Warranty claim log and resolution metrics
• Deployment and commissioning verification
• Diagnose root causes for any performance gaps
• Document pass or fail per criterion and record the acceptance decision
• Monitoring access and user onboarding
• Monitoring and interconnection uptime review
• Review interconnection and monitoring uptime
• Early operational signals and alarms
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to the acceptance gate
• Shared backlog review and prioritization
• Agree remediation plan for any failed criteria with resolution timeline
• Open issues and immediate remediation plan
• Incumbent system wind-down and data handling
• Agree operational follow-up and next quarterly checkpoints