Solar is a fast-growing industry as the price of solar panels continues to fall, making entry into the market more accessible than ever. IBISWorld’s Solar in the US industry report states that the industry has seen an annual revenue growth of 21.7% from 2017 to 2022. There have also been some challenges in the industry. The level of government regulation in the industry is reported to be very high while the market saturation and number of new businesses entering the market have been on the rise. With this in mind, it makes sense that your solar business integrates a field service management solution to capitalize on the industry’s growth while also managing the challenges that you will face. In this blog, we will go over three ways a field service management solution can benefit your solar business.  

Managing Complex Assets

The inventory and assets of a solar energy business are often expensive and complex in design requiring a qualified solar technician to manage them properly. In fact, most solar technicians need extensive STEM and construction knowledge with a solar energy technician license as well. A field service management solution will enable proper inventory management of complex assets. You will be able to track individual parts and update the amount of each available part in real-time. The software will also enable you to generate performance reports of your assets to ensure that your equipment works optimally for your customers.  

Ensuring Compliance of Regulations

Technicians in the industry face challenges in automating compliance tracking for all their services and products. In the industry, 29 US states and territories have renewable electricity standards that require electric providers to increase the amount of renewable, usually non hydroelectric energy sources in their power supplies. Additionally, IBISWorld’s industry report elaborates that most states have renewable portfolio standards (RPS) programs associated with renewable energy certificate (REC) trading programs. RECs are a mechanism to track the amount of renewable power being sold and to reward eligible power producers for doing so. With these regulations and other safety procedures in mind, a field service management solution will allow your technicians to have the right on-site procedures with real-time updates. This will be shown in the form of custom safety checklists that can be used to create customizable forms and checklists that manage and keep track of inspection visits, compliance measures, and general site maintenance. 

Systematically Track Work Orders 

Because of the attention to detail and complex systems that are needed to thrive in the solar energy industry, ensuring there is no miscommunication is very important. A field service management solution will alleviate the problem through work orders seamlessly being managed by both the technician in the field and the office dispatcher. A work order will allow for the tracking of job progress and provide customer details to the technician on their mobile device. You can see how this would be useful in the solar industry, as work orders will require extensive customer details. Communication between the office and the on-site worker will enable clear communication. This is especially important as technicians are tasked to complete intricate and high-valued work orders. 

The Solution  

If you are a solar energy business and are interested in a field service management solution similar to the one described in this blog, then look no further than to ServiceEcho. ServiceEcho will provide you with extensive asset management tools, customer safety checklists, and a work order manager all-in-one. Book a demo below to learn more.