Solar Handover Checklist: What to Give the Customer on Day One

Pull up the calls your service number took last month from customers whose systems went live in the previous 60 days. Most will be the same handful of questions. The app shows zero at night. Solar stopped during a power cut. The subsidy has not arrived. Can I wash the panels with a hose? Where is my warranty card?

Each of those calls could have been answered on commissioning day, in about 20 minutes, with a small pile of papers and a walk through the house. When the pile is missing, a service engineer drives across town to say what a one-page card would have said.

This solar handover checklist gives you the pack, the walk-through script, a sign-off form and a 30 and 90 day check-in plan. Scheme rules come from MNRE documents we opened on 31 October 2026, and the one generation figure comes from PIB. Our own suggestions are labelled as ours, and "illustrative" examples state their assumptions. This is working guidance, not legal advice.

It covers the customer handover only. For the internal handover from sales to the installation team, see our solar business SOP. For DISCOM steps before commissioning, see the solar commissioning process guide.

What MNRE's documents make you hand over, and what they leave to you

We found no commissioning-day checklist for the customer in the MNRE documents we read. They do name the duties, mostly in the sample vendor and consumer agreement (Annexure 2) and the technical annex (Annexure 3) of the PM Surya Ghar guidelines. The table collects the ones that decide what goes on the table.

Source: MNRE, Guidelines for PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, CFA to Residential Consumers. The file on MNRE's CDN has a July 2025 upload path. Read in full on 31 October 2026. Annexure 2 is a model: section 6(d) says "the actual agreement may vary".

These duties are written for subsidy jobs, and the agreement is only a model. On a job without subsidy, or a C&I job, your own contract rules, but we suggest the same pack because the customer's questions are the same. MNRE can amend the guidelines, so check the National Portal for a newer version before printing forms.

Two points save calls later. The consumer, not you, holds the portal login: section 8(d) says the consumer "has the user rights to undertake all activities on the National Portal without relying on the vendor". And the five years run from commissioning by the DISCOM, not the day your crew left. See the CFA scheme entry for the subsidy basics.

The Five-Stack Table: lay it all out in one place

Do not hand over a folder and leave. Lay five stacks of paper on a table, in order, with one sheet on top of each. The customer sees everything at once, you point at each stack, and the sign-off form lists the same five.

1. 1

   Proof: it is safe and it is live

   Commissioning or inspection report, test results with the measured earth resistance, the anti-islanding result, and the equipment list with serial numbers.

2. 2

   Papers: what the customer needs to claim and keep

   Single-line diagram and drawings, warranty cards, the signed agreement, DISCOM and net-meter papers, and the subsidy papers.

3. 3

   Power: the app and what normal looks like

   Monitoring app on the customer's phone, logged in on the spot, plus a one-page "what normal looks like" sheet.

4. 4

   Care: cleaning, safety, shutdown, limits

   O&M schedule, cleaning and roof-safety rules, the shutdown card and the list of what is not covered.

5. 5

   Contact: who to call and when we call you

   Service number and hours, the response time you actually offer, and the dates of the 30 and 90 day check-ins.

The top-sheet rule. Each stack's top sheet carries the customer's name, system size, commissioning date and the one instruction that matters most. For Proof it is "keep this report with the warranty cards". For Power it is "zero at night and in a power cut is normal". For Care it is the shutdown card. For Contact it is your number. Print them in the language the customer reads, because a manual the family cannot read does not stop the call it was meant to prevent.

Stacks 1 and 2: the document checklist

The proof and paper stacks hold about ten items. The table says who will ask for each. Scheme rows apply to PM Surya Ghar jobs, and the portal items come from MNRE manuals of June and July 2024, so check them against your live screen.

Sources: MNRE guidelines; MNRE consumer manual, 21 July 2024; MNRE installer manual, 29 June 2024; BSES Rajdhani FAQ, Sep 2025 (Delhi only); MNRE draft quality control manual circulated 25 Feb 2023.

MNRE circulated that manual for comments in February 2023 and we found no final version. Treat its handover form as a sound model, not a rule.

On electrical safety, the CEA's Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply Regulations, 2023 (Gazette of 12 June 2023) are the rulebook behind the safety rows in your report. The Ministry of Power told Parliament that installations at or below the notified voltage are self-certified by the owner or consumer, who may instead ask the Electrical Inspector to inspect, and that the Centre has notified 11 kV for this purpose (PIB, 5 August 2024). Which rooftop plants need the Electrical Inspector's sign-off depends on your state, so file whatever your state's route produced in the Proof stack. We found no CEA checklist of what a customer must be handed on the day.

Remind the customer that bank papers are theirs to upload, and that the portal manual says the bank account and the electricity connection "should belong to the same person".

Warranty cards: write the terms on the card, not "see manufacturer"

A card that says "as per manufacturer" is the one customers phone about. Fill each layer in. The table shows what MNRE fixes for subsidy jobs and what your card must still add. For wording inside the proposal, see our guide to the solar proposal warranty section.

Source: MNRE guidelines, Annexures 2 and 3. Annexure 3 sets minimum technical specifications for subsidy jobs.

Claims are a separate process, so keep the handover brief. The customer needs three things on the card: the serial number, the date and who to call first. After that, Annexure 2 asks you to help the customer claim from the manufacturer.

Stack 3, Power: set up the app and teach what normal looks like

Most "my solar is not working" calls describe normal behaviour nobody showed the customer. Set up monitoring before you leave.

1. 1

   The login is the customer's own

   Create the account in the customer's name and phone. Add your team as a second login so the customer is never locked out.

2. 2

   The app is on the customer's phone

   Log in with the customer holding the phone, and see today's generation on screen.

3. 3

   Alerts are on

   Switch on fault alerts if the app has them.

4. 4

   The Wi-Fi network is written down

   Note the network the dongle uses. If the family changes the router, the app shows nothing until the dongle is reconnected.

5. 5

   The baseline is photographed

   Screenshot the day's total. It is the first row of your 30 day comparison.

MNRE's technical annex says the inverter "should have the inbuilt facility to communicate system related data through SIM/dongle" (Annexure 3, 2.7). Section 8(a)(ix) adds that the National Portal gets access if you receive that data. Tell the customer, since nobody likes finding it out later.

How much should the plant generate? Use the official line only

The one official figure we use is from PIB. On 29 February 2024 it wrote: "A 3 kW system will be able to generate more than 300 units a month on an average for a household."

That is a scheme-level average, not a promise for one roof. It works out to about 100 units per kW per month, so a 4 kW home lands near 400 units. That scaling is our arithmetic, labelled illustrative, and it ignores shade, tilt and season. Say so in those words.

Source: PIB, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Cabinet approves PM-Surya Ghar, 29 Feb 2024.

This table is the "what normal looks like" sheet for the Power stack. The patterns are general, not measured data, so label the sheet illustrative and let the customer's first year of readings replace it.

Sources: MNRE guidelines, Annexure 3; MNRE draft quality control manual, chapter 8. Season rows are our general guidance. For the meter side, see our explainer on the bidirectional meter.

The 20-minute walk-through script

Twenty minutes is enough in a fixed order, with the customer doing the touching. The seven blocks and timings are our suggestion, not a standard. Stand at the meter board and inverter, not on the sofa.

The teach-back. Ask the customer to show you three things: open the app and find today's generation, point to the AC isolator, and say who to call first. Repeat any block they miss. We have no data on how much this cuts calls. We offer it because each block answers a call you can name.

Three lines are worth rehearsing word for word.

POWER CUT LINE
"When the grid goes off, your solar also goes off. That is a safety rule for the people repairing the line. It comes back by itself when supply returns."

SUBSIDY LINE
"The subsidy does not come to us. It goes to your bank account after the DISCOM approves, and you redeem it on the portal. If it is late, call us and we will help you raise it."

LIMIT LINE
"We look after faults for five years. We cannot control the DISCOM's bill or the subsidy date, and damage from other people's work on the roof needs a separate quote."

The subsidy line rests on sections 6(p) and 6(t): the consumer redeems the e-token, and CFA is processed "within 15 days of approval by the concerned DISCOM". It promises no days for the DISCOM's approval because the guidelines state none. If you collect the final payment on the same visit, our guide to payment terms for solar customers covers the balance at handover.

Cleaning, safety, shutdown and what is not covered

New owners hurt their systems through good intentions more than neglect. A do and don't list, a shutdown card and an honest limits table protect both sides. MNRE's sample agreement asks the customer to give roof access and water for cleaning and to report any malfunction. Put those duties on the card.

The "stays live" line is not drama. MNRE's draft manual quotes the signage standard: "Live during daylight" on every DC junction box and switch, and a shutdown sign stating the array's open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current. Check your crew fitted them.

The emergency shutdown card

Put one card by the inverter and give one to the customer. Write it from your single-line diagram and inverter manual, in the customer's language, and have your electrician approve it. This is a template, not a procedure.

1. 1

   Stay off the roof

   Do not touch panels, wires or boxes. Keep children and neighbours away.

2. 2

   Switch off the inverter AC isolator, then the PV array DC isolator

   Follow the order in your inverter manual and mark both on the card with a photo.

3. 3

   If there is smoke or fire, call the fire emergency number

   Say "rooftop solar plant" and that the panels stay live in daylight even with the isolators off.

4. 4

   Switch off the main switch only if it is safe to reach

   In an emergency, if the DISCOM cannot reach the plant's disconnecting devices, it may disconnect supply to the premises (model agreement, Annexure 4, clause 6.2).

5. 5

   Call us and note the time and what you saw

   Send photos of the inverter screen if you can do so safely.

Sources: MNRE draft quality control manual, signage and shutdown; MNRE guidelines, Annexure 4. The card steps are our template.

What is not covered: say it kindly, in writing

The scheme gives five years of free repair of non-performing components. It does not say what falls outside that, so your signed agreement decides. Write the list before the customer finds the gap. The right-hand column is our suggestion.

Source: MNRE guidelines. Rows 3 and 5 are not decided by the scheme. For the longer after-sales picture, read our solar after-sales service guide.

The sign-off form: what to tick, what to leave open

A signed form records what was handed over and when. It does not release you from the five years. It protects you from "you never gave me the warranty card" and protects the customer from a handover that was only a handshake. MNRE's draft form ends with a signature line for the house owner and one for the installer. Ours borrows that and adds the five stacks.

Do not tick a box you did not complete. A dated list of pending items is stronger than a full set of ticks.

SOLAR HANDOVER SIGN-OFF

Customer: __________________   Consumer no.: __________
Site address: __________________________________________
System: ____ kW DC | Modules (make, qty): ________ | Inverter (make, model, serial): ________
Switched on by us: ________   DISCOM commissioning date: ________ (warranty clock)

1 PROOF
[ ] Commissioning/inspection report   [ ] Earth resistance recorded: ____ ohm
[ ] Anti-islanding result             [ ] Equipment list with serial numbers

2 PAPERS
[ ] Single-line diagram, drawings     [ ] Module and inverter warranty cards
[ ] Our system warranty card          [ ] Agreement copy, DISCOM/net-meter papers
[ ] Portal papers explained (subsidy jobs): acknowledgement, e-token

3 POWER
[ ] App on my phone, I logged in myself
[ ] I saw today's generation: ____ kWh   [ ] I know solar stops in a power cut

4 CARE
[ ] O&M manual in my language         [ ] Cleaning and roof-safety rules shown
[ ] Isolators and shutdown card shown [ ] "Not covered" list read aloud

5 CONTACT
[ ] Service number ______ Hours ______ Response time we offer: ______
[ ] 30 day check-in on ______   [ ] 90 day check-in on ______

PENDING (item, who, date): ______________________________________

The walk-through took about 20 minutes. I received the items ticked above.
Customer: ________ Date: ____      Our representative: ________ Date: ____

Sign two copies, or sign once and photograph it on both phones. The signer should be the connection holder or someone they authorise, because the subsidy and portal login tie back to that name. The form is our adaptation, not an official MNRE form.

The 30 and 90 day check-in plan

The handover answers the first questions. The check-ins answer the second round, before the customer rings you. Set both reminders on handover day so nobody has to remember. This plan tightens the first three months of the wider after-sales calendar.

The review request comes last, after the customer has seen the system work. Our guide to solar customer testimonials and reviews covers Google's asking rules, so we do not repeat them.

Three messages to save

Edit the wording to your own voice and send each one yourself.

DAY 1
Namaste [name] ji, your solar plant at [address] is live. Your papers are in the folder we gave you. For any fault, call [number], [hours]. We will call you on [30 day date] to check how it is running.

DAY 30
Namaste [name] ji, it has been a month. Could you share this month's units from the app and tell us if anything looks odd? Has the subsidy e-token been redeemed on the portal? We can help if not.

DAY 90
Namaste [name] ji, a quick three-month check. Please send one photo of a sunny-day curve from the app. Dust builds up in dry spells, so we can book a clean. Any new shade or noise?

A worked example (illustrative)

A 4 kW home in Rajkot. At Day 30 the customer reports 352 units for the month. Our scaled figure from PIB's average is 400, but the month had several cloudy days. The rep asks for a clear-day curve. It is smooth and peaks at midday, so there is no fault. The e-token is redeemed. The rep logs: "Day 30 call: 352 units, clear-day curve normal, e-token redeemed, cleaning due after dry spell." The call replaced a complaint with a note.

Where this breaks, and what to do about it

Switch-on day is not DISCOM commissioning day. If you hand over before the DISCOM has commissioned, mark the form "physical handover". Send the papers when the commissioning letter exists. Do not backdate the warranty card.

The customer is not the technical person. Ask the family to bring the member who uses the phone and the one who pays the bill. Hand the app to the phone user. The sign-off still goes to the connection holder.

Twenty minutes becomes forty. Cut the papers talk to the top sheet. Never cut the isolators, the app login or the power-cut line, which stop the most calls.

Do not hold documents back to force payment. Annexure 2, item 17 says the vendor "must provide all the documents". If the balance is outstanding, use your payment clause and chase routine, not the customer's own papers.

The exception. On a very small job for a referral customer, you can combine stacks and drop the form. Keep the app setup, the shutdown card and the commissioning date.

How QuickEstimate fits

The handover pack is paper and a conversation. Quickest Solar CRM does not generate your commissioning report or run inverter monitoring. It gives you a place to schedule and log the follow-through. Keep scans in the folder where you already keep project files, and use the CRM for who, when and what happened.

• Pipeline Management: lead stages are customisable, so add "Handover done", "30 day check" and "90 day check", and labels such as "Papers pending" or "Awaiting DISCOM". Filter by stage or label for a weekly list of jobs that still owe the customer something.
• Follow-up reminders and activity log: set the 30 and 90 day reminders on handover day. Log the sign-off, baseline kWh and pending items on the lead. You can log an activity on several leads at once, which suits a batch commissioned in the same week.
• Saved message templates: keep the three messages ready and send each yourself from the lead.
• Proposal Generator: proposal templates carry your terms and conditions, so warranty and maintenance wording can match the card you hand over. Proposals share as a PDF on WhatsApp.
• Team members with permissions: give the site lead and service person their own logins. The dashboard and team report give you the team view.
• Book a demo to set these stages up around your own project flow.

What to do this week

1. Day 1: list the last ten service calls and mark which stack would have answered each one.
2. Day 2: fix your warranty cards. Add the serial number, DISCOM date and service number, and the inverter term from the maker's own card.
3. Day 3: write the shutdown card and the not-covered list, and ask your electrician to approve the card.
4. Day 4: print the sign-off form and the five top sheets, and rehearse the walk-through once with a colleague.
5. Day 5: add the handover stages and both reminders in your CRM, and save the three messages.

For the service plan you may offer afterwards, read our solar AMC business model guide.

Frequently asked questions

What documents should an installer hand over after a solar installation?

A commissioning or inspection report with test results, a single-line diagram and drawings, warranty cards, your own system warranty, the DISCOM and net-meter papers, an O&M manual and a shutdown card. On PM Surya Ghar jobs, MNRE's sample agreement also makes the vendor provide all subsidy documents.

What does a PM Surya Ghar customer need from the installer for the subsidy?

MNRE's sample agreement says the vendor must provide all documents (technical papers, serial numbers, warranty cards, SLD, structure drawings) and help upload them. The consumer updates the system details on the portal, with vendor help through the consumer login, then redeems the e-token after the DISCOM approves.

Does PM Surya Ghar include free maintenance after installation?

Yes, on subsidy jobs. MNRE's guidelines say registered vendors shall provide repairs and maintenance free of cost for 5 years from commissioning, and non-performing components are repaired or replaced free in that period. The text lists no exclusions, so state yours in the signed agreement.

How much electricity should a 3 kW solar system generate in a month?

PIB wrote on 29 February 2024 that a 3 kW system will be able to generate more than 300 units a month on an average for a household. That is a scheme-level average. Shade, tilt, season, dust and weather change the figure for one roof, so do not present it to a customer as a promise.

Why does my solar app show zero during a power cut?

A grid-tied rooftop inverter must switch off when the grid fails. MNRE's technical annex requires islanding protection so the plant does not feed a dead line where workers may be repairing it. The inverter restarts by itself when supply returns. Running the house in an outage needs a battery system.

How should a customer clean solar panels?

Follow the installer's O&M manual, which MNRE's guidelines require to include cleaning methods. MNRE's draft quality manual says cleaning water should be clean and free of salt. Our own rule is no roof climbing alone, on a wet day or in strong wind.

What earthing resistance should a rooftop solar plant have?

MNRE's technical annex says earth resistance should be as low as possible and never higher than 5 ohms, with three separate earth pits from 10 kW upward. MNRE's draft quality manual says ideally not above 2 ohms when preparing pits. Record the actual reading for each pit on the commissioning report.

When does the solar warranty start?

MNRE's sample vendor agreement says the complete system is warranted for 5 years from the date of commissioning by the DISCOM. Manufacturer warranties run on their own cards, which may count from supply or from commissioning, so read each one. Write the DISCOM commissioning date on your own card.