The solar project lifecycle: stages, owners, documents and handoffs
Lead to O&M in nine stages: who owns each, which documents move, and which handoffs break.
- Nine stages, each with one owner and a clear output.
- Most breaks happen at handoffs, not inside stages.
- Document sets differ by state and DISCOM; confirm yours.
- Draw your own lifecycle before choosing any tool.
Quick answer
A rooftop or C&I solar project passes through nine stages: lead, survey, design and quote, contract, procurement, installation, approvals and commissioning, billing and collection, and O&M. Each stage has an owner, a document set and a handoff. Most failures happen at handoffs: survey to design, design to procurement, site to accounts. Map your own lifecycle on one page before you choose a system.
The nine stages
Lead to O&M (our model; adapt to your business)
1
Lead
Owner: sales. Output: qualified enquiry with consumer details.
2
Survey
Owner: surveyor. Output: structured site data and photos.
3
Design and quote
Owner: design. Output: system size, BOM, price. The quote BOM becomes the project budget.
4
Contract
Owner: sales and finance. Output: signed terms, milestone schedule, guarantees if any.
5
Procurement
Owner: purchase. Output: POs linked to BOM, delivery dates, serials at receipt.
6
Installation
Owner: site lead. Output: checklist, photos, serials, change log.
7
Approvals and commissioning
Owner: approvals desk. Output: DISCOM steps, meter, commissioning report, subsidy claim where applicable.
8
Billing and collection
Owner: accounts. Output: milestone invoices, collections, retention release.
9
O&M
Owner: service lead. Output: AMC, tickets, renewals, warranty claims.
Typical documents by stage
Document sets differ by state, DISCOM and project type. Confirm yours; treat this as a prompt, not a legal list.
| Stage | Typical documents |
|---|---|
| Survey | Survey form, roof photos, load and meter details, owner or society consent |
| Quote | Design sheet, BOM, price, validity |
| Contract | Agreement, milestone schedule, guarantee terms |
| Procurement | Purchase orders, delivery challans, supplier invoices, warranty documents |
| Installation | Installation checklist, serial list, photo set, change log |
| Approvals | Application, feasibility, inspection, meter documents, commissioning report |
| Billing | Milestone evidence, tax invoices, collection receipts |
| O&M | AMC agreement, visit reports, warranty claim packs |
Where do handoffs break?
The four handoffs that break most often
How to use this chapter
Draw your own lifecycle on one page: stages, owner, output, and the waiting time between. Where two managers draw it differently, resolve it first. A new system will expose the disagreement. Then take the requirements list in what a solar ERP must do.
Next: costing and margin control. Back to start here.
The stages, owners and document prompts are our own model and are not a statutory checklist. Confirm requirements with your DISCOM and professional advisers.
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