Solar commissioning and
compliance records that hold up
When a hybrid system fails eight months after handover, the argument is settled by what you recorded on the day. This is the record Kenyan solar teams should be producing on every site — and how to capture it without paper.
Works offline upcountry. Syncs when the phone finds signal.
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Seven things every handover file needs
None of this is exotic. What separates a professional installer from a cheap one in Kenya is whether these exist at all, and whether anyone else can read them.
System identity and design basis
Site address and county, client details, module and inverter make, model and quantity, battery capacity, string configuration and the design assumptions the system was sized against.
Proof of isolation
Where you isolated, what you locked or tagged, and the prove-dead sequence with the instrument used. This is the first thing an assessor or investigator looks for.
Measured electrical values
String Voc and Isc, insulation resistance, polarity confirmation, earth continuity and earth resistance, AC voltage and frequency at the point of connection — with instrument, range and time of day recorded.
Protection and safety devices
Overcurrent device ratings, surge protection type and status, RCD test result where fitted, and the labelling and signage installed at each isolation point.
Functional and changeover tests
Inverter start-up behaviour, charge and discharge check, grid or generator changeover timing, and anti-islanding behaviour on grid-tied systems connected under KPLC procedure.
Photographic evidence
Array layout, combiner internals, terminations, earthing, labelling and the final installed state. Photos taken on the job and attached to the job record, not collected afterwards.
Handover and signature
Client walkthrough, operating and maintenance instructions issued, warranty terms, the technician's name and licence class, and a signed acceptance held against the job.
Clients, KPLC, insurers, and your own crew
Grid-tied and hybrid work
Grid-connected systems follow KPLC's connection procedure, and licensed work follows EPRA's class rules. Neither is satisfied by a WhatsApp photo. Hold the design basis, the test values and the inspection outcome in one place per site, and confirm current requirements with the authority before you commit a date to a client.
EPRA licence classes explainedCommercial clients and tenders
County tenders, schools, clinics and SACCO-financed installations increasingly ask for a documented handover before the final payment is released. Teams that already produce the file get paid faster than teams who have to reconstruct it.
Running the business sideCaptured on site, not typed up on Sunday
Commissioning steps as checklist items a technician ticks with the measured value attached.
Photos attach to the job the moment they are taken, with the site and technician already known.
Photograph a fault and get a structured diagnosis and next check, recorded against the job.
Client acceptance signed on the phone at handover and stored with the job record.
Notes, statuses, checklist ticks and photos queue offline and sync automatically.
Pull the original commissioning values when the same site calls back a year later.
Commissioning record questions
What should a solar commissioning record contain in Kenya?+
System identity and design basis, proof of isolation, measured electrical values with the instrument used, protection device details, functional and changeover test results, photographic evidence, and a signed client handover.
Are ticks enough, or do I need measured values?+
Measured values. A tick says somebody looked; a recorded string Voc, insulation resistance and earth reading says what the system was actually doing on the day, which is the only thing worth anything when a fault appears later.
What does KPLC need for a grid-tied system?+
Grid-connected installations follow KPLC's connection procedure, which covers application, inspection and metering arrangements. Confirm the current requirements with KPLC for the specific site — this guide covers the technical evidence you should hold regardless.
How long should I keep commissioning records?+
At least as long as the longest warranty on the system, and longer where a client contract or tender requires it. Keeping the file against the job rather than on a technician's phone is what makes that possible.
Can technicians capture this offline?+
Yes. Status changes, notes, checklist items and photos are captured on the phone without a network and sync when signal returns — which matters on upcountry sites.
EcoPowerHub Academy is independent technical training. It prepares technicians for assessment but does not issue, guarantee or substitute for an EPRA licence, NITA accreditation or any registration. Licensing decisions, practical assessment and logged experience remain with the named authority, and live electrical work must only be carried out by qualified, licensed persons.
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