Version 3.0
4/14/2026
Welcome to the Daylight Portal
This guide provides installer administrators with a comprehensive overview of the Daylight portal workflow, from project origination through PTO. Understanding these processes will help you manage projects efficiently and ensure smooth approval timelines.
Quick Reference Guide
Key Thresholds
Metric | Threshold |
Production Factor | ≥ 0.80 |
Offset | 60-120% |
System Size & Production Tolerance (negative) | Within 5% of PPA value |
System Size & Production Tolerance (positive) | Within 10% of PPA value |
Important Platform Notes
No Change Order Function: The Daylight portal does not support frequent change orders. All project details must be as accurate as possible at the time of submission. A True-Up Amendment for system size and production occurs at the CAD Review and As-Built stages.
Work Order Issuance: A work order is automatically issued after CAD approval or True-Up is complete.
System Origination Requirements: Projects that do not meet Daylight's thresholds for production factor, offset, customer savings, or financing will be blocked from origination in the portal.
Milestone Payments are disbursed in two installments based on project completion: M1 (80% of E&C) is released upon substantial completion, defined as passing installation review and inspection approval. M2 (the remaining 20% of E&C) is released upon confirmation of Permission to Operate (PTO).
Project Lifecycle Overview
Every project moves through six main stages in the Daylight portal. Below is an overview with expected timelines:
Stage | Key Milestone | Timeline |
1. Origination | Customer Contract Signed | Day 0 |
2. Document Verification | Document Verification Complete; begin site survey | Day 2 |
3. CAD Review & True Up | Site Survey Scheduled: Day 3 / Site Survey Completed: Day 7 / CAD Design Uploaded: Day 9 / CAD Design Approved: Day 11 / PPA True-Up Complete: Day 13 | Day 3-13 |
4. Permit and Interconnection Submission | Interconnection Application Submitted: Day 20 / Permit Application Submitted: Day 20 / Submissions Verified: Day 21 | Day 20-21 |
5. Installation | Install Scheduled: Day 50 / Install Complete (Photos Uploaded): Day 60 / Install Photos Approved: Day 62 / Inspection Scheduled: Day 63 / Inspection Complete: Day 70-72 | Day 50-72 |
6. Permission to Operate | PTO Complete: Day 89 / PTO Validation Complete: Day 90 / Incentive Applications Submitted: Day 91 | Day 89-91 |
Stage 1: Origination
Timeline: Day 0
Overview
Origination is where your project begins. This stage involves generating and executing the PPA contract with the customer and uploading all initial project documentation.
Required Actions
Generate and Execute PPA Contract
Generate the PPA after creating a job through the Daylight Portal
Please follow the Daylight Design Guidelines for your state throughout origination
Present and execute the PPA contract with the customer at their property
For detailed instructions, see: Origination Walkthrough Please ensure the customer name is the full legal name on title
Upload Required Documents
After contract signing and customer identity verification, upload the following documents to the Daylight portal:
Signed PPA Contract: This will auto-populate after contract signing.
Customer Proposal: the solar proposal the customer viewed in-home. This documentation is optional but highly recommended.
Customer Utility Bill: Must include monthly consumption information (found in the bar graph on the bill).
Shade Report: From your design tool (Aurora, OpenSolar, etc.). Ensure irradiance and entire home are visible.
Production Report: From your design tool. Ensure the system and entire home are visible.
If operating in a market other than Illinois, skip step 3.
Generate IL Shines Purchase Disclosure Form (Part 1)
CRITICAL: Must be signed from the customer's device (IP address tracked for compliance)
Target: Auto-generate and send within 10 seconds of proposal approval
Submit for Document Verification
After all documents are uploaded, submit the project for document verification.
After project review and approval, please proceed to the CAD Design & True Up phase.
System Origination Requirements
IMPORTANT: The portal will block origination if a project does not meet Daylight's minimum thresholds:
TSRF (Total Solar Resource Fraction): Design target: ≥75%. Projects with lower TSRF will be flagged during CAD review.
Solar Access: Design target: ≥85%. Projects with lower Solar Access will be flagged during CAD review.
System Offset: Ideal offset values are between 90-110%. Offset above 120% or below 60% is not accepted, unless the customer has signed an offset exception/overproduction waiver.
Financing Eligibility: Customers must meet financing requirements.
Stage 2: Document Verification
Timeline: Day 0-2
Overview
During this stage, Daylight's project operations team reviews all submitted documentation for completeness and accuracy. This validation ensures that all customer information, system specifications, and production estimates are correct before progressing the project.
What Happens During Validation
The reviewer will verify:
System offset meets Daylight thresholds (60%–120%)
All title and ID verification issues are resolved
All required documents are present and readable
Customer name, address, and utility provider match across all documents
Annual energy consumption is consistent between utility bill and customer details
System production values match across production model, PPA contract, and portal
System size is feasible for the site and consistent across all documents
Expected Timeline
Target approval: Within 24 hours of submission
Nest steps: On Day 2 (after validation approval) schedule site survey.
If Your Project is Rejected
You will receive detailed feedback on what needs to be corrected. Address all issues and resubmit. Common rejection reasons include:
Missing or unreadable documents
Title issues - these are escalated to the Daylight operations team directly. Be prepared to provide supporting documentation, which may include:
Closing documents on the home, original deed or deed of trust, most recent tax property bill, or mortgage statement less than 60 days old
ID Verification missing
Address mismatches between documents
Production value discrepancies
System size inconsistencies
Stage 3: CAD Review & True Up
Timeline: Day 3-13
Overview
This stage involves conducting a site survey, uploading a detailed CAD, and completing any necessary production true-ups. A work order is issued after both site survey and CAD are approved.
Step 1: Site Survey (Day 3-7)
Schedule: Day 3 - Schedule the site survey
Complete: Day 7 - Upload site survey images and details using the SiteCapture flow
Ensure all relevant site conditions are documented (roof conditions, obstructions, electrical panel, tree removal if applicable, etc.)
Step 2: CAD Design Upload (Day 9)
Upload Date: Day 9
Include any flags from the site survey or requested updates to the original system size/design
Note if any trees are no longer being removed or other design changes
CAD Design Requirements
Your CAD design must meet the following standards for approval:
Accuracy Requirements
Address Match: address must match utility bill, PPA contract, and portal
System Size & Year 1 Production: Must match or be within -5 to +10% of PPA values
Solar Access: Ideally 85%+
TSRF: Ideally 75%+
Production Factor: Minimum 0.80 Note: If TSRF or Solar Access fall below the thresholds above, your reviewer will flag this in approval notes for the installer to address rather than outright rejecting the CAD. Design to these targets from the start to avoid delays.
Equipment & Design Standards: Your CAD must use Daylight’s approved equipment stack and design guidelines for your market. Refer to the Daylight Design Guidelines & Equipment Knowledge Base (portal-support.godaylight.com → Design Guidelines & Equipment) for approved panels, inverters, batteries, and full design standards for your state. CADs submitted with non-approved equipment will be rejected.
Step 3: CAD Design Review (Day 11)
Review Date: Day 11
Daylight's reviewer will verify design quality, accuracy, and compliance
You will receive notification of approval or requests for revisions
Step 4: PPA True-Up (Day 13)
Completion Date: Day 13
If the CAD design resulted in significant changes to system size or production, a PPA true-up will be required
Production Tolerance: 5% on the negative side, 10% on the positive side
REMINDER: There is no change order function. Ensure accuracy before submission.
True-Up Required:
True-Up Complete, Work Order Signed:
Stage 4: Permit and Interconnection Submission
Timeline: Day 20-21
Overview
After CAD design approval, you can proceed with submitting permit and interconnection applications to the relevant authorities.
Required Actions
Phase 1:
Initial Permit Submission (Day 20)
Submit permit application to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
Upload to Daylight portal:
Permit submission package: at minimum, the design submitted to the AHJ should be uploaded
Any additional required paperwork
AHJ name
Permit submission number
Expected permit approval date
Interconnection Application (Day 20)
Submit interconnection application to the utility
Upload to Daylight portal:
Interconnection application or proof of application
Utility-assigned project number
Verification (Day 21)
Daylight's project operations team will verify submission documentation within 24 hours
You will receive notification of verification or requests for additional information
Phase 2:
Permit Approval (Day 30-40)
Receive permit from the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
Upload to Daylight portal:
Final issued permit
Any additional required documentation received
Interconnection Approval (Day 30-40)
Receive interconnection approval from the utility
Upload to Daylight portal:
Interconnection approval letter/documentation
Final utility-assigned project number
Interconnection approval date
Verification
Installer receives notification if further documentation is needed upon approval
Upon approval, installation phase unlocks
Installer receives notification that the project is ready to schedule
Stage 5: Installation
Timeline: Day 50-72
Overview
Once permits and interconnection approvals are received, you can schedule and complete the installation.
Installation Milestones
Step 1: Schedule Installation (Day 45)
Coordinate with the customer to schedule the installation
Update the installation date in the Daylight portal
Install should be a minimum of 2 weeks out from date of scheduling: this is critical for our equipment delivery coordination
Scheduling will generate the associated project and Sitecapture template, assigned to your vendor in Sitecapture
Admin can configure Sitecapture to assign the specific job site’s work to associated field users
Step 2: Complete Installation (Day 60)
On the date of installation, click the link to the Sitecapture job for the project in the portal under the installation phase
Complete the solar + battery storage installation
Upload installation photos to the template, including:
Pre-Installation Photos
Completed array (full roof view)
Inverter installation
Electrical connections
Battery storage
Commissioning details
Other relevant installation details as outlined in the install photo packet requirements
Upload As-Built Stamped CAD Design
Upload the stamped CAD design reflecting the system as installed
If the system was installed as shown on the approved permit set, reupload the stamped permit drawings
If there was a deviation from the permitted design, upload the updated drawings with the engineer's stamp
Register equipment by entering serial numbers for all installed components:
Solar panels: image of serial numbers taken on-site in Sitecapture
Inverters, Batteries & Optimizers / iTap devices: serial numbers entered into the Daylight portal at installation stage
Step 3: Photo Approval & Final Production Validation (Day 62)
Daylight's project operations team will review installation photos, the as-built design, and submitted project details to determine if a secondary true-up is required based on the as-built production model
Approval typically occurs within 2 days of photo upload/Sitecapture finalization and install review submission in the portal
Step 4: Schedule Inspection (Day 63)
Schedule the AHJ inspection
Update inspection date in the portal
Step 5: Complete Inspection (Day 70-72)
Day 70: Upload inspection report to the portal
Day 71: Inspection report approved by Daylight, M1 milestone payment is released
Day 72: Submit paperwork to utility for PTO processing
Stage 6: Permission to Operate
Timeline: Day 89-91
Overview
The final stage involves receiving Permission to Operate (PTO) from the utility and submitting any required incentive applications.
PTO Milestones
Step 1: PTO Received (Day 89)
Receive PTO approval from the utility
Upload signed PTO documentation to the portal
Step 2: PTO Validation (Day 90)
Daylight validates PTO documentation
The M2 milestone payment is released
PTO Stage to be updated the week of 4/20/26
Quick Reference Guide
Key Thresholds
Metric | Threshold |
Production Factor | ≥ 0.80 |
Offset | 60-120% |
System Size & Production Tolerance (negative) | Within 5% of PPA value |
System Size & Production Tolerance (positive) | Within 10% of PPA value |
Critical Reminders
No Change Orders: Ensure all information is accurate before submission. The portal does not support frequent change orders.
Work Order Issued After: Project Validation approval & CAD approval
Blocked Origination: Projects not meeting customer savings, production factor, offset, or financing thresholds will be blocked
Documentation Match: Customer name, address, and utility provider must match across all documents
Production Accuracy: Year 1 production must match exactly across Production Model, PPA Exhibit 1, and Portal; a true-up will occur to resolve any discrepancy in production across the contract and the final design
Support & Resources
Helpful Links
Origination Walkthrough: https://portal-support.godaylight.com/en/articles/12788821-project-creation-agreement-sent
Daylight Knowledge Base: https://portal-support.godaylight.com/en/
Daylight Equipment & Design Guidelines: https://portal-support.godaylight.com/en/collections/17595960-equipment
Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
**Phone: ** 844-668-0974
Portal Technical Issues: Send a message using the Daylight portal support feature on the Sales Dashboard