Observations FAQ's

Observations FAQ's

General Questions 

What is the Observations page? 

The Observations page is a new feature in SolarGain that provides a centralised location to manage all images from various sources, including SolarGain Mobile, autonomous drone inspections, and manual uploads. It replaces the previous Visual Reports functionality. 

How is this different from the existing Visual Reports? 

The Observations page offers more flexibility in managing and using images, with features like: 

  • Advanced filtering capabilities 

  • Multiple viewing options (Dashboard, Map, List views) 

  • Enhanced sharing with tiered permissions 

  • Improved image organisation and categorisation 

Who can access the Observations page? 

This is a PRO feature only.  

All users withing an organisation that has PRO access to a site will have access to the Observations page.   

Permissions & Sharing 

What are the different permission levels? 

There are four permission levels: 

  • Creator: Can edit, delete, share/unshare with other organisations 

  • Editor: Can edit items but cannot delete or manage sharing 

  • View-only: Can view images and add to tasks 

  • No access: Cannot view visual inspection items (default for related organisations linked to the logged in user) 

How does sharing work? 

  • Only Creators can share items 

  • Sharing is done at an organisation level 

  • When sharing, you can specify the role (Editor or View-only) for each organisation 

Navigation & Interface 

How do I access the Observations page? 

  1. Log in to the SolarGain portal 

  1. Select a solar farm 

  1. Click on the left menu item “Observations” 

What are the main sections of the Observations page? 

The Observations page consists of four main tabs: 

  1. Dashboard - Overview of all items/images 

  1. Map - Geographical representation of items 

  1. List - Detailed list view of all images 

  1. Add New Items - Upload interface for new images 

What is an "item" in the Observations page? 

An “item” is a collection of one or more images that may or may not be related to a component.  

An item will be 1 row in the List view with one or more images and 1 point in the map view. 

Items can be tied to a component when uploading from the mobile app, SolarGain Mobile. If the item is not related to a component, it's considered a "Marker." 

Features & Functionality 

How do I add new images? 

Images can be added through multiple methods: 

  • Using SolarGain Mobile Inspections tab 

  • Via the "Add New Items" tab in the portal  

  • Previous Visual Report items are automatically included 

 

The system will be able to automatically handle autonomous drone data in the future.  

What's the difference between SolarGain Mobile uploads and portal uploads? 

  • SolarGain Mobile allows multiple images per item and allows you to attach the items to components 

  • Portal uploads create one item per image along with one category, sub-category, rating and description and do not allow you to attach the items to components 

  • Both methods preserve geolocation data 

How do I use SolarGain Mobile to upload images? 

Images uploaded through SolarGain Mobile: 

  • Can contain multiple images per item 

  • Include component or marker location information 

  • Inherit all tags and properties set in SolarGain Mobile 

Online mode 

The following steps assume that the mobile connection is strong enough to use the app. If the mobile connection is not strong, it is advised to use offline mode (steps in the next section). 

Steps 

  1. Log into SolarGain Mobile using the same username and password as the portal 

  1. Select the solar farm you would like to add images for 

  1. Click on the Inspections tab 

  1. Click Add item in Map or List view (both take you to the same screen) 

  1. Select a component or a location on the map “Marker” 

  1. Add in any details for category, sub-category, rating and description (all optional) 

  1. Add one or more images 

  1. Click Save button 

  1. When ready to upload, click the button Upload 

  1. Select images to upload in the list(default is all images) and upload 

    1. Tip: To delete an item in the list, click on the item in the list and swipe left to see a trash icon to delete. 

  1. The images should show up in the portal within a minute 

Offline mode 

When it’s known that a solar farm has poor connection, it is suggested to download that solar farm data when in the office with Wi-Fi or a good mobile connection area. 

Please note: To go offline, all solar farms must have all Inspection items uploaded into the portal. If not, there will be a message stating that you must upload everything before going offline. 

Steps 

  1. To go offline, find the solar farm of choice, tick the box “Prepare for offline” on the Solar farm card (do not click into the solar farm) 

  1. If you want to download serial numbers, tick that box as well 

  1. Once boxes for solar farm are ticket, click “GO OFFLINE” at the top of the home page 

  1. There will be a message box showing status of offline as well as saying “OFFLINE” on top” 

  1. Follow the same steps as above by going into Inspections tab 

  1. After done with all Inspections items, and you are back in a Wi-Fi or strong data area, go back to the Home page, click on top “GO ONLINE”. 

  1. There will be a message stating what has been uploaded and a success message. 

How do I upload items into the portal using “Add New Items” tab? 

The portal is a way to add images in bulk but cannot be tied to components when uploading. In future, users can upload images and tie them to components later. 

The portal is currently restricted to adding a group of images with the same category, sub-category, description and rating. If it is required to change those, this process will need to be repeated as many times as needed. 

Steps: 

  1. When in the portal, find the solar farm you would like to add items to. 

  1. Click Observations from left menu 

  1. Click Add New Items tab 

  1. Select one or more images to upload by drag and dropping or uploading from the users computer. Please note that all images need to be geo-tagged to upload. 

  1. The only requirement is to upload images. Category, sub-category, description and rating are all optional. 

  1. The images will automatically upload when added but will not be created as an Item until you click confirm. The table on the right-hand side will show whether an image is compatible or not for upload. 

  1. Click the Confirm button when ready to upload those images. Please note that uploading through the portal will have 1 item with 1 image only and will not be grouped together. 

What are the requirements for uploading images through the portal? 

  • Images must be geotagged to be accepted 

  • Fields like category, sub-category, description, and rating are optional 

  • Multiple images can be uploaded at once 

    • SolarGain Mobile: Multiple images can be added to one item 

    • Portal: One image will be uploaded to one item 

How does filtering work in the portal? 

The Advanced Filter allows you to search by: 

  • Identifier 

  • Category/sub-category/Ratings 

  • Description keywords 

  • Component type 

  • Location information 

  • Sharing status 

  • Upload information (user, organisation, date) 

  • Item source 

The advanced filter is applied to all the tabs on the Observations page: Dashboard, List view & Map view. 

Can perform bulk actions?

Yes, you can perform bulk actions in the List tab. The following actions can be done:
  1. Add to tasks
  2. Edit
  3. Share
  4. Delete
  5. Export
Please note:
  1. The actions you can perform are based on your permissions
  2. The List tab shows 100 items at a time. If you want to action more than 100, you must paginate to the next page(s), select all and perform the action again

Can I export images and data from the portal? 

Yes, you can export in multiple formats: 

  • CSV: Shows data related to the images without the images themselves

  • Excel: Shows properties with images 

  • ZIP file: Downloads all selected images 

How do I export images and the data from the portal?

  1. Click on the List tab
  2. Select the rows you would like to upload and click the Actions dropdown
  3. Select the Export format of choice

What if I want to filter for specific items to export? (Advanced filtering)

  1. Click on the Advanced filter button in the header
    1. Please note that the Advanced filter works for the Dashboard, Map and List tabs until cleared
  2. Select filtering criteria and click confirm button
  3. In the List tab, select the rows you would like to upload and click the Actions dropdown
  4. To select all shown, click on the checkbox in the first column header to select all on page
  5. Select export format of choice
  6. Check your email, as exports are sent via email to handle potential large files being generated in the portal
  7. Please note that the List tab shows 100 items at a time. If you want to export more than 100, you must paginate to the next page(s), select all and choose export format of choice in Actions tab
  8. Check your email for the next batch generated

What if I want to chose ALL items in the entire Observations page to export?

  1. In the List tab, select ALL the rows you would like by clicking on the checkbox in the first column header and click the Actions dropdown
  2. Select export format of choice
  3. Check your email, as exports are sent via email to handle potential large files being generated in the portal
  4. If you want to export more than 100, you must paginate to the next page(s), select all and choose export format of choice in Actions tab
  5. Check your email for the next batch generated

Troubleshooting 

Why aren't my expected uploaded images showing up in the Observations page? 

Check that: 

  • You're looking within the correct date range

  • The images are geotagged 

  • You've completed the upload confirmation step  

  • You have the correct permissions to view the uploads 

    • If you uploaded them, you would have “Creator” rights but if someone else can’t find the images they are expecting, please check who they are shared with. This can be done in the Advanced filter under the “Shared with” dropdown. 

  • Anything uploaded through SolarGain Mobile may take up to 5 minutes to reflect on the Portal 

What happens to my existing Visual Reports? 

  • All items from old Visual Reports are automatically shown in the Observations page

  • Existing Visual Reports remain accessible as they currently are on the Reports page, but buttons will be disabled.  

  • No new Visual Reports will be created 

Best Practice 

How should I organise my images? 

  • Use consistent categories and sub-categories 

  • Add detailed descriptions for better searchability 

  • Link images to components when applicable (with SolarGain Mobile) 

  • Use ratings appropriately to track issue severity 

  1. Upload images through preferred method (SolarGain Mobile, portal, etc.) 

  1. Add appropriate categories and descriptions 

  1. Share with relevant organisations if needed 

  1. Use advanced filters to find specific images 

  1. Add to tasks or export as needed for reporting 

How can I efficiently manage large numbers of images? 

  • Use the Advanced Filter to narrow down searches 

  • Utilise bulk actions in the List view for multiple items 

    • Ensure you continuously share the images with your organisation of choice as permission default to “no access” for external organisations 

  • Maintain consistent naming and categorisation conventions 



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