Client story

How SunState Protects 5-Star Reputation While Standardizing Operations in Coperniq

SunState Solar runs everything in Coperniq so customers and crews see the same progress, visits, and docs in one place. That clarity is how they’ve kept their five-star reputation steady in a tough market.

Residential & light commercial solar (New Mexico)

Lead‑to‑install workflow

Dispatch & scheduling

Homeowner portal (status, docs, visits, chat)

Review & referral flow

Monitoring presentation policy

Unified operating hub

Appointment‑to‑dispatch automation

Requested docs&upcoming visits in the portal

Review‑request gating

Mobile photo/checklist capture

Backup/restore safeguards

OpenSolar↔Coperniq proposal→project hand‑off

Feed consistency across client/site/request/project

Outlook follow‑up invite sync fix

Company Overview

SunState Solar is a locally owned installer serving the Albuquerque metro. The company prioritizes quality workmanship, straight communication, and long‑term relationships with homeowners.

Operational Reality Before Coperniq

  • Too many touchpoints. Email, phone, and file shares created gaps and duplicate entry; customers called for scheduling status and paperwork reminders.
  • Review timing risk. Requests for reviews weren’t consistently aligned to delivery milestones, which could invite premature feedback.
  • Monitoring noise. Panel‑level views generated support calls; SunState preferred a dashboard‑level view unless a homeowner requested more detail.
  • Docs scattered. Teams lived in SharePoint; homeowner‑facing uploads and project conversation weren’t centralized for an audit trail.

What They Needed from the Platform

  • A single hub where staff and homeowners see the same status and requests.
  • A portal that reduces calls: show progress, upcoming visits, and what to upload—with clear stage descriptions.
  • Gated review requests so asks go out only after quality gates are met.
  • A practical monitoring presentation: dashboard by default, panel‑level on request.
  • Clean handoff from proposals to projects (OpenSolar → Coperniq) without re‑entry.

Why Coperniq

  • Operational OS for solar. Appointment‑to‑install flows, dispatch boards, and field‑ready checklists/photos built for installers.
  • Unified data model. Comments, tasks, files, and customer messages live with the job—auditable and searchable.
  • Portal built in. Progress meter, requested docs, upcoming visits, and chat map directly to SunState’s communication goals.
  • Extensible. API/webhooks and a clear data model support the OpenSolar hand‑off and future integrations.
  • Recovery safety. Backup/restore paths protect against user error on project configuration.

Implementation Highlights

  • Customer portal review. Coperniq walked SunState through a working portal prototype; SunState provided live feedback that was folded into the build:
    • Progress tracker with plain‑language stage definitions (e.g., permitting, utility) and examples of what’s happening.
    • Requested documents for self‑serve uploads (utility bills, HOA approvals, interconnection forms).
    • Upcoming visits to set expectations and reduce “when are you coming?” calls.
    • Chat surfaced from Coperniq comments so the project history stays in one place.
    • Review gating so invites go out after agreed‑upon quality gates.
  • Monitoring presentation. Defaulted to dashboard‑level homeowner view; panel‑level view remains admin‑controlled and available on request.
  • OpenSolar workflow (scoped). Button from Coperniq to launch/open OpenSolar with prefilled context; on proposal close, auto‑create the Coperniq project with the right template and stage entry checks.
  • Calendar reliability. A short‑term Outlook follow‑up invite sync issue was flagged; engineering ticket opened and tracked.
  • Field capture. Site‑visit photos and required checklists flow into the job record for faster approvals and fewer back‑and‑forth emails.

What Changed (Operationally)

  • One place to work. Homeowner uploads, messages, and stage updates live in Coperniq; staff and customers see the same context.
  • Proactive communication. Upcoming visits and stage descriptions reduce status calls and make appointment windows clearer.
  • Cleaner hand‑offs. Required photos/checklists reduce rework; review asks are sent after quality gates.
  • Lower noise by design. Dashboard‑level monitoring is the default; panel view is opt‑in for homeowners who need it.
  • Integration path. The OpenSolar→Coperniq hand‑off is defined so proposal wins become dispatch‑ready projects without re‑keying.

Current Public Results

  • Reputation (as of Oct 3, 2025): EnergySage 5.0/5; SolarReviews shows 16/16 five‑star reviews in its all‑time breakdown; BBB A+ accreditation remains active.
  • Operational activity: Ongoing permitted projects; steady field throughput; portal link published on SunState’s site for homeowner login.

Roadmap

  • Finalize OpenSolar→Coperniq hand‑off; confirm field data mapping at project creation.
  • Expand portal with stage‑specific examples and a site‑survey booking link.
  • Standardize feed behavior across client/site/request/project for a consistent history view.
  • Confirm Outlook follow‑up sync resolution and document the fix.
  • Optional: add a lightweight review & referral dashboard tied to quality gates.
Rabia Ahmed
4 Mar, 2022
8 min read
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