Understanding Project Creation in Eturnity Expert
A well-structured project allows you to efficiently design solar systems, calculate financial returns, and generate professional proposals that help close deals faster.
What Projects Enable You to Do
Every project in Eturnity Expert serves as a complete workspace where you can:
Design Solar Systems: Create detailed 3D layouts, configure components, and optimize system performance
Manage Customer Data: Store complete customer information, correspondence, and project history
Calculate Profitability: Generate accurate financial analysis, ROI calculations, and payback periods
Create Professional Documents: Produce quotes, contracts, and technical documentation
Track Project Progress: Monitor activities, deadlines, and project milestones
Project Creation Methods Overview
You create a new project in two ways: with Create project, always based on a project template, or with Import project from a request from your Solar Calculator, Heating Calculator or Configurator. You can also copy an existing project in a view of the type Table via the three dots at the end of its row › Copy Project (depending on your licence). Project documents, notes and activities as well as location-specific attributes are not copied; the Copy Project window lists them. If the project contains technologies that your company no longer has a licence for, Eturnity copies it without them and tells you so in the window beforehand. The two ways:
Create project: From a project template with a pre-configured system for standardised offerings
Import project: Convert requests from your Solar Calculator, Heating Calculator or Configurator into projects
Prerequisites and Library Preparation
Before creating projects, your library should be properly configured. Only a Project template under Library › Project templates in the language in which you use Eturnity is mandatory; without it, no project can be created. So create one for each language your company works in. This foundational step determines the quality and efficiency of all future projects. The Create project and Import project buttons are shown depending on your licence. If there is no project template in your language, the Create new project window shows a message with the Go to Project templates page button. If your licence limits the number of projects with an offer and the limit has been reached, no more projects can be created or imported; in that case, contact Eturnity Support by email at support@eturnity.com or via chat.
Essential Library Components
Your library should contain:
Components: PV panels, inverters, mounting systems, batteries, and accessories from your preferred suppliers
Groups: Pre-configured component bundles (cables, monitoring, protective equipment)
Main component templates: Single main component (e.g., specific inverter) with associated accessories
Project Templates: Complete system configurations with all technologies and components
Library Preparation Note: When your company first receives access to Expert, the library contains only test components. Populate it with your actual product portfolio before you create projects. If you do not have permission to edit the library, contact a person in your company with administrator rights.
User Role Requirements
Project creation capabilities vary by user role:
Administrators: Full access to all project creation methods and library management
Project Managers: Can create projects and modify existing ones within their authorization scope
Standard Users: Can create projects using available templates and components
Partner License Users: Limited to basic project creation with restricted component access
Method 1: Using Project Templates
Project templates are pre-configured system packages that dramatically accelerate project creation while ensuring consistency across your offerings.
Understanding Project Templates
Project templates contain:
Complete System Configuration: All main components (panels, inverters, batteries) pre-selected
Associated Components: Cables, monitoring, mounting hardware, and protective equipment
Installation Services: Labor costs and setup procedures
Financial Framework: Pricing structure and margin calculations
Creating Projects with Templates
Open Projects and click Create project at the top right. The Create new project window opens.
Under Customer, select an existing customer via Search existing customers, or enter the customer data from scratch. First name, Last name and Building address are mandatory; an email address that you enter must be valid. As long as any of these is missing or invalid, Create project remains disabled.
Under Project template, the first template is preselected; select a different one if needed. The list only shows templates in the language in which you use Eturnity, even if you select a different language for the customer under Language.
Click Create project. Eturnity opens the new project.
Template Customization After Creation
Even with templates, you can customize:
System Size: Adjust panel quantity and inverter capacity
Component Specifications: Swap individual components for alternatives
Additional Services: Add custom installation or maintenance packages
Financial Terms: Modify pricing, financing, or subsidy applications
Method 2: Importing from Solar Calculator
This method converts requests from your Solar Calculator, Heating Calculator or Configurator into projects in Eturnity Expert. If automatic creation of Expert projects is switched on in the settings of your solar or heating calculator, a project is created in Expert automatically for each request. Otherwise, in Projects, click Import project at the top right, enter the request's reference in the Calculator reference field and click Import project. Eturnity opens the new project. If the request has already been offered as a lead, it cannot be imported; Eturnity tells you so. The Project origin column of the project list shows where a project comes from, for example from the Solar Calculator. If needed, show it under View Settings › Select columns.
Post-Import Optimization
Imported projects typically require:
Component Selection: Replace generic components with specific products
Layout Refinement: Adjust 3D placement based on detailed roof analysis
Financial Finalization: Apply accurate pricing and financing options
Customer Verification: Confirm all imported data with the customer
Best Practices for Efficient Project Creation
Template Strategy
Create Standard Offerings: Develop 3-5 project templates covering 80% of your typical projects
Size-Based Templates: Small (3-5 kW), Medium (6-10 kW), Large (10+ kW) residential systems
Technology-Specific Templates: PV-only, PV+Battery, PV+E-Mobility combinations
Regular Updates: Refresh templates quarterly to reflect new products and pricing
Customer Data Management
Complete Information: Always collect comprehensive customer data during project creation
Address Accuracy: Verify building addresses for accurate shading analysis and system sizing
Communication Preferences: Set appropriate project language for customer correspondence
Contact Redundancy: Collect multiple contact methods (email, mobile, work phone)
Quality Control
Template Validation: Regularly review project templates for component compatibility
Keep prices up to date: Check the prices in the library regularly. When you copy a project, the Refresh all prices from library option loads the current prices from the library.
Duplicate Prevention: Check for existing projects before creating new ones
Standardization: Use consistent naming conventions and project structures