Stage 1 of 4 · Plan
Build the business case for every site before capital is committed
Flow gives each site its own financial model, from build economics to a 20-year view of the return, inside the same record the project will live in from feasibility to handover. Approval decisions rest on numbers everyone can see and check.
Illustration of the project Overview. The site and figures are invented.
Why planning a solar portfolio stalls
Each new roof needs a business case before anyone will approve the spend. In most portfolios that case is rebuilt by hand, site by site, and nobody is quite sure which version is current.
See a site modelled from first numbers to a 20-year view
A short demo of the Plan stage, using example sites like the ones in your pipeline.
Everything the business case needs, on one record per site
Price the build the way you have the numbers
Early in feasibility you may only have a rate per kWp. Later you have a contractor’s total. Flow takes either, and adds running costs so the case reflects the life of the system, not just the build.
- Enter a direct CAPEX total, or price by £/kWp multiplied by system size
- Add OPEX per kWp per year
- See Total CAPEX on the project overview, with CAPEX and OPEX editable in place
Illustration of the Financials tab, build economics. The site and figures are invented.
Model the customer offer and the 20-year view together
The customer wants to know what they will pay against the grid. The investor wants to know what the site returns over its life. Flow models both from the same inputs, so the two stories never drift apart.
- Customer PPA price compared with the grid alternative
- Per-project UK financial assumptions for a 20-year model
- One set of inputs behind both views
Illustration of the Financials tab, Customer PPA vs Grid. The site and figures are invented.
Set the rates for the site that is different
Most sites follow the portfolio defaults. Some do not: a different export tariff, a negotiated admin fee, a tenant on a different grid price. Site Rates lets you override just those values for just that site.
- Override PPA rate, export rate, admin fee, grid alternative price and OPEX
- Clear order of precedence: site override, then investor model, then quote, then default
- No separate copy of the model for the exception
Illustration of the Site Rates tab. The site and figures are invented.
Start from the data you already have
Most portfolios already have their pipeline in Excel. Flow brings it in without re-keying and without trampling anything you have since entered in the app.
- Bulk import projects from Excel or CSV using a downloadable template
- Import from Excel on a single project fills only the fields that are empty
- Values already in Flow are never overwritten
Illustration of the Projects list and bulk import. The sites and figures are invented.
Planning a pipeline of sites?
Book a demo and walk through the Plan stage with your own portfolio in mind.
The plan becomes the yardstick for everything that follows
Nothing is re-entered when a site is approved. The numbers set at Plan stay on the record and are used to measure the build and report on the portfolio.
The approved CAPEX becomes the budget
In Build, the CAPEX vs Actual tracker compares invoiced cost with this estimate. Within 2% counts as on target.
The completion date becomes a baseline
The first expected completion date saved is kept, so any later slippage is visible against it.
The risk rating travels with the project
Set Red, Amber or Green when the project is created. It shows on the Lifecycle Board and the Reporting Dashboard from then on.
The tools behind the Plan stage
Financials
Build economics, CAPEX vs actual, PPA vs grid and a 20-year model, with site-level rates.
Learn moreProject Record
One record per site, from survey to handover, with the codes, parties and dates that identify it.
Learn moreLifecycle Board
Every project by stage, risk and CAPEX, so a new site joins the pipeline the moment it is created.
Learn moreBuilt for the people who sign a site off
Project managers
One model per site, built the same way every time, ready before the approval meeting rather than the night before.
Finance
CAPEX, OPEX and pricing in one view, with the assumptions on the record rather than in someone’s inbox.
Investors and funders
The inputs behind the 20-year view are visible and consistent across every site in the portfolio.
Bring your next approval to the demo
See how a site’s business case is put together in Flow, start to finish.
Questions about the Plan stage
Can we price a site before a contractor has quoted?
Yes. Price the build by £/kWp multiplied by system size early on, and switch to a direct CAPEX total when you have one.
Does Flow handle UK-specific assumptions?
Yes. Each project carries its own UK financial assumptions for a 20-year model.
What if one site needs different rates from the rest?
Use Site Rates to override the PPA rate, export rate, admin fee, grid alternative price or OPEX for that site. Values are taken from the site override first, then the investor model, then the quote, then the default.
Can we bring in models and pipelines we already have?
Yes. Projects can be imported in bulk from Excel or CSV using a template, and each project has an Import from Excel action that fills empty fields without overwriting anything already in Flow.
What happens to the plan once a site is approved?
It stays on the record. The approved CAPEX is what the Build stage measures spend against, and the first completion date is kept as a baseline for tracking slippage.
See the Plan stage working on your pipeline
From first numbers to an approved business case, one record per site.
Contact salesPlanning a solar pipeline? See the Plan stage in a short demo.