The useful result of your first month is not a perfect performance score. It is knowing what was installed, where the evidence is, which readings matter and who owns each outstanding action.
Day one: create a trustworthy system record
Find your final invoice and handover documents. Copy the installed panel capacity in kWp, inverter make and model, commissioning date, installer contact, and any battery details from the paperwork rather than guessing from what is on the roof.
From the owner’s normal app, record the date, time, last refresh and any visible warning. Do not treat a live-looking animation as proof the electricity supplier is receiving export readings.
Make a single paper or digital owner folder. Include warranties, commissioning information, network correspondence, equipment instructions, tariff terms, and emails about any missing item. Avoid storing passwords in shared notes.
Days 2–7: close the paperwork gaps
Ask the installer for specific missing items: the final equipment schedule, commissioning/test record, applicable MCS or equivalent evidence, and the distribution network operator (DNO) notification or approval reference. Ask about any documented export limitation.
Then establish the export-payment route. If the property is in Great Britain, determine whether you are applying for the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), already hold an export agreement, or have an older Feed-in Tariff (FIT) arrangement. Northern Ireland follows different arrangements.
Write down supplier name → application reference → export MPAN status → next action owner → next follow-up date. Do not assume commissioning automatically starts export payments. Read the SEG and export MPAN checklist.
Days 8–14: identify each measurement
Locate the import MPAN on your electricity bill. Check with the supplier how to identify the import and export smart-meter registers. Some homes also have a separate generation meter.
Record readings with the source, register label, units and timestamp. To find energy across a period, subtract the cumulative start reading from the end reading for the same register. A lifetime meter total is not directly comparable with today’s app total.
Days 15–21: establish a fair baseline
Compare one brighter day with one duller day to learn your system’s normal shape. Note app data gaps and obvious seasonal or shading changes. Do not use one cloudy week to judge annual performance.
If the app reports no data, check when it last updated before concluding that generation has stopped. Use the safe fault triage.
Days 22–30: complete one review
Check the first full period of generation, imported electricity, exported electricity if available, and any export supplier confirmation. Mark unknowns as pending, not complete. Note the actual party responsible for each question.
Set a monthly review for bills and readings, plus an annual reminder for warranty terms, tariff review and like-for-like performance. Learn to compare the app, meter and bill.
When to stop: Never go onto the roof, remove covers, operate unfamiliar isolators or change electrical protection settings. Smoke, scorching, sparks or water entering electrical equipment need urgent professional attention, not a routine checklist.
For printable owner records, worked examples and the complete operating routine, see Solar Panels Installed — Now What?.