Part of our series: Shining a Light on Trustworthy Solar
Most homeowners know what to expect from a solar quote. But what happens after you sign? For too many, that’s when things get murky. Will someone reach out? What’s the timeline? Are permits even filed?
At Atma Energy, we believe transparency doesn’t stop at the sale—it accelerates. That’s why we created the Atma Project Tracker, a simple, visual tool that turns your solar installation into a step-by-step journey you can actually follow.
Why Homeowners Deserve Better
As documented in the San Antonio Express-News’s exposé on shady solar practices, thousands of Texans have been left in limbo, waiting for contractors who never show, making payments on systems that aren’t active, and navigating a maze of silence.
“The system failed four safety inspections. A year later, it still wasn’t operational.”
— San Antonio Express-News, 2024
Atma built its post-sale process to be the opposite of that story. Our Project Tracker ensures you’re never guessing what’s next—you’re seeing it in real-time.
A Visual Timeline You Can Trust
When your contract is signed, your personalized Atma Project Tracker goes live. What you see is a scrollable, clickable timeline that covers every major milestone:
Each milestone includes color-coded status tags (e.g., Completed, In Progress, Pending), short explanations, and automatically updated notes from our operations team. You’ll never need to wonder where your project stands or who to contact.
Milestone by Milestone: What It Shows and Why It Matters
Enrollment & Engineering
Right away, you’ll see confirmation that all documents are submitted and your project has moved into engineering.
You’ll get access to your final system design and can see when it’s been approved internally. This is your first visual handshake with our team—and the first reassurance that we’re moving.
Permitting
Most homeowners don’t know which permits are needed or who’s handling them. We take that off your plate and show you exactly when each one clears.
City, HOA, and utility approvals all show up here with green "Approved" tags and a completion message. You don’t need to chase paperwork—we’ve got it, and you’ll know it.
Construction & Quality Control
Once installation begins, you’ll see mechanical, electrical, and even outage coordination check off in real time. After that, quality assurance testing is logged too.
This section also includes photos of your completed install, plus validation that your system passed internal inspections. You can literally see the build before it’s energized
Inspections
No more vague “waiting on the city” excuses. We break it down so you know what’s done—and what’s requested.
Each inspection milestone: City, or Utility has its own status. If the inspection has been scheduled, it’s marked as “Requested.” If passed, you’ll see a green “Complete.”
Onboarding
As the final step before go-live, onboarding isn’t just a “handoff.” It’s a guided meeting where we walk you through our monitoring platform, answer your questions, and ensure you’re fully trained.
This platform gives you access to your system’s actual production versus expected performance, a topic we’ll explore in detail in our next blog: More Than Monitoring: How We Show Production vs. Promise.
You’ll see onboarding listed in your tracker, too, so you know what to expect and when.
Built for Real Questions, Not Just Status Updates
Our Project Tracker didn’t come from a product meeting—it came from real conversations with homeowners.
RSAs like Julio R. explained, “Customers often ask: how long will it take? When does it go live?” The tracker answers that in plain sight.
Cameron D. added, “Some customers naturally reach back out to their advisor with timeline questions—but with the tracker, they don’t need to. It gives them a bird’s-eye view of their entire project.”
And as Chris C. put it, “Timeframe is always top of mind. People want to know they’re not forgotten.” This tool proves they aren’t.
Atma vs. The Industry: A Side-by-Side Snapshot
| Phase | Atma Energy | Industry Norm |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Sale | Site visit + Engineering Proposal Review | Often skipped or rushed |
| Post-Sale | Project Tracker + Direct Ops Handoff | Silence or vague timelines |
| Permitting | Fully managed + visible in tracker | Left to homeowner or delayed without notice |
| Installation | In-house crews + QA photos | Subcontractors, no documentation |
| Inspections | Live status updates + proactive rescheduling | Customer waits in the dark |
| Onboarding | Monitoring training and support meeting | “Flip the switch” and walk away |
| Long-Term Care | 25-year guarantees + ongoing support | No follow-up, no contact |
Conclusion: Trust Doesn’t End at the Contract
When you choose Atma Energy, you're not just signing up for panels on a roof, you’re entering a partnership built on visibility, accountability, and care.
From bill to build, every step is tracked, documented, and explained.
Where others go silent, we communicate.
Where others ghost, we guide.
And where others vanish after install, we stay connected because trust is earned in every phase.
Next in the Series:
More Than Monitoring: How We Show Production vs. Promise — Most companies hand off a login and call it a day. We go further, giving you tools to compare actual performance to your original projections, so you can see how your system is living up to its promise.