Tips for Switching to Solar Panels

Solar energy has become hugely popular in the last decade, and many homeowners are making the switch to solar to save money and reduce carbon emissions. Although the actual process of switching to solar panels from traditional electrical is relatively easy, several considerations should be reviewed first to ensure a smooth transition.

Below are some tips for homeowners who are thinking of switching to solar panels:

Location of Your Solar Panels

Solar panels only work efficiently when they receive direct sunlight. This can limit solar panel placement options for some homeowners since many homes only receive direct sunlight in specific areas for limited periods each day.

For most homes, the roof is the ideal place to install solar panels, and most experts recommend a southward-facing direction. Suppose this placement area isn’t an option for your home. In that case, you may be able to use solar panel installation management software to obtain other ideas for placement options that will still provide efficient solar power.

Electrical Safety

You might also be able to use solar panel installation management software to determine the safest location for your panels. Essentially, you need to know that your home’s electrical system will be able to safely handle the inputs and outputs of your new solar panels. Your electrical service provider will also be able to provide guidance, but if you have doubts, you’re strongly encouraged to hire an electrician to inspect your home’s wiring and electrical components to ensure a safe installation.

Your Homeowner’s Insurance

You should also contact your homeowner’s insurance provider before switching to solar. If solar panels are installed, your provider may have specific items that must be amended in your insurance policy.

Letting your insurance provider know about your plans can also help to clarify what happens if your home’s roof becomes damaged and workers need to come and inspect or repair your roof. Because solar panels may block roof access, your insurance company should be able to let you know if the installation will restrict your coverage.

Read a similar article about platform for solar asset management here at this page.

5 Benefits of Using Field Service Management Software

Managing your company’s field operations is tedious and time-consuming. You don’t want to manually track and locate all your employees just because one customer was not served on time or, even worse, an employee was sent to the wrong location read more

Tips to Increase Productivity in the Field Service Industry

Field service work is more complex than most realize. It's fiercely competitive and involves a good deal of logistics. Depending on the size of your company and what you do, you might have multiple teams on the field. Meanwhile, an in-office team does its best to communicate and provide support.

The goal of any company is to boost productivity. But if you're doing field service work, positive changes can dramatically improve how your company operates and generates revenue. Follow these tips to turn your teams into well-oiled field service machines!

Invest in Technology

Don't be afraid of technology. While many blue-collar workers show hesitation toward all things new, going digital can be a game-changer. Management software for field services can act as a centralized hub for every member of your team.

Use it to communicate with one another, monitor the progress of specific tasks, share documents like contracts and quotes, and more. The right platform can take productivity through the roof, ensuring that your organization stays connected no matter where your work takes you.

Allocate Tasks Strategically

Another way to use management software for field services is task allocation. One of the biggest productivity killers of field service work is assigning work without a clear strategy. While every team member should be capable of performing every job, some are better equipped than others.

The best way to improve productivity is to tap into your team's strengths. Use your software to determine what tasks need completion and who's available to work. Consider their skills, capabilities, and location. Careful task allocation can create a more productive work schedule while ensuring that your team does what they do best.

Stay in the Know

Our last tip is to stay informed. Just because you're in the office doesn't mean you have to be out of the loop. Management platforms can help you monitor the progress of every task and see where your field service workers are at any given moment.

Use that technology to assign tasks, adjust your schedule, and pick up more on the fly. When you know what's going on, you can take steps to improve productivity in any way you can.

Read a similar article about mobile GIS for field services here at this page.

What is Urban Planning?

Cities have been around for thousands of years, and even though cities of the past were not comprised of skyscrapers and taxi cabs, they still suffered from the same issues that modern cities face. Proper distribution of utilities, traffic congestion, sanitation, and law enforcement are all considerations that need to be examined when planning out a city or planning for the growth of a city. The process of analyzing and implementing strategies to deploy these systems is known as urban planning.

How is Urban Planning Undertaken?

Because the United States has so much existing infrastructure, cities don’t spring up as they used to in the past. Instead, most urban planning today is focused on the growth of existing towns into cities or the growth of cities as they spread outward from an urban center. Although new cities do still get created from completely undeveloped areas, these occurrences are fairly rare.

Engineers and policymakers use urban planning project management software to model different scenarios to determine various outcomes of planning decisions. Modern urban planning project management software can also incorporate artificial intelligence elements to display how variables could play out under a variety of circumstances.

What Qualifications Does an Urban Planner Need?

To become an urban planner, professionals typically seek a degree in urban planning, sociology, engineering, or a similar program. The need for a degree will depend on what role the urban planner is filling. Additionally, urban planners will usually need to seek accreditation from an organization like the Planning Accreditation Board.

Different states may have different regulations regarding urban planner qualifications as well. In major cities, additional requirements may apply.

The Future of Urban Planning

Urban planning has undergone many changes as city centers have grown larger and city populations have become denser. In the future, urban planning will likely rely heavily on technologies like machine learning to evaluate data taken from various Internet-of-things (IoT). Systems that utilize sensors, video cameras, microphones, and other hardware that can record statistics about how residents of urban areas live, work, and play.

Read a similar article about civil engineering project management platform here at this page.

How to Share Projects with External Stakeholders

It doesn't matter what type of project you're completing. Multiple internal and external stakeholders likely want to stay current on the progress. Keeping stakeholders involved in a project has many benefits. It can help you develop the right strategies to complete projects, avoid costly mistakes, and invite feedback.

Internal stakeholders already have access to project details. But how can you share projects with external stakeholders?

Feature-Rich Software

The easiest way to get external stakeholders involved is with the best field service management software money can buy. Modern software has revolutionized how field teams operate. With a single digital team, leaders can keep teams organized, dole out tasks, keep track of progress, and more.

The best field service management software platforms even let you share all this crucial information with external partners. Please keep them in the know and provide a level of access you deem appropriate. They don't need to know every detail, so customizing access ensures that you involve external stakeholders without muddying the waters with complete system access.

Tips for Sharing Projects

Here's the thing about external stakeholders: They have a lot riding on the successful completion of the project. But, they might not understand your team's operations in great detail. That's okay! It's still important to involve them, but you must do so in a way that makes sense for your partnership.

Before you share details, understand what matters most to those external stakeholders. Figure out how the project impacts them and how they directly connect to your team's work. With that information, you can learn their language and share information more strategically.

For example, an interior designer won't get much use out of large-scale engineering projects. They won't need to be super involved during the initial construction phase, but will become part of the equation during the finishing stage.

Speak your stakeholder's language. Understand their needs and establish expectations of their involvement. You may work with multiple stakeholders during your project. Knowing how to communicate and share with each one makes all the difference.

Read a similar article about emissions monitoring management software here at this page.

Tips to Ensure Your Project Stays in Budget

Working on any kind of project that involves costs means you need to have a budget and stick to it. Having a budget is imperative to ensure costs don’t get out of hand, and sticking to a budget can not only avoid overages but can also help you stay on target to meet deadlines.

Unfortunately, not every project will go according to plan, and as things happen, budgetary concerns find a way of popping up. If you’re having a hard time sticking to your project budgets, below are some tips to help you meet your goals:

Use Software

Technology these days provides plenty of ways to manage projects and budgets while also providing updated, detailed alerts regarding project needs. No matter what type of project you’re working on, there’s likely some type of software to help you manage it.

For example, if you manage real estate, you can use property management field service software to keep up with daily tasks like maintenance and site inspections. You can also use property management field service software to track expenses and compare them against your budget to avoid going over.

Set a Flexible Budget

Another way to stay on budget is to set flexible limits. When planning your project, consider that there will be overages at some point. Factor these in as flexible elements of a budget. If you don’t go over, all the better, but if you do go over, it’s nice to know that you’ll have the additional buffer available.

Involve Others

Managing large projects and budgets on your own can be difficult, so get others involved. If you’re managing a work project, involve stakeholders who can assist you with budget monitoring and resource management.

When you get others involved, you stand a better chance of catching errors early that may result in overages. In addition, you may find that getting opinions from others involved in a project can help you shape a more realistic budget if you’re unfamiliar with what needs to be spent.

Read a similar article about field service project management platform here at this page.

What are Oil and Gas HSE Compliance Guidelines

With a focus on environmental protection, the pressure is on companies in the oil industry. Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) guidelines evolve regularly. To avoid risk and liability, companies in the oil industry need to stay up to date to comply and reduce their carbon footprint.

So, what are the HSE compliance guidelines for oil and gas companies? Read on to find out.

Sulfur Oxide Emissions

Sulfur oxides are known to cause serious environmental and health issues. In humans, they can cause harm by creating respiratory problems. The compounds can even cause lung disease.

But if they get into the atmosphere, sulfur oxides can wreak havoc on the environment. They cause acid rain that flows into oceans and waterways. With the damage these compounds cause, it's no surprise that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce emissions.

The goal is to reduce sulfur oxide emissions by 80 percent to reduce pollution and the effects on human health. The new regulations directly impact oil and gas companies through transportation.

Companies need to invest in oil industry project management software to navigate the new compliance standards. It can help cut back on emissions, source new fuels, and ensure you're adhering to guidelines.

Lower BSEE Regulations

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) relaxed regulation standards. As a result, oil and gas companies are under less scrutiny for details like real-time monitoring of offshore operations.

The decreased regulations seem to provide relief for the oil industry at face value. However, the reduced rules are to limit liability. Companies should utilize oil industry project management software to reduce their liabilities and go beyond current BSEE standards.

Management software can identify and monitor compliance issues. It may also spot potential compliance problems, helping you determine whether or not your company needs to take steps to reduce liability.

Managing Regulatory Compliance

With HSE regulations changing all the time, it's more important than ever for companies to use software for compliance. Keeping track of compliance isn't easy, and the right platform can ensure that your organization is doing its part to minimize environmental impact.

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