Frequently asked questions

General

What is Solvera?

Solvera is the Solar Configurator for Shopify. It turns your store into a guided solar system designer where customers configure complete systems from your product catalog and generate live quotes with a full bill of materials.

Who is Solvera for?

Solvera is built for solar installers, distributors, and equipment retailers who sell complete or semi-complete solar systems through Shopify. If your customers need to specify panels, racking, inverters, and balance-of-system components together, Solvera handles the configuration and quoting for you.

Do I need to be a solar expert to use Solvera?

No. Solvera comes with solar engineering rules built in, including compatibility checks, panels-per-microinverter limits, string sizing, and racking quantity calculations. You add your products, and the configurator handles the math.

Setup and installation

How do I install Solvera?

You install Solvera from the Shopify App Store like any other Shopify app. Once installed, you embed the configurator on any page of your storefront using a single theme app block, and you configure your products in the Solvera admin.

How long does setup take?

Initial setup typically takes a few hours, depending on how many products you have and how detailed your catalog is. Most merchants are up and running within a day. We provide a getting-started guide and ongoing support throughout the process.

Do I need a developer?

No. Solvera is designed for merchants to set up themselves through the admin interface. Embedding the configurator on your storefront is a one-click theme block. Customizing text, images, and questions is done through a visual edit mode on the storefront, not through code. Advanced features like custom formulas are optional and use a simple syntax with built-in helpers.

Products and catalog

How does Solvera work with my Shopify products?

Solvera uses your existing Shopify products. You add panels, inverters, racking, batteries, and BOS components through the Solvera admin, and the configurator presents them to customers based on the rules you configure. Product prices, images, and inventory come from Shopify.

Which solar brands does Solvera support?

Solvera is manufacturer-agnostic. You can add any panel, inverter, racking, or BOS brand to your catalog. The configurator supports multi-manufacturer setups, so customers can mix and match across brands within the compatibility rules you define.

Can I sell roof-mounted and ground-mounted systems?

Yes. Solvera supports pitched roof, flat roof, and ground mount configurations, each with their own racking, attachment, and balance-of-system requirements. Roof type, ballasted versus tilt-leg flat roof systems, and ground-mount specifications are all handled.

Does it support batteries and energy storage?

Yes. Battery systems are a first-class part of the configurator. Customers can add storage to any configuration, and the system handles inverter compatibility, sizing, and pricing.

Solar engineering

What solar logic is built in?

Solvera handles panels-per-microinverter limits, string inverter sizing (with temperature derating), racking quantity calculations for pitched roof, ballasted flat roof, and tilt leg systems, BOS quantities based on the system design, microinverter trunk cable selection, optimizer compatibility, and rapid shutdown device matching. The rules update as customers change their selections.

Can I customize the solar rules for my catalog?

Yes. Beyond the built-in defaults, you can define match criteria, custom formulas, and manufacturer-specific overrides. If your products have unusual specifications or you sell in a region with specific requirements, you can adjust the engine to match.

Does it handle compatibility between components?

Yes. The configurator filters incompatible options based on customer selections. For example, when a customer picks a specific inverter manufacturer, only compatible optimizers and rapid shutdown devices appear. Microinverter selection respects panel-per-unit limits and string voltage requirements.

Customization and branding

Can I customize the look of the configurator to match my brand?

Yes. You can set your logo, accent colors, and typography to match your storefront. The configurator inherits your Shopify theme's base styling and lets you override specific elements through the Solvera admin.

Can I change the questions and text customers see?

Yes. Solvera includes an inline edit mode that lets you click any element on the configurator and edit its text, swap its image, or modify the question right there on the storefront. Changes are previewed instantly and published when you're ready.

Can I add my own questions to the customer flow?

Yes. You can add storefront questions to capture information like project location, customer type, or installation preferences, and use the answers to drive the configurator's logic.

Quotes and conversion

What can customers do with their finished design?

Three things, depending on what you enable: email the quote to themselves as a branded summary, share the quote as a link with their team or installer, or add the full system to their Shopify cart for immediate checkout.

What does the emailed quote look like?

The quote is sent from your domain (configurable) with your branding, includes a full itemized bill of materials grouped by category, shows quantities and prices, and links back to the live quote on your store so customers can keep editing.

Can my sales team build quotes for customers?

Yes. Solvera includes a sales mode where your team can build, edit, and deliver quotes alongside customers. This is useful for B2B sales, phone consultations, and installer-led configurations. Adjust quantities, add custom items, override prices, and send the result to the customer.

Where do quotes go in Shopify?

Quotes are stored in Solvera and accessible from the admin. When a customer adds a quote to cart, it becomes a standard Shopify cart and progresses through normal Shopify checkout. Quote-related communications can be configured to flow through Shopify's customer records.

Pricing and billing

How much does Solvera cost?

Solvera offers three plans, each with a 30-day free trial. For current prices and the full feature comparison, see the pricing page.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. Every plan includes a 30-day free trial. No credit card is required to start, and you can cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.

How is billing handled?

Billing is processed through Shopify's standard app billing system. Your Solvera subscription appears on your Shopify invoice alongside your other Shopify charges. You can cancel or change plans at any time from the Shopify admin.

Can I change plans later?

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from the Solvera admin. Plan changes take effect at the start of the next billing cycle.

Data, privacy, and security

What data does Solvera collect?

Solvera collects shop information from Shopify (store name, domain, contact email), your product catalog data, configurations and quotes generated by customers, and email addresses customers enter when requesting a quote. We do not collect data we do not need to operate the App. For full details, see our privacy policy.

Where is my data stored?

Data is stored in PostgreSQL databases hosted on Neon in the United States, with application hosting on Vercel. Transactional emails are sent through Resend. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. See the privacy policy for the complete list of sub-processors.

What happens to my data if I uninstall Solvera?

When you uninstall the App, Shopify sends a deletion request to Solvera approximately 48 hours later. We permanently delete your shop's data, configurations, and quote records within 30 days of receiving that request.

Is Solvera GDPR compliant?

Solvera follows GDPR requirements including data minimization, transparency about data use, the right to access and delete personal data, and Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers. See our privacy policy for details on your rights and how to exercise them.

Support

How do I get support?

You can reach the Solvera team at solvera@calisgroup.com. We answer support requests during business hours and work to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

Is there documentation?

Yes. The getting started guide walks through initial setup, and additional documentation is available for advanced configuration topics like custom formulas, match criteria, and manufacturer overrides.

What if I need help setting up my catalog?

Contact us at solvera@calisgroup.com and we can help with onboarding, including importing your product data and configuring solar rules for your specific catalog.

Have a question that's not answered here? Email us at solvera@calisgroup.com and we'll get back to you.