Quotes are hard to compare because no two are written the same way. These questions expose the difference, and they work on us as well as on anyone else.
Solar quotes are hard to compare because no two are written the same way. These are the questions that expose the difference, and they work on us as well as on anyone else.
1. Who actually does the work? Ask whether the crew are employed by the company or sub-contracted. It is not that sub-contracting is always bad, it is that it determines who you ring in two years when something needs looking at.
2. Is the quote based on a site visit or a satellite image? A satellite estimate is a good way to decide whether solar is worth considering. It cannot see the condition of the roof, the loft, or where the consumer unit is. Anyone quoting a firm price without having been on site is guessing at the part that costs money.
3. What is the system sized against? If the answer is the size of the roof rather than your consumption, you will generate a lot you cannot use and export it at a low rate. Ask what they need from you to size it. If it is not a year of bills, be curious why.
4. Is the grant included in the price or deducted from it? The SEAI domestic grant is paid to you after commissioning, not taken off the invoice. A quote showing the post-grant figure as the price is not wrong, but you need to know which number you are being asked to pay on the day.
5. What exactly is warranted, and by whom? Panels, inverter and workmanship are usually three separate warranties of three different lengths, and the inverter is the component most likely to need attention first. A single headline figure covering everything usually is not.
6. Who notifies ESB Networks? Until the connection is notified you are generating but not being paid for anything you export. It should be part of the job, and it should be in writing.
7. What happens if the roof needs work? Ask what the process is if the survey finds something, and whether the deposit is refundable at that point. It is an uncomfortable question and the answer tells you a lot.
Any installer worth using will answer all seven without hesitating.