Solar system quotation format

A solar quotation format states the system size in kilowatts, then itemises panels, inverter, mounting structure, DC and AC cabling, protection, earthing, net-metering and installation, each with unit, quantity, rate and amount, followed by subtotal, tax, grand total, warranties, assumptions and exclusions. Below: the format, a ten-line sample for a 10 kW on-grid system in PKR, and the Excel file.

What must a solar quotation contain?

A solar quotation must name the equipment precisely enough that the client can compare it with another installer's offer and check it on delivery: panel wattage and make, inverter kW and type, structure gauge, cable size, protection devices. Round-figure "10 kW system" quotes are how customers end up with mismatched panels and an undersized inverter. The parts, in file order:

• Header: business name, address, phone, tax or registration number; client and site; quote number; date; valid until; payment terms; system size in kW DC (panel total) and kW AC (inverter rating).
• Panels in numbers: wattage, technology (mono PERC, N-type, bifacial), make and tier, with the DC total stated in the description.
• Inverter in numbers: kW, single- or three-phase, on-grid, hybrid or off-grid, monitoring included.
• Mounting structure per kW or per panel: material, gauge, elevated or flush, anchors.
• DC cable in metres with size and MC4 connectors; AC cable in metres with size and cores.
• DC protection (fuses, SPD, isolator) and AC protection (MCB, SPD, changeover) as separate lines.
• Earthing and lightning protection as one line.
• Net-metering as its own line: application, documentation, liaison with the distribution company, and whether official fees are included.
• Installation and commissioning including the monitoring app and handover.
• Totals: subtotal, editable tax percentage, grand total; then warranties (panels, inverter, workmanship), assumptions and exclusions.

kW DC vs kW AC: kW DC is the sum of the panel wattages (18 × 580 W = 10.44 kW). kW AC is the inverter rating (10 kW). A DC figure 10 to 30 percent above the AC figure is normal and should be stated, not hidden.

What does a sample solar quotation look like?

The sample below is a 10 kW three-phase on-grid system for a house in Pakistan, 18 panels, priced in PKR with net-metering. The rates are illustrative: panel and inverter prices move with the exchange rate and import duty, and your supplier's invoice sets the real figures. In the UAE the same lines are priced in AED with 5% VAT and the DEWA connection process in place of net-metering.

How do you fill in the template?

The file opens with the sample lines in place; overwrite them with your system and the Amount column and totals recalculate. Size the system first, choose the equipment second, and only then type rates, so that the kW figures in the header match the panel and inverter lines. Five steps:

1. Replace the header placeholders and state the system size. Business and client details, a new quote number, date, validity (7 to 14 days is common for solar because equipment prices move), and kW DC and kW AC.
2. Enter the panels and inverter. Panel wattage times count gives kW DC; write it in the description. Match the inverter kW to the DC size within the manufacturer's allowed ratio and state the phase.
3. Price the structure and cable. Structure per kW or per panel with the gauge stated. Measure the DC run from the array to the inverter and the AC run to the distribution board, add 10 percent, and enter metres per cable size.
4. Add the protection, earthing and net-metering lines. DC and AC protection as separate lines with the devices named; earthing with lightning protection; net-metering with the fee position stated.
5. Add installation, set the tax cell and complete the second sheet. Installation and commissioning as one line. Type 17, 5 or 0 in the tax cell, then write the warranties, assumptions and exclusions on the second sheet and save under the quote number.

Which assumptions and exclusions should a solar quotation list?

Solar jobs fail on the roof, the grid connection and the paperwork rather than on the equipment, so the assumptions block carries more weight here than in most trades. State the roof, the supply and who handles the utility, and put the warranties in writing with their lengths.

• Roof: type (RCC slab, metal sheet, tiled), structurally sound, shade-free area available for the stated array, access for lifting panels.
• Supply: single- or three-phase connection with capacity for the inverter; existing distribution board has space, or a new board is priced.
• Net-metering: application and liaison included; official meter, inspection and security fees paid by the client at actual; approval timeline depends on the distribution company.
• Civil: roof penetrations sealed; any structural strengthening, parapet work or waterproofing repair excluded.
• Cable route: concealed or surface, stated; chasing and making good excluded unless listed.
• Warranties: panel product and performance warranty, inverter warranty, workmanship warranty, each with its years, and who handles claims.
• Battery storage excluded unless listed; hybrid inverter and batteries are a separate quotation.
• Validity, payment terms (advance on order, balance on commissioning) and exchange-rate clause if equipment is imported.

What are the common errors in solar quotations?

Solar quotations are compared more aggressively than most, because clients collect several at once and the price per kW is easy to line up. The errors below are what make a fair quote lose to a vague one, or win and then lose money. Each is a description fix.

• Quoting per kW only. The client cannot see what they are buying, and the cheapest per-kW number wins by default.
• Panel wattage or make missing. Two "10 kW" quotes with different panels are not the same product.
• kW DC and kW AC not both stated. A 12 kW array on a 10 kW inverter is fine; a client discovering the gap later is not.
• Protection lumped into installation. Fuses, SPDs and isolators are a safety item and a cost; show them.
• Net-metering fees unclear. Say whether the official fees are included or paid by the client at actual.
• No validity date. Panel prices track the dollar; an open-ended solar quote is a risk you are carrying for free.
• Warranties implied, not written. State the years for panels, inverter and workmanship on the quotation itself.

How is a solar quotation different from a BOQ?

The itemised table is the BOQ; the quotation adds the header with system size, the totals, the warranties and the terms that make it an offer. For solar, the BOQ lines double as the delivery checklist: the client ticks off 18 panels, one inverter and the protection boxes against the quotation on installation day. The annotated BOQ format example explains the six columns, and how to calculate profit margin on quotes shows how to set the rates so an itemised solar quote still makes money.