Are solar PV installer proposals and quotes intentionally lacking in transparency and detail?

mrmmhf · 24 October 2019 at 9:47PM

Never having had solar before, and not knowing too much about the tech at the time, when I’ve gone through the paperwork for our system, the solar installation quotes (from five different installers) seem to lack transparency and specificity. Not a single quote I received stated the size of the inverter they’d install or the number of optimizers they’d fit - just the brand is mentioned. They’re all vague, and they harp on about savings...

Is this lack of detail common practice amongst solar PV installers?

Reed_Richards · 24 October 2019 at 10:39PM

I can only speak from my experience of one specific vendor (who subcontracted the actual installation). My quote named the inverter they would use but they actually used a different one when it came down to it. The quote said nothing about the inverter beyond the length of the warranty. I was upsold the "optimisers", one per panel, after an on-site survey which determined that trees would shade the panels during the earlier part of the day. With hindsight I am not convinced they were worth the extra money because they only work at a time when the panels are not generating much anyway. .