What Should Be in a Solar Proposal?
The documents, technical details and commercial terms a Malaysian homeowner should be able to see before signing.
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A solar proposal is more than a price. It is the written record of what will be designed, supplied, installed and supported at your home. A good proposal lets you understand the offer without having to rely on a verbal promise.
1. A clear system design
Start with the physical system. The proposal should state the panel count and model, inverter model and capacity, proposed system capacity, mounting approach and monitoring equipment. A roof layout or design drawing is useful because it shows where the panels are expected to go.
The design should be based on the home, not simply a standard package. If a roof face, shade, roof condition or electrical setup affects the proposal, that assumption should be visible.
2. Generation and savings assumptions
Generation estimates help you compare designs, but they are estimates. Ask what annual energy output has been modelled and whether the estimate accounts for roof orientation, shading and system losses. A savings illustration should explain the household usage and tariff assumptions behind it.
3. Scope of work and approvals
The proposal should state what is included from site survey to commissioning. This normally covers installation, electrical connections, testing and handover, but the exact scope needs to be written down. It should also identify who handles the applicable solar application and utility process.
| Proposal item | What a clear proposal states |
|---|---|
| Included work | Design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and handover scope. |
| Possible extra work | How roof repairs, switchboard upgrades, access constraints or special cable routing are assessed and priced. |
| Approvals | Which application steps are included and what documents the homeowner must provide. |
| Handover | What records, manuals, warranty documents and monitoring access you receive. |
4. Price, exclusions and payment milestones
A proposal should show the total price, applicable taxes or charges, deposit and staged payments. Just as important, it should state exclusions. An inexpensive quote can become expensive when site-specific work was not included in the first place.
Read payment milestones alongside the project schedule. If an item may cost more after survey, ask who approves that change and how it will be documented.
5. Warranty and after-sales support
Panel, inverter and workmanship warranties are separate. The proposal should identify their duration, provider, conditions and claim route. It should also explain what monitoring, maintenance or insurance is included, optional or not offered.
Ask who you contact after commissioning and what happens if the monitoring system reports a fault. This matters as much as the headline warranty period.
6. A homeowner checklist before approval
- Can I identify the exact equipment models and proposed capacity?
- Are the generation and savings assumptions stated?
- Are the included works and exclusions specific to my home?
- Do I know who manages the relevant application and utility steps?
- Are payment milestones, warranties and support terms written clearly?
If the answer to any of these is no, the proposal is not yet ready for a confident decision.
The bottom line
A proposal should help you understand both the system and the service around it. The more specific it is before you sign, the fewer assumptions you need to untangle later.
Sources
- SEDA Malaysia: Home owners’ guide for solar PV
- SEDA Malaysia: NEM 3.0 guidance
- Verdant Solar residential proposal, version 10.
