Solar quotation checklist · Cebu 2026
Two quotations for “a 6 kW system” can describe very different things. Here is what every line should tell you, a free checker for up to three quotations, and the questions to send back before you sign.
A solar quotation is good value when you can check every line: the array in kWp (panels × watts), the inverter’s model, size and type, the battery’s usable kWh, named brands with datasheets, product, performance and workmanship warranties in writing, and a clear scope for protection, mounting, permits and net metering. Compare price per kWp and per usable kWh only once those match.
For reference, our battery-ready systems of 8–16 panels list at ₱36,714–₱40,645 per kWp, and each 5.12 kWh battery adds ₱52,000 (about ₱12,695 per usable kWh). Published hybrid quotes of 5–14 kWp ran ₱44,000–₱58,000 per kWp in an aggregator’s September 2026 check of 14 quotes, with VAT treatment varying and storage not broken out. Compare quotations with the same battery, or with the battery taken out.
Solar quotation sample
A sample laid out the way every quotation should be, priced from our current list. Use it as the template when you read anyone’s offer, ours included.
Sample itemized solar quotation
Illustration for comparison, not an offer · current list prices, page reviewed 16 October 2026
| Item and specification | Qty | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
Solar panels620 W N-type TOPCon | 8 | ₱8,500 | ₱68,000 |
Hybrid inverterDeye SUN-5K-SG04LP1 · 5 kW · single-phase · 48 V battery | 1 | ₱45,000 | ₱45,000 |
Battery5.12 kWh LiFePO4 · 51.2 V nominal | 1 | ₱52,000 | ₱52,000 |
Mounting, cabling & protectionRails, clamps, cabling, breakers and surge protection | 8 | ₱4,000 | ₱32,000 |
Installation, permits & net meteringDesign, installation, configuration and testing; permit and net-metering paperwork | 1 | ₱49,600 | ₱49,600 |
| List total | ₱246,600 | ||
Estimate band ₱227,000–₱266,000 (±8%) until a site assessment confirms the design.
Confirm in writing before you sign
Panels × watts ÷ 1,000: 8 × 620 W = 4.96 kWp. A “5 kW package” may describe the inverter rather than the panels, so ask for both numbers.
Deye SUN-5K-SG04LP1 is a 5 kW single-phase hybrid that runs a 48 V battery. Here the array is 0.99× its rating; the models we install accept up to 1.6×.
5.12 kWh nominal. We plan on about 4.1 kWh usable (80% depth of discharge) and about 3.7 kWh reaching your appliances. If a quotation lists Ah, multiply by the voltage: 51.2 V × 100 Ah = 5.12 kWh.
Rails, clamps, cabling, breakers and surge protection, priced per panel. When these disappear into “accessories”, nobody can check them.
Design, installation, configuration and testing, plus the permit and net-metering paperwork. Ask which official fees an allowance covers: the ERC certificate fee is ₱1,500 and a home’s meter difference is capped at ₱3,000.
Brands and models with datasheets, warranty terms, VAT treatment, the payment schedule and how long the price is valid. On our side, warranty terms are confirmed in your proposal.
Want this layout for your own roof? The calculator prices your system line by line in about 30 seconds, from your monthly bill. No contact details needed.
Free quotation checker
Type in what each quotation says. The checker works out price per kWp and per usable kWh, scores how complete each one is, and turns every gap into a question for the installer.
Quotation checker
Up to three quotations · runs in your browserTwo made-up example quotations are filled in so you can see how the checker works. Replace the values with your own, or start blank.
Use the total kWp only if the quotation doesn’t list the panel count and wattage.
Leave blank if the quotation has no battery.
Like-for-like figures for every quotation, with our own itemized list price at a similar size for reference.
| Measure | Quotation A | Quotation B |
|---|---|---|
| Total price | ₱345,000 | ₱268,000 |
| Solar array | 6.20 kWp10 × 620 W | 6.00 kWp12 × 500 W |
| Price per kWp | ₱55,645 | ₱44,667 |
| Solar part per kWp | ₱37,903 | Battery not priced |
| Inverter | 6 kW hybridarray 1.03× the inverter | 5 kW hybridarray 1.20× the inverter |
| Battery storage | 8.2 kWh usable10.24 kWh nominal | 4.1 kWh usable5.12 kWh nominal · usable est. at 80% |
| Price per usable kWh | ₱13,415 | Battery not priced |
| Warranties stated | 5 of 6in writing | 1 of 6not in writing |
| Scope items included | 8 of 9 | 3 of 9 |
| Checklist answered | 93% | 36% |
| Red flags | None spotted | 2Full payment before installation · Promises a zero or near-zero bill |
| Our itemized list price, similar size | ₱356,00010 × 620 W · Deye SUN-8K · 2 × 5.12 kWh | ₱304,00010 × 620 W · Deye SUN-8K · 1 × 5.12 kWh |
Reference prices are our current list prices from the same price list as the calculator, before the ±8% band and a site assessment: the nearest number of 620 W panels and 5.12 kWh batteries, with the Deye hybrid inverter the calculator picks for a typical 3-bedroom home. Your own appliances’ peak load can change the inverter, and the calculator sets its own battery count from your bill.
Keep your comparison
Nothing you type is sent or saved. If you request a quote from this page, it only tells us how many of your own quotations you compared, how many items were missing, how many red flags were found and whether you entered your own bill, never prices or installer names.
Put our itemized estimate beside them
Leave the bill blank and we’ll size the estimate like Quotation A (about ₱11,600 a month on VECO rates gives 10 × 620 W panels). The calculator then chooses the inverter and battery count for that bill, so check its battery line against the quotation’s. For savings, enter your own bill.
Quotation A: 93% of the checklist answered, 2 questions to ask.
Completeness is the share of checklist items a quotation answers: 22 without a battery, 28 with one. The price check flags a solar part under ₱30,000 per kWp, more than 10% below the lowest published band we track (₱33,500 for grid-tie quotes, Apr–May 2026). Usable storage defaults to 80% of nominal (50% for lead-acid) when a quotation doesn’t say. It is a reading aid for your own quotations, not a verdict on any installer.
Equipment
Brand names on their own don’t make a specification. These are the details that do, and what to ask when they are missing.
Four equipment lines, checked one by one
01 / 04Chapter 01
Line 1 · Solar panels
8 × 620 W = 4.96 kWp
Chapter 02
Line 2 · Inverter
Array ≤ 1.6× the inverter rating (Deye single-phase hybrids)
Chapter 03
Line 3 · Battery
One 5.12 kWh battery ≈ 7 hours of essentials at 0.5 kW (estimate)
Chapter 04
Line 4 · Mounting and roof
Fixed to the structure, not to the sheet
At your pace. Select any chapter.
Protection and materials
Surge protection, isolators, earthing and cabling are cheap to skimp on and expensive to fix. A complete quotation names each one.
| Item | What the quotation should say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| DC surge protection (SPD) | The device type and where it sits: at the inverter, and at the array on long or exposed roof runs. | Lightning-induced surges travel down roof wiring. Many hybrids have Type II SPDs built in; Deye’s SG05LP1 datasheet lists them on both the DC and AC sides. |
| AC surge protection | A device at the main or backup panel, coordinated with the earthing. | Protects the house wiring and the inverter from surges arriving from the grid. |
| DC isolator | A rated DC switch between the array and the inverter. | Lets the array be isolated for service. Panels stay live in daylight; a switch at the inverter doesn’t de-energise the roof wiring. |
| AC breaker and backup panel | A breaker sized to the inverter, and which circuits go on the backup (LOAD) panel. | Only circuits on the backup panel stay on in a brownout, so the list should match what you need running. |
| Earthing | Frame and rail bonding, conductor size, earth rod and a test result at handover. | Panel makers specify it; Jinko’s manual calls for stainless earthing hardware and 4–14 mm² copper. |
| DC cable | PV-rated cable, its size and run length. | Undersized or long runs lose output as heat and run warm. |
| Conduit and trays | UV-resistant conduit or covered trays on the roof. | Ordinary plastic conduit breaks down in strong sun. |
| Connectors | Matching connectors of one make and type at every joint. | Mixed connector brands may not seal or mate as designed. Near the sea, the panel manual asks for extra connector protection. |
| Rapid shutdown and arc-fault protection | Whether module-level shutdown devices or an arc-fault (AFCI) inverter option is fitted. | Published transcriptions of the Philippine Electrical Code’s PV article include rapid-shutdown rules for systems on buildings. Ask what is fitted rather than accepting “compliant”. |
On our estimate, “Mounting, cabling & protection” is priced per panel and covers rails, clamps, cabling, breakers and surge protection. Module-level rapid-shutdown devices are not part of that line, so ask any installer, us included, what their design includes.
Warranties
Product warranties cover defects, performance warranties cover output over time, and workmanship covers the installation itself. Get all three in writing.
| Component | Product (defects) | Performance | Ask for in writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panels | Materials and manufacturing defects. LONGi lists 12 years for its Hi-MO 9. | Share of rated output kept over time. Jinko’s Tiger Neo: a 30-year linear warranty, up to 1% loss in year one, then 0.4% a year. | The warranty document for the exact model, and who handles a claim in the Philippines. |
| Inverter | Deye’s datasheets list “5 Years / Up to 10 Years” (SG04LP1) or “5 Years/10 Years” (SG05LP1), with the period depending on the country or site of installation. | — | The Philippine term from an authorised distributor, and whether labour is covered. |
| Battery | Usually stated as years or energy throughput (MWh), whichever comes first, with conditions. | An end-of-life capacity (often 70%) and a throughput figure for the exact model. | Years, MWh and end-of-life capacity for the exact model, and the conditions. |
| Installation (workmanship) | Set by the installer: roof fixings, leaks at penetrations, wiring. We found no standard Philippine term. | — | Years, what is covered, response time, and whether a post-typhoon check is included. |
Product, performance and workmanship terms for each component are confirmed in your proposal. Ask for the same in writing from every installer you compare, us included.
Permits and net metering
A quotation should name who handles each step and which fees are inside the price. The time limits below are legal maximums, not promises.
By a licensed electrical engineer: RA 7920 reserves sealing electrical plans to a PEE, and the 2026 permit circular accepts a PEE or REE seal on the single-line diagram. Ask for the engineer’s name and licence number.
From your city or municipality, within 3 working days of complete papers (JMC 001, s. 2026). Fees are set locally.
The Certificate of Final Electrical Inspection follows the installation, within 7 working days. Don’t run the system on-grid before the utility approves it.
The utility may ask only for the application form, the CFEI, the net-metering agreement and the ERC fee (ERC advisory, 22 Sep 2025).
The impact study and testing are free. A home pays at most ₱3,000 for the meter difference, plus the ₱1,500 ERC Certificate of Compliance fee.
The utility has 20 working days under the rules, cut to 10 while EO 110 is in force (to about 24 March 2027 unless extended or lifted).
The savings test. Exported solar is credited at your utility’s generation charge, about 55–65% of the household rate in late 2026, not the full VECO rate of ₱14.89/kWh (Sep 2026). If a quotation values every exported kWh at the full rate, ask for the savings to be worked out again.
The full net-metering guideVECO customersMECO customersCEBECO customers
Price per kWp
It is the fairest single number for comparing quotations, as long as you take the battery out first and compare similar sizes.
Our list prices for the same 10 panels and Deye SUN-8K, with 0, 1 and 2 batteries. Only the battery changes.
Battery-ready systems at our list prices. The inverter and set-up costs are shared by fewer panels on a small roof.
| Published band | Per kWp or per usable kWh | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid quotes, 5–14 kWp | ₱44,000–₱58,000 /kWp | Pinas.solar, Sep 2026 check of 14 quotes |
| Hybrid quotes, 5 kWp and up, 10–20 kWh | ₱43,000–₱70,000 /kWp | Pinas.solar, 16 quotes, median ₱48,257, updated 5 Oct 2026 |
| Grid-tie quotes, no battery | ₱33,500–₱38,000 /kWp | Pinas.solar, Apr–May 2026 (only 3 quotes) |
| Installed battery storage | ₱13,000–₱23,000 /usable kWh | GoSolar PH, 21 Jul 2026 |
Some checklists treat anything under ₱50,000 per kWp as a warning sign. Our battery-ready systems list below that, at ₱36,714–₱40,645 per kWp for 8–16 panels, because the battery is its own line; with two batteries, the same 6.20 kWp array lists at ₱57,419 per kWp.
For storage, our battery line works out at ₱12,695 per usable kWh (₱52,000 ÷ 4.1 kWh). Installation is priced per kWp on our estimate, so it isn’t inside that figure.
Prices by size, with and without batteries, are in the solar installation cost guide; ready-made configurations are in our solar packages guide.
Our figures are list prices before the ±8% estimate band and any promotion, with the inverter the calculator picks for a typical 3-bedroom home; your appliances’ peak load can call for a larger one. A site assessment confirms the final design and price.
Put a like-for-like number next to your quotations. Enter your bill and the calculator shows our itemized price, with the battery as a separate line.
Red flags
None of these proves a bad installer on its own. Each is a reason to ask more questions before you pay anything.
If you can’t see the panels, inverter, battery, mounting and installation separately, you can’t compare it.
Ask: Can you itemize this quotation?
Under about ₱30,000 per kWp for the solar part, with the battery taken out, is more than 10% below the lowest published band we track (₱33,500 for grid-tie quotes). Something may be left out.
Ask: What exactly is excluded: mounting, protection, permits, net metering or installation?
“Tier 1 panels”, “lithium battery”, “hybrid inverter”: none of these is a model.
Ask: Which models, with datasheets?
Night use, fixed charges and exports credited below your rate keep a bill.
Ask: What bill should I expect after solar?
Exported kWh earn the generation charge, about 55–65% of the household rate in late 2026.
Ask: Can you redo the savings at the generation charge?
Staged payments and official receipts protect you if work is late or incomplete.
Ask: Can payments follow delivery and commissioning?
Checking the roof, main panel and shade is what turns an estimate into a quotation.
Ask: When will you inspect the site?
Without a battery and a backup-capable inverter, solar switches off when the grid does.
Ask: Which circuits stay on in a brownout?
100 Ah is 5.12 kWh at 51.2 V but 1.2 kWh at 12 V, and usable kWh is lower still.
Ask: What are the voltage and usable kWh?
A fair quotation states how long it is valid. Pressure to sign is a reason to slow down.
Ask: Can you put the validity date in writing?
Cebu checks
Local details that change the numbers or the hardware, and that generic quotation templates leave out.
Savings should use your own utility’s rate. Lapu-Lapu and Cordova are served by MECO (₱15.98/kWh, Sep 2026), not VECO (₱14.89), so a savings line built on the wrong rate is off from the start.
| VECO | ₱14.89/kWhSep 2026 |
|---|---|
| MECO | ₱15.98/kWhSep 2026 |
| CEBECO I | ₱15.24/kWhSep 2026 |
| CEBECO II | about ₱15.9/kWhSep 2026, ICSC tracker |
| CEBECO III | ₱15.08/kWhOct 2026 |
All-in residential rates; check your latest bill. The MECO, VECO and CEBECO guides go further.
VECO and MECO size net-metering against your transformer: their guide tables allow about 30% of its rating, so a 25 kVA transformer takes about 7.5–8 kW. VECO’s feeder table of 15 October 2026 showed 11 of 65 feeders with no capacity left.
Ask whether the installer checked hosting capacity before sizing, because the utility’s impact study decides what can be connected and exported at your address.
Within 500 m of the shore, Jinko’s manual asks for extra connector protection, and panels should sit at least 50 m back. Stainless (A4/316) fasteners and isolation between dissimilar metals belong on any coastal quotation.
About 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility each year, and 8 or 9 cross the country (PAGASA). Ask what wind basis the mounting was designed to and whether a post-storm check is included; our typhoon-ready installation guide lists the details.
Support and handover
Workmanship shows in the paperwork as much as on the roof. A quotation should promise these documents, and the support behind them.
The same line-by-line structure. The instant estimate names the inverter model; panel and battery brands, VAT treatment and warranty terms are confirmed in writing in your formal quotation.
How installation runs, step by step: home solar installation · how it works · all solar guides
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Straight answers to what people ask when they have two or three quotations on the table.
Put them on the same basis first: the array in kWp (panels × watts ÷ 1,000), the inverter’s model, kW rating and type (hybrid or grid-tie), the battery’s usable kWh, and named brands with datasheets. Then check the scope (mounting, surge protection, earthing, permits, net metering), the three kinds of warranty and the payment terms.
Only then compare price per kWp, with the battery taken out, and price per usable kWh of storage. The checker on this page does that arithmetic and turns every gap into a question for the installer.
No. A system much bigger than your daytime use mostly exports, and exports are credited at your utility’s generation charge, about 55–65% of the household rate in late 2026, not the full rate. Utilities also limit what your transformer can host: VECO’s and MECO’s guide tables allow about 30% of its rating, so a 25 kVA transformer takes about 7.5–8 kW.
A good quotation explains how the size was chosen from your bill and daytime use, and leaves room on the inverter if you plan to add panels later.
A licensed electrical engineer. RA 7920 reserves signing and sealing electrical plans to a Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE), and no electrical installation may start without sealed plans and a permit. For the net-metering application, the 2026 permit circular (JMC 001, s. 2026) accepts a single-line diagram sealed by a PEE or a Registered Electrical Engineer (REE).
Ask each installer to name the engineer who will seal your plans, with their licence number.
Not by itself. What matters is whether you can see what the price buys. Our own battery-ready systems of 8–16 panels list at ₱36,714–₱40,645 per kWp because the battery is a separate line; add two batteries to a 10-panel system and the same array lists at ₱57,419 per kWp.
Be wary when a low price comes with no line items, unnamed brands, a “zero bill” promise or a request for full payment upfront.
Multiply the amp-hours by the battery voltage and divide by 1,000. A 51.2 V, 100 Ah battery is 5.12 kWh; the same 100 Ah at 12 V is only 1.2 kWh, so a quotation that gives Ah without a voltage can’t be compared.
That is the nominal figure. Usable energy depends on the depth of discharge: we plan on about 4.1 kWh usable from each 5.12 kWh battery, and about 3.7 kWh reaching your appliances after inverter losses.
Three kinds, in writing: product warranties against defects (panels, inverter, battery), performance warranties (how much output the panels keep over the years, and the battery’s end-of-life capacity or energy throughput), and a workmanship warranty from the installer for the installation itself.
Inverter terms can vary by country, so ask for the Philippine term from the distributor. Our own warranty terms are confirmed in your proposal.
It is safer not to. Ask for staged payments tied to milestones, such as a deposit, delivery of the equipment and commissioning, with an official receipt for each. A quotation should state the schedule and how long its price is valid.
If an installer insists on cash only, or on everything upfront with a deadline to sign, slow down and compare.
THREE WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD
See our itemized price for your own bill first, request a formal quotation after a site assessment, or ask a question about any line.
Your system, installed price and savings in about 30 seconds. No contact details needed.
Start the calculatorRoute BShare a few details and we’ll prepare a proposal after a site assessment.
Request my quoteRoute CHave a question first? Ask it here and get a straight answer.
Ask a questionROUTE A · INSTANT ESTIMATE
The same calculator and prices as the rest of the site. Your estimate stays on your screen unless you ask us to contact you.
Your promo code takes 10% off your system estimate, up to ₱50,000.
Choose your usual monthly bill. An estimate is all you need.
Using VECO at ₱14.89/kWh · Sep 2026. You can change your provider later.
About 30 seconds · No obligation
ROUTES B & C · TALK TO US
Every quotation follows a site assessment of your roof, wiring and priorities, so the price you approve is the price of the system you get.
A short form. We’ll arrange a site assessment and send a quotation with every line priced and the warranty terms confirmed.
Not ready for a quote? Ask about comparing solar quotations and we’ll reply by phone or email.
Reviewed 16 October 2026 · Our prices are computed from the same price list as the calculator; published bands are context only
Issued 27 Aug 2025, copy hosted by VECO. Exports credited at the utility’s generation charge (Annex A §13); on-grid systems with or without battery (§3, §6); changes go through the application again (§12).
Four-document limit; residential meter difference capped at ₱3,000; testing and commissioning at no cost.
File dated 25 Apr 2026. ERC Certificate of Compliance application fee ₱1,500.
13 Jan 2026. Single-line diagram signed and sealed by a PEE or REE (§6.1.1.1); electrical permit within 3 working days; CFEI within 7 working days of complete documents.
1 Apr 2026. Utility processing cut to 10 working days while EO 110 is in force (20 working days under the rules).
Signed 24 Mar 2026; one year unless extended or lifted earlier.
24 Feb 1995. Sec. 31(a): only a PEE seals electrical plans; Sec. 34: sealed plans and a permit before any installation.
Accessed 16 Oct 2026. Signed and sealed plans, no-cost distribution impact study, CFEI and bidirectional meter.
As of 30 Sep 2026 (table dated 15 Oct 2026): 11 of 65 listed feeders at 0.00 MW.
29 Jan 2026. Transformer guide table at about 30% of kVA (25 kVA ≈ 8 kW).
Posted 26 Sep 2026, updated 28 Sep 2026. ₱14.89/kWh for a 200 kWh home.
Posted 1 Oct 2026. ₱15.9806/kWh after VAT.
Generation charge ₱9.7611/kWh, about 61% of the retail rate (our arithmetic). Across Cebu utilities the share ran about 54–67% in Sep–Oct 2026.
Posted 9 Oct 2026. About ₱15.08/kWh at 100 kWh (research arithmetic).
Sep 2026 billing, ₱15.24/kWh at 100 kWh.
CEBECO II about ₱15.91/kWh (Sep 2026; tracker values can differ from the co-op’s own by about ₱0.30).
File dated 11 Sep 2026. Max PV input 8,000 W (5K) and 9,600 W (6K), 1.6× rated output; warranty “5 Years / Up to 10 Years”, varying by installation country; CAN and RS485 battery communication.
Sep 2026. Built-in DC switch; Type II surge protection on the DC and AC sides; arc-fault interrupter (AFCI) optional. The Jul 2026 edition’s warranty cell reads “5 Years/10 Years”, depending on the installation site.
15 Jan 2026. 5.12 kWh, 90% recommended depth of discharge. An example product only, not necessarily the battery in our estimate.
18 Mar 2026. Asia-market variant: 80% recommended depth of discharge; 50 A maximum per module (about 2.6 kW at 51.2 V); no warranty term stated in the manual.
Accessed 16 Oct 2026. 30-year linear power warranty: up to 1% loss in year one, 0.4% a year after.
Accessed 16 Oct 2026. 12-year product and 30-year performance warranty.
v23.12.10, Dec 2023. At least 50 m from the shore, connector protection from 50 to 500 m; stainless earthing hardware with 4–14 mm² copper.
Apr 2018, revised Aug 2018. Clamps and fasteners failed, not panels; double nuts, calibrated torque and a yearly check of every clamp.
Dec 2022. Quotes the PEC 2017 rapid-shutdown section for PV on buildings; a secondary transcription, so confirm against the IIEE code book.
Accessed 16 Oct 2026. About 20 tropical cyclones a year in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, 8 or 9 of them crossing the country.
Updated 5 Oct 2026. Hybrid ₱43k–₱70k per kWp (16 quotes, median ₱48,257, VAT-exclusive unless noted); Sep 2026 check of 14 quotes ₱44k–₱58k; grid-tie ₱33.5k–₱38k from 3 quotes. Aggregator data, not verified by us.
21 Jul 2026. Installed storage about ₱13,000–₱23,000 per usable kWh. No sources given.
Undated (© 2026). Replacing the inverter or adding an inverter-charger estimated at ₱30,000–₱80,000.
One more quotation to compare
Every line priced, the battery as its own line, and the questions on this page answered in writing. Start with your monthly bill.
YOUR NEXT QUESTION
Each guide answers one question properly, with the numbers and sources behind it.