Solar Quote Review: A Second Opinion Before You Sign

Why it matters

A solar quote is hard to read on purpose

Most people end up comparing solar quotes on the bottom line, because it's the only number that's the same shape on every quote. But two quotes R20,000 apart can be two very different systems: a different inverter, half the battery, no surge protection, no Certificate of Compliance.

We spend a lot of our time on systems other people installed, many of them in a hurry during the load-shedding rush. We know what a rushed design and a thin quote turn into two years later. That's what we look for in yours, before it's installed rather than after.

What we check

What We Look At

The size of the system. Whether the panels, inverter and battery fit your bill and how your household actually uses power, and what you told us you want: backup, a lower bill, or both. Oversized batteries sold for Stage 6 are the most common thing we see.
The components. Whether every item is named by make and model, whether they work together, and whether the inverter is the kind City Power will approve for a grid-connected system.
The protection you'll never see. DC isolators, surge protection on both sides, battery fusing, earthing and labelling. On a rushed quote these disappear into "sundries" or aren't there at all.
The paperwork. Whether the Certificate of Compliance, the SSEG application to City Power, a single-line diagram and the handover documents are included, and who is responsible for each.
Warranties and terms. The manufacturer and workmanship warranties, the deposit, when the balance is due, how long the price holds and what's excluded.
The price. [Whether the price looks in line for what's being supplied, and] which lines are too vague to judge. We can't tell you what a fair margin is for another company, but we can tell you when a quote makes it impossible to see.

What you get

What You Get Back

A short written review, usually two or three pages, in plain language. It covers:

What looks right. If the quote is good, we'll say so. Plenty are.
What we'd question. Sizing, component choices or line items that don't add up, and why.
What's missing. Anything that should be on a quote for your home and isn't.
Questions to put to the installer. Specific to your quote, so you can ask them before you pay anything.

If it helps, we'll follow up with a short call or WhatsApp to talk you through it.

How it works

Send us the quote and a recent bill. Use the form below or WhatsApp them to us. A PDF or clear photos of every page are fine. On prepaid, a few months of token purchases will do instead of a bill.
We read it and ask anything we need. Sometimes that's a question about your home or what you want running in an outage. We'll message you within one working day to confirm we have everything.
You get the review in writing. Within [three] working days of us having the quote, the bill and your answers.
You decide. Go ahead with the installer you had, go back to them with our questions, or ask us to quote. It's your call, and we won't chase you for it.

What it isn't

What a Quote Review Is and Isn't

A quote review is our opinion on a design and a price, based on the documents you send us. It isn't an inspection of your property or an electrical assessment, and it doesn't certify anything. The electrical design and installation are signed off by the registered electrician who does the work, through the Certificate of Compliance.

We also won't tell you a quote "passes" or "fails". We tell you what we would question and why, and you decide what to do with it.

Honest Position

Yes, We Also Quote for Solar

We design and quote new systems too, installed by vetted registered electrical contractors from our network. So you're right to ask whether our review is fair.

Here's how we keep it that way. We review the quote in front of us, not the one we'd have written. If it's a good quote, we'll say so and you'll hear nothing more from us about installations unless you ask. The review is free, so there's nothing to recover from you. And we never share your quote or the installer's name with anyone.

How our installations work

How much does it cost?

Nothing. The review is free and there's no obligation.

Can you compare more than one quote?

Yes. Send them all. We'll line them up on system size, battery capacity and inverter rating first, so you can see whether you're comparing like with like, and then look at what each includes and leaves out. Up to three quotes in one review.

Will the installer know I sent it to you?

No. We don't contact the installer, and we never share your quote. If you'd rather, black out the installer's name and prices per line before sending, though we can say less about the price if you do.

Do I have to use CleanVolts afterwards?

No. Plenty of people take our questions back to their installer and go ahead with them. That's a good outcome too.

Will you match or beat the price?

We don't price-match. If you'd like us to quote, we do it the same way for everyone: after a site assessment, with every component named and every line shown.

Get a quote

The installer hasn't visited my house yet. Is it worth sending?

Yes, though the first thing we'll probably say is that a quote written without a site visit is an estimate, not a quote. We can still tell you whether the sizing and components make sense for your bill.

I already have solar and this is a quote to add to it. Can you review that?

Yes. Tell us what you already have on the form. If the quote adds batteries or panels to an older system, we'll look at whether the new and old parts will work well together. We may suggest a Health Check of the existing system first, because an upgrade is the right moment to fix anything the first installer left undone.

Is this a compliance inspection?

No. It's a review of documents, not your installation. For an existing system, a Health Check is the place to start.

Got a Solar Quote? Get a Second Opinion Before You Sign

Send us your quote