Path-Q Solar
What information should I gather before asking for solar quotes?
Answer
Gather recent electricity bills, property and roof information, relevant usage plans, ownership or financing preferences, and any constraints that could affect design or permitting. Providing the same information to each installer makes quotes easier to compare.
Key points
- Collect roughly a year of electricity bills or interval usage data if available.
- Note roof age, material, shading, skylights, trees, additions, and any planned roof work.
- Identify the main electrical panel location, known capacity limitations, and major future loads such as electric vehicles or heat pumps.
- Decide whether you want cash purchase, loan, lease, or power-purchase proposals, without assuming these options have the same economics.
- State whether backup power, batteries, future expansion, or resilience is important.
What it depends on
- Completeness and format of electricity-use data
- Roof and electrical-site conditions
- Future changes in occupancy or electricity use
- Available financing and design objectives
Risks and trade-offs
- A quote based on one bill or estimated usage may be poorly sized.
- Low initial cost can reflect omitted electrical upgrades, roof work, batteries, or permitting-related items.
- Different proposals may use different production, degradation, rate, or financing assumptions.
Information you may need
- Recent bills or interval data
- Roof age, plans, photos, and known defects
- Property ownership and any lender, association, or landlord restrictions
- Expected changes in electricity consumption
- Whether battery backup or future expansion is desired
Your next step
What to do next
Create one written information packet and send it to several installers, requesting itemized proposals based on identical assumptions.
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