How to choose a solar installer and read a quote
Updated on October 4, 2026 · General information: does not replace advice from a qualified professional.
The criteria for choosing an installer, what a detailed solar quote should include and the warning signs that should make you think twice.
Choosing an installer well comes down to things you can check: experience you can see for yourself, a site visit before any quote, a quote detailed line by line, written warranties and local after-sales service. This guide covers the criteria, what a quote for solar panels in Las Terrenas should contain and the warning signs, with a checklist to compare offers.
The criteria
Verifiable experience
Ask how long the company has been installing solar, what kinds of projects it handles (apartments, villas, businesses) and who will actually do the work: the company itself or a subcontractor.
Real references
Photos are not enough. Ask for installations you can visit, or customers you can contact with their permission. A system that has been running for a few years shows how equipment and fixings age by the sea.
A site visit before the quote
A serious quote cannot be done remotely. The installer should see your roof, identify shading, inspect your electrical panel and understand your consumption, as well as your needs during power cuts.
Insurance and written warranties
Ask for proof of insurance covering the work and any damage, and for the written warranty terms: the manufacturers' warranties on equipment and the installer's warranty on workmanship. Read the durations, what is covered, what is excluded and the maintenance required.
Local after-sales service
For a solar installation in Samaná, an installer who can be reached and is based in the area matters a lot. Ask who comes out if something fails, roughly how quickly, and whether remote monitoring is included.
What a detailed quote should include
A few definitions to read a quote:
- kWp (kilowatt-peak): panel power measured under standard test conditions; it is for comparison, not a prediction of daily output.
- Usable kWh: the energy the battery can actually deliver; it may be lower than the nominal capacity shown.
- Inverter: the device that converts direct current from panels and batteries into alternating current for the house. A hybrid inverter also manages the batteries and the grid.
- Grid-tied: a system that works with the electricity grid; off-grid: a system that works without it.
Quote checklist
| Quote item | What you should find |
|---|---|
| Panels | Brand, model, quantity, unit and total power in kWp |
| Batteries | Brand, model, technology, usable capacity in kWh |
| Inverter | Brand, model, power, type (hybrid, grid-tied, off-grid) |
| Structure and fixings | Materials (aluminium, stainless steel), anchoring method suited to your roof |
| Electrical protection | Breakers, surge protection, earthing |
| Wiring | Type, cable sizes, routing, UV protection |
| Labour | What is included: installation, commissioning, handover explanations |
| Timeline | Indicative start date and duration of the work |
| Payment terms | Schedule and milestones |
| Warranties | Manufacturer and installation, with duration and conditions |
| Maintenance | What is offered, how often and on what terms |
| Paperwork | Grid connection or net metering, if any, and who handles it |
If the project includes a grid connection or net metering, the procedures and conditions must be checked with the distribution company (EDENorte for Samaná province), the CNE and the SIE, in their current version. The quote should say who handles what, without promising any outcome. See our net metering guide.
Warning signs
- Savings presented as a certainty: savings depend on your consumption, the price per kWh and sunshine; they can be estimated, not promised.
- "Free electricity": a typical example of a misleading promise. Sunshine costs nothing, but equipment, installation and maintenance do.
- No site visit before the quote.
- Sales pressure: an offer "valid today only", pushing you to sign quickly.
- A lump-sum price with no breakdown of equipment and labour.
- Equipment with no brand or model and no datasheet.
- Verbal or vague warranties.
Comparing two quotes
Compare like with like: same power in kWp, same usable capacity in kWh, same type of inverter, same protection devices. A cheaper quote may leave out a salt-resistant structure or some protection devices. Ask your questions in writing and keep the answers. For an off-grid villa in the Dominican Republic, or any villa with air conditioning, also check that cooling loads were included in the sizing. To estimate payback, see our guide to solar return on investment and, for resistance to the local climate, our guide on hurricanes, heat and salt air.
How Terrenas Solar works
You send a request (form, calculator or WhatsApp); our team contacts you on WhatsApp; we arrange a site visit; you receive a detailed quote; installation and commissioning only go ahead if you accept the quote. A request commits you to nothing and is not a quote.
Installations are carried out by THERD SRL or by selected partner installers; the quote always states who does the work.
What to check during the site visit
- Does the technician look at the roof, shading, electrical panel and your bills?
- Do they ask about your needs during power cuts?
- Do they explain where the inverter and batteries will go, and why?
- Do they discuss local conditions: salt, wind, heat?
- Do they say who will do the work and who will provide after-sales service?
Use this checklist to compare every offer, ours included: get your proposal or start with the solar calculator.