Solar Panel Quote Comparison Sheet

Who this is for

Up to four solar quotes, compared on the same terms. Each installer gets a row for the system offered, the price before and after any grant, the components and warranties, and the checks you made, and the sheet works out the net price per kW and per kWh of the installer's own yearly estimate.

Homeowners collecting quotes for solar panels, with or without a battery, who want to see what each price actually buys before choosing an installer.

What this helps you track

• The system size, panels, inverter and battery each installer offers
• Each installer's own estimate of what the system will generate in a year
• The price before and after any grant, and the net price per kW
• Warranty lengths for panels, inverter and workmanship
• Accreditation, insurance, deposit and payment terms checked for each

How to use it

1. Write the address, the roof and your yearly electricity use from your bills, and give every installer the same brief.
2. Copy each quote into its row of the system and price table: size in kW, the installer's estimated kWh a year, the price and any grant or rebate shown.
3. Fill the components and warranties table from the quote documents, using the same letter for each installer throughout.
4. Tick accreditation and insurance only once you have looked them up or seen the certificate yourself.
5. Net price and the two per-unit prices are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, subtract and divide across each row.
6. Write the installer you chose and why at the end, and keep the sheet with the contract.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why compare price per kW rather than the total?

Because quotes are often for different sizes of system. Dividing the net price by the size in kW puts a small and a large system on the same footing. It is only a comparison figure; it says nothing about whether either price is fair.

Where does the yearly generation figure come from?

From each installer's quote. Installers estimate output from your roof, its direction and any shading, and their figures can differ. The sheet records what each one predicts and supplies no estimate of its own.

What should I check before ticking accreditation?

Look the installer up on the register of the scheme or body they name, rather than relying on a logo on the quote. Which schemes matter depends on where you live and on any grant you are using, so check the rules locally.

Does the sheet say how big a system I need?

No. It holds no sizes, outputs, prices or payback figures. It lays your own quotes side by side; the right size depends on your roof, your use and the installers who have surveyed the house.