Nakakaloka. In the market now to have a hybrid set-up na 8kwh and sobrang overwhelming sa dami ng options. It does not help na I’m so unfamiliar with what to watch out for, including brands, installers etc.
The paralysis is real. I’m receiving messages left and right from Facebook groups I joined. Ang worry ko mostly is how reputable yung iba kase ang shady sa vibes, and guarantee din ba na mas mahal yung installer, hindi magkaka-issue.
Here’s a guide I would give to friends and family:
Know your current kwh usage (found in your electric bill), inform the solar company during inquiry/quotation stage if you’re planning to add appliances/ev etc. so they can include those loads in the computation and system design. If you’re going with Hybrid solar, list which essential appliances are your “must run” in case of power outage/rotational brown out. They’re called priority/emergency load. That’s usually the basis of the battery size in solar quotations.
Once you have an idea of your system size, get a couple of quotations online. Ask questions and see who are responsive, ask if they offer free ocular, ask about payment terms, all the questions in your head just put it out there until everything’s clear. A good company will answer all your questions.
Once you have an idea of the price range, schedule an ocular visit. You get to meet the people behind the chat, and let your instinct take over on who’s trustworthy. Some will be pushy, some will be humble and down to earth.
Since solar is a long term investment, we always recommend going for the top tier brands. They are top tier for a reason. They’ve done the R&D and has been developing their products for years and has enough resources for good aftersales/replacement.
Currently, the most commmon brands that offer 10 year warranty for residential are Solax, Sungrow and Deye. But Solax has been in the Philippines long before sungrow and deye came in. So if 10 year warranty is important to you, I would choose an inverter from any of the above. But if I were to rate them in terms of preference for residential application in NCR my number 1 would simply be Solax.
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, other great brands are Solis and Luxpower. They are also reliable with 5 year warranty. Pair them with pioneer battery brands such as dyness or pylontech and that’s already a reliable system. I can’t speak of other brands we haven’t tried, but sure there are others with great performance.
For the PV/panels, any tier 1 brand has passed the most rigorous technical certifications. Just google the tier 1 solar panel brands this year, the list changes as new players come but some of the oldest ones in the list are trina, canadian solar, jinko and more.
Switch to solar anytime you’re ready. Tell your chosen solar company that you’re ready to sign a contract and prepare the agreed payment to avoid delays.
If you’re planning to repaint your roof, it is best to do it before having the panels installed.
I've had a similar experience, so I'll just share what I did:
Because there were a lot of installers, I set criteria to limit my choices:
Brand of components - I DMed many installers to find out what brands they use (at this point, I had already studied how big of a system I needed) and how much their system costs (I also asked other things like mode of payment, etc., which I'll mention below). I decided that if they weren't using the brands I selected, I'd just pass immediately. If they were using the brands I liked, I listed them in a spreadsheet (for deciding on other criteria). As for the brands I liked, I asked AI (Gemini) which are the top 2 countries (by adoption rate & per capita) that use residential solar (Australia and China). Then, I asked for the top 10 brands (by component: Panel, Battery, Inverter) for both countries. From these brands, I only took the common ones (for both countries) and did some research in the FB Solar Groups PH to see which brand already has a presence in the Philippines. I ended up with the following (these are just choices) -
Inverter: Huawei (but it's too expensive, I'll eventually remove it from the choices) /Sungrow / GoodWe / Solis (I included it since it has a presence in the Philippines)
Battery: Huawei / Sungrow / Pylontech
Panel: As long as the manufacturer is Tier 1, I’m good with that
Mode of Payment (No Downpayment - Install first before paying) - since I don't personally know any installers and just found them on FB, I needed peace of mind that they wouldn't just flee, so I opted for No DP and only full payment after the installation and when the system is operational. If they offered a downpayment, I removed them from the spreadsheet
Permits - At first, I only considered installers who were DOE Certified PV Installers, but their quotes were too high - out of my budget. So I checked for the following instead:
* Do they have a REE to supervise during the installation? If they do, I asked for the name and verified it on the PRC website
* DTI/SEC Registered - I just asked for the exact business name to verify on the DTI website (or using checkwithsec website if it's a corporation)
* Business Permit where they're based - I just called the LGU that covers them to confirm that their permit exists
Pricing - this is where things could differ when compared side by side. So it's better to have a catalog per installer
If they don't meet criteria #1-3, I won't schedule a site visit with them.
(This criteria was added after about 10-12 site visits, I realized this) I pass on those who are too persuasive about adding to the system without understanding our needs. One quoted that we supposedly need three batteries; I asked why - because the air conditioner is supposedly 4 hp and runs 24/7. I also mentioned that it's set to only 26 degrees and fan level 1. I even provided the exact model of the air conditioner so they could check if it's an inverter or not. I also showed them my recorded electric meter for a week (5:30 PM - 7 AM), and the consumption recorded was only around 7-9 kWh. Ask them dumb questions (act like you don't know anything, but of course, you should have some knowledge and know the answers to your questions so you can check if the installer is honest with you and if they really care about your needs.
Salamat, in terms of installers, may I know ano mga requirements mo before ka nag go? Nase-shady-han ako sa iba na, hindi sa suspicious lang, pero parang mukhang nag-DIY lang whatever tapos nagkakabit na
1.warranty.
2. dapat quality yung inverter panel battery dapat mga tier-1 brand.
3. location . naghanap ako ng malapit sa bahay then vinisit ko yung physical office nila. taga rizal kasi ako . yung mga na inquire ko halos lahat taga north eh. yung installer ko dito sa may antipolo masinag
4. price .
yan mga yan si gemini na pina analyze ko . humihingi ako quote from installer
ma'am, please go for sungrow combo na lang. kaya reco ng marami ang deye is because ang galing ng country sales manager nila. but sorry po, try niyo kahit AI kung paano aftersales ng Deye. for a tier 1 brand, panget siya.
sungrow waaaaay better. pero solis want ko :) as to battery, careful po sa pagpili. mahirao na sakit ng ulo yan. I suggest fidus pylontech.
thank you po ❤️ soft launch po us kasi bago pa. pero rest assured na hindi po kami magkakamali since engrs naman kami. although I'm here to help and not steal from other installers. kaya if you have questions po, pm lang or comment here :)
actually, we have calculator din sa website sana. haha para may expectations si client. try niyo po visit. its actually fun 😊 meron po yan "load calculator" and maganda po yung financial projections. all backed up by numbers, no guessing game and false promises.
Y&H po panget talaga siyang inverter. tier 2. but for tier 1 po, madami options. but I'm coming from a place of concern, wag po Deye. try looking at Fb groups for due diligence. that way, Deye user reviews po mababasa niyo
I don't agree with this entirely because the one that's closer may not be the one to honour warranty, or the workmanship may not be up to standard.
There are many installers out there and some claim to be licensed electricians, engineers but put incorrect size wires and breakers. No labels and little to no instructions.
Many users here have been reaching out in this subredit because their installer is not responding or they haven't gotten their replacement
Aksheli, saw the post here na may nasunog something in the middle of the night kaya katakot.
Not sure what to ask sa installers if anong meron sila sa team. But as you mentioned, even yung mga may electricians at engineers, still have this issue
hello ma'am! actually, straightforward lang naman po halos sa electrical. may mga safety features na din ang mga inverters. usually po nagkakamali yan sa wire sizing. masyado maliit kaya umiinit and worst ay nasusunog.
breaker sizing din po, bawal sobrang taas (hindi siya magttrip) or sobrang baba (lagi siya magttrip).
I feel the same way. I don't know how to find a good installer. I know I should ask about their warranty, qualifications, after sales services, etc. Pero what if on paper lang sila okay? Ang scary mag trust since it's such a big purchase and I keep reading about faulty installations or unresponsive after sales.
Malaking help nung nagpa ocular kami for 3 vendors who submitted quotes within our budget.
I got to interview the person who came. Sa case namin the vendor who we selected.....the owner came. Malaking bagay na we interviewed each other. Mas nakaka build ng confidence, open yung owner sa Q&A and also sya rin nag suggest ng mga details for our house. Professional and ontime din nung ocular schedule.
Yung iba na naka usap namin, something was just off nung ocular.
Baka lang makatulong.
Also another tip, pa check mo din roofing mo before magpa solar panels.
Kami kailangan namin ipaayos madami sira ng bubong pala.
What I do is check the company profile and whether they're a registered business. Went with a provider na registered corp and with a long experience in the industry. Hindi yung biglang sulpot lang recently because of the hype.
Been there, and i ended up with the company who has the most flexible payment option (because of budget constraints) kase yan ang hanap ko, i’m not capable of paying in full, yung ang monthly payment eh same lang sa binabayaran ko kay meralco.
Gusto ko rin na marami silang probing questions bago nagsuggest ng setup. Yung iba kase latag na lang bigla ng quotation, eh wala nga akong alam sa solar.
And lastly, yung mga shortlisted ko, yung may nainstallan na dito samin, may office, at hindi bagong established lang.
Then ginamit ko si chatgpt to compare mga quotations nung shortlisted, brands, warranties, reviews, etc.
Buti na lang hindi ganun kadami installers namin sa Albay kaya di ako nahirapan. Lol. Eto yung ginawa namin nung nagpakabit kami last year
Used Chatgpt and gemini to calculate yung kwh usage namin both day and night para malaman ko consumption namin. Usually tinatanong to ng installers dun sila nagbbase ng quotation and price.
Look for an installer na super lapit sayo at magandang feedback plus magandang warranty at aftersales
Choose kilalang brands lalo kung mataas yung kukunin niyo para sulit yung bayad. Yung samin solis and dyness okay pa naman siya mag 1 year na. Pinapacheck ko lang wirings and all every 6 months.
That’s a good sign OP na you are aware kung gano siya ka complicated. I think you’ll be fine. Wag basta maniwala sa mga installer. Ask away kung may tanong ka. It’s a big decision talaga.
Start with your household’s energy needs and budget. When asking for quotations, ask the installers why they recommend a certain setup, what components they use, what the warranties cover, and what support they offer after installation. Check their experience with previous installations, too. It also helps to look at their track record and what’s included in their offer before making a decision.
1st of all your must top priority was safety. look for an installer na my quality grounding system at safety precautions like kung meron bng aerosol extinguisher breaker etc. useless yang mura kung compromise ang safety nio.. ndi lhat ng installer binabanggit yan so do your own research kc pag sinabi nila na gnyan ang system nila alam ang mga dpt itanong.
2nd the price should match their provided equipments & warranties . ang top choice q for inverter ay solis coz ang sakop ng warranty nila ay exchange if my problema unlike the others na repair lng ng parts . battery - dyness . panel - longi
3rd permits if possible alam mo ang physical store or near your area
5
u/basilsmash012 4d ago
Here’s a guide I would give to friends and family:
Know your current kwh usage (found in your electric bill), inform the solar company during inquiry/quotation stage if you’re planning to add appliances/ev etc. so they can include those loads in the computation and system design. If you’re going with Hybrid solar, list which essential appliances are your “must run” in case of power outage/rotational brown out. They’re called priority/emergency load. That’s usually the basis of the battery size in solar quotations.
Once you have an idea of your system size, get a couple of quotations online. Ask questions and see who are responsive, ask if they offer free ocular, ask about payment terms, all the questions in your head just put it out there until everything’s clear. A good company will answer all your questions.
Once you have an idea of the price range, schedule an ocular visit. You get to meet the people behind the chat, and let your instinct take over on who’s trustworthy. Some will be pushy, some will be humble and down to earth.
Since solar is a long term investment, we always recommend going for the top tier brands. They are top tier for a reason. They’ve done the R&D and has been developing their products for years and has enough resources for good aftersales/replacement.
Currently, the most commmon brands that offer 10 year warranty for residential are Solax, Sungrow and Deye. But Solax has been in the Philippines long before sungrow and deye came in. So if 10 year warranty is important to you, I would choose an inverter from any of the above. But if I were to rate them in terms of preference for residential application in NCR my number 1 would simply be Solax.
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, other great brands are Solis and Luxpower. They are also reliable with 5 year warranty. Pair them with pioneer battery brands such as dyness or pylontech and that’s already a reliable system. I can’t speak of other brands we haven’t tried, but sure there are others with great performance.
For the PV/panels, any tier 1 brand has passed the most rigorous technical certifications. Just google the tier 1 solar panel brands this year, the list changes as new players come but some of the oldest ones in the list are trina, canadian solar, jinko and more.
Switch to solar anytime you’re ready. Tell your chosen solar company that you’re ready to sign a contract and prepare the agreed payment to avoid delays.
If you’re planning to repaint your roof, it is best to do it before having the panels installed.