How to Get Solar Panel Quotes in Saudi Arabia: An RFQ Guide for Procurement Teams
Send every supplier one identical written request covering site location, usable area, 12 months of consumption (or a target kWp), mounting type, grid connection, scope, and timeline — then compare offers on price per Wp with identical scope, IEC-certified named equipment, and manufacturer warranty terms, never on the headline total.
Ask five suppliers to "quote solar panels for our facility" in one line, and you will receive five offers describing five different projects — different module brands, different scopes, different warranties. Comparable quotes start with a comparable request. This guide covers exactly what to put in that request, what actually moves the quoted price, and how to spot an offer that is cheap only because something is missing.
What should a solar panel quote request include?
Six items make quotes comparable: the exact site location, the usable roof or ground area, twelve months of electricity consumption (or a target capacity in kWp), the mounting type, grid-connection details, and your timeline. When any of these is missing, each supplier fills the gap with its own assumptions, and the offers stop being comparable.
- Site location. City plus an address or coordinates. Location affects logistics, wind and dust conditions, and whether a site survey is practical before pricing.
- Available area. Roof type (concrete slab or metal sheeting), free area in m², obstacles and shading — or the fenced area for a ground-mount. Area limits system size more often than budget does.
- Consumption or target capacity. Attach twelve months of electricity bills, or state your daytime load, or simply set a target in kWp. Consumption data lets suppliers size the system to your real load instead of the maximum the roof can hold.
- Mounting type. Rooftop (ballasted or penetrating), ground-mount, or carport — each carries a different structure cost and engineering effort.
- Grid connection. Connection voltage, existing capacity in kVA, and whether you want a grid-tied system only or a hybrid design with battery storage (BESS) priced as an option.
- Scope and timeline. Supply-only, supply-and-install, or full turnkey EPC including design, approvals, and commissioning — plus the date you need the system operational.
What actually drives the price in a solar quote?
Six drivers explain most of the gap between a high and a low offer: module technology, mounting structure, inverter class, order volume, installation scope, and warranty terms. Understanding them tells you whether a cheaper offer is genuinely efficient — or just smaller in scope.
- Module technology and wattage. Modern commercial crystalline modules typically run at 20–23% efficiency (Fraunhofer ISE, Photovoltaics Report). Higher-efficiency modules cost more per unit but need less area, structure, and cabling per kWp.
- Mounting and structure. Ground-mount foundations, elevated structures, and wind-load engineering for exposed roofs add real cost that a flat, ballasted rooftop does not have.
- Inverter type. String, central, and hybrid (battery-ready) inverters sit at different price points and imply different maintenance models.
- Order volume. Module and structure pricing steps down with quantity; a multi-branch requirement framed as one request usually attracts better unit pricing than separate small requests.
- Installation scope. "Supply only" and "turnkey EPC" can differ by the entire cost of engineering, civil works, cabling, approvals, and commissioning. Never compare them as if they were the same product.
- Warranty terms. A 12–15 year product warranty and a 25–30 year performance warranty (the industry norm) cost the supplier real money. A quote that is silent on warranties is not cheaper — it is incomplete.
How do you compare offers once they arrive?
Normalize before you compare: identical scope, price per Wp, and warranty terms side by side. Four practical rules:
- Divide each offer's total by its DC capacity in Wp and compare that figure, not the bottom line.
- Confirm every module is certified to IEC 61215 (design qualification) and IEC 61730 (safety), and that each offer names brand and model — "Tier-1 panels" without a datasheet is not a specification.
- Check the assumed degradation: quality crystalline modules lose output at a median of roughly 0.5% per year (NREL), and the performance warranty curve should reflect something similar.
- Compare estimated specific yield (kWh per kWp per year) only if all bidders used the same assumptions; otherwise ask each to state theirs.
What are the red flags in a suspiciously cheap quote?
The biggest red flags are unnamed equipment, missing certificates, and scope quietly stripped out — the low price is usually a smaller project wearing the same headline.
| Red flag | What it usually means | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| No module brand, model, or datasheet | Freedom to substitute cheaper panels later | Exact model numbers and datasheets inside the offer |
| No IEC 61215 / IEC 61730 certificates | Uncertified or re-labeled modules | Certificates for the exact model quoted |
| "Warranty included" with no years or issuer | An installer promise, not a manufacturer warranty | Written product and performance warranty terms |
| Structure, cabling, or approvals "by others" | Scope removed to lower the headline price | A line-item scope matrix signed by the bidder |
| Yield estimates far above other bidders | Optimistic assumptions inflating payback claims | The simulation inputs and software used |
| No commissioning tests or handover documents | You accept the system without proof it performs | Testing, as-built drawings, and an O&M manual in scope |
What goes in the final RFQ checklist?
Ten rows cover everything a bidder needs to give you a firm, comparable offer — copy this table into your request.
| # | Item you provide | Detail to include |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Site location | City, address or coordinates, site-access notes |
| 2 | Available area | Roof type and free m², or fenced ground area; shading and obstacles |
| 3 | Consumption | 12 months of bills, or daytime load, or target kWp |
| 4 | Mounting type | Rooftop (ballasted or penetrating), ground-mount, or carport |
| 5 | Grid connection | Voltage level, existing capacity in kVA, grid-tied or hybrid/BESS option |
| 6 | Scope | Supply-only, supply-and-install, or full EPC with approvals |
| 7 | Equipment requirements | IEC 61215/61730 certification, named brands and models, datasheets |
| 8 | Warranty requirements | Product warranty years; performance warranty years and curve |
| 9 | Commercial terms | Offer validity, delivery terms if supply-only, payment milestones |
| 10 | Timeline | Required commissioning date and any site-access constraints |
How does ENTEK help you get these quotes?
ENTEK turns the checklist above into an actual request. On the platform, your team creates one quotation request with the site, capacity, scope, and warranty requirements spelled out once, and sends it to verified suppliers — so every offer that comes back answers the same specification. Offers arrive in one place where you can review and compare them side by side, and once you award, the same workspace manages the resulting orders across all your branches. If you already have your consumption data and site details, creating your first solar quotation request takes minutes — the checklist above is the request.
Frequently asked questions
- How many suppliers should I send a solar RFQ to?
- Three to five comparable bidders is the practical sweet spot: enough competition to test pricing, few enough that you can properly review scope matrices, datasheets, and certificates. Sending the same written specification to all of them matters more than the number.
- Should I request supply-only or a full EPC (turnkey) offer?
- Choose full EPC unless you have in-house engineering and an installation contractor you trust; supply-only shifts design, structure, cabling, approvals, and commissioning risk onto you. If you want both options, insist they are priced separately with a clear scope for each.
- What warranty terms are normal for solar panels?
- Industry practice is a 12–15 year product warranty and a 25–30 year performance warranty from the module manufacturer, consistent with a median degradation of roughly 0.5% per year. Make sure the warranty issuer is the manufacturer, not only the installer.
- Can I request quotes without twelve months of electricity bills?
- Yes — state a target capacity in kWp or the available area and ask suppliers to size to it. Expect wider variation between offers, though: consumption data lets bidders size to your real load, which usually produces tighter, more comparable pricing.
- Why shouldn't I just pick the lowest total price?
- Because the lowest headline usually hides a smaller scope: unnamed modules, missing certificates, or structure and approvals listed as "by others". Normalize every offer to price per Wp with identical scope and warranty terms before ranking anything.