First, check whether both quotes solve the same problem
One quote may focus on daytime solar while another prepares for future storage. One battery design may include backup while another does not. Write down the customer goal before comparing line items.
The cheapest quote is not automatically the best or the worst. The first test is whether the inclusions, exclusions and design assumptions are genuinely comparable.
Use this side-by-side comparison table
| Compare | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Customer goal and design purpose | ||
| Solar capacity and panel layout | ||
| Battery usable capacity and power | ||
| Backup: none, essential services or whole home | ||
| Inverter and system architecture | ||
| Switchboard and electrical work | ||
| Equipment locations and cable routes | ||
| Monitoring and handover | ||
| Warranties and aftercare | ||
| Assumptions, exclusions and total cost |
Read the design and electrical scope together
Panel layout, treatment of shade, inverter architecture, existing solar, export control and backup all affect what the system can do. Switchboard work, roof access, equipment locations and cable routes can materially change the job.
Test the energy assumptions
Ask how solar production, daytime use, evening loads and tariff windows connect to the recommendation. If a quote includes a financial projection, ask which usage, tariff and export settings it relies on.
Compare handover, warranties and aftercare
Find out who coordinates approvals, who performs the installation, how monitoring is handed over, what each warranty covers and who answers questions afterwards. Adelaide SolarSafe uses an in-house installation team.
What a site assessment adds
A side-by-side table can reveal differences, but an on-site assessment can test whether the layouts, cable routes, equipment locations and electrical allowances are practical for the property.
Related guides
Reviewed by the Adelaide SolarSafe installation team.
