A useful quotation starts with a clear project brief. An equipment price alone does not tell an installer, distributor or EPC buyer whether a proposal fits the site, includes the required accessories or leaves important work outside the supply scope.
You do not need a finished engineering design to begin a discussion. Send the information you have, identify what is still unknown and ask the supplier to state the assumptions used in the quotation. The checklist below covers residential storage, smaller commercial projects and AC EV charging.
Start with the site and the purpose
Give the project country, city and site type. A home, apartment building and commercial property can have different installation constraints and approval requirements. State whether this is a new installation, an addition to an existing system or a repeat product purchase for distribution.
Then rank the objectives. Is the priority using more solar electricity on site, supporting selected loads during outages, managing demand peaks or adding EV charging within an existing supply limit? Several objectives may apply, but the quotation should explain which take priority.
For a distributor buying inventory without a defined installation, provide the intended market, customer applications and estimated order quantity. Ask for a product quotation with clear application limits; keep site-specific design decisions separate.
Send this project checklist
| Information to provide | Useful detail or attachment | What it clarifies |
|---|---|---|
| Project location and application | Country, city, property type; new system, retrofit or distribution purchase | Intended use and requirements that need local confirmation |
| Electrical supply | Nominal voltage, frequency, phase arrangement, main breaker rating and any agreed import/export limits | Equipment selection and site power constraints |
| Consumption and demand | Available electricity bills; interval load data if available; seasonal or operational changes | When electricity is used and the demand the system must address |
| Backup requirement | Essential circuits, simultaneous loads, starting loads and desired support duration | The backup scope to evaluate, rather than an assumed whole-building promise |
| Existing equipment | PV module, inverter, battery and charger model numbers; manuals; wiring or single-line diagram if available | Retrofit interfaces and compatibility checks |
| Proposed equipment | Preferred inverter output, battery capacity, PV scope and number of charging points, if known | A starting specification, subject to technical review |
| Site conditions | Indoor/outdoor location, space, access, ambient temperature range, altitude and coastal exposure where relevant | Installation constraints to compare with equipment documentation |
| Controls and charging needs | Charger connector, vehicle AC capability, expected simultaneous charging, metering, connectivity and control requirements | Charger selection and the control scope to investigate |
| Supply and service boundary | Equipment, accessories, protection, cables, controls, installation, commissioning and support responsibilities | What is included, excluded or supplied by another party |
| Procurement terms | Quantity, delivery destination, preferred currency, delivery term and named place, target date and required documents | The commercial basis for comparing offers |
If a field is unknown, write “to be confirmed.” A photograph of a label can help identify a device, but it should not replace confirmation by the project’s qualified electrical professional.
Use measured information where possible
An electricity bill can show energy consumption, but it may not show simultaneous demand, short starting loads or the timing of consumption. If you have interval data, send it with the interval duration, units and date range. Otherwise, provide an appliance or equipment schedule and explain when major loads operate.
For backup, identify the circuits that must remain powered and how long they need support. Ask the supplier to state the proposed backup output, transfer arrangement and operating limitations. Battery capacity by itself is not a complete backup specification.
For existing systems, send exact model numbers and any known firmware versions. Compatibility needs confirmation for the proposed equipment combination and required functions; it should not be inferred from a connector or a shared communication label.
Make the quote boundary explicit
Ask for an itemised equipment list and a separate list of exclusions. Confirm whether meters, current transformers, controllers, communication accessories, protective devices and commissioning are included or need to be supplied locally.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s charging infrastructure procurement checklist also treats utility coordination, permitting, networking and ongoing costs as planning inputs. These are useful questions for a purchasing brief; the actual requirements must be checked for the project location. [1]
Record who will complete the local design, check approvals, install the equipment and commission the system. Where product-specific documents are required, ask for documents that identify the exact offered model and confirm their suitability with the relevant local reviewer.
Compare quotations on the same basis
Send the same brief to each supplier. Compare the offered models, included accessories, assumptions, exclusions and support responsibilities before comparing the headline price.
For batteries, ask whether quoted capacity is nominal or usable and what conditions apply. For inverters and chargers, ask which ratings apply to the required operating mode. Request the proposed warranty terms, claim process and any software or service fees.
State the requested delivery term and named place. Ask suppliers to identify freight and other excluded costs, confirm quotation validity and distinguish a requested arrival date from a confirmed delivery commitment. Local installation costs, import charges and taxes need their own verified basis.
Copy this short request for quotation
- Company and buyer role:
- Project country, city and application:
- New installation, retrofit or distribution order:
- Priority objectives:
- Supply voltage, frequency, phases and main breaker rating:
- Consumption/load data attached:
- Essential backup circuits and desired support duration:
- Existing equipment models and documents:
- Preferred configuration and number of charging points:
- Site conditions and controls required:
- Requested supply scope and local responsibilities:
- Quantity, destination, currency and delivery term/named place:
- Target date and required product documents:
- Unknowns to be confirmed:
Please return an itemised proposal showing the offered models, included accessories, assumptions, exclusions, compatibility items requiring confirmation, warranty terms and delivery basis.
Discuss the brief with RUNMEE
RUNMEE coordinates solution options and supply across solar PV, residential and smaller commercial battery storage, and AC EV charging. A clear brief helps us review the required scope and identify information needed before a firm proposal.
Explore the relevant solution: Home energy, Commercial storage, or Solar + storage + EV charging.
Get a Quote — send your project brief to info@runmeetech.com, or contact us on WhatsApp: +86 15899855329. Include your project country, application and available electrical information; mark any unknowns clearly.
Reference: [1] U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center: Procurement and Installation for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. Accessed 13 October 2026. Used as procurement guidance, not as a statement of requirements outside the United States.
Back to insights