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Fifteen questions, each with a good answer and a warning sign, so you can compare solar companies on facts instead of promises.
Image: Solar installation technician on rooftop (5392894792) by CoCreatr from Yokohama, Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every installer claims to be the best solar company in Raipur. The claim costs nothing, so it tells you nothing. What does tell you something is how a company answers specific, checkable questions. This guide gives you fifteen of them, grouped by theme, each with what a good answer sounds like and what should worry you. Take it to every meeting and write the answers down.
Quick answer: choose the company that is registered for your district, names its equipment in writing, designs from your bills, handles all paperwork, gives a workmanship warranty in years and has a service team that reaches you. "Best" is a fit, not a title.
1. Are you registered on the PM Surya Ghar portal for my district? Good: yes, and they tell you where to verify it on the vendor list. Warning: vague references to "empanelment" with no way to check. Only registered vendors can process the central subsidy of up to Rs 78,000.
2. How long have you operated in Chhattisgarh, and where is your office? Good: a staffed office you can visit, a landline and consistent details on invoices and the website. Warning: a phone number and a WhatsApp group only.
3. Can I speak to two customers in my part of Raipur? Good: names or addresses offered without hesitation. Warning: only online reviews are offered.
4. Which module make, model and wattage will you supply? Good: named in the quotation with a datasheet. Warning: "premium panels".
5. Do the modules meet the scheme's domestic-content rules, and can I see the documents? Good: the manufacturer's DCR certificate is shown before payment. Warning: "it will be fine at inspection". See our guide to DCR modules and ALMM List-II.
6. Which inverter, and who services it in Raipur? Good: named brand, warranty years and a local service contact. Warning: an unbranded unit with no local support.
7. How will you size the system? Good: from twelve months of bills, sanctioned load and a measured shadow-free area. Warning: sized to the roof or to the budget you mention.
8. What is the structure specification and wind-load basis? Good: hot-dip galvanised steel with sections and fasteners stated. Warning: "GI structure" with no detail.
9. How will you earth and surge-protect the system? Good: earth pits, SPDs on DC and AC sides and a recorded earth-resistance test. Warning: earthing is "extra". See lightning protection for rooftop solar.
10. Which steps do you handle: portal, feasibility, meter, inspection, subsidy follow-up? Good: all of them, in writing. Warning: "you just upload the documents". Our walkthrough of solar subsidy apply online in Chhattisgarh shows the steps.
11. What timeline do you commit to, and what happens if approvals or modules are delayed? Good: a stage-by-stage timeline and a plain explanation of what you cannot control. Warning: "three days, guaranteed" with no mention of approvals.
12. What is the payment schedule? Good: milestones linked to delivery, installation and commissioning. Warning: full payment upfront or cash-only discounts.
13. What exactly is excluded? Good: a short list (for example load enhancement fees or civil work) stated up front. Warning: "everything is included" followed by extras after signing.
14. What is your workmanship warranty, and what does it cover? Good: years stated in writing, covering structure, cabling, earthing and roof leaks caused by installation. Warning: only the 25-year panel warranty is mentioned, which is the manufacturer's, not the installer's.
15. If my system stops generating, who do I call and how fast do you attend? Good: a named number, a committed response time and an annual maintenance option. Warning: "call the manufacturer".
| Theme | Questions | Company A (1-5) | Company B (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration and credentials | 1 - 3 | __ | __ |
| Equipment | 4 - 6 | __ | __ |
| Engineering | 7 - 9 | __ | __ |
| Paperwork and process | 10 - 11 | __ | __ |
| Commercials | 12 - 13 | __ | __ |
| Service | 14 - 15 | __ | __ |
| Total | __ | __ |
Score each answer from 1 (evasive) to 5 (specific, written, verifiable). A company that scores low on two themes needs a very good explanation. Compare totals first and price second.
Modules and inverters are close to commodities, so a quote far below the market is rarely the same system. Typical savings that never appear on a summary page are thinner structure steel, undersized cable, missing surge protection, unbranded inverters, day-rate labour and paperwork left to you. A fair range for a 3 kW tier-1 home system is Rs 1.65 to 1.90 lakh before subsidy. If a quote sits well below that, ask which line items are cheaper and why.
Reviews are useful when they mention specifics: the date, the system size, the timeline and what happened when something went wrong. Treat a wall of identical five-star comments with caution. Use reviews to decide whom to call, then use the fifteen questions to decide whom to hire. Our companion guide explains how to read solar company reviews.
A homeowner in Shankar Nagar collects two quotes for a 3 kW system. Company A quotes Rs 1.72 lakh, names the module make and model, supplies a DCR certificate, lists a galvanised structure with sections, includes earthing and surge protection, handles all paperwork and offers a two-year workmanship warranty. Company B quotes Rs 1.48 lakh, writes "premium panels", leaves earthing and paperwork unmentioned and offers no workmanship warranty. On the scorecard, A scores about 26 out of 30 and B about 12. The Rs 24,000 difference sounds like a saving, but it buys a system with no verifiable equipment, no documented protection and no accountability. The owner picks A and keeps the money that would have gone on repairs.
Politely ask again in writing. If a company refuses to put equipment, warranty or paperwork scope in a quotation, treat that as an answer. Honest companies write things down because writing protects both sides. A company that says "we never put that in writing" is telling you what its commitments are worth.
Keep copies of the quotation, the order, every receipt, the delivery challan, the commissioning report and the warranty cards in one folder. Check the system on day one against the quotation: panel count, inverter model, structure and earthing. Log generation for the first month and compare it with the estimate. Raise any gap in writing, with photographs, while the installation is still fresh. A good company welcomes this kind of scrutiny because it protects its own reputation.
| Theme | What we do on a standard home project |
|---|---|
| Registration | Registered vendor process on the national portal; we show you where to verify |
| Equipment | Module and inverter named in the quotation with datasheets and compliance documents |
| Engineering | Sized from twelve months of bills, measured shadow-free area and sanctioned load |
| Paperwork | Portal, feasibility, net meter, inspection and subsidy follow-up handled |
| Commercials | Milestone-based payments and a plain statement of exclusions |
| Service | Own crews, written workmanship warranty and a maintenance option |
We would rather be scored than trusted blindly, so ask us the fifteen questions and compare our answers with any other company's.
Use these questions as a filter, not a script. For the fundamentals of solar in Raipur, read our cost and savings guide, and use the solar Raipur locality guide for your neighbourhood. A local solar company in Raipur should survey your roof, our checklist for the best solar company in Raipur shows what to ask, and our solar installation in Raipur team handles the work. Browse all solar guides or read about PM Surya Ghar Yojana in Raipur.
The best company is the one that fits your project: registered on the PM Surya Ghar portal for your district, transparent about equipment and warranty, experienced with CSPDCL paperwork and reachable after installation. Compare at least two written quotations against the same checklist.
Two or three is enough. More than that usually adds confusion without adding information. Make sure each quote covers the same capacity and the same scope.
Not necessarily. Large brands often subcontract installation. Established local companies can respond faster. Ask who will be on your roof and who will answer the phone in year eight.
A modest advance on order is normal; tie later payments to delivery, installation and commissioning. Never pay the subsidy amount to anyone, because the central subsidy is credited to your own bank account.
Read the contract for scope, timeline and warranty, ask for named equipment in writing and keep records of every payment. If problems arise, raise them in writing and escalate through the portal and the distribution company.
Visit C-29, Sector 3, Devendra Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, call 083051 31420 or send your details online for a free survey and a written quotation. Our solar installation in Raipur team replies the same working day.
Next, talk to a solar company in Raipur about solar installation in Raipur. Our solar in Raipur guide explains costs, the solar Raipur guide covers your area and the best solar company in Raipur checklist helps you choose. Browse every article on the solar blog, or see PM Surya Ghar Yojana in Raipur and our solar services.
We are happy to be scored on every question above, in writing, before you pay anything.