Short answer
In a free solar survey, an engineer inspects your roof, shading, electrical panel and consumption habits on site; with this data a system size and quote suited to Antalya are prepared. The survey does not commit you to a binding contract. Having your electricity bills, address and roof details ready lets the quote come out more accurately.
Key takeaways
- The survey is the basis of the quote: roof, shading, panel and consumption are assessed on site.
- On the Solar Nexo website the process is defined in four steps: Free Survey, Project Design, Installation and Commissioning, Maintenance and Technical Support.
- In central Antalya, the annual specific yield at optimum tilt facing south is about 1,656 kWh/kWp (PVGIS 5.3, 14 percent system loss).
- For solar in apartment buildings, a notarised copy of the owners' board decision is among the application documents.
- A good quote states the equipment brand and model, warranties, application scope and production assumptions clearly.
A free solar survey is the first and most important step for a quote on a solar energy investment to come out sound. Between an estimate made at a desk and a measurement made by going up on the roof, there is a serious difference in production, cost and safety. In this article we explain what the survey covers, what information may be asked of you and how to evaluate the solar panel quote that comes after the survey.
What is the free solar survey process and why is it needed?
A survey is the technical on-site inspection of the place where the installation will be made. The aim is to determine whether your roof or land is suitable for solar energy, how much power can be installed and what type of system (on-grid, off-grid, hybrid) it should be. Prices given without a survey are usually based on general assumptions and do not reflect the constraints found on a real site.
Solar Nexo states that it offers a free survey across Antalya from its base in Kepez. The survey does not tie you to any purchase; the aim is to put you in a position to decide with the right information. In free solar survey meetings, the engineer listens to your expectations and compares them with the realities on site; if necessary, they also explain alternative system types.
Solar Nexo's four steps from survey to commissioning
The process described on the company's website consists of four steps, and the survey is the first of them:
- Free Survey: Site inspection, consumption analysis and preliminary sizing.
- Project Design: Panel layout, cabling, protection devices and, if needed, preparation of the application file.
- Installation and Commissioning: Mounting structure, panel and inverter installation, tests.
- Maintenance and Technical Support: Post-installation follow-up and 24/7 technical support.
For net metering systems, connection approval letter (çağrı mektubu) application and project approval steps are added to this flow. To see the application regulations in detail, you can look at our guide to applying for a rooftop solar plant.
What is inspected on site during the survey?
During the engineer's visit, the following topics are generally checked:
Roof and supporting structure
The roof type (tile, sandwich panel, flat terrace, metal), its tilt, orientation and usable surface are measured. In Antalya, tiled villa roofs, flat reinforced-concrete apartment terraces and trapezoidal sheet roofs in industry are common; each requires a different mounting structure. The roof's load-bearing capacity must be assessed by a civil engineer; the distribution company and the municipality may ask for a structural suitability document.
Shading and orientation
How the shadow of a neighbouring building, tree, chimney, water tank or roof projections changes during the day is noted. Even a small shadow can reduce the output of a string. For the effect of tilt and orientation, see our article on solar panel tilt and orientation in Antalya.
Electrical infrastructure
The main panel, meter, contract power, cable cross-sections and earthing are inspected. The suitability of the point where the system will be connected matters for both safety and the grid application.
Consumption profile
The hours at which your electricity consumption is concentrated determine the system type. A business that consumes heavily in the daytime and a home with high evening consumption do not need the same solution. Large loads such as air conditioners, pool pumps and irrigation motors are assessed separately in sizing.
Information you can prepare before the survey
If you have the following information at hand, the survey goes more efficiently and the quote comes out more accurately. You do not have to have all of it; gaps can be filled in during the survey.
| Information | Why is it asked? |
|---|---|
| Electricity bills for the last 12 months | To see annual consumption and seasonal fluctuation. |
| Address and title deed / right-of-use information | To clarify the location and the documents needed for the application. |
| Subscriber type and contract power | To determine the maximum power that can be installed and the application category. |
| Roof type and any project/plan | To plan the mounting structure and the structural check. |
| Goal: bill reduction, backup power, independent living | To guide the choice of on-grid, hybrid or off-grid. |
| For an apartment building, resolution book information | To start the owners' board decision process. |
In apartment buildings and housing estates, a notarised copy of the "solar may be installed" decision in the resolution book is among the distribution company's application documents. For details of the document list, see our article on documents required for a solar installation; you should also confirm the current list with the distribution company at the time of application.
How should you read the quote that comes after the survey?
When you receive a solar panel quote, look not only at the total amount but at the content. A well-prepared quote states the following items clearly:
- Equipment: Panel brand, model, power (Wp) and quantity; inverter and, if any, battery brand and model.
- Warranties: Product and performance warranties separately. For example, a panel may have a 15-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty; these values vary by manufacturer and model.
- Scope: Are project design, grid application, mounting material, cabling, commissioning and the monitoring system included?
- Production assumption: Which data and which loss rate the expected annual production is based on.
- Maintenance and support: The support channel and maintenance terms after installation.
To check the production assumption, have a reference point: according to the European Commission's PVGIS 5.3 data, with 14 percent system loss and optimum tilt facing south, the annual specific yield in central Antalya is about 1,656 kWh/kWp. On a real roof, tilt, orientation and shade change this value, so a separate calculation is made for each roof; but if a figure in a quote is clearly above this reference, it is reasonable to ask for the justification. If you want to look at system size yourself, you can use our solar energy calculator.
A simple example: how survey data changes the production estimate
Let us think through a hypothetical example: a 10 kWp system fits on your roof. With the PVGIS reference, annual production under optimum conditions in central Antalya would be about 10 × 1,656 = 16,560 kWh. But if the survey finds that the roof faces south-east, has a low tilt and a neighbouring building casts a shadow in the afternoon, real production will fall below this reference. The survey lets you see exactly this difference in advance; so your expectation matches the reality on site and the figures in the quote do not cause disappointment later.
The same logic applies to system type. In a business with high daytime consumption an on-grid system may be enough; in a country house where power cuts are frequent, a hybrid or off-grid solution with a battery comes into play. Hybrid and off-grid options are assessed in the survey together with your consumption hours and outage history.
Why does the survey differ by area in Antalya?
Antalya's districts differ from one another in climate and building stock. On the coastal strip (Konyaaltı, Lara, Belek, Manavgat, Alanya), villa and hotel roofs predominate; because of humid and salty air from the sea, the corrosion resistance of the mounting structure is considered separately in the survey. In Kepez and Muratpaşa, apartment terraces stand out. In inland areas such as Korkuteli and Elmalı, farmland and irrigation facilities come up, and along the Kumluca-Finike line, greenhouses. For greenhouse and land systems, the supporting structure, wind load and ground conditions are assessed differently from roof systems.
On the sunshine side, Antalya is advantaged: according to MGM data, about 2,967 hours of sunshine are measured a year and in summer the daily duration exceeds 11 hours. By contrast, the average maximum temperature in July is 34.2 °C; because heat lowers panel power, ventilated mounting and correct panel choice are topics to discuss in the survey.
Questions to ask in a free solar survey meeting
- What power of system is my roof suitable for, and what is the constraint?
- How do you calculate the expected production loss because of shade?
- Why is the system type you propose (on-grid, hybrid, off-grid) suitable for my need?
- Who handles the grid application, and what documents do you expect from me?
- If I have a problem after installation, whom do I contact and how?
Having these questions answered clearly and with reasons is one of the strongest signs that a company takes the job seriously. You can find all the points to watch when evaluating a company in Antalya in our guide to choosing a solar company.
Conclusion
The summary of the free solar survey process is this: it is the stage that sets the direction of the investment: the roof, shading, electrical infrastructure and consumption profile are measured on site, and the system type and size take shape from this data. The healthiest path is to go to the survey prepared, to compare quotes on equipment, warranty, scope and production assumption, and to ask for reasons. To request a survey, you can reach us through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the free survey for solar energy really free?
Solar Nexo states that it offers a free survey and the survey does not tie you to a purchase. In the survey the roof, shading, electrical infrastructure and consumption profile are inspected, and then a quote is prepared. Still, when asking other companies for a survey, it is right to ask for the scope and any fee to be clarified in writing from the start. That way you will not meet a surprise cost.
Do I need to be on the roof for the survey?
In most cases it is enough to have someone who can provide roof access, but it is useful for the decision-maker or someone with knowledge to join the meeting on topics such as system type and consumption habits. In apartment buildings, having the manager or an owners' representative ready speeds up roof access and the decision process. An open ladder or roof hatch for safe roof access is also important.
How long does the survey take, and when does the quote arrive?
The duration of the survey varies with the size and complexity of the roof; on a small home roof the site inspection is usually short. There is no official standard for the delivery time of the quote. The safest method is to ask during the survey when the quote will be sent and to get this in writing. Remember also that the application steps required by regulation have their own timelines.
Do I have to show my electricity bill at the survey?
It is not mandatory, but the last 12 months of bills are the strongest basis for sizing the system correctly. Annual consumption and seasonal variation are seen from the bills. Without bills, an estimate can be made from the subscriber number or meter data; but in that case the production and consumption assumptions in the quote carry a wider uncertainty. Providing bills directly increases the accuracy of the quote.
Can I request a free survey as a tenant?
You can request a survey, but for installation the property owner's approval and a document showing the right of use are needed for the application. For a detached building, the title deed, a lease or a document showing the right of use is requested. So it is important to speak to your landlord beforehand and get their approval so that the survey is not wasted. For tenants, the possibility of moving and the contract term must also be considered; even if the system can be moved, removal and reinstallation need extra work.
Am I under any obligation if I do not accept the quote after the survey?
The survey is not binding; there is no obligation to accept the quote. Obligation begins only with a signed contract. Before signing, you should read the scope, equipment list, warranty, payment plan and application responsibilities item by item without hurrying, and clarify uncertain points in writing. Asking questions before signing is always your right, and a good company will welcome it.
Is a survey also carried out for farmland and greenhouses in Antalya?
Solar Nexo states that, besides roof systems, it also offers solar-powered agricultural irrigation and land applications. In a land and greenhouse survey, unlike a roof, ground, wind load, pump and well information, the existing electricity line and the irrigation schedule are assessed. For agricultural businesses it is therefore useful to prepare the pump power information before the survey.
Sources
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The Solar Nexo team carries out a free site survey at your address in Antalya and designs the system that suits your roof, consumption and budget.
