Buying solar systems from China: an EPC procurement checklist
In short
Before transferring money to a Chinese solar supplier, verify six things: that the company's business scope actually covers what it is selling, that certificates apply to the exact model quoted (not just the product family), that a factory test record will be issued with the shipment, that the bill of materials names real brands and models, that the Incoterm and destination point are unambiguous, and that the warranty names the party who must answer a claim. Every item on this list can be checked remotely, before any deposit.
The short answer
Most failed cross-border solar purchases fail on documents, not on hardware. The equipment usually works; what breaks is the buyer's ability to prove what was ordered, what was tested, and who owes the fix. This checklist is the document set we would want from any supplier — and the one we issue to our own customers.
The checklist
| # | Verify | How to check it | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business scope matches the product | Business licence extract — does it cover the equipment category being sold? | A trading company selling 'its own' factory's products it does not operate |
| 2 | Certificates apply to the model | Certificate number resolved to the exact model and rating quoted | 'The family is certified' — family-level claims that no certificate actually states |
| 3 | Factory test record | Ask for a sample (anonymised) test record before contract: which items, which values, whose signature | 'Testing is done' with no record format defined |
| 4 | BOM transparency | BOM names brand and model for converter, battery, modules and protection components | 'Domestic quality brand' as a brand name |
| 5 | Incoterm and destination point | The quotation names the Incoterm and the exact port or site for each figure | CIF to a landlocked site; FOB and DAP figures used interchangeably |
| 6 | Warranty issuer | Per component: which legal entity answers the claim, and under which document | Warranty issued by an entity different from the contract party, with no link between them |
| 7 | Spare parts plan | Consumables and likely replacements listed with part numbers; critical spares shippable with the main order | 'All parts available anytime' with no part numbers |
| 8 | Documentation pack | Named deliverables: test record, datasheets, as-built configuration table, single-line diagram | Documents 'emailed after shipment' — i.e. after you have paid |
| 9 | Commissioning support | Who energises the system, remotely or on site, and who accepts the results | Installation quoted, commissioning never mentioned |
| 10 | Payment milestone logic | Milestones tied to verifiable events: contract, pre-shipment inspection, shipping documents | A large milestone tied only to 'production completed' |
How to read this table: items 2, 3 and 4 are the engineering core — they determine whether the delivered system is the system you specified. Items 5, 6 and 10 are the commercial core. A supplier who answers all ten without prompting has already passed most of the audit.
How to audit documents remotely
You do not need to fly to China to run this checklist. Certificate numbers can be resolved against the issuing body's public database. A sample test record reveals the format without revealing anyone's project. An anonymised single-line diagram shows whether the supplier designs systems or resells boxes. And the business licence is public record. One video call walking through the BOM with their engineer tells you more than a week of email — an integrator talks about protection settings and starting currents; a reseller talks about price and delivery.
Project evidence
Reference configurations supplied into West Africa and Southeast Asia are listed — anonymised, with region, scenario, configuration and delivery status — on the configuration page. Where the customer has approved disclosure, references carry site and results.
When to walk away
- The price is far below every other quotation with no itemisation to explain why: the difference is being taken out of something — usually items 2, 3 or 8 on the checklist.
- The supplier cannot name who issues each component warranty: you will own every failure, including the ones that are not yours.
- Certificates exist but cannot be resolved to the model quoted: at customs or after a failure, a family-level claim is worth nothing.
Next step
Send your tender package or load list and ask for the document set from this checklist — including the anonymised sample pack. How quickly and completely it arrives is itself the first test result.