Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — completely free, with no obligation. You receive a full personalised PDF proposal at no cost. There are no hidden fees, no credit card required, and no pressure to proceed with an installation.

Our proposals are typically accurate to within 10–15% of the final engineered quote. The main variable is your actual roof — its orientation, tilt, and shading can only be measured during a physical site visit. The Solar AI Engine uses your GPS coordinates and 22 years of NASA satellite data to estimate solar yield, which is significantly more accurate than the industry-standard "regional average" approach.

Your proposal includes three system tiers (Budget/Grid-Tied, Balanced/Hybrid, Premium/Off-Grid) — each with specific hardware recommendations, all-inclusive pricing, monthly savings projections, loan payment estimates, and a full 25-year financial model. It also includes your site-specific solar yield profile by month, CO2 savings, and equivalent trees planted.

About 1–2 minutes from the time you submit your details. The Solar AI Engine fetches real-time data from multiple sources, runs the physics simulation, and generates the PDF — all automatically.

Our online proposal tool is currently optimised for residential properties. For commercial installations, please contact us directly and our team will prepare a custom proposal for you.

You can enter your estimated average monthly bill amount instead of uploading photos. A rough estimate is fine — the proposal will still be useful for understanding the range of system options and costs available to you.

Costs vary significantly depending on system size and type. As a general guide: a basic 3 kWp grid-tied system starts around ₱150,000–₱200,000 all-inclusive. A hybrid system (with battery backup) in the 5–8 kWp range typically costs ₱400,000–₱700,000. Your personalised proposal will give you exact pricing for your specific consumption.

For most residential installations, the payback period is 4–7 years depending on your consumption, system size, and financing. With Meralco rates increasing roughly 5% annually, the effective payback period has been getting shorter each year. After payback, your system generates essentially free electricity for its remaining life.

Yes — solar panels still generate electricity on cloudy days, just at reduced output (typically 10–25% of peak capacity). The Philippines has excellent solar irradiance even accounting for the rainy season. Our Solar AI Engine models your 12-month yield profile using real historical weather data, so your proposal already accounts for seasonal variation.

A standard grid-tied system (without batteries) will automatically shut down during a grid outage as a safety requirement — this protects Meralco linemen working on repairs. A hybrid system with batteries can continue to power your home from stored energy during an outage. If backup power is important to you, our Balanced or Premium tiers include battery storage.

Quality Tier 1 solar panels carry a 25-year product warranty and a performance warranty guaranteeing at least 80% output at Year 25. In practice, panels often continue to operate well beyond 25 years. Our proposals model panel degradation at 0.5% per year, which reflects real-world Tier 1 panel performance.

Generally yes — and the numbers can be significant. Research by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that solar installations increase property value by approximately ₱20 for every ₱1 saved annually in electricity. For a system saving ₱7,000/month (₱84,000/year), that translates to roughly ₱1.68M in added property value. This research is based on US markets — equivalent Philippine-specific data is not yet published — but the underlying logic holds: a home with near-zero electricity costs is objectively more valuable than an identical home without solar. A paid-off solar system that eliminates the buyer's Meralco bill is an increasingly attractive asset as electricity rates continue to rise.

Net metering allows you to export excess solar energy to the Meralco grid and receive a credit on your bill for the energy exported. You are billed only for the net energy you consume — your total consumption minus your solar generation. Unused credits roll over monthly but are forfeited at year-end. Under September 2025 ERC amendments, credits can now be transferred to a new owner when you sell your property.

Meralco credits exported energy at the blended generation rate — approximately ₱6.00/kWh. This is less than the retail rate you pay (~₱13.50/kWh) because the credit covers only the generation component, not transmission and distribution. This is why self-consuming your solar energy is always more valuable than exporting it.

No — and this is one of the most common misconceptions about net metering. Meralco does not pay you cash for excess solar energy. Instead, exported energy is credited to your bill at the blended generation rate (approximately ₱6.00/kWh). These credits can only offset future electricity consumption. Any credits left unused at the end of the calendar year are forfeited — not paid out. Under the September 2025 ERC amendments, credits can now be transferred to a new owner if you sell your property, but still cannot be converted to cash. This is why proper system sizing matters: size your system to cover your consumption, not to maximise exports.

The ERC requires Meralco to process applications within 30 business days. Under the February 2026 Joint Memorandum Circular, LGUs must now issue electrical permits within 3 working days and CFEIs within 7 working days — cutting overall processing time significantly. Notarization of the net metering agreement is no longer required and electronic signatures are accepted. In practice, the full process takes 45–75 days. TrueSouth handles everything on your behalf.

No. Net metering works with standard grid-tied systems without batteries. Batteries are optional and are mainly for backup power during outages or for shifting solar generation to evening use.

Our licensed electrical engineer visits your home to measure your roof — actual orientation, tilt, available surface area, and any shading from trees or adjacent structures. We also assess your electrical panel, metering setup, and Meralco connection type. The visit typically takes 45–60 minutes and is free.

Most residential installations are completed in 1–2 days. Larger systems or those requiring significant electrical work may take 2–3 days. The subsequent Meralco net metering process now takes approximately 45–75 days following the February 2026 LGU processing reforms — down from the previous 60–90 day average.

Yes — a responsible adult should be home during installation. Our team will need access to your roof, your electrical panel, and in some cases interior rooms near the panel. We will coordinate the schedule with you in advance.

Your installation includes the manufacturer warranties on all hardware — typically 25 years product warranty and 25-year performance warranty on Tier 1 panels, 10-year warranty on inverters, and 5–10 years on batteries. TrueSouth provides a separate workmanship warranty on the installation itself. Full warranty details are included in your installation agreement.

Yes — we manage the local government building or electrical permit application as part of our installation service. This permit is required before installation begins and is one of the documents needed for the Meralco net metering application.

In most cases yes, subject to your roof space and inverter capacity. We design systems with future expansion in mind where possible. Discuss expansion plans with our engineers during the site visit so we can size the inverter appropriately.

Several Philippine banks and financing companies offer solar loans, typically at 6–9% p.a. over 5–10 years. Our proposals model a 10-year loan at 7% p.a. as the base case. In many scenarios, your monthly loan payment is less than your current Meralco bill, making solar cash-flow positive from Day 1. We can connect you with our financing partners if needed.

For financed installations, typical downpayment requirements are 20–30% of the system cost. For cash purchases, full payment is usually structured as a deposit upon signing and balance upon completion. Specific payment terms are outlined in your installation agreement.

Under RA 9513, renewable energy sales are VAT-exempt, which reduces the effective cost of your system. There are currently no direct cash rebates for residential solar in the Philippines, but the net metering program provides ongoing financial benefit through bill credits. Our proposals model the full financial picture including all applicable benefits.