Who does what in your solar panel installation
A self-consumption installation goes through several hands: ours, an authorised installer's, sometimes a technician's, the grid operator, your town hall and the regional government. Here is who does each step and, above all, what you have to do.
Your part, from start to finish
- Electricity bill, cadastral reference and roof photos
- ID and proof that you own the property
- Sign the works permit
- Pay by bank transfer or card
- Ask your retailer for surplus compensation
- If you want the rebates: sign the applications and keep the paperwork
Everything else is done by us, the installer, the paperwork agency or the relevant authority.
If this suits you, ask us for a survey or estimate your savings first.
Step by step
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First visit
Who: Solar Master
We look at your roof and your consumption and tell you which installation makes sense for your home.
Your part: Your electricity bill, the property's cadastral reference and a few photos of the roof.
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Quote
Who: Solar Master
A detailed quote: equipment, power and total cost. It is one of the documents the tax rebates ask for.
Your part: Read it calmly and decide.
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Owner's details
Who: You and Solar Master
Two holders matter: the property owner (works permit and rebates) and the holder of the electricity contract (the electrical side). They can be different people, but it has to be declared correctly from the start.
Your part: Your ID or passport and NIE, a document proving you own the property (land registry extract or IBI receipt), and telling us whose name the electricity contract is in. If you like, an authorisation so we can file the paperwork for you.
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Energy certificate before the works
Only if you are going to claim the 40% IRPF deduction (Spanish tax residents, main home or a home let as a residence).
Who: A qualified technician and the Junta de Andalucía
A qualified technician certifies the energy efficiency of the home and the certificate is registered with the Junta de Andalucía.
Your part: Let the technician in to see the house.
It must be done before the works start. If the works start without it, that deduction is lost for good.
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Town hall permit
Who: The town hall and Solar Master
A declaration of works (or a licence, depending on the case) and its fee, at your municipality's town hall.
Your part: Sign it: it is in your name. With your authorisation, we file it for you.
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Installation
Who: Solar Master and the authorised installer
We fit the panels, the inverter and the protection devices. If the house's consumer unit needs extending or adapting, that is done before the panels go up.
Your part: Pay by bank transfer or card: a cash payment does not count towards any deduction.
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Electrical paperwork
Who: The authorised installer
The authorised low-voltage installer signs the technical design report, the electrical installation certificate (the «boletín») and the certificate of compliance with Royal Decree 1699/2011.
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Self-consumption code (CAU)
Who: Our partner paperwork agency and E-Distribución
The code that identifies your installation is requested from E-Distribución on your behalf. It is the first step of legalisation: the Junta needs it first.
If the property is on rustic (non-urban) land, the grid operator's access and connection permit is also required.
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Registration with the Junta
Who: The authorised installer and the Junta de Andalucía
With the code assigned, the start of operation is notified on your behalf to the Junta de Andalucía, through its PUES platform, and the Junta registers the installation in the self-consumption register without you having to ask.
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Energy certificate after the works
Only if you are going to claim the 40% IRPF deduction.
Who: A qualified technician
The technician certifies the home again, now with the installation in place.
Your part: Keep both certificates and their registration: the tax office may ask for them.
For that deduction, this certificate must be issued before 1 January 2027.
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Surplus compensation
Who: E-Distribución and your retailer
Once the installation is registered, the meter also measures the energy you export to the grid and your retailer can credit it on your bill.
Your part: Ask your electricity retailer for the surplus compensation contract. Only the account holder can request it, and without it the energy you export is not credited on your bill.
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Tax rebates and deduction
If your town hall offers them and you meet the requirements.
Who: You and the town hall
The ICIO and IBI rebates are requested from the town hall and depend on the property, not on your residence. The IRPF deduction is claimed in your Spanish tax return.
Your part: Sign the applications (we prepare the documents), provide your bank payment receipts and, if you file a Spanish tax return, add the deduction yourself: the draft return does not include it.
Watch the ICIO: in some town halls, such as Málaga's, the rebate must be requested before the declared works period ends.
Who is who
- Solar Master
- Survey, quote, installation and coordinating everything else. You deal with us from start to finish.
- Authorised low-voltage installer
- Signs the electrical paperwork (technical report and certificate) and notifies the Junta that the installation is in operation.
- Qualified technician
- A technician qualified to certify the energy efficiency of buildings. Only they can sign energy certificates: an electrical installer's authorisation does not cover that.
- Partner paperwork agency
- Handles part of the file, such as the self-consumption code with the grid operator.
- E-Distribución
- The grid operator for the province of Málaga, part of the Endesa group. It assigns the self-consumption code and handles the connection and the meter.
- Your electricity retailer
- The company that bills you for electricity. You sign the surplus compensation contract with them.
- Town hall
- The works permit (declaration or licence) and, where they exist, the ICIO and IBI rebates.
- Junta de Andalucía
- The regional government. It receives the start-of-operation notice through the PUES platform, registers the installation and registers energy certificates.
- Varelux, our sister company
- The same team, for the house's electrical installation: it checks the consumer unit and carries out whatever is needed —extension, protection devices, earthing, wiring— before the panels go up, with its own certificate when it applies. It shares our authorised low-voltage installer, so it can also sign the electrical paperwork for your solar installation. And, if you need it, once the job is done it repairs and repaints whatever the works touched. When to check the consumer unit before fitting solar panels.
The paperwork we hand over
You get a copy of each one. Keep them: the town hall or the tax office may ask for them if you apply for the rebates.
- Technical design report
- Describes the installation: equipment, wiring diagram and protection devices.
- Electrical installation certificate (the «boletín»)
- Certifies that the installation complies with the low-voltage regulations.
- Certificate of compliance with Royal Decree 1699/2011
- Certifies that the grid connection meets the rules for small installations.
- Start-of-operation receipt
- The Junta's document. Town halls usually ask for it for the ICIO and IBI rebates.
- Self-consumption code (CAU)
- Identifies your installation to the grid operator and your retailer.
- Energy certificates
- Before and after, with their registration. Only if you are claiming the 40% deduction.
- Invoices
- Itemised, with equipment and cost. Keep them with your payment receipts.
All of this is part of our legalisation and paperwork service.
Tax rebates: what to know first
The 40% IRPF deduction is for Spanish tax residents, for their main home or a home let (or offered for rent) as a residence. It requires non-renewable primary energy use to drop by at least 30% (or reach class A or B), which panels alone do not always achieve; one energy certificate before the works and another after, issued before 1 January 2027; and only amounts paid by 31 December 2026 count. The ICIO and IBI rebates depend on each town hall. LIRPF, DA 50ª (BOE).
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to go to any public office myself?
Not to legalise the installation: we, the installer or the paperwork agency file that. You sign the works permit, ask your retailer for surplus compensation and, if you want the rebates, sign their applications.
Who signs the electrical certificate?
The authorised low-voltage installer who carries out the installation. If the house's consumer unit also needs work, that part has its own certificate when it applies.
Do I need to call E-Distribución?
No. We or our partner paperwork agency request the self-consumption code on your behalf.
What happens if I do not ask for surplus compensation?
The energy you export to the grid is not credited on your bill. Only the account holder can request it, so that step is yours.
I live abroad. Can I claim the IRPF deduction?
The 40% IRPF deduction is for Spanish tax residents, for their main home or a home let (or offered for rent) as a residence. A holiday home does not qualify. The ICIO and IBI rebates depend on the property, so non-residents can apply for them.
Shall we start with your roof?
We tell you which installation makes sense and what paperwork your case needs.