Solar Panels Exporters in Bangladesh: Verified Supplier Checklist

Use this checklist before you place an order with a solar panel exporter in Bangladesh. Work through it in order: confirm legal standing, establish whether it manufactures or trades, match certificates and datasheets to the exact model, then settle warranty, payment, delivery and document terms in writing. Do not treat a brochure, sample panel or single certificate as proof of full-order delivery.

Why this checklist matters

A solar panel order often fails before production starts, not at the port. Buyer and supplier may describe different products while using the same words: a model name covering several variants, a certificate for a different model, or a warranty whose claims route runs through a company outside the contract.

The manufacturer-or-trader question matters for the same reason. A manufacturer can answer questions about production and testing from its own records. A trader may still be a capable supplier, but the buyer then needs to know who makes the panels, who holds the certificates, and who stands behind the warranty. IEC 61215-1:2021 lays down design qualification requirements for terrestrial photovoltaic modules for long-term outdoor operation, and states that test results are not a quantitative prediction of module lifetime.¹ A certificate shows a tested design passed a defined sequence.

This is a pre-order tool: it decides whether to order at all. The solar panels quality control checklist covers goods already made.

Before you start

Gather four things first: the product specification, the destination-market rules, the quantity and delivery window, and the commercial terms you can accept. Write the specification as one document covering module type, ratings, dimensions, connector type, frame details and packing. If it is vague, every quotation will be vague differently, and comparison becomes guesswork.

Confirm destination rules separately from Bangladesh-side requirements. Reporting on Bangladesh's import standards states that the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) required modules imported into Bangladesh to meet IEC 61215:2016 and IEC 60904-1:2013, among other standards.² Your order needs the standards, marks and documents your destination market requires.

Put one person in charge of the evidence file, recording every change with its date.

The full checklist (numbered, printable)

Identity and export standing

1. Record the legal name, address, trade licence, tax identification number and VAT registration, and check the same name on the quotation, contract and bank details.

2. Ask for the Export Registration Certificate (ERC), and check it covers the exporting entity and is still valid. Bangladesh exporters obtain an ERC from the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, with a trade licence, tax and VAT registration, a bank solvency certificate and chamber membership among the prerequisites.³ See the ERC verification guide.

3. Confirm the contact person may commit the company, and confirm the bank account through an independent channel, not the email supplying the details.

4. Ask whether the exporter has exported solar panels before, to which markets, and in what quantities, and ask for checkable references.

5. Check for mismatches between the company name, panel brand, certificate holder and datasheet issuer, and have any mismatch explained in writing.

Factory role and production control

6. Ask the supplier to state in writing whether it manufactures the panels, assembles them from bought-in cells, or buys finished panels for resale.

7. Ask which steps are done in-house, including cell stringing, lamination, framing and final testing, and which are subcontracted.

8. Ask for dated factory photographs and a description of the production line for the offered model, and whether that factory is named in the certificates.

9. Ask how a finished panel is traced to its batch, cells and test records, and what identifier appears on each panel and carton.

10. Ask what happens if the named factory cannot produce the order, and what notice and re-approval a move elsewhere requires.

Technical dossier and model match

11. Ask for the datasheet for the exact model offered, including model code, cell technology, ratings, dimensions, weight and connector type, and check the code matches the quotation.

12. Confirm the test conditions behind the headline wattage: commonly cited conditions are 1000 W/m² irradiance, a 25 °C cell temperature and the AM1.5G spectrum, measured under IEC 60904-1.⁴

13. Ask for the temperature coefficients and low-light behaviour on the datasheet, and expected performance at the site's temperatures and light levels.

14. Ask for the mechanical details affecting installation: frame type and depth, mounting hole positions, cable length, connector type and maximum system voltage.

15. Ask whether the model is monofacial or bifacial, and if bifacial, which ratings apply to the front side alone and which to combined output.

16. Ask whether the model code or datasheet edition has changed, and confirm the panels supplied match the current edition.

Certificates and test reports

17. Ask for the full certificate for IEC 61215 and IEC 61730, naming the exact model, edition, certification body and scope. IEC 61730-1 covers construction requirements for safe operation, including prevention of shock, fire and personal injury.⁵

18. Ask for the test report behind each certificate, checking its model, laboratory and test dates match. A certificate naming a different model does not cover your order.

19. Ask the supplier to confirm which additional standards apply to your destination market, and to supply the corresponding certificates or declarations.

20. Ask whether the panels carry any Bangladesh-side listing or testing. Bangladesh has 17 SREDA-prepared solar module standards, and a BSTI laboratory in Dhaka tests modules with a sun simulator.⁶

21. Ask for evidence of the quality management system for production, how often it is audited, and written confirmation that certificates are current and stay valid through delivery.

Commercial terms, warranty and payment

22. Agree the minimum order quantity and price basis in one document: quantity in panels and watts, unit price, inclusions, and exclusions such as freight, insurance and duties. See the MOQ explainer.

23. Agree the Incoterm, named place and Incoterms version in writing. Under CIF, the seller pays freight and minimum-cover insurance to the destination port, but risk passes to the buyer on loading at origin.⁷ See the Incoterms guide.

24. Ask the supplier to state the product warranty and performance warranty separately, in years, with coverage, exclusions and claims arrangements. Ask whether the warranty holder is the manufacturer, exporter or another company.

25. Agree the payment instrument, milestones and triggering documents, tying at least one milestone to documents or inspection evidence you can check, not a date alone.

26. Agree the lead time, shipment window and remedy for late delivery, including who bears storage and demurrage costs for supplier-caused delays.

Packing, delivery and documents

27. Agree the packing specification: panels per pallet, pallets per container, corner and glass protection, and carton markings including model, quantity and handling instructions.

28. Agree the shipping documents in advance: invoice, packing list, bill of lading or waybill, and travelling test and warranty documents. Confirm the HS code matches the goods: cells assembled in modules or panels are classified under HS 8541.43.⁸ See the HS code guide and the export documents guide.

29. Agree the pre-shipment inspection arrangement before production ends, and how damage or shortage claims are made, with deadlines, evidence and replacement freight. See the pre-shipment inspection guide.

30. Before signing, check the contract against the checklist file, marking every item agreed, amended or still open, and do not sign with an item still open unless the contract records how it will be closed.

Common failures and how to fix them

The most common failure is a model mismatch: certificate, datasheet and quotation name models that look alike but differ by a suffix. Stop, ask for the model list from the test report, and re-issue the quotation with one model code used everywhere. The same applies to a certificate covering a brand but not the model, or a report for a prototype. Match model, edition and scope in writing, and treat any non-matching document as absent.

Another frequent failure is a warranty naming a company outside the contract. Ask for the warranty document, check the warrantor's legal name, and have the contract name that company.

Commercial failures are quieter but just as costly. A quotation omitting the Incoterm, or naming CIF without a destination port, leaves freight, insurance and risk open to dispute. Re-issue it with the Incoterm, named place and exclusions.

Downloadable template / summary table

Copy the 30 checks into one sheet, with columns for evidence, date and status: agreed, amended or open. Attach the datasheet, certificates and quotation.

How Exportain helps

Exportain is a B2B marketplace connecting buyers with Bangladeshi suppliers, so apply this checklist at the enquiry stage, before accepting a quotation. Browse suppliers, read how supplier verification works on Exportain for the document and photo checks recorded on a profile, and post an RFQ via RFQs with your specification attached. Supplier profiles show which document and photo checks have been recorded, not factory inspections. Exportain is not a party to the goods contract and does not inspect goods.

FAQs

When should this checklist be used?

Use it before ordering, and again whenever the model, factory, price basis or delivery terms change. Once production starts, switch to the solar panels quality control checklist.

Who should complete it?

The buyer, a buying agent or an independent adviser can complete it, provided the same person holds the evidence file.

What are the most common failures?

Model mismatches between certificate, datasheet and quotation, certificates not covering the exact model, warranties held outside the contract, and quotations omitting the Incoterm or named place. Each is fixed by putting one consistent version in writing before signing.

Can a third party do it?

Yes, if you share the specification, destination-market rules and checklist file first, and if the third party returns the evidence rather than a summary opinion. The ordering decision stays with the buyer.

Next steps on Exportain

Before accepting a quotation, run the 30 checks against the exact model offered, then read how supplier verification works on Exportain and the how to import solar panels from Bangladesh guide. You can also post a free RFQ via RFQs with your specification attached.