How to Build a Lighting Retrofit Proposal
Updated: 5 days ago
A lighting retrofit proposal should connect the site audit, recommended equipment, complete installed price and documented savings assumptions. A customer should be able to see what will change, what the work includes and how the financial results were calculated.
Use the structure below for commercial LED projects. You can compare it with a sample lighting retrofit proposal or use the electrical proposal template as a starting document.
Start with a short project summary
State the site, survey date and purpose of the work. Summarize the recommended scope, installed price, estimated annual savings and simple payback. Label any incentive as estimated, approved or received, as applicable.
Keep the opening specific to the building. A warehouse replacement with lift access and aisle sensors is a different scope from relamping office troffers. Explain that difference before presenting totals.
Include an existing fixture schedule
Organize the audit by area and fixture group. Include quantities, complete system watts, operating hours and relevant condition or access notes.
The lighting audit checklist helps establish the minimum field information. Where records are uncertain, identify what needs verification and how it affects the price or recommendation.
Photos should clarify a decision: the existing lamp and ballast, the mounting arrangement, an emergency-lighting exception or an obstruction affecting access. Reference the area or fixture group so the image remains useful to the estimator and installer.
Specify the proposed replacement and installation method
Show what each existing group becomes. Include the proposed product, quantity, input power or selected setting, output where relevant, controls scope and installation method.
A description such as "LED upgrade" leaves too much unresolved. For fluorescent work, distinguish compatible Type A tubes, an approved Type B conversion, retrofit kits and complete fixture replacement. Link the estimate to the selected conversion route.
Confirm the intended light level and distribution, exact product compatibility and any emergency provision. DOE's commercial LED purchasing guidance discusses product and application checks. Where a design requires photometric verification, include that deliverable explicitly.
Price the complete installation scope
Break out or clearly account for the costs required to deliver the work:
Lamps, fixtures, kits, controls and accessories.
Direct installation labor and project setup.
Lift rental, delivery, staging and access constraints.
Protection of occupied areas and permitted working hours.
Lamp and ballast handling, disposal and cleanup.
Controls setup, testing, commissioning and closeout.
Permits, inspection and any agreed design work.
State the currency, tax treatment and quote validity. Define how product substitutions, quantity changes and concealed conditions will be handled.
The LED retrofit labor-units guide provides transparent planning allowances to calibrate against your crew. They should not be presented as a guaranteed installation duration for every site.
Make the energy and payback figures auditable
Calculate the existing and proposed cases using their own quantities, complete input watts and operating assumptions. Show the energy rate and distinguish avoided energy charges from fixed or demand charges.
Here is a deliberately simple example, with all amounts in US dollars:
Item | Illustrative assumption or result |
|---|---|
Existing lighting | 100 fixtures × 59 W × 4,000 hours = 23,600 kWh/year |
Proposed lighting | 100 fixtures × 30 W × 4,000 hours = 12,000 kWh/year |
Avoided energy rate | US$0.15/kWh |
Annual energy-cost saving | 11,600 kWh × US$0.15 = US$1,740 |
Installed price | US$12,000 |
Estimated rebate | US$2,000, subject to approval |
Estimated net cost | US$10,000 after the assumed incentive |
Simple payback | 6.90 years before rebate; 5.75 years after rebate |
These figures are an example calculation, not a market price or a customer result. They exclude maintenance, controls, demand savings, financing, tax and HVAC effects. The screenshots in this article show separate sample projects.
The lighting retrofit ROI guide explains how to add supported assumptions without confusing payback, annual savings and long-term return.
Keep rebates and payment timing explicit
Identify the utility program, source date, eligible measure and exact proposed product. Where a DLC listing is required, verify the model and applicable qualification at the relevant program stage. Listing alone does not establish project approval.
Show the gross project price, estimated incentive and net-cost scenario separately. Explain whether the customer receives an invoice discount or pays the full amount and waits for reimbursement. A projected rebate should not silently become a confirmed reduction in the contract price.
For program-specific work, retain the application or approval reference and the conditions attached to it. The rebate cash-flow guide covers these presentation choices.
Offer controls as a defined option
Where controls fit the building, show an LED-only case and an LED-plus-controls option. Include hardware, installation, zoning, programming and commissioning.
Apply the controls assumption to the remaining LED energy and account for existing controls. Avoid adding overlapping savings percentages. The commercial controls checklist helps define that optional scope.
Close with deliverables, exclusions and approval steps
State what the customer will receive: installed equipment, test records, settings, warranty documents, disposal documentation and any agreed rebate support. Identify responsibilities for access, shutdowns and approvals.
Separate product warranties from the installer's labor warranty and reproduce only terms you can support. Include acceptance and payment terms appropriate to the actual quotation.
For performance commitments, agree on the baseline, measurement method and verification responsibilities. PNNL's lighting measurement and verification framework is a useful reference for projects requiring that level of documentation.
Build the proposal from the audit record
LumaQuote brings lighting audit information, proposed replacements, installation inputs, savings assumptions and rebates into the proposal workflow. Field apps support iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets, with desktop estimating after the field handoff.
See lighting proposal software for the output workflow, or start with the free plan to test a real project. Check the current plan for included export formats and limits.
Frequently asked questions
What should a lighting retrofit proposal include?
Include the audit schedule, proposed replacements, complete installed price, energy assumptions, estimated rebates, financial results, scope, exclusions and approval steps. The level of detail should match the project and any utility or contract requirements.
Can a proposal guarantee energy savings?
A calculated forecast is not automatically a performance guarantee. A guarantee needs agreed conditions, a documented baseline, a verification method and clear responsibilities. Label projections accordingly.
Should I show alternative fixtures or controls packages?
Show alternatives when they help the customer decide. Keep each option's equipment, installation scope, energy assumptions and cost complete so the comparison uses consistent boundaries.
