A useful solar street light quotation should be based on the site and the required lighting result—not on wattage alone.
Two roads can need very different systems even when they use poles of the same height. Local solar conditions, road geometry, operating hours, lighting targets and maintenance expectations all affect the recommended luminaire, solar panel, battery, controller and pole arrangement.
Before asking a supplier to quote, prepare the seven inputs below. They help the supplier move from a generic price list to a project-specific proposal that can be reviewed by your technical and purchasing teams.
1. Project location
Provide the country, city and, when possible, the site coordinates.
Location affects the solar resource, seasonal day length, temperature and environmental exposure. A design should consider the least favorable relevant period, rather than relying only on an annual average.
Useful information includes:
- Country, city and coordinates
- Whether the site is inland, coastal or desert
- Known high-temperature, heavy-rain, dust, salt-spray or strong-wind conditions
- Any local lighting, electrical or tender requirements
If exact coordinates are unavailable at the inquiry stage, provide the nearest city and describe the site environment.
2. Road or area dimensions
For a road, provide its width, number of lanes, median layout, sidewalks and any setback between the pole and the road. For a parking area, compound or public space, share a dimensioned drawing if available.
These dimensions influence the required light distribution and pole layout. A single “road width” number may not be enough when the project includes multiple lanes, a central median or pedestrian zones.
Helpful files include:
- A site plan in PDF, DWG or a clear image
- Road cross-sections
- Photos or video showing surrounding buildings, trees and obstructions
- The proposed pole positions, if already fixed
3. Pole height and arrangement
State the proposed mounting height and whether poles will be installed on one side, both sides, in a staggered pattern or in the median.
Also clarify whether the project already has poles. Existing pole diameter, mounting interface, arm length and condition may limit the available luminaire options. For new poles, the supplier should know whether poles, brackets, anchor bolts and foundations are included in the requested supply scope.
Do not treat pole spacing as a fixed multiple of pole height. Spacing must be checked together with the road geometry, light distribution, target performance and mounting arrangement.
4. Required lighting performance
Whenever possible, specify the applicable road class or the required lighting criteria. Depending on the project, these may include average illuminance or luminance, uniformity, glare limits and requirements for surrounding or pedestrian areas.
If the buyer has not yet defined a target, the supplier should request the project context before proposing one. A residential access road, an industrial compound and a high-speed traffic route do not have the same visual task or risk level.
Ask for:
- The luminaire photometric file, such as an IES file
- A lighting calculation showing the road geometry and pole layout
- Calculation assumptions, including maintenance factors where applicable
- Results for the required metrics—not only a rendered image or a maximum lux value
This is why lumens, optical distribution and project geometry are more useful than a wattage label by itself.
5. Nightly operating schedule
Describe how many hours the light must operate and whether output may be reduced during low-traffic periods.
For example, a project may require full output during the early evening and a lower level later at night. Another project may require constant output for the full night. These schedules place different demands on the battery and solar panel.
Provide:
- Required operating hours per night
- Full-output hours
- Permitted dimming periods and levels
- Motion-sensor requirements, if any
- Seasonal or event-based schedule changes
Any example schedule in a proposal should be clearly identified as an assumption until the buyer approves it.
6. Required autonomy and risk assumptions
“Rainy days” or “backup days” should not appear as an isolated promise. The calculation depends on the nightly energy use, usable battery capacity, allowed depth of discharge, system losses, temperature and expected solar input during the design period.
Tell the supplier:
- How many low-solar days the project must tolerate
- Whether reduced lighting output is acceptable during extended poor weather
- The minimum service level that must be maintained
- Whether the site is difficult or expensive to access for maintenance
Ask the supplier to show the assumptions behind the recommended autonomy. This makes competing proposals easier to compare and reduces the risk of selecting an oversized or undersized system.
7. Quantity, scope and delivery requirements
Finally, define what the quotation should include.
A complete request should state:
- Estimated quantity and any planned project phases
- Required delivery destination and target date
- Whether the scope includes luminaires, solar panels, batteries, controllers, poles, brackets, anchor bolts, cables and installation accessories
- Required spare parts, training, installation support or commissioning
- Documents needed for technical approval, tender submission, shipping and local compliance
Quantity alone does not determine the design, but it affects packaging, logistics, project support and the commercial structure of the quotation.
A copy-and-paste project brief
Use the following template when requesting a preliminary proposal:
Project name:
Country / city / coordinates:
Application and site environment:
Road or area dimensions:
Pole height and arrangement:
Required lighting standard or target:
Operating and dimming schedule:
Required low-solar autonomy:
Estimated quantity:
Required supply scope:
Delivery destination and target date:
Available drawings, photos or tender documents:
What a reviewable supplier proposal should contain
Once the inputs are available, the proposal should make its design basis visible. Depending on project scope, this can include the selected system configuration, photometric file, lighting calculation, energy-balance assumptions, control schedule, installation concept, supply boundary and document list.
Buyers should be able to distinguish confirmed product data from project assumptions. If an input is missing, the proposal should identify it rather than hiding it inside a generic recommendation.
Get a preliminary solar street lighting proposal
Send the project location, road dimensions, pole height, operating schedule, lighting target, autonomy requirement and estimated quantity. WILSOLAR can then review the project inputs and recommend the next technical step.
Ready to discuss your project? Submit your project brief and request a preliminary review.