Writing Proposals

Energy Consulting Proposal Development

Professional proposal development methodology for energy consulting services including pricing, scoping, service definitions, and proposal generation.

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when working with:

• Proposal writing - Creating professional proposals for energy consulting services
• Pricing services - ASHRAE audits, benchmarking, commissioning, compliance consulting
• Scoping work - Defining deliverables, timelines, and exclusions
• Cost estimation - Labor hours, pricing models (fixed fee vs T&M), complexity factors
• Service definitions - ASHRAE Level 1/2/3 audits, benchmarking, compliance pathway consulting
• Proposal generation - Using templates and scripts to create formatted proposals
• Client types - First-time, repeat, portfolio, institutional clients
• Competitive pricing - Market positioning and value propositions

What This Skill Provides

Pricing Guidance:

• Service-specific pricing ranges (by building size and complexity)
• Pricing models (Fixed Fee, T&M with NTE, Tiered)
• Labor hour estimates by service type
• Complexity multipliers and adjustment factors
• Competitive market rates (2025 Denver market)

Service Definitions:

• ASHRAE Level 1/2/3 energy audit scopes
• Benchmarking and data verification services
• Compliance pathway consulting
• Performance target analysis
• Scope templates with deliverables and timelines

Proposal Tools:

• COM automation for reliable Word template processing (Windows)
• Python script for automated proposal generation (cross-platform)
• Microsoft Word proposal templates with placeholders
• Standard proposal components and structure
• Client type-specific approaches
• JSON mapping files for batch processing

What This Skill Does NOT Cover

• ❌ Regulatory requirements (Energize Denver, building codes) → Use energize-denver skill
• ❌ Technical energy modeling or engineering analysis
• ❌ Commissioning procedures or test protocols → Use commissioning-reports skill
• ❌ Marketing or business development strategy

Quick Start

Pricing a Service

1. Identify service type - Audit? Benchmarking? Compliance pathway?
2. Determine building characteristics - Size, complexity, data quality
3. Select pricing model - Fixed fee, T&M NTE, or tiered
4. Calculate base price - See ./pricing-guidelines.md
5. Apply adjustments - Complexity, urgency, client type
6. Choose payment terms - Milestone-based or monthly

Scoping a Project

1. Review service scope template - See ./service-types.md
2. Customize tasks - Add/remove based on client needs
3. Define deliverables - Reports, models, presentations
4. Set timeline - Account for complexity and deadlines
5. Identify exclusions - Clarify what's out of scope

Generating a Proposal

Option 1: COM Automation (Recommended for Windows)

# Interactive mode - guided workflow
python tools/word-template-automation.py --interactive

# With mapping file - best for complex proposals
python tools/word-template-automation.py template.docx output.docx --mapping mapping.json

# Quick command-line - simple replacements
python tools/word-template-automation.py template.docx output.docx \
  --replace "{{CLIENT}}" "Acme Corp" \
  --replace "{{FEE}}" "$25,000"

Why use COM automation?

• ✅ Perfect formatting preservation
• ✅ Works with any template structure
• ✅ Handles headers, footers, tables, images automatically
• ✅ Reliable find/replace using Word's engine
• ⚠️ Windows only (requires Word installed)

See ./tools/README_COM_AUTOMATION.md for complete guide.

Option 2: Python Script (Legacy)

python scripts/generate-proposal.py --interactive

The script will prompt for:

• Service type
• Building information
• Pricing model
• Contact details
• Output filename

Note: This uses python-docx library with limitations. Consider COM automation for better reliability.

Option 3: Manual Creation

1. Use ./templates/proposal-template.docx
2. Fill in service-specific scope from ./service-types.md
3. Add pricing from ./pricing-guidelines.md
4. Customize for client situation

Iterative Feedback System (NEW!)

The conversion tool now learns from your manual corrections and automatically applies them in future conversions.

Enable Feedback Collection

# Convert with feedback enabled
python tools/convert-proposal-to-docx.py proposal.md --feedback

# Or provide feedback later
python tools/collect-feedback.py output.docx

How It Works

1. Convert your proposal - Markdown to Word
2. Review and note manual fixes - What did you have to change?
3. Provide feedback - Tell the tool what you fixed
4. System learns - Analyzes which fixes can be automated
5. Future conversions improve - Learned fixes applied automatically

What Gets Automated?

• ✅ Style corrections (Normal → Body Text)
• ✅ List formatting (bullets → Body List style)
• ✅ Find/replace patterns (company name consistency, etc.)
• ✅ Spacing adjustments
• ✅ Table formatting
• ✗ Template-specific content (contact info, images)
• ✗ Content requiring judgment (wording changes)

Example: First vs. Fifth Conversion

First Proposal:

• Manual fixes: 20 minutes
  • Changed 50 "Normal" to "Body Text"
  • Fixed bullet spacing on 32 items
  • Updated contact info

Fifth Proposal (after feedback):

• Manual fixes: 2 minutes
  • ✓ Normal → Body Text: Already done!
  • ✓ Bullet spacing: Already done!
  • Updated contact info (still manual)

Time saved: 18 minutes per proposal!

Check Template Status

See what's been learned for a template:

python tools/collect-feedback.py --status proposal-template.docx

See ./tools/README_FEEDBACK_SYSTEM.md for complete documentation.

Service Types

See ./service-types.md for complete scope templates.

Energy Audits

ASHRAE Level 1 (Walk-Through):

• Preliminary assessment, low-cost ECM identification
• Timeline: 3-5 weeks
• Pricing: $5K-$30K (by building size)

ASHRAE Level 2 (Detailed Analysis):

• Comprehensive engineering analysis with energy modeling
• Timeline: 8-12 weeks
• Pricing: $15K-$100K (by building size and complexity)

ASHRAE Level 3 (Investment Grade):

• Detailed engineering with guaranteed savings
• Timeline: 12-16 weeks
• Pricing: $40K-$250K (by building size) or 2-4% of construction cost

Other Services

Benchmarking & Data Verification:

• Annual energy performance data submission
• Timeline: 2-4 weeks
• Pricing: $2K-$12K (by building size and number of meters)

Compliance Pathway Consulting:

• Multi-year compliance strategy development
• Timeline: 6-8 weeks
• Pricing: $10K-$35K (by complexity and alternate compliance needs)

Performance Target Analysis:

• Baseline verification and target calculation
• Timeline: 2-4 weeks
• Pricing: $3K-$15K (by number of buildings and complexity)

Pricing Models

Fixed Fee

Best for: Clear scope, predictable effort Advantages: Client budget certainty, incentivizes efficiency Risks: Scope creep, unforeseen complexity

Time & Materials with Not-To-Exceed (T&M NTE)

Best for: Uncertain scope, data quality unknown Structure: Hourly rates by staff level with NTE cap Hourly Rates:

• Principal Engineer: $200-$250/hr
• Senior Engineer: $150-$180/hr
• Project Engineer: $120-$150/hr
• Analyst/Coordinator: $90-$120/hr

Tiered by Building Size

Best for: Portfolio work, multiple similar buildings Advantages: Simple, transparent, volume discounts

See ./pricing-guidelines.md for detailed pricing by service and building size.

Pricing Quick Reference

Complexity Adjustments:

• Simple (packaged equipment, good data): Base × 0.8
• Standard (typical building): Base × 1.0
• Complex (central plant, poor data): Base × 1.3
• Very Complex (campus, process loads): Base × 1.5-2.0

Add-Ons:

• Rush service (<50% timeline): +25-50%
• Poor data quality: +20-50%
• Portfolio discount (3+ buildings): -15-30%
• First-time client discount: -10-15%

Proposal Components

Every professional energy consulting proposal should include:

1. About [Company] - Standard boilerplate (your company overview)

2. Project Understanding:

   • Building/project information
   • Service description and objectives
   • Context (compliance, capital planning, operational improvement)

3. Scope of Work:

   • Service-specific tasks (use templates from ./service-types.md)
   • Timeline and milestones
   • Deliverables (reports, models, presentations)
   • Assumptions and exclusions

4. Pricing:

   • Fixed fee OR Time & Materials with NTE
   • Payment terms (milestone-based or monthly)
   • Proposal validity period (typically 90 days)

5. Qualifications (optional):

   • Relevant experience
   • Team member bios
   • Similar project examples

6. Signature Block: Your contact details

7. Customer Acceptance: Sign-off section

Client Type Strategies

First-Time Clients

• Approach: Competitive pricing to win work
• Model: Fixed fee for budget certainty
• Discount: Consider 10-15% on first project
• Upsell: Position for follow-on work

Repeat Clients

• Approach: Fair pricing, emphasize quality and speed
• Model: Can use T&M for trust-based relationship
• Benefit: 5-10% loyalty discount or priority scheduling

Portfolio Clients (Property Managers)

• Approach: Volume pricing, multi-year agreements
• Model: Tiered by building size with portfolio discount
• Discount: 15-30% for 3+ buildings
• Value Add: Dashboard reporting, proactive tracking

Institutional Clients (Universities, Hospitals, Government)

• Approach: Detailed scope, competitive bidding
• Model: Fixed fee or percentage of construction
• Requirements: May require certified DBE/MBE participation
• Timeline: Longer procurement cycles

Labor Hour Estimates

Use these estimates to validate pricing or develop T&M quotes:

Benchmarking & Data Verification:

• Small: 8-15 hours
• Medium: 15-25 hours
• Large: 25-40 hours
• Data quality issues: +20-50%

ASHRAE Level 1 Audit:

• Small: 30-50 hours
• Medium: 50-80 hours
• Large: 80-120 hours

ASHRAE Level 2 Audit:

• Small: 100-160 hours
• Medium: 160-260 hours
• Large: 260-400 hours

ASHRAE Level 3 Audit:

• Small: 180-280 hours
• Medium: 280-450 hours
• Large: 450-700 hours

Compliance Pathway:

• Basic: 60-100 hours
• Standard: 100-140 hours
• Complex: 140-220 hours

Multiplier for Final Fee: Labor hours × blended rate × overhead multiplier (1.8 to 2.5)

Value Proposition Development

When proposing services, help clients understand the value:

Cost Avoidance

• Calculate penalty avoidance (for compliance projects)
• Show ROI of audit vs implementation savings
• Compare audit cost to potential ECM savings

Example:

100k sf building, 25 kBtu/sf shortfall:
  Annual shortfall: 2,500,000 kBtu
  Annual penalty: $1,750,000 (at $0.70/kBtu)
  5-year penalty: $8,750,000

Compliance pathway consulting cost: $25,000
ROI: 350:1

Competitive Positioning

• Emphasize domain expertise (e.g., Energize Denver knowledge)
• Highlight local presence and relationships
• Position full-service capability (benchmarking → audit → implementation → commissioning)

Proposal Decision Tree

1. What service?
   ├─ Benchmarking → $2K-$12K
   ├─ Level 1 Audit → $5K-$30K
   ├─ Level 2 Audit → $15K-$100K
   ├─ Level 3 Audit → $40K-$250K
   ├─ Compliance Pathway → $10K-$35K
   └─ Target Analysis → $3K-$15K

2. What building size?
   ├─ Small (25k-50k sf) → Lower range
   ├─ Medium (50k-100k sf) → Middle range
   ├─ Large (100k-200k sf) → Upper-middle range
   └─ Very Large (200k+ sf) → Upper range

3. What complexity?
   ├─ Simple → Base × 0.8
   ├─ Standard → Base × 1.0
   ├─ Complex → Base × 1.3
   └─ Very Complex → Base × 1.5-2.0

4. What client type?
   ├─ First-time → Competitive (10% discount)
   ├─ Repeat → 5-10% loyalty discount
   └─ Portfolio → 15-30% volume discount

5. What urgency?
   ├─ Standard → Base price
   ├─ Rush → +25-50%
   └─ Critical → +50-100%

Cross-References to Other Skills

When working with Energize Denver compliance projects, use the energize-denver skill:

• Article XIV requirements and deadlines
• MAI building compliance pathways
• Performance target calculations
• Penalty rates and enforcement
• Timeline extensions and alternate compliance

When working with commissioning projects, use the commissioning-reports skill:

• Commissioning scope development
• Test protocol requirements
• Report templates and formats

Example collaborative workflow:

• User: "Create Energize Denver MAI proposal for print shop"
• energize-denver: Identify MAI requirements, production efficiency pathway, Dec 31 deadline
• writing-proposals (this skill): Price ASHRAE Level II audit, structure scope, generate proposal

Supporting Files

Detailed References:

• ./pricing-guidelines.md - Complete pricing models, ranges, and market rates
• ./service-types.md - Scope templates for each service offering

Tools:

• ./tools/word-template-automation.py - COM automation for Word (recommended, Windows)
  • Complete Guide
• ./tools/convert-proposal-to-docx.py - Convert markdown to Word with template
• ./tools/extract-template-styles.py - Analyze template styles
• ./scripts/generate-proposal.py - Automated proposal generation (legacy)

Templates:

• ./templates/proposal-template.docx - Microsoft Word template
• ./templates/example-mapping.json - Example placeholder mapping file

Best Practices

Pricing Strategy:

• Always buffer pricing (use upper end of range unless highly confident)
• Document assumptions clearly to manage scope creep
• Be prepared to negotiate 10-15% on competitive bids
• Value over price (emphasize expertise and capability)
• Price first project competitively to win ongoing work

Scope Development:

• Use service templates as starting point, customize for client
• Include clear deliverables with specific format (report, model, presentation)
• Define exclusions explicitly (avoid misunderstandings)
• Set realistic timelines with buffer for client responsiveness

Proposal Writing:

• Keep it concise (5-15 pages typical)
• Use executive summary for decision-makers
• Make pricing clear and easy to find
• Include visuals where helpful (org chart, timeline)
• Professional formatting matters

Payment Terms:

• Small projects (<$10K): 50% kickoff, 50% completion
• Medium ($10K-$50K): 30% kickoff, 40% draft, 30% final
• Large (>$50K): Monthly invoicing
• Net 30 days standard

Follow-Up:

• Follow up within 1 week of submission
• Be prepared to present proposal in-person/virtually
• Address questions promptly
• Adjust scope/pricing if needed based on feedback

Important Notes

This skill provides general energy consulting methodology. It does not:

• Replace regulatory knowledge (use energize-denver for compliance requirements)
• Provide technical engineering analysis or modeling
• Substitute for company-specific pricing strategy or policy

Always verify:

• Current market rates and competitive landscape
• Company overhead and profit margin requirements
• Client budget constraints before finalizing pricing
• Internal resource availability for proposed timelines

Adapt to your context:

• These pricing ranges are based on Denver 2025 market
• Adjust for regional differences, company size, expertise level
• Update based on actual wins/losses and market feedback