Solar Customer Decision Memo: Make Proposal Choices Easier to Review

A solar proposal can contain every relevant figure and still leave the buyer unsure what they are meant to decide. A decision memo fixes that gap. It is a short, plain-language companion that says: here is the choice in front of you, here is why these options exist, here is what the current information supports, and here is the next action that will move the project forward.

The memo is especially useful when more than one person is involved. A homeowner may need to discuss payment and timing with a partner. A commercial buyer may need to explain an option to facilities, finance, leadership, or a landlord. Sending a larger PDF does not automatically solve that internal review. A focused summary can make the decision more accurate and less dependent on a sales call being remembered perfectly.

Start With the Actual Choice

Do not title the memo “proposal summary” and then repeat every page. Start with a direct sentence: “You are deciding whether to proceed with option A, option B, request a revised option, or pause while a stated condition is checked.” The sentence should fit the buyer’s current stage.

That framing prevents a common sales-process error: treating a proposal delivery as if it were a request for signature. Sometimes the next decision is only whether to schedule a survey, provide a bill, choose between two configurations, or introduce another stakeholder. The memo should not demand a larger commitment than the evidence and conversation support.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office publishes general resources about solar technology and deployment. Those resources are not a substitute for the property, utility, technical, contractual, or financial inputs behind an individual project. The memo should make project-specific assumptions visible rather than borrow confidence from general information.

Compare Options Against the Customer’s Job

Options should differ for a reason. One may fit a stated budget, another may use more available area, another may respond to a timing or resilience objective. Say what is being compared and why. Do not create several alternatives merely to make a proposal look comprehensive.

Use a small comparison table that includes only decision-relevant differences.

The table should not imply that two numbers are equally certain because they sit side by side. NREL describes PVWatts as an estimator for grid-connected PV energy production and value. Any project scenario depends on its inputs, including its system concept and assumptions. Refer the buyer to the proposal’s stated production and financial basis; do not represent modeled figures as promised outcomes.

Make Assumptions Visible, Not Overwhelming

Buyers need to see the assumptions that could materially change their decision. They do not need an internal design notebook. Select the conditions that may change scope, configuration, projected production, financial scenario, schedule, price, or approval route. Examples may include consumption data, tariff treatment, roof works, access, electrical information, equipment availability, or an identified stakeholder decision.

Write each in customer language. “The scenario uses the supplied electricity information; please tell us if operating hours or major equipment are expected to change” is clearer than a generic disclaimer. “The layout is based on the current site information and will be checked at the appropriate stage” is clearer than pretending imagery is a survey.

For internal control, link the memo to the project’s information-currency record and constraint register rather than copying a private list into every customer email. The customer version should explain only the information necessary for the current choice.

Identify Who Must Review the Decision

An unanswered proposal sometimes reflects missing authority rather than missing interest. Ask the buyer who else needs the information and what that person needs to see. A facilities colleague may want an access or implementation conversation. Finance may need the stated cost and scenario assumptions. A landlord or property owner may need to discuss permission. A household may need time to compare payment choices.

The memo can name these roles without pressuring the buyer: “Before choosing, you told us that facilities and finance will review the proposal. Would it help if we prepared a short call focused on the consumption basis and delivery assumptions?” This is more respectful and more useful than treating silence as a signal of rejection.

Do not claim that a stakeholder has approved anything until their approval is actually documented through the appropriate project route. The memo creates clarity around a process; it is not evidence of an agreement by a third party.

Link the Memo to One Current Proposal Version

Every memo needs a version reference. If the customer receives a revised layout, updated tariff assumption, altered option, or new commercial scope, the earlier decision memo may no longer describe the live choice. Mark it superseded and send a replacement that states what changed and why.

The change explanation can remain brief. “This revision reflects the updated consumption information received on the stated date; the financial scenario and option comparison have been updated.” A buyer should never have to guess whether the follow-up email refers to the attachment they opened last week.

Teams using Solar Proposals can keep proposal presentation connected to the wider workflow. They still need to decide which revision is current, who owns open questions, and whether the proposal remains suitable for the customer decision being requested.

Ask for a Specific Next Action

The end of the memo should name one action with an owner and date. Examples: “Reply with the option you would like us to develop,” “send the current bill so we can refresh the scenario,” “introduce the facilities reviewer,” “schedule the survey,” or “tell us whether planned roof works change the timeline.”

Avoid “Please let us know your thoughts.” It asks the buyer to invent the next step. A decision memo reduces cognitive load by making the next question explicit. If the buyer needs time, record the agreed review date and what they will be considering. That makes future follow-up relevant rather than repetitive.

The request should remain proportionate. A preliminary screen may invite a survey, not a contract. A more developed proposal may invite an option selection subject to stated checks. A field or procurement decision requires its own controlled release; a customer memo does not authorise those actions.

Keep Financial Language Careful

Financial scenarios can be decisive, so they deserve the clearest caveats. State the consumption source, tariff or rate assumption, financing assumption where used, and the fact that results depend on inputs and future conditions. Do not make unsupported claims about savings, payback, approval, production, or cost certainty.

It is better to write “this comparison uses the electricity information and assumptions listed in the proposal” than “this option will save you X.” The first sentence gives the buyer a way to validate the basis. The second can overstate what a model or early design can establish.

If the buyer’s decision is primarily commercial, say which information would make it more reliable. If a current tariff is uncertain, ask for confirmation. If planned load growth is unknown, describe how it could affect the comparison. Honest context is not a weakness in a proposal; it is what makes a scenario intelligible.

A Simple Memo Structure

Use these six sections:

1. the decision requested;
2. the current proposal version and options considered;
3. the customer objective each option addresses;
4. material assumptions, exclusions, and conditions;
5. stakeholders and questions still to resolve; and
6. the next action, owner, and intended timing.

Keep the language direct. The memo should be readable in a few minutes and link to the fuller proposal for detail. If it becomes a second proposal, remove the duplicated material and return to the decision.

Review It From the Buyer’s Perspective

Before sending, ask whether a reader who missed the prior calls can answer: What are we deciding? Which document is current? What assumptions matter? What could change? Who else should review this? What do I need to do next? If not, revise.

Also check internal alignment. Does the memo use the same system option, scope, and assumptions as the design and proposal records? Does a known open condition have an owner? Has a changed configuration reached the people who prepare customer materials? These checks prevent a clear memo from explaining the wrong project revision.

Use Feedback to Improve Proposal Conversations

After several decisions, review the questions buyers ask. If customers frequently need clarification on tariff assumptions, roof verification, equipment choices, or delivery timing, improve the proposal and intake process. Do not add the same long disclaimer to every memo; make the underlying evidence and option explanation stronger.

The memo is also useful when a buyer decides not to proceed. Record the stated reason with care: timing, scope mismatch, budget, property change, missing authority, or another reason they actually gave. This creates better follow-up opportunities than a generic “lost” label and avoids inventing a conclusion from a quiet inbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a solar customer decision memo?

It is a short companion to a current proposal that explains the choice the customer is being asked to make, the options and assumptions involved, open conditions, other reviewers, and the agreed next action.

Should the memo include every proposal detail?

No. Include decision-relevant differences and link to the full proposal for detailed scope, assumptions, and terms. The memo should make review easier, not duplicate the entire document.

Can a decision memo guarantee solar savings or approval?

No. It should state the basis and limitations of modeled scenarios and project assumptions. Site conditions, consumption, tariffs, approvals, financing, construction, and other factors require appropriate verification.

When should it be revised?

Revise it when the customer decision, selected option, project scope, material input, or proposal version changes. Mark the earlier memo superseded so no one acts on an old choice.