Why Unit Price Misleads Project Planners
Procurement teams compare lamp-head prices, then discover the lamp head is only 40–55% of an installed lighting point's cost. A defensible budget needs six lines:
The Six Cost Blocks
1. Equipment (40–55%)
- Lamp/complete light unit (with battery)
- Pole + arm + anchor bolts (often quoted separately)
- Spare parts: 2–3% battery modules, controllers, lamp heads
2. Logistics (8–15%)
- Ocean freight, destination charges, inland transport
- Battery DG documentation (Class 9 sea freight)
3. Customs & Levies (5–12%)
- Duty by HS code, VAT/levies, clearing agent fees
4. Civil Works (12–20%)
- Foundation: concrete cage per pole (0.5–1.0 m³ typical for 6–8 m poles)
- Cable ducts if any grid interconnection, pole erection, testing
5. Labor & Equipment (5–8%)
- Install crews, crane/man-lifter rental for taller poles, commissioning
6. Contingency & Maintenance Reserve (5–10%)
- Damage in transit, rework, year 3–5 battery/controller replacements if outside warranty
Sample Budget: 100-Light Estate Road (80 W AIO, 6 m Poles, Port City in West Africa)
| Block | Detail | Indicative cost (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 100 × 80 W all-in-one (LiFePO4, IP66) @ ~$90–130 | 9,000–13,000 |
| 100 × 6 m galvanized poles @ ~$70–110 | 7,000–11,000 | |
| Spares (3 units + controllers) | 500–800 | |
| Logistics | 40 ft HQ freight + destination + inland | 4,000–7,000 |
| Customs | Duty + levies + agent (varies by country) | 2,500–5,000 |
| Civil works | Foundations + erection (local crew) | 3,500–6,000 |
| Labor/commissioning | 2 crews × 10 days | 1,500–3,000 |
| Contingency (8%) | — | 2,300–3,700 |
| Total | ≈ 100 installed points | 30,300–49,500 |
That is US$300–495 per installed lighting point — a realistic planning envelope for 2026. Skimping on the pole or battery lines is how projects end up with leaning poles and dark roads in year two.
Cost Levers Ranked by Impact
- Buy factory-direct — removes 15–25% trading-company margin.
- Container-fill optimization — nested poles and knocked-down cabinets cut freight per unit dramatically.
- Standardize models — one or two SKUs across the project simplify spares forever.
- Motion dimming — smaller battery for same performance: 10–20% equipment saving.
- Local pole fabrication? Sometimes cheaper than imported steel — but enforce galvanizing spec; a rusting pole is a total loss.
Budgeting for the Full Life Cycle
Over 6 years, add: battery replacement at year 5–6 for budget cells (avoid by specifying 6,000-cycle LiFePO4 up front), panel cleaning twice a year in dusty regions, and controller swaps at ~2% per year. A quality factory-direct specification typically lands 25–35% cheaper in total cost of ownership than the cheapest-import option.
Woneng quotes every project as an itemized bill of materials — lights, poles, spares, load plan — so your budget starts from real numbers. Send your route length and pole plan for a same-day estimate.
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