Design-Build of the Energy Systems Integration Facility Electrical Expansion Program, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS The Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is soliciting qualifications from firms to provide Electrical Expansion services. NREL will down select approximately three firms from this RFQ who fall within the competitive range to receive the Request for Proposal (RFP). RFQ requirements are noted later in this document. The release of the RFP is anticipated in November/December 2014. PROJECT NOTICE The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Alliance/NREL) intends to solicit competitive proposals from prequalified sources for a firm-fixed price design-build subcontract for an electrical program to expand the electrical service to ESIF and to expand the electrical research systems within the facility. The proposed work is located at the NREL South Table Mountain (STM) campus in Golden, Colorado. The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (Alliance) has entered into Contract No. DE-AC36-08-GO28308 with the Department of Energy (DOE), an agency of the U.S. Government, for the management and operation of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to the research, development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. It is intended that one task ordering agreement will be awarded for a basic year with four option years. The magnitude of the electrical expansion program, consisting of several projects over the 5 year period, is currently estimated to be between $30,000,000 and $35,000,000. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WORK The Energy Systems Integration Facility is designed to conduct large, megawatt-scale research and development on testing, controlling, and integrating renewable energy technologies into the nation's electrical distribution grid. It is a state-of-the-art, technically complex facility comprised of 15 laboratories, a sophisticated electrical research distribution bus, a SCADA and PLC networked control system, a high performance super-computer and data center, and a 200 person office wing. Research capabilities at the 182,500 sf ESIF provide a holistic view of the electric power system through hardware-in-the-loop testing at the low- to megawatt-scale power giving NREL, and its partners, the opportunity to evaluate how technologies will work together in a real world environment. At the core of this capability is the Research Electrical Distribution Bus (REDB). The REDB is an integrated research electrical infrastructure that is currently made up of two AC (3 phase, 480V) and two DC (+/- 500V) ring buses. In addition there are several existing pieces of fixed equipment such as large grid simulators, PV array simulators, load banks, AC and DC power supplies that are connected to the REDB to facilitate testing. The REDB allows connecting multiple energy sources/sinks and interconnections between key ESIF labs. The ESIF is designed to accommodate up to four AC and four DC buses which are sized at 250, 1600 or 2500 amps although only two AC (250A and 1600A) and two DC (250A and 1600A) buses are currently installed. Each REDB is controlled by a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system based on Wonderware that monitors and controls the REDB directly and facility-based processes via a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) network. The SCADA also gathers and disseminates real-time data via devices embedded in the REDB switchgear. The electrical expansion program consists of two complimentary components: expansion of electrical power fed to the laboratory and expansion of the research electrical systems within the laboratory. The laboratory power expansion program includes the addition of at least one medium voltage switch, two 2.5 MVA transformers, and two main switchboards in the facility. The program includes distribution of power from the switchboards to various feeder panels and research equipment throughout the facility and potentially to adjacent outdoor test areas. Due to the experimental nature of the work at NREL these service components will require extensive metering and interface with data acquisition systems. This work may be subdivided into two or more projects over several years or may be executed as a single project. The research electrical power expansion program involves the work needed to expand the Research Electrical Distribution Bus (REDB) and the installation of testing equipment. Items such as new lateral buses on existing REDB switchboards, up to four new REDB switchboards and associated lateral buses, experiment connection devices (fixed equipment switchboards, data acquisition interfaces, etc.), AC and DC power supplies, and additional grid simulation equipment are included under this scope of work. The individual task work scope will clearly delineate the scope of the work needed to accomplish a particular research electrical power expansion project. The near term priorities for expansion of research electrical power are: - A second 250A AC and DC REDB, providing additional capacity for users to conduct integrated system experiments at the <500 kW-scale; - Construction of additional sections for the existing 250A and 1600A AC and DC REDB, extending access to the REDB into additional ESIF labs; - A new 2500A AC and DC bus, providing new capability for ESIF to host integrated systems experiments as large as 2 MW; and - Acquisition and connection of necessary fixed equipment (grid simulator, load bank, DC power supplies, etc.) in ESIF labs to enable additional and higher-power testing on these new laterals and busses. This work will be subdivided into several projects over several years. In support of the Department of Energy's goal to demonstrate sustainable and energy efficient buildings with a lower impact on the environment, NREL has mandated that all changes to existing facility be in keeping with sustainable and energy efficient practices consistent with the original design of the facility. NREL adheres to NFPA 70E and requires their subcontractors to do so as well. ACQUISITION PROCESS NREL has selected a two-phase best value selection process. The first phase has been identified as the qualification phase. Interested firms/teams are requested to submit Qualifications Statements. Qualifications Statements must meet the minimum qualifications identified in the Submission Requirements of this notice in order to be considered within the competitive range. An NREL source selection team will review submitted Qualification Statements and determine which meet the minimum requirements, and of those Qualification Statements that meet the minimum requirements, establish a competitive range of firms/teams evaluated to be most technically qualified to perform the project successfully. NREL will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) only to those firms/teams that are in the competitive range for the project. The RFP will solicit a comprehensive proposal inclusive of a schedule/price/technical proposal and other pertinent information from the firms/teams within the competitive range. Possible site visits may be required as part of the Request for Proposal. A single firm/team will be selected for award based on a best value evaluation of proposals received in response to the RFP. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Qualification Statements are to be submitted to the NREL Point of Contact as identified below. 1.1. Formatting 1.1.1. Submit five (5) copies of the Qualifications Statement. 1.1.2. Materials larger than 8-1/2 x 11 inches will not be accepted. 1.1.3. Responses shall not exceed 30 pages (including attachments). 1.1.4. A page is defined as one side of an 8-1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper. 1.1.5. Copies may be either single or double sided 1.1.6. Maintain at least 1-inch margins on all sides 1.1.7. A 12-point font should be used. 1.1.8. Submissions shall employ minimal binding techniques to reduce resource use as well as shipping costs. 1.1.9. Faxed or email submissions will not be accepted. 1.2. Cover letter 1.2.1. Provide a cover letter (not included in the 30 page limit) identifying the principal contact person for the Offeror providing the name, title, street address, email, telephone, and fax numbers. The acknowledgement of receipt of all amendments and/or addendums shall be made on the cover letter. 1.2.2. If the Offeror is an out-of-state corporation, evidence of authority to conduct business in the state where the work is to be performed must be attached to the Qualification Statement (not included in 30 page limit). 1.3. Executive Summary 1.3.1. Provide a summary identifying the highlights of the submitted materials. 1.4. Qualifications - The Qualification Statement submittals are identified below. Qualifications shall include the following submissions, organized by tabbed sections detailing the following: 1.4.1 Tab A- Minimum Requirements (go/no go) 1.4.1.1 Submission Requirements: 1.4.1.1.1 Bonding Capacity: The offeror shall submit a letter from their surety indicating their individual project capacity as well as their total bonding capacity, with sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposed project. The bonding letter must be from a Treasury listed surety. 1.4.1.1.2 Insurability: The offeror shall submit a letter from their insurer indicating their ability to meet, as a minimum the NREL insurance requirements as indicated in Appendix B-10, "Standard Terms and Conditions for Firm Fixed-Price Subcontracts for Design/Build" available at http://www.nrel.gov/business_opportunities/related_docs.html 1.4.1.1.3 Safety: Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of 0.99 or below. 1.4.1.1.3.1 Provide a letter from insurance carrier showing the EMR for last 3 years. Include EMR data for all key subcontractors as well. 1.4.1.1.3.2 Provide OSHA 300 logs for last 3 years (not included in 30 page limit). 1.4.1.2 Evaluation Metric: Submissions that do not contain the minimum requirements as outlined above will not qualify to be short listed and will not receive further consideration. 1.4.2 Tab B- Project Team (50 points) Provide a description of the project team and identify the qualifications of the project team members in key positions. NREL values design, construction, and technical ability as key skills to assure project success. A demonstrated ability to design and construct complex electrical systems compatible with the existing facility infrastructure is critical to project success. The technical ability of the team to understand the existing electrical infrastructure is critical to the NREL since the subcontractor will play a major role in assisting with the design of potential experimental configurations. 1.4.2.1 Submission Requirements: 1.4.2.1.1 Project Team: Provide a one page organizational chart of key personnel dedicated to this project including: the proposed project manager, the general superintendent or equivalent, and on-site technical assist resource(s). Identify the firm of each individual on the organizational chart. All major member firms of the design/build team shall be shown. 1.4.2.1.2 Key Personnel: Provide a one page resume of key personnel (not included in the 30 page limit) assigned to the design-build team with descriptions of their specific role and responsibility. 1.4.2.1.3 Narrative: Provide a narrative outlining the intended effectiveness of the proposed team. Highlight specific project examples of how your design-build team has worked successfully as a part of an integrated team to resolve complex issues associated with electrical systems, SCADA and PLC networks. If more than one A/E team member is proposed, outline the role and scope of each A/E. 1.4.2.2 Evaluation Metric: 1.4.2.2.1 Evaluation on the ability of the proposed team and team members to provide the targeted range of design, construction, and technical skills to support the proposed projects. 1.4.2.2.2 Scoring will be earned based on the extent to which the design-build team members have demonstrated successful integration on other, similar, recently completed projects with preference given to experience with complex electrical systems, SCADA and PLC networks. Experience working with NFPA 70E is a plus. 1.4.2.2.3 References may be contacted to confirm an individual's role in a specific project. 1.4.3 Tab C- Project Team Experience: (50 points) Provide a description of the design-build team's relevant experience and references from no more than five (5) similar projects that your team has recently completed. Identify the design-build team members (cross reference with Tab B) that contributed to each project and what role they filled on each project. Provide a minimum of 3 references from within the last 5 years from previous clients demonstrating the ability to work with complex electrical systems. Further, demonstrate how safety and quality were better than industry standards on those projects. 1.4.3.1 Submission Requirements: 1.4.3.1.1 Attributes: Provide metrics for each project including size, schedule, budget, and delivery method. Describe the project attributes and how those attributes compare to this work. 1.4.3.1.2 Performance: Describe the project expectations and how project success was measured. Submit performance history in meeting budget and deadlines, producing high quality work, and meeting safety goals. 1.4.3.1.3 Reference: Provide the name and contact information (e-mail and phone number) of the principle Owners who are knowledgeable of the outcome of each project. References may be contacted to verify the project information submitted. 1.4.3.1.4 Page Limit: one (1) page per project. 1.4.3.2 Evaluation Metric: 1.4.3.2.1 Evaluation for proven ability to successfully complete a work of the size and type outlined with preference given to those with complex electrical system, SCADA and PLC network experience. 1.4.3.2.2 References may be contacted regarding performance of key personnel.