International Standards Development for Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy

Source Sought for International Standards Development for Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy The National Renewable Energy Laboratory actively supports the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) current and emerging programs by supporting the advancement of Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) standards under the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) - Technical Committee (TC) 114. The end goal of TC114 is to develop new standards that facilitate more rapid deployment considering the unique environmental and regulatory requirements that govern deployment in U.S. waters. This task enables DOE to establish and maintain technical leadership and build competitive positions for U.S. companies engaged in the development of ocean energy devices through its Water Power Program's engagement in key collaborative international activities. Standardization will assist MHK technologies to become marketable by providing a foundation for certification systems, promoting international trade of uniform high-quality products and supporting transfer of expertise from traditional energy systems. As stated in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Guide for U.S. Delegates "To remain competitive in world trade, U.S. standards and engineering practices must be in line with international standards, or the U.S. will face competitive disadvantages..." The established and proven IEC standards development process will be used as a foundation for applying U.S. resources to establishing international standards for marine and hydrokinetic energy devices. Over the past several years, DOE/NREL has actively supported the recruitment and participation of US marine renewable energy experts in the IEC TC-114 standards development effort. Continuing this support is essential to maintain the credibility and economic parity that the United States has gained with our European and Asian counterparts within the renewable energy industry. The objective of this effort is to continue to address critical staffing needs of the IEC TC 114 standards chairmanship, IEC TC 114 project teams, and the US National Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Additionally, this effort will educate industry stakeholders on the progress and importance of US participation in IEC TC-114 activities. NREL is seeking organizations with expertise in developing standards that can function as a subcontractor for this effort to provide ongoing support for IEC TC 114 TAG participation and standards development. To support NREL and DOE with this effort, an organization must document specific capabilities, attributes, and skills as indicated: - Document historical experience, and an extensive technical knowledge of Marine Energy, specifically regarding the conversion of wave, tidal and other water current energy into electrical energy. - Document historical experience of developing industry standards and an understanding of the roles of certifying bodies and regulators and standards organizations - Document the ability to build relationships with customers for the issued and future standards (i.e., national and local government entities, test centers, industry, and certifying bodies and regulators). - Document the ability to manage project teams consisting of members from national laboratories, university, and industry. - Provide documentation that the organization has significant contacts and resources in the MHK field. The interested parties should have a proven ability to efficiently manage subcontracts and effectively work with a wide variety of individuals and organizations. The response to this SOURCES SOUGHT DOCUMENT is limited to 8 pages of single space text of 12-point font or equivalent, with a minimum of 1 inch margins all around. Brevity is encouraged. Any organization interested in working with NREL to provide the technical expertise described within this document may mail a list of qualifications to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Attn: Maurice Nelson, 15013 Denver West Parkway, MS RSF030, Golden, CO 80401. Telephone calls will not be accepted; however, submittal by email is encouraged and should be sent to maurice.nelson@nrel.gov. Electronic format of the Sources Sought response shall be in MSWord. Please do not send scanned .PDFs. Qualifications will be responsive to the items listed above. Responses to this notice, whether mailed hardcopy or electronically, must be received by 5:00 p.m. MST, September 12, 2012. Responding to this request identifies your organization as an interested candidate only. Your submittal is not in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP).