R-22 Chiller Repowering Assessment

THIS IS A MARKET SURVEY AND NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. RESPONSES SHALL BE USED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND SHALL NOT COMMIT THE NIH TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION FOR THIS REQUIREMENT. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT A SOLICITATION BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF THIS MARKET SURVEY WILL BE PUBLISHED AND THAT A SUBSEQUENT FIRM FIXED PRICE CONTRACT FROM THE SOLICITATON WILL BE AWARDED IN 2013. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expects the contractor to evaluate and report on the condenser and evaporator shell and tube heat exchanger, pump and motor sets, and cooling towers and electric systems for chiller and cooling tower systems 16 through 21 for repowering units to operate on refrigerant 134a. The contract vehicle for this Engineering Service is a Firm Fixed Price contract for a 36 month period. The total contract award value will not exceed $2M. BACKGROUND: The main Central Utility Plant, Building 11, contains six (6) York 5000 ton R-22 chillers, and six (6) 5000 ton R-134a chillers with secondary pumping. NIH has to address the need to comply with the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act as it relates to the future use of refrigerant 22 (R-22). Refrigerant 22 (R-22) is the last of the HCFC's (Hydro chlorofluorocarbons) present on site and known to be a contributor to both the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. NIH has six (6) York 5000 ton R-22 chillers that must be either replaced or repowered with R-134a to continue to meet the NIH Bethesda campus cooling (chilled water) load. We presently have three York OM5000 models with electric chiller drives, two York M5000 models with electric drives, and one York M255137 model with a dual electric and steam drive. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The selected contractor shall evaluate and report on the condenser and evaporator shell and tube heat exchanger, pump and motor sets, and cooling towers and electric systems for chiller and cooling tower systems 16 through 21 for repowering units to operate on refrigerant 134a. The evaluation will determine the possibility of salvaging the existing evaporator and condenser shell and tube units (heat exchangers), with necessary modifications, while replacing the compressor driveline, the evaporator and condenser pump and motor systems, and possibly the intercooler, cooling towers and controls for a more efficient operation without loss of cooling capacity. This comprehensive assessment shall include but not be limited to all associated components of the chiller system (s) mentioned above including the chilled water piping back to the common header for integrity and size, and the entire condenser water piping system to and from the towers including the common header. The assessment shall also include the structural support of the evaporator and condenser, the isolation pad layout, proposed components for the new chiller system, modeling to predict performance and capacity for the York 5000 ton chillers using 134a refrigerant, and modeling for the associated cooling towers. The selected contractor shall obtain York design and specification documentation, tools, software, etc. to analyze our systems and components that will remain in service for another 25 years to 30 years as well as the new components to match the existing components to remain in service. This is a small business sources sought notice seeking Small, Small Disadvantaged, SBA-certified HUBZone, SBA-certified 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) or Women Owned. Responses should include a narrative identifying the scope of past and current services contracted for within the past (5) years; describe capabilities to perform the services described in the synopsis; provide detailed experience with testing, evaluating, and engineering on York 5000 ton chiller systems including the associated cooling towers; and include references for each contract. Respondents should ensure their responses are complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine their qualifications and capabilities to perform the assigned work. Additional Information: Submission of additional supporting material is admissible only to the extent that it graphically (via drawings and photographs) substantiates the relevant project work specifically described. Additional material should not exceed 10 double-sided pages. Send responses to the Contracting Officer to the address indicated below -- no phone calls or emails. The Government will not pay for any material provided in response to this market survey or return the data provided. This is NOT a request for proposal and does not constitute any commitment by the Government. Responses to this sources sought notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this market survey. The awarded contract including all option years will not exceed $2M. The Government intends to award Firm Fixed Price Negotiated Contract inclusive of all three years.