1. Statement of Work.pdf

Plumas National Forest Pike Co Lookout Solar Conversion

Scope of Work (SOW)

Background

Pike County Lookout (3895’) is located on the Feather River Ranger District on the Plumas National Forest, (39 28.487’ 121 12.173’). It is the only staffed Lookout on the West Zone of the Plumas National Forest. During the fire season (May-November), the lookout is staffed 7 days a week with 2 district employees.

The Pike County lookout site also serves as a year-round communications repeater (Tone 12).

Pike County is one of four repeater sites on the West Zone of the Plumas National Forest. Due to the location of the Pike repeater, it is used by multiple agencies to contact dispatch centers in Quincy, Nevada City and Oroville.

The Pike County site is currently fed from overhead PG&E power lines located within a high fire risk corridor. In order to reduce the fire risk on the Plumas National Forest, lower the amount of time spent on maintenance and transition to more sustainable and reliable source of energy the Plumas National Forest is going to convert the Pike County Lookout and repeater site to off-grid solar.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1.0 Description of Services: The contractor shall provide all management, supervision, labor, personnel, transportation, materials, equipment, and supplies, except as otherwise specified, necessary to provide solar design and installation services on the Feather River Ranger District located at Pike County Peak. All work shall be performed in accordance with this statement of work and all federal, state and local laws and regulations.

2.0 Location and Description: The project is located on the Plumas National Forest in the Feather River Ranger District.

2.1 Accessibility: The Lookout and repeater can be accessed from Oroville by travelling on

CA-162E for approximately 5 miles before turning onto Forbestown Road and following for approximately 17 miles. Turn left onto LaPorte Rd and follow for approximately 3 miles. Turn right on Forest Service Rd 19N04 and follow for approximately 1.5 miles.

The forest service road 19N04 to access the site has both natural and gravel surface.

The site is accessible year-round with a standard vehicle except for after heavy rains. A map is included in Attachment A.

3.0 Performance Period

Thirty (30) calendar days. Estimated start date of work is May 1, 2022 with an expected completion date of June 1, 2022.

4.0 Prebid & Prework Conference:

A scheduled pre-bid site walk is scheduled for-

February 24th, 2022 at 1000 PST.

Participants will meet at-

39.494513, -121.207463 (See below map)

Prior to commencement of work, the Contracting Officer (CO) or the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will schedule a meeting with the contractor to discuss the contract terms, work requirements and schedule. At the conference, the Contractor shall designate, in writing, the name and phone number of the Contractor’s on-site representative and their contract responsibilities and authority.

5.0 Contractor Representative

Provide an onsite contract representative who will oversee the performance of the work specified in this contract. Designate in writing to the CO, the name of the contract representative and an alternate(s) who shall have the authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The Contractor’s representative and alternate(s) must have a minimum of mid level management, supervision and operational experience as well as be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.

Notify the CO/COR at least 10 work days in advance of any subsequent change of personnel in this position. Replacement personnel shall have the same level or better experience as the person being replaced.

6.0 Hours of Operation

The contractor is permitted to work M-F from the hours of 0700-1700. Contractor can work weekends at no additional cost to the Forest Service if coordinated with the COR or on-site contact. The site has a Forest Service gate at the entrance, contractor will need to coordinate with COR for site access.

7.0 Specifications

7.1 Scope of Work: The Contractor shall design, furnish and install all components for a complete and functioning solar power harvest and battery back-up system located at Pike County Peak to meet the demands of the repeater and lookout. The Radio Repeater and Lookout should be a part of the same system.

7.1.1 System Components: System components include, but are not limited to inverters, PV arrays, batteries, wire, fittings, junction boxes, grounding system, electrical panels, foundations and any required structures and components to make the system operable and secure to theft or vandalism. Battery health, battery charge capacity, and solar harvest wattage shall be easily viewed within system infrastructure. In addition remote monitoring technology for battery charge and solar harvest shall be installed, so Forest Service personnel can monitor from an off-site location.

7.1.1.1 Replacing interior Fixtures: Contractor shall be responsible for removing and replacing two interior light fixtures with Metalux 2WNLED-LD4-28SL-F-UNV-L8XX-CD1-U or equal inside the lookout tower.

7.1.1.2 Replacing exterior Fixture bulbs: Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing and installing replacement LED light bulbs as approved by the Forest Service on all exterior fixtures on the lookout tower and repeater vault.

7.1.2 Approximate Demands

7.1.2.1 The Radio equipment requires approximately 1.2kW•hr/day usage, and requires a minimum of 800A•hr battery

7.1.2.2 The Lookout Tower features exterior lights, 20A exterior GFCI receptacle, interior lights, microwave, (2) mini fridges, convenience receptacles, air conditioning unit, hot plate. Requires a minimum battery storage capacity of approximately two (2) days usage.

7.1.2.3 Contractor shall calculate actual demands in order to engineer sizing of the solar array and battery storage system.

7.1.3 Infrastructure for Future Expansion

7.1.3.1 System design shall include an outlet to plug in a back-up fuel generator or future solar trailer with inverter (generator or trailer provided by Government). Solar infrastructure shall also have automatic start-stop capabilities to allow for a permanent automatic generator set-up to be installed in the future.

7.1.3.2 Battery system shall be designed to allow for storage expansion in the future

7.2 Design and Installation Package: The Contractor shall provide the following information and submittals to the Contracting Officer for review and approval prior to proceeding with the purchase and installation of materials. Allow seven (14) calendar days for review and approval.

7.2.1 Manufacturer’s product literature (e.g. data sheets, product specs, installation instructions, etc)

7.2.2 Maintenance Checklist for solar installation

7.2.3 Work Schedule (due at time of bid submission)

7.2.4 Planned Service Interruptions

7.2.5 Copies of any required permits

7.2.6 Warranty Information

7.2.7 Design Plans and Specifications for PV system stamped and signed by a licensed PE. Must include load sizing calculations.

7.2.7.1 Professional Engineer (PE) must have current and valid registration and must be licensed to practice in the state of California.

7.3 Existing Site Conditions

7.3.1 The PV panels and associated infrastructure can be located anywhere in the area noted in Attachment A. If the contractor determines the most efficient location for the panels is outside of the proposed footprint, please include details in proposal submission. It is preferred by the Forest Service that the panels are located on the top or sides of the Lookout Tower. Contractor is responsible for engineering and determining structural loads of existing tower and confirming they are adequate to mount panels. Typical Forest Service details for a 20’ tower are included in Attachment B.

7.3.2 The current facility has had security issues, so any added infrastructure on the ground, such as PV panels and batteries, need to be located within a secure, lockable area. The contractor shall be responsible for providing all the secure storage infrastructure and components.

7.3.3 Contractor shall be responsible for protecting all existing elements at the site including road, and existing vegetation and structures. The Contractor shall be responsible for fixing or replacing in-kind any damage that occurs as a result of the contractor’s actions throughout the duration of the project.

7.3.4 Contractor shall be responsible for coordinating and removing current electrical panel and Utility meter assembly. Contractor shall replace the existing panel with a new 100A 120/240 panel. PG&E wire from existing panel shall be left in underground conduit and accessible for future connection. Location of the new panel is at the discretion of the contractor and shall be approved by the Government prior to installation.

All labor, equipment and material required but not limited to junction boxes, conduit, wire and trenches needed to tie in existing circuits to new panel shall be the responsibility of the contractor. Reference Attachment A for more details.

7.4 Design and Construction Standards: No requirement of this contract shall supersede applicable regulations, local codes and/or standards. Any violation of such regulations and standards should be brought to the attention of the Forest Service CO for clarification or direction prior to proceeding with the work. The following codes and standards shall apply to this contract:

7.4.1 Title 24, California Building Code (CBC)

7.4.2 International Building Code (IBC)

7.4.3 American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

7.4.4 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) – 29 CFR 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards

7.4.5 29 CFR 1926, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction

7.4.6 National Electric Code (NEC), current addition

7.4.7 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards

7.4.8 National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)

7.4.9 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations

7.5 Inspection and Commissioning: The contractor shall be responsible for quality control during installation. The contractor shall inspect and test all work performed during the system installation to ensure compliance with SOW and applicable codes and standards. The contractor shall maintain records of inspections and tests, including inspections and tests conducted by any non-Federal organization. Copies of inspections and tests shall be provided to the Contracting Officer prior to acceptance of the project.

7.6 Service Interruptions: For any planned utility service interruptions, the contractor shall furnish a request to the COR for approval. The Forest Service and COR will coordinate with affected facilities and PG&E. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 72-hour notice prior to any service interruption.

7.7 Operation, Repair, and Maintenance: Operations, repair, and maintenance of the solar system are the responsibility of the government after written acceptance of the project. The contractor shall assist the government in warranty administration during the warranty period. Contractor shall provide a minimum of three (3) hard copies of O&M manuals for all systems and products installed prior to commencement of acceptance period.

7.8 Training: The contractor shall provide a training program for agency personnel for the entire PV system. The program shall include instruction on operation, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair of PV system. Training shall include written materials and shall be able to be video recorded by Forest Service personnel.

Fourteen (14) days advance notice shall be provided to the CO for any scheduled training.

7.9 30-Day Acceptance Test Period: The Forest Service will require a 30-day acceptance test period prior to project acceptance. During this period, the Contractor remediate any issues that occur with the system and its components. Test period shall begin 30 days after scheduled system training.

7.10 Availability of Utilities: The contractor is responsible for providing all required utilities to complete the project including but not limited to temporary restrooms, generators & water. There are no Forest Service utilities provided at the site.

7.11 Fire Prevention: The contractor shall ensure its employees follow proper fire prevention protocol for handling and storing combustible supplies, materials, and trash.

7.12 Additional Deliverables and Submittals: The Contractor shall provide the following documents and submittals after the completion of the project:

7.12.1 Testing and Inspection Reports

7.12.2 As-built plans and specifications

7.12.3 O&M Manuals

7.12.4 Warranty information (see section 7.13)

7.12.5 Training Materials

7.13 Warranty Requirements: Unless otherwise specified, all warranty requirements shall follow the provisions of FAR 52.246-21. All PV system components shall carry a warranty for a minimum of 5 years. If extended warranties are available for PV system components, these shall be offered to the government as an option.

7.14 Storage Areas: Contractor can store materials and equipment at the site and shall coordinate with the COR.

7.15 Buy American – Construction Materials: Contractor should purchase material in accordance with FAR 52.225-9