2026_ThermalEEProgramsEvaluation _Q&AResponses.pdf

Evaluation of Thermal Energy Efficiency Programs in Vermont’s Single Family Residential

Existing Buildings Market

Answers to bidder questions regarding the RFP October 21, 2026

1. Proposal schedule: Different parts of the RFP list different due dates. Is the proposal due on 11/4/2026 or 11/10/2026?

A1: Proposals are due on November 10, 2026. This has been corrected in the revised RFP.

2. Project schedule: The cover email indicates an expected 10-month work schedule, a 14-month contract period, and project completion by September 30, 2027, while the RFP calls for final impact evaluation reports by May 28, 2027. Given the time that may be required to obtain sufficient delivered-fuel billing data and complete the associated impact analysis, could you clarify whether the May 28 date is a firm deadline or a suggested schedule? Should bidders propose a schedule they consider feasible, provided all work is completed by September 30, 2027?

A2: In consideration of feedback from bidders, the Department has modified the RFP to extend the deliverables and reports schedule as shown below. This schedule will also be negotiable after a successful bidder is selected.

Proposals due: 11/10/26 (no change)

Contractor selection expected 11/18/26 (no change)

Contract execution target date 12/16/26 (no change)

Process evaluation data collection completed 3/5/27 (was 1/29/27)

Process evaluation draft report due: 4/9/27 (was 2/26/27)

Process evaluation final report due: 4/30/27 (was 4/2/27)

Regulated fuel impact evaluation draft report due: 5/14/27 (was 3/5/27)

Delivered fuel impact evaluation draft report due: 7/2/27 (was 4/30/27)

Regulated fuel impact evaluation final report due: 6/18/27 (was 5/28/27)

Delivered fuel impact evaluation final report due: 8/6/27 (was 5/28/27)

Term of contract ends: 9/30/27 (no change)

3. Process schedule: The proposal is due in early November, and award may occur in late November. Then contracting will require at least several more weeks, if not longer.

Therefore the study may not launch until late December or early January, however the RFP requires all process evaluation data collection to be completed by 1/29/2027. Can you please reconsider the process data collection and reporting schedule in light of the RFP due date?

A3: The Department has revised the deliverables and reporting schedule based on bidder feedback. See the answers to questions #2 and #10.

4. Electric demand savings: The impact evaluation scope calls for estimation of thermal and electric energy savings and specifically requires estimation of peak-day natural gas usage. Should bidders also include estimation of electric demand (kW) savings in the proposed scope and budget? If so, could PSD clarify the expected electric demand savings metric(s)?

A4: The evaluator will be asked to estimate electric demand savings, but according to the Vermont TRM, the demand savings for thermal shell is directly proportional to electricity savings. "Demand savings are exclusive to the heating season and the winter peak demand period. The total electric savings for each source (e.g., heat pump) resulting from [airsealing, insulating] are divided by the expected full load heating hours to establish the demand reduction. The loadshape is subsequently used in conjunction with this value to establish winter peak demand savings. KW savings = kWh savings / EFLHheat “

5. Comparison group data availability: Task 2 calls for a matched comparison group of stalled participants or non-participating households. What data should bidders assume will be available for these households to support matching and the impact analysis?

A5: VGS has approximately 100 stalled projects for the study period and has name, building address, mailing address, email and phone numbers for all of them. VGS will be able to provide a sample of non-participant homes from their natural gas customer list with contact information, usage data, and building descriptions.

For EVT/HPwES, noting that the RFP defines stalled customers as "customers who have completed an audit but not moved forward with a project," the program does not require contractors to submit every audit they complete to the program administrator to minimize contractor administrative burden and ensure efficient allocation of program resources.

Contractors typically don't submit projects to reserve an incentive until they are under contract with a customer to complete a project. For non-participating households, EVT will work with the evaluator to define a best practice approach that is feasible with the customer data EVT has access to.

6. Electric and gas consumption data: Could PSD clarify what electric and natural gas consumption data bidders should assume will be available for participants, stalled participants, and non-participants, and, for electricity, whether interval/AMI data will be available?

A6: Natural gas monthly usage data will be available for all sampled natural gas heated homes, stalled projects and sampled non-participants. Electric usage data will be available for all HPwES program projects, stalled projects and sampled non-participants including electrically heated and delivered fuels participants. For the most part this will be AMI 15-minute interval data except for the 5% to 10% of Vermont homes where AMI infrastructure has not yet been deployed.

7. Participating customer contact information: What type of contact information (mailing address, phone number, email, etc.) is available for participating customers from each of the three programs? About what percent of these participating customer records include (1) mailing addresses, (2) phone numbers, and (3) emails?

A7: VGS has names, mailing addresses and building addresses for all participants.

Approximately four participants (~1%) do not have emails and almost 40 (~13%) didn't have phone numbers with the vast majority of those being BPI/EVT shared projects. None of the projects were missing both email and phone number.

EVT HPwES has contact information for all active and completed projects, since it is collected from contractors as part of project processing.

8. Participating contractors: About how many contractors participated in each of the three programs over the 2024-2025 period? What type of contact information (mailing address, phone number, email, etc.) is available for these participating contractors?

A8: VGS: There were approximately a dozen Weatherization Contractors in the VGS program and they have the majority of the contact information on these contractors. The remaining approximately 10 percent are likely "one-offs" but those can probably be tracked down.

EVT (HPwES): HPwES had 41 contractors working on market rate projects during the review period. They have all the standard contact info for these contractors and will be happy to facilitate contacting these contractors on behalf of evaluators.

9. The overview gives proposals due November 4 with selection by November 16. The cover page and submission section say November 10 and November 18. We assume November 4th/16th is a typo. Please confirm.

A9: The Department confirms that November 10, 2026, is the due date for proposal submission. Please understand that the November 18 date for selection of a contractor is not a firm commitment but a target date.

10. The overview gives a 10-month work schedule and 14-month contract, with the work being completed by September 30, 2027. The proposed reporting schedule suggests a shorter work duration: 5 months to complete the impact evaluation and 2 months to complete the process evaluation. Please confirm which is correct. Is there any flexibility to the schedule?

A10: Based on bidder feedback, the Department has revised the deliverables and reporting schedule as shown in answer to question 2, above. This is also reflected in the deliverables schedule on page 11 of the revised RFP as follows:

11. What contact information is available for each of the three tracks (roughly)?

A11: See specific answers below in blue:

1. HPwES: This contact information is available for all active and completed projects, since it is collected from contractors as part of project processing.

1. % with emails - nearly 100%

2. % with phone numbers - nearly 100%

3. % with complete address - nearly 100%

2. VGS RIR: VGS has names, mailing addresses, and building addresses for all participants. Approximately four participants do not have emails (did not use email), almost 40 didn't have phone numbers with the vast majority of those being BPI/EVT shared projects. None of the projects were missing both an email and a phone number.

1. % with emails - approximately 99%

2. % with phone numbers - approximately 13%

3. % with complete address - nearly 100%

3. VGS/CVWS low income - There were no joint CVOEO/VGS projects during the study period

1. % with emails

2. % with phone numbers

3. % with complete address - nearly 100%

12. The RFP identifies an expected 10-month work schedule within a 14-month contract period, with completion by September 30, 2027. Can you clarify whether the Department is open to negotiating the timing of individual tasks, interim deliverables, and the draft and final reports? Are there specific milestones or completion dates that should be considered fixed?

A12: As noted above, considering feedback from bidders, the Department has modified the RFP to extend the deliverables and reports schedule. In addition, this schedule will be negotiable after a successful bidder is selected.

Evaluation of Thermal Energy Efficiency Programs in Vermont’s Single Family Residential Existing Buildings Market