2158_Mar_16_26_solicitation_doc.pdf

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation document issued by the Town of Vernon, Connecticut Department of Public Works for a solar photovoltaic carport system project. The Town seeks sealed proposals from qualified solar Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors to design, engineer, procure, install, and commission a front-of-meter solar carport system at the DPW facility located at 383 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, Connecticut. The project encompasses a 200-250 kW-DC system capped at 200 kW-AC under the Connecticut Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Buy-All/Sell-All Tariff program with Eversource as the utility provider. CSW Energy is supporting the Town as part of the project team. The solicitation opened on March 11, 2026 at 11:30 AM EDT and closes on April 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT. A mandatory pre-bid conference and facility walk-through is scheduled for March 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the DPW facility, with attendance required for all bidders; proposals from parties failing to attend will be disqualified. Bidder inquiries must be submitted via email to Dwight Ryniewicz, Director of Public Works at dryniewicz@vernon-ct.gov no later than April 1, 2026 at 3:30 PM, with answers posted by April 8, 2026. Two sealed proposal copies must be submitted to John W. Kleinhans, Town Administrator at Memorial Building, 14 Park Place, 3rd Floor, Vernon, Connecticut 06066 by the April 16, 2026 deadline, with public opening and reading of proposals to occur at that time. Contract execution is required within ten business days of Notice of Award, and proposals remain valid for 90 days following submission.

Pricing must be submitted as a firm, fixed lump-sum proposal expressed in dollars per watt-direct current with detailed cost breakdowns by major components including engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning. The total project budget is $900,000, with a maximum EPC contract value of $865,000, which must include a fixed $35,000 development fee to CSW Energy payable in three milestone-based installments (10 percent within ten days of execution, 40 percent within ten days of project commencement, and 50 percent within ten days of receiving Permission to Operate from Eversource). Bidders must provide a certified check or bid bond equal to five percent of the bid amount. The Town of Vernon will retain ownership of the completed system under the turnkey EPC delivery model and will waive all permit and inspection fees. The Town will perform certain construction support activities including trenching, backfilling, asphalt and concrete cutting and repair, tree and vegetation removal, and parking lot re-striping. The contractor assumes responsibility for all utility interconnection application fees and obtaining Approval to Energize from Eversource, with any required system upgrades treated as pass-through costs subject to prior written approval. Prevailing wage requirements apply with certified payrolls required prior to payment requisitions. The Town encourages participation from Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), though no specific set-asides are designated, and all contractors must comply with municipal, state, and federal affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity practices. Connecticut sales tax is excluded per CGS 12-412(a).