23-0002 - Addendum 1.pdf

Business Services Procurement and Contracting

1270 NW Waterhouse Rd Beaverton, OR 97006

(503) 356-4325

August 8, 2023

SOLICITATION ADDENDUM NO. #1

RFI 23-0002

Storage Battery, Solar Array, & Necessary Infrastructure to Create a Microgrid for Electric School

Buses

THE FOLLOWING CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO THE ABOVE CITED SOLICITATION ARE ANNOUNCED:

This Addendum modifies the Request for Information (RFI) document(s) only to the extent indicated herein.

All other areas not changed or otherwise modified by this Addendum shall remain in full force and effect.

This Addendum is hereby made an integral part of the RFI document. Proposers must be responsive to any requirements of this Addendum as if the requirements were set forth in the RFI. See the RFI regarding requests for clarification or changes of this Addendum, and the deadlines for the foregoing.

The closing date REMAINS: August 23, 2023 at 2:00 PM Pacific Time

QUESTIONS/ANSWERS/CHANGES/CLARIFICATIONS:

1.) What is the address of the site of the proposed microgrid, and what existing loads are at that site?

a. 1270 NW 167th Pl. Beaverton, OR 97006.

b. 18 – 19.2 kWh, 100-amp level 2 chargers; site equipped with 480v/3-phase and 208v power.

2.) What is the composition of the existing electric school bus fleet (e.g., bus type, battery size, etc.)?

a. Four (4) Bluebird Type D with 155kWh Li-ION NMC battery.

b. Four (4) IC Bus Type C with 210 kWh (Enersys Odyssey) battery.

c. Nine (9) additional IC Type C with 210 kWh batteries will be delivered by

12/31/2023.

d. Three (3) Greenpower Beast-D with 194kWh (LiFePo4) battery will be delivered by

02/28/2024.

3.) What is the expected composition of the “up to 50 school buses with batteries ranging from 155 kW to 240 kW” noted in the RFI (e.g., bus type, battery, size, etc.)?

a. Buses will be a combination of those OEM’s listed above and most likely BYD Type D (255 kWh/Iron Phosphate) & Lion D (210 kWh/chemistry unknown).

4.) Will all the electric school buses be charged at the same site (at which the microgrid is located?)

a. All fifty (50) buses will charge simultaneously at the same site once the twenty-two

(22) additional chargers associated with the microgrid are installed.

5.) What is the min, max, and average milage of the school bus fleet that is or will be electrified?

a. Forty-Five (45)/ ninety (95)/ seventy (70)

6.) Do the routes or schedules vary between buses that serve elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, option schools, and options programs?

a. Yes. ESBs will serve all levels of schools. Dwell periods are normally 9:00am – 1:00pm and 5:00pm – 6:30am.

7.) Who at the District would be the primary manager of the microgrid (e.g.; School District staff or Transportation Department staff, or other staff)?

a. Maintenance, repair, and monitoring would be PGE or 3rd party. BSD can do minor diagnoses and repair of chargers but relies on dealer for warranty work and any significant repairs.

8.) Who at the site would be responsible for reviewing the microgrid performance and associated electricity bill?

a. Transportation staff in consultation with third (3rd) parties will oversee maintenance, repair, and monitoring.

9.) Is there available land to power this sort of project nearby? Or is there an arrangement the District has to have access to land?

a. There is currently no land available for such a project. The solution the District is reviewing is a rooftop array for the 20 chargers we are going to install. There is 5200 sq ft of surface on the roof which will house the solar arrays. The District isn’t looking for a 100% charge of the batteries from the rooftop solar array. The solar arrays will primarily be used for contributing to battery storage. There will only be two (2) DC chargers that will be able to contribute to that battery. For extra information, the utility company has indicated that it would be too costly to run lines from our three (3) DC chargers that we currently have to the proposed rooftop solar array. If the District is able to find a more cost-effective way to run the three

(3) DC chargers to battery storage that could potentially be an option.

10.) Regarding the backup generator: a mobile diesel generator was mentioned, does the District already have this generator or is the District open to backup solutions?

a. The District does not currently have the diesel backup generator and are open to other solutions. The original vision for this project was to have the diesel backup generator mounted but the utility company suggested “pulling energy off of the battery for the first twenty-four (24) hours would be easy, but anything after that the District would need to have an alternative solution to generator power.” After that discussion the District had the idea to get a mobile generator for potential cost savings. In conclusion, the District welcomes any and all alternative solutions.

Originally the District was planning for twenty (20) level 2 chargers due to cost savings, however if the District can find a way to procure more level 3 chargers to help with energy generation we hope to do so.

11.) Do all of the school buses return to the transportation depot daily? Or are any houses at school sites?

a. All electric buses are returned to Transportation Department daily.

12.) Do you have an updated daily run mileage number per school bus?

a. Average of 70 miles per electric bus. No electric buses are used for out of District field trips, nor are they used overnight. Buses leave Transportation Department at 6:30am and return at 9:00am. The buses are stationary from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

They leave at 1:30pm and return at/around 5:30pm and are again stationary from 6:00pm to 6:00am.

13.) Is the main purpose for the solar storage microgrid for resiliency and potential revenue gain for selling electricity back to the grid? If there are solutions that serve the same purpose of resiliency and are similar cost parodies is that an acceptable solution? Is the District looking for a combination of a renewable project to continue the impact of zero emissions buses that draws the District to solar storage concept?

a. The primary motivation for the District is for resilience. If there was a power loss for a long period of time the District would still want to be able to power it’s electric school buses. Feeding power back to the grid would be secondary. Acknowledging that the District hasn’t had a major power failure from our utility company, and hopefully that will continue but we would like to be prepared if it were to occur. If there is an alternative for resiliency the District would be open to reviewing.

14.) The RFI highlights “reasonable length of the project” as a request for responses. It mentions an anticipated timeline for full electrification: Does the District anticipate a similar breakdown of level 2 DC fast chargers that it currently has to continue in the future?

a. Due to cost, the District will be limited to how many level 2 DC chargers can be installed versus level 3. Currently, level 2 works very well for the District transportation model due to its long dwell times. The cost of level 2 chargers versus level 3 chargers is significant and therefore economically, level 2 chargers seem to be the solution. Understanding that the level 3 chargers are able to generate revenue the District would like to emphasize that since we are a public school district, profit is not our main concern.

15.) Not a question but more of a suggestion: The market is showing the lower power level 3’s are the most competitive now. We are seeing tier one suppliers are pricing them anywhere from $9k to $11K per unit. We’ve been suggesting the 15-25 kWH for our clients who don’t need fast charge rates. The remote options for these level 3’s often surpass those the level 2 units.

a. Response from PM: We appreciate the feedback and this is not something we initially thought of. If the low kWH level 3’s have the bi-directional feedback it would be something the District would consider.

16.) The RFI highlighted contracting methods for doing this project. Is there an existing preference? Is the District looking at getting a breakdown for how each solution would compare?

a. Yes, the District would prefer a price breakdown and cost comparison for each solution provided. One clarification is that the District would like to own the chargers.

17.) Even though there was a highlight of available rooftop space, but are (these) intended to be above/over the buses?

a. Correct, and this would be south-facing.

18.) If the District does not install solar on top of the carports, will there still be carports?

a. Yes, there will be a cover over the buses. The District plans to mount the poles.

There will be an island with 5 support poles for the roof with four (4) level 2’s per each pole so that there can be buses charging on each side of the island.

19.) Note: Solar carports are typically more expensive than ground-mounted chargers.

20.) Can you provide the addresses for the two sites you are looking to support 50ESB’s each?

a. Site #1: 1270 NW 167th Pl. Beaverton, OR 97006

b. Site #2: 10420 SW Allen Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97006 (not scheduled before 2027)

21.) Do you have a preferred contracting model which you would like to adopt? For instance, are you looking for a “turnkey” provider for site development and operation?

Having single supplier partner can help smooth project delivery and adoption and is more often more cost competitive.

a. We are looking at multiple options and information on all models would be appreciated. Information regarding how other public entities have utilized various contracting models is also appreciated.

22.) What grant and/or make-ready programs are you currently participating in or anticipate participating in to support funding your project?

a. Finishing up PGE Fleet Partner to install nineteen (19) Level 2 chargers, three (3) Level 3 DC Fast Chargers, extend 208V line, install 480V/3-Phase line, transformer, switchgear, vault and circuit panels.

23.) Has Beaverton School District considered load management and integration?

Often the most complex piece of load management integration comes not from the solar array, stationary storage (batteries), or existing facility loads, but from vehicles – leading with a vehicle charge management and integration expert may be advantageous.

a. All solutions are welcomed in the RFI.

24.) Are there any contracting term limitations (years)? Often solar projects are executed under PPAs (power purchase agreements) which tend to have longer term contracts such as 15 to 20 years.

a. The District does not currently have any contract term limitations. Please include any recommendations in any RFI responses.

25.) Beaverton School District has indicated its ultimate desire to electrify 100 buses split between two depots. The total Beaverton SD fleet size is 300. Is there any desire for Beaverton to move towards more electric school buses (perhaps up to 80% of the fleet) or is there a duty cycle limitation with the current electric school bus offering?

a. Due to range limitations, our current plan is to limit electric vehicles to approximately 1/3rd of our fleet. As technology and infrastructure improve in coming decades, BSD may re-evaluate its ratios. The 100-bus limit is a function of OEM technology at this point.

26.) What are the available square feet or acreage available at each proposed site for solar development?

a. There will be a roof partially covering twenty (20) parking spaces that is approximately 5200 sq ft.

27.) Will you accept clean diesel generation in addition to solar guarantee operational uptime?

a. All potential solutions are welcome on this RFI.

28.) What do you see as an extended period of time for the grid to be down?

a. We interpret this to mean greater than 24-hours.

29.) Do you anticipate charging fifty (50) buses at the same time from the battery storage alone during these periods?

a. We would be interested to see the options available to us to charge all or a portion of the buses and how solar can contribute.

30.) Do you anticipate fifty (50) buses to all receive full power charging from PV alone?

a. We are not sure what is possible and look forward to RFI responses to give us a clearer picture of how PV contributes to the microgrid.

31.) Is the solar and battery storage intended for one site or multiple sites at the District?

a. Both sites (167th pl. and SW Allen) but 1270 NW 167th Pl. is our only concern at this point.

32.) Can you provide routes of electrical buses? When are the buses available to charge and what is their estimated state of charge when they begin charging.

a. We are unable to provide specific routing information however, we expect our ESB’s to travel an average of 70 miles per day in Beaverton, Bethany, and West Portland.

b. Estimated SOC will most likely be 35% to 40%.

33.) Can you provide routes of buses during the summer.

a. We are unable to provide specific routing information however, summer routes are very similar to school-year routes.

34.) Can you describe the existing electrical equipment at the site(s)?

a. Nineteen (19) Level 2 Chargers, three (3) Level 3 Chargers, 408V/3-Phase line, transformer, switchgear, vault, and circuit panels.

35.) Does the District have any budget constraints?

a. As a state-funded entity, we are seeking an economical and efficient solution to achieve the necessary requirements.

CLARIFICATION

• RFP Plans for shortly after RFI closes. The District would like to analyze the RFI findings but the District understands supply chain issues with long lead times for transformers.

The District’s ideal timeline would be to get everything up and running by Q1 of 2026.

• Overhead photo of location of proposed carport and charging station.

-END of Addendum Alesha Siebe Procurement Specialist II Beaverton School District

Area the concrete island will go with 20 Level 2 chargers and 5200sqft roof covering

Area of transformer, switch box, circuit panels, and vault