36E77618R0085-002.pdf

Attachment 1 – Section 001121 Request for Proposal to Design-Build

SECTION 00 11 21

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO DESIGN-BUILD

A. PART I - GENERAL

A1. Scope of Contract

The Government shall furnish solar photovoltaic (PV) panels as stated in the scope of work. The contractor is to provide all other materials, labor, tools equipment, design, and construction services necessary to complete the design and subsequent construction of the project described herein and other specific tasks as further defined by this request for proposal (RFP).

A. Project Number: 691A4-18-110SM

B. Project Title: Turnkey Solar Photovoltaic System

C. Project Location: VA Sepulveda Campus, 16111 Plummer Street, North Hills, CA 91343

D. Scope of Work:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) intends to procure a turnkey solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center at 16111 Plummer Street, North Hills, CA.

91343. The size of the system shall be between 100 kW to 150 kW to be installed at Site 6.

The VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center has chosen to pursue the following site:

Site 6: Empty Lot next to Parking Lot X

Figure 1 displays the exiting PV areas, highlighted in red at the VA Sepulveda campus that are already installed and tied to the utility grid; the original project was installed and constructed by Sunpower Corporation. This new Site 6 area will be an addition to this existing solar system. A detailed proposal shall be submitted for Site 6 area listed in Figure 1. The optimal configuration for the Site 6 area shall be proposed by the contractor and shall be based on the system which provides the best economic returns for the VA.

This work involves the complete design build and installation of a fully functioning ground mount solar PV system including, but not limited to the equipment selection, permitting, bonding, installation, and interconnection of a PV system.

Site 6 includes VA Sepulveda Campus empty lot next to Parking Lot X. Parking Lot X already has a solar system that is tied through its solar inverter and step up transformer to the campus medium voltage Los Angeles Department of Water and Power supply transformer. The Site 6 solar system shall be tied to the same medium voltage network and to the closest medium voltage man hole.

The PV system shall be located at Site 6. The PV scope consists of the CLINs, described below:

CLIN 1 (Base): 100 kW (DC) solar ground mount PV system located on Site 6 CLIN 2 (Base): Utility interconnection CLIN 3 (Option): 50 kW (DC) of additional ground mount solar PV on Site 6, to be exercised at time of award.

Figure 1: VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center

Government Furnished Equipment:

VA will provide the following materials as government furnished equipment which is stored in the trailer next to Site 6:

Solar Modules Only – Quantity of 336, Kyocera 245W Modules

VA will be responsible for the Government-provided solar panels warranty, not the solar contractor.

Contractor shall re-use existing VA furnished solar panels and provide all labor and all additional materials to properly ground mount these solar panels at Site 6. Material that the contractor will not be able to use for any reason based on the solar design will have to be disposed of and recycled by the contractor. Any additional material that is needed such as properly sized solar inverter, ground mount racking system, electrical disconnects, additional solar panels to meet capacity requirements, step up transformer (note that the main utility, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power supply is at 4,800 V for the step up transformer), and all ancillary material will be procured, paid for, and installed by the contractor for a complete turnkey operating solar system. Medium voltage cable shall be rated at 15,000 V.

Interconnection:

The proposal shall describe how solar power is interconnected to the campus electrical distribution system. Contractor shall assess the proposed Site 6, provide construction details, and plans to ensure topographical conditions are suitable for the proposed installation. The plan shall at a minimum identify the array plan view, possible shadow zones, inverter/transformer locations, open area mounting and racking details, and wire routing. All wiring has to be covered and protected (coyotes at the Sepulveda Campus like to chew on wire/ cable insulation). All site preparation work shall be accomplished by the contractor and schedules shall be approved by the government COR prior to commencing work.

Contractor shall coordinate with the COR for proper phasing of the work performed at Site 6. Contractor shall not hinder and aggravate traffic and parking conditions at the VA.

The structural requirements for the Solar PV system and associated structures have to be calculated and implemented during the detailed design of the Solar PV system, to meet VA and local city of Los Angeles and California state seismic requirements. Contractor shall coordinate fully with the COR and for all power shut down requirements. At least three (3) weeks of notice is required for a shutdown.

The final system configuration shall allow automatic operation without operator intervention. System design and equipment specifications shall minimize maintenance requirements. System shall connect to existing metering system provided by Sunpower system. System performance shall include at a minimum solar irradiance, DC power, AC real power, AC current, AC voltage, and power factor (recommend ION 7650/7550 for AC); ambient air temperature, PV cell temperature, and AC energy during different monitoring periods.

The Contractor shall:

1. Be solely responsible for compliance to federal, state and local Safety (OSHA, etc.), Life and Fire Safety (NFPA, etc.), and Environmental (EPA, etc) rules and regulations. Contractor shall submit all required programs, plans and documents with respect to regulator compliance (Project Specific Safety Plan, etc.).

2. Be solely responsible for the verification of existing conditions ensuring to ascertain the site conditions that may affect required equipment clearances, electrical, metering, control and mechanical requirements of the contract;

3. Comply with, review, and incorporate any interconnection agreements, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power utility-required disconnects, and utility-grade meters into this project.

4. Work closely with the utility company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LA DWP), to meet and comply with their requirements and pay for all fees required by LA DWP for proper solar interconnection and generate solar agreement.

5. Determine the techniques, means, method, and materials of installation to meet the requirements of this contract and provide a proposal to accomplish the work described herein.

6. Provide all labor, materials (other than the provided solar PV panels), equipment, supervision and management required to implement the proposal and to provide a fully operational system.

7. Provide all general installation work. Any structural work must be approved by the VA’s

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) prior to installation. Contractor shall comply with local and VA seismic code requirements and have a California Licensed Structural Engineer review and stamp solar installation.

8. Coordinate with VA and local authorities to minimize pedestrian and traffic disruptions during delivery and construction.

9. Provide solar start-up, testing and document final operation.

10. Provide as-built documentation, record drawings, Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manuals and operator training as described in the Project Closeout section.

11. Provide any or all additional material that the design and installation will require in addition to the material provided by the VA. Some PV modules are supplied by the VA. Contractor shall provide proper sized inverter and step up transformer.

12. Provide the VA a complete turnkey, commissioned and warranted system as outlined in this contract.

13. Provide all material and labor for proper signage indicating the OSHA and NFPA requirements of the solar panels installation at both entrances. Signs shall match the rest of the signs at the VA Sepulveda Campus or larger.

14. Ensure that all equipment that will be installed outdoors meets the outdoor adverse weather requirements and ensure that is corrosion free. Prime and paint as required.

15. Grade and prepare Site 6, clear all weeds and dirt to receive the solar panels. Cover ground with industrial rated weed barrier and install rocks on top of weed barrier at a 4 inches depth (rocks at least 0.5 inches in diameter) to ensure no growth of weeds within the Site 6 area.

16. Tie the solar monitoring system to the existing Sunpower monitoring system. The string monitoring is for the purpose of tracking performance and alarming conditions of individual string arrays that are under performing. String performance shall be logged every fifteen (15) minutes.

String monitoring shall be connected to existing VA local metering system via a wired RS485 and if necessary a fiber connection to all combiner boxes.

Main Individual Site Metering system shall:

1. Be revenue grade (ANSI C12.20 - 0.2)

2. Comply with EN50160, EC 61000-4-30 Class A, and IEEE 1159

3. Be capable of disturbance direction detection

4. Contain at least 5MB of onboard memory with data logging and event recording capacity to account for network outages and downtime.

5. Contain a minimum of five (5) digital inputs

6. Contain multiple electromechanical and solid-state outputs to allow a high level of integration with 3rd party devices and systems.

7. Include LAN (Ethernet or wireless) connectivity which allows remote monitoring and troubleshooting and for connection with the VA utility metering data aggregation system.

8. Collect and transmit system performance data to include at a minimum solar irradiance, DC power, AC real power, AC current, AC voltage, and power factor; ambient air temperature, PV cell temperature and AC energy produced (hourly, daily, monthly, yearly). Logging shall be recorded in fifteen (15) minute intervals.

9. Provide remote monitoring of real-time system performance data (as outlined above) on a web-based portal. All service fees associated with data collection, transmission, monitoring, and hosting shall be borne by the contractor for a period of five years from system startup.

Individual String Metering system shall:

1. Monitoring instantaneous and average DC Current of individual PV Strings.

2. Capable of reporting total and average of several strings (min of 8 each) every fifteen (15) minutes

3. Capable of setting alarming points for out of range performance.

4. Accuracy of +/- 1%

5. Communicate via a two wire RS485 Modbus to local VA Data Acquisition Metering (DAS)

Automatic Metering System (AMR).

6. Capable of being viewed on web based portal

7. RS485 terminals shall be electrically isolated for safety

8. Current Transformers (CTs) capable of at least 50A at 600VDC

9. Suitable for outdoor installation in NEMA cabinet and cooling fans provided if needed for circuity protection.

10. Reporting of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Temperature

11. System shall be capable of economically reporting all string parameters every fifteen (15) minute and retaining information for at least ten (10) years.

17. Perform man-hole survey of manhole on and near Parking Lot X to evaluate the existing underground structures and raceway to determine most cost-effective manner of routing new U.G.

medium voltage cables rated at 15,000V. Contractor shall contact Dig Alert. Perform survey to locate all underground utilities in the working vicinity of this job. The purpose is to ensure that contractor does not damage existing underground utilities in the area when trenching.

18. Obtain approval by the Government prior to delivery to job site. Submit shop drawings for: Slab size and Pad Mounted inverter, transformer and disconnect (switchboard) mountings. A single slab shall have architectural footing and shall be place on a 8” bed of gravel and shall be a minimum of 10”thick with 24” footing. Provide ground grid. Concrete shall be 3000 PSI minimum.

Provide secondary containment around the transformer meeting the VA and U.S. EPA requirements. The transformer, inverter, disconnect installation, slab, secondary containment, cover, fence shall match the solar transformer pad and disconnects for the Parking Lot X canopy installation and should be preferably installed next to it.

19. Ensure the transformer is oil-filled, environmentally friendly (cooper Envirotran or equal), have primary fuse and secondary main breaker and dead front. Transformer shall be of the energy efficient type and shall have Government approved energy efficiency ratings. Accessories to include: Dial type thermometer, Magnetic liquid-level gauge, pressure vacuum gauge, pressure relief valve, one-inch drain valve. Provide for transformer secondary oil containment per EPA and local code requirements and guidelines. Provide proper cover for the solar inverter, disconnects and ancillary equipment to protect from adverse weather and rain. Coordinate with the COR and for a proper location of this solar equipment pad at Site 6. Provide similar equipment pad as Parking Lot X solar equipment, with concrete pad, cover and fenced area and access gate with lock.

20. Ensure AIC ratings of all distribution components shall exceed symmetrical short circuit fault current available at service switchgear or as calculated at location of new service equipment.

Contractor shall refer and utilize the latest short circuit and coordination study at the VA Sepulveda Campus. Contractor shall provide all proper arc flash labels.

21. Ensure medium voltage conduits shall be schedule 40. Conduits shall stub into base of transformer or into slab box as appropriate. Medium voltage conduit shall be encased in structural concrete per VA criteria and Southern California Edison Underground Structure. Provide compaction of concrete, subgrade, grade and top soil per densities indicated in the SCE underground structures manual and VA specifications. Minimum burial depth is 36” below finished grade. Include identification tape atop of concrete duct. Identify all equipment with proper numbering and include brass or stainless steel engraved plates at all accessible medium voltage cable locations and underground low voltage cable locations. All exterior anchors and bolts and washers shall be 300 series stainless steel. All medium voltage 4,800 VAC electrical work has been completed by De Young Power Systems, Redlands, CA.

22. Provide all NEMA 3R rated outdoor equipment. Seismically mount and secure all equipment. All field anchors, bolts and washers shall be 300 series stainless steel. Unistrut channel shall be hot-dipped galvanized. Provide grounding diagram and details, showing grounding at Man-Holes, Pull boxes, Transformer, and all low voltage distribution equipment. Transformer shall be grounded per SCE underground Structures requirements. Low Voltage switchgear shall be grounded per

NEC.

23. Install fence link and gate around the transformer and switchboard/ inverter equipment at a minimum height of ten (10) feet. Contractor shall install fence all around ground mount solar installation at Site 6. Provide double gate at least 8 feet wide for maintenance access.

24. Provide one (1) light pole with two (2) light fixtures (with at least 150 Watts LED outdoor light bulbs) and an outdoor rated light switch next to fence gate to illuminate the solar ground mount area if needed for VA Police inspections at night time. Intercept the light circuit from the existing under canopy solar lighting and extend thru proper size conduit (at least ¾ inch) below ground across to the ground mount site underneath parking lot X to the light switch and light fixtures on top of light pole. Contractor shall repave resurface, compact and restore parking lot paving after trenching for light circuit and conduit.

25. Coordinate and schedule all work with COR for all power shut down requirements. Request for approval shall be submitted at least three (3) weeks prior to the anticipated shutdown.

26. Submit equipment submittals for approval by the government of all equipment and all components planned to be used on this job.

a. All work shall comply with the latest edition of the National Electric Code, Southern

California Edison’s Underground Structures, the latest UBC and NFPA codes as referenced in the VA’s construction program and design guides.

b. Upon close of construction, provide red-lined marked-up As-Built drawings and training to Maintenance and Operations staff.

c. Contractor shall restore all affected surfaces to as-was-existing condition. Damaged Lawn areas shall be replanted with seed and seed topper.

d. Contractor shall perform all necessary site investigations and attend routine construction meetings.

e. Phasing and Impact: Coordinate with Maintenance and Operations staff to determine and document acceptable levels of both disruption and interference to Healthcare operations. Contractor shall also:

• Prepare scheduling/phasing documents.

• Establish approximate work hours/time for shut-down of medium voltage circuit as approved by Project Engineer.

f. General Drawing Submission Requirements: Shop Drawing Submission Requirements are available on the internet at the following address: http://www.cfm.va.gov/. As-built drawings for the Medical Center are available. (note: these drawings are not completely accurate. A-E shall verify existing conditions.) All drawings will be prepared with the VA Standard Title Block and Border. All drawings shall be produced using AutoCAD 2005 or newer. Each individual file on a DVD shall be named by numbers corresponding to the construction documents (i.e. the specs shall be named 00 11 22, 33 44 55, etc. and the drawings shall be E1, E2, etc.) and the final AutoCAD/specifications files shall be exactly as submitted in the final submission.

g. Incorporated References: The following Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Construction and Facilities Management, information is incorporated within the Scope of Work by reference, and can be found on the VA web site at http://www.cfm.va.gov/ Master Specifications; Design Guides; Design Manuals; Standard Details; Design Alerts;

and Quality Alerts.

A2. Definitions

1. Design-Build (D-B): as defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the procurement by the Government, under one contract, with one firm or Joint Venture (JV) for both design and construction services for a specific project.

2. Contracting Officer (CO): A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The term includes certain authorized representatives of the contracting officer acting within the limits of their authority as delegated by the contracting officer. “Administrative contracting officer (ACO)” refers to a contracting officer who is administering contracts. “Termination contracting officer (TCO)” refers to a contracting officer who is settling terminated contracts. A single contracting officer may be responsible for duties in any or all of these areas.

3. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): The Contracting Officer's written designation of a representative responsible for administering contracts under the immediate direction of the Contracting Officer. For the purposes of this contract the term “COR” will be used herein.

4. Technical Monitor (TM): This term, as used herein, refers to the person(s) assisting the COR in administering contracts under the immediate direction of the Contracting Officer.

5. Design-Build Contract: This term, as used herein, refers to the contract(s) to perform the design and construction of the project.

6. Contractor: This term, as used herein, refers to the contractor under this contract or the D-B team. The contractor or D-B team is solely responsible for the management (planning, supervision, and contract coordination), design, and (professional) services and installation (including all labor, equipment, materials, tools, and inspections) to meet the requirements of this contract.

7. Architect-Engineer (A-E): This term, as used herein, refers to the A-E firm(s) that is a part of the D-B team, also referred to as D-B A-E.

8. Project Management: The contractor shall provide an individual in the capacity of a contractor project manager. The contractor project manager shall have legal (on-site signature) authority to represent the Contractor. The Project Manager shall be the initial point of contact for coordinating with the VA.

A3. Pre-Proposal Site Visit

The VA will schedule the pre-proposal site visit for Phase II of the Design-Build process.

Location: TBD Date / Time: TBD

All Offerors, consultants, subcontractors, manufacturers and suppliers are invited to attend. The following agenda is furnished for this meeting:

1. Open meeting & introductions;

2. Review of project and Design-Build method for construction contracting;

3. Specifications;

4. General requirements, Solicitation Documents and Offer Submission Procedure;

6. Questions and answers;

7. Close; and

8. Site walk through – attendance is optional.

*Please note that attendance for the pre-proposal conference and / or the site walkthrough is voluntary; however, an RSVP must be sent to Lauren.Brauer@va.gov no later than: (date and time TBD), if your company plans to attend. Please include the project title in the subject line of the email, as well as the names of the attendees (no more than three per Offeror).

A4. Permit Requirements

The D-B Contractor is responsible for obtaining all permits and approvals necessary to complete the project, prior to starting construction.

A5. Selection Criteria

A. In accordance with FAR part 15 the Government intends to award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Offeror whose proposal represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors in the Two-Phase Design-Build solicitation. Responsibility determination will be made in accordance with FAR 9.1, Responsible Prospective Contractors.

B. Evaluations: All Phase I and Phase II proposals shall be subject to evaluation by a team of

Government personnel. In Phase I of the Two-Phase Design-Build process, Offerors will submit a Phase I proposal in accordance with the three (3) evaluation factors listed in C.3. Upon receipt of the Phase I proposals, the VA team will evaluate and determine the highest qualified Offerors based on their Phase I proposal submissions. The Phase I proposals will only be evaluated on the three (3) evaluation factors listed. A maximum of four (4) Offerors will be selected to provide a proposal for Phase II. The Phase II proposals will consist of both technical and price factors, which are listed in D.4. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions based on the initial evaluation of the Phase II proposals. Using the tradeoff process under best value, it may be in the Government’s best interest to consider award to other than the lowest price Offeror or other than the highest technically rated Offeror in Phase II. All Phase II technical evaluation factors, when combined, are approximately equal to price.

B. PART II - RESPONSIBILITIES

B1. VA Team

The VA team is comprised of the VHA-PCAC Contracting Officer, the COR who will be located at the construction site, and VA Medical Center staff.

B2. Use of Advisors

Contractors are advised that VA contractor personnel may assist the Government during the Government’s evaluation of Proposals. The persons shall be authorized access to only those portions of the proposal and discussions that are necessary to enable them to provide specific technical advice on specialized matters or on particular problems. These individuals will be required to protect the confidentiality of any specifically identified trade secrets and/or privileged or confidential commercial or financial information obtained as a result of their participation in this evaluation. They shall be expressly prohibited from scoring, ranking or recommending the selection of a vendor.

B3. Design-Build Team

A. The D-B team includes all JV partners, consultants and subcontractors to the one firm. The D-B team shall provide Architectural and Engineering disciplines for the preparation of construction documents, and construction contractor capabilities for construction of the project.

B. If the D-B Team A-E and contractor are a JV (not one and the same firm) engineering and other technical consultants shall be subcontractors of the JV Architect - not the Design-Build construction contractor or subcontractors. If the D-B Team A-E and contractor are one and the same firm (not a JV) those consultants shall be subcontractors of D-B firm not the construction subcontractors.

C. The RFP documents are intended to define existing conditions, certain required items, and design parameters to be included in the project. It is the contractor's responsibility to visit the site or ascertain the conditions at each site. In addition, the Contractor acknowledges that it has taken steps reasonably necessary to ascertain the nature and location of the work, and that it has investigated and satisfied itself as to the general and local conditions which can affect the work or its cost, the existing conditions, certain required items, and design parameters to be included in the project. It is the D-B Team’s responsibility to complete the documents and construction in a manner consistent with the intent of the RFP documents within the required period of performance.

C. PART III - PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS (This section will be removed after award)

C1. Phase I General

A. Phase I proposals shall be based on the solicitation documents issued for RFP Solicitation

Number 36E77618R0085. Phase I proposals will be in the format stipulated in section “C2. Phase I Proposal Format”.

B. Phase I proposals shall be received on or before the date listed in Block 13a of the SF 1442.

There will be no public opening of the proposals.

C. Phase I proposal submission

1. Submit via email to: Lauren.Brauer@va.gov

2. Emails are limited to five (5) MB.

3. Phase I proposals will only be accepted via email.

C2. Phase I Proposal Format

A. The Offeror shall submit the Phase I proposal in one (1) PDF document. The proposal shall be labeled with the Offeror’s organization, business address and VA solicitation number. The Offeror shall not include any price or price related material in the Phase I proposal.

B. The Offeror shall submit the Phase I proposal in electronic format only. Include page numbers and the company name in the header or footer of each page.

C. The Offer, including title page, detailed table of contents, preface, for the Phase I proposal shall not exceed a total of 25 (twenty-five) pages in Microsoft Arial size 12 font. Use graphic presentations where such use will contribute to the compactness and clarity of the proposal.

D. A page is defined as each face of an 8.5 X 11 inch sheet of paper containing information. All information (except for document numbers, page numbers, etc.) shall be provided in an image area of 7 X 9 inches. The background color of each page of the submission shall be white or ivory stock only. Excess pages will not be evaluated. Text lines will be single-spaced. A smaller font size for any graphics presented in a proposal is permitted as long as the information is legible to the human eye. Fonts other than Arial are permissible in the presentation of graphic material only.

C3. Phase I Proposal Evaluation Factors

The Phase I proposal shall address the following evaluation factors. The factors are listed in descending priority of importance.

1. Factor 1, Experience

Provide a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of three (3) projects completed within the last five (5) years in which the Offeror’s proposed design-build team has worked together on previous design-build contracts similar in size, complexity and scope to this project. projects must demonstrate an offeror’s design build experience as a prime construction contractor directly responsible to the owner and managing multiple subcontractors.

Projects submitted for the Offeror shall be completed within the past five (5) years of the date of issuance of this RFP. A project is defined as a design build project performed under a single task order or contract. For multiple award and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity type contracts, the contract as a whole shall not be submitted as a project; rather Offerors shall submit the work performed under a task order as a project. If the Offeror is a Joint Venture (JV), relevant project experience should be submitted for projects completed by the Joint Venture entity. If the Joint Venture does not have shared experience, projects shall be submitted for each Joint Venture partner. Offerors who fail to submit experience for all Joint Venture partners may be rated lower. The Offeror’s submission should include at a minimum:

1. Provide the Project Title and Description, Project Location (Physical Address);

Contract Type (Example: Design-Build, Design Bid Build).

2. Provide the project owner name and telephone number of the owner’s contact person.

3. Provide a brief description of the scope of work.

4. Provide project prime contractor and major subcontractors.

5. Provide project statistics including start and completion dates (original vs actual) and project cost (original vs actual). If original vs actual completion dates and project cost differ, provide explanation as to why they differ.

2. Factor 2, Technical Approach

Provide a brief narrative (page limitation: three pages for brief narrative) describing the Offeror’s method to manage the project to achieve design and construction design objectives as described in the solicitation. If the page limits are exceeded, the pages in excess of the limit will not be read or considered. Include at minimum all aspects covered in the scope of work. The following shall be included in the narrative:

Design Approach: Describe the techniques and methods for an efficient, effective design and;

Construction Approach: Describe the techniques and methods for this construction project to include coordination with the design packages, projected timelines and coordination of work.

3. Factor 3, Past Performance

Each proposal shall provide current and relevant information regarding an Offeror’s actions under previously awarded contracts referenced under Factor 1, Experience. If a completed past performance evaluation is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), it shall be submitted with the proposal for each project referenced in Factor 1, Experience. If there is not a completed past performance evaluation available in PPIRS, then the Offeror shall submit a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (reference Past Performance Questionnaire attachment) for each project referenced in Factor 1, Experience.

The Offeror shall notify their client that they PPQ shall be submitted via email to the Government’s point of contact Lauren.Brauer@va.gov. If the Offeror is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before proposal closing date, the Offeror shall complete and submit with the proposal the first page of the PPQ, which will provide contract and client information for the respective project(s). The Government may make reasonable attempts to contact the client noted for that project(s) to obtain the PPQ information.

However, Offerors should follow-up with clients/references to help ensure timely submittal of questionnaires.

C4. Evaluation of Offers (Phase I) The Phase I evaluations will be conducted in accordance with the Two-Phase Design-Build Evaluation process and the methodologies provided below. The factors are listed in descending order of importance.

1. Factor 1, Experience: Will be evaluated on relevant and recent experience of design-build contracts and/ or contracts of comparable size, complexity and scope within the last five (5) years.

2. Factor, 2 Technical Approach: Will be evaluated based on the Offeror’s proposed technical approach for this design-build project as defined in the solicitation submittal requirements.

The assessment of the Offeror’s method to manage the project shall be used as a means of evaluating the Offeror’s ability to successfully meet the requirements of the solicitation.

3. Factor 3, Past Performance: Will be evaluated on the quality of the Offeror’s past performance within the last five (5) years with respect to the construction projects listed in Evaluation Factor 1, Experience. This includes, timeliness of contract completion, adherence to contract schedules and timely submission of data deliverables; the contractor’s ability to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract; the overall quality of the work performed on the contract; the Offeror’s managerial performance’ and whether or not the reference would enter into a contract with the contractor again. Contractors without relevant past performance or for whom past performance information is not available, will be rated neither favorably nor unfavorably on past performance. In the event that the prime contractor does not have relevant past performance, surveys submitted for key personnel will be evaluated. In accordance with VA Information Letter (IL) 049-03-9, past performance evaluations may also be conducted using information obtained from CPS or PPIRS and any other sources deemed appropriate by the CO. Other sources may include, but are not limited to, inquiries of owner representative(s), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), and any other known sources not provided by the Offeror.

D. PART IV – PHASE II PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS (This section will be removed after award)

D1. Phase II General (This section will be removed after award)

A. Phase II proposals shall be based on solicitation documents issued for RFP Solicitation Number 36E77618R0085 and the instructions provided by the Contracting Officer in the Phase II Notice of Offerors that they were selected as one of the most qualified Offerors in Phase I. Proposals will be in the format stipulated in Section D2. Phase II Proposal Format.

B. Proposals shall be received on or before the date specified in the Phase II Notice of Offerors.

C. Submit Phase II proposals via email to:

1. Lauren.Brauer@va.gov

2. Emails are limited to five (5) MB.

3. Phase II proposals will only be accepted via email.

D. Submit the original Bid Bond by mail to:

1. US Postal Service Deliveries:

Lauren Brauer Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) 6150 Oaktree Blvd Suite 300 Independence, OH 44131

2. Commercial Delivery Services / Hand Carry (Monday- Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (EDT)

Lauren Brauer Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC)

6150 Oaktree Blvd Suite 300 Independence, OH 44131

Failure to furnish the required bid guarantee in the proper form and amount, by the time specified in Block 13 of the SF 1442, may result in rejection of the Phase II proposal. SEE FAR Provision 52.228-1, Bid Guarantee, of this solicitation.

D2. Phase II Proposal Format

A. Technical and Price sections of the Offerors Phase II proposals will be evaluated independently;

therefore, the Offeror shall submit the Phase II proposal in two (2) Volumes (Volume I: Technical and Volume II: Price). In order that the Volume I Technical may be evaluated strictly on the merit of the material submitted, the contractor shall include NO price information in Volume I. Offeror shall separately bind Volumes I and II. Both Technical and Price volumes, therefore, must be labeled with the Offeror's organization, business address, and VA Solicitation Number.

B. The Offeror shall submit Volumes I and II in electronic format only. No hard copies will be accepted. Include page numbers and the company name in the header or footer of each page.

C. The Offer, including title page, detailed table of contents, preface, for Volume I Technical shall not exceed a total of 30 (Thirty) pages in Microsoft Arial size 12 font. Volume II Price Proposal shall not exceed a total of 20 (Twenty) pages in Arial size 12 font. Use graphic presentations where such use will contribute to the compactness and clarity of the proposal. The SF 1442, Representations and Certifications and acknowledged amendments shall all be part of Volume II and will not count against the page limitations. The JV documentation, if applicable, will not be counted in the page limit.

D. A page is defined as each face of an 8.5 X 11 inch sheet of paper containing information. All information (except for document numbers, page numbers, etc.) shall be provided in an image area of 7 X 9 inches. The background color of each page of the submission shall be white or ivory stock only. Excess pages will not be evaluated. Text lines will be single-spaced. A smaller font size for any graphics presented in a proposal is permitted as long as the information is legible to the human eye. Fonts other than Arial are permissible in the presentation of graphic material only.

E. Offeror shall include all required Representations and Certifications; and acknowledge receiving amendments by filling out section 19 of the SF 1442 and returning a signed copy of the amendment(s) with the offer.

F. Offeror shall include their Safety or Environmental Violations and Experience Modification Rating

Information as part of Volume II, including filling out the Contractor Safety and Environmental Record Evaluation Form Attachment of the solicitation. It will not be evaluated as part of Volume II Price, but will be used as part of the Responsibility Determination. It will also not count against the page limitations for Volume II.

1. All Offerors shall submit information pertaining to their past Safety and Environmental record. The information must contain a certification that the Offeror has no more than three (3) serious, or one (1) repeat or one (1) willful OSHA or any EPA violation(s) in the past three years. If such certification cannot be made, an Offeror shall explain why and submit as much information as possible regarding the circumstances of its past safety and environmental record, including the number of EPA violations and/or the number of serious, repeat, and/or willful OSHA violations, along with a detailed description of those violations.

2. All Offerors shall submit information regarding their current Experience Modification Rate (EMR). This information shall be obtained from the Offeror’s insurance carrier and be furnished on the insurance carrier’s letterhead. If an Offeror’s EMR is above 1.0, Offeror must submit a written explanation of the EMR from its insurance carrier furnished on the insurance carrier’s letterhead, describing the reasons for the elevated EMR and the anticipated date the EMR may be reduced to 1.0 or below.

3. Self-insured contractors or other contractors that cannot provide their EMR rating on insurance letterhead must obtain a rating from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI) by completing/submitting form ERM-6 and providing the rating on letterhead from NCCI. Note: Self-insured contractors or other contractors that cannot provide EMR rating on insurance letterhead from the states or territories of CA, DE, MI, NJ, ND, OH, PA, WA, WY, and PR shall obtain their EMR rating from their state-run worker’s compensation insurance rating bureau.

4. If the NCCI cannot issue an EMR because the Offeror lacks insurance history, Offeror shall submit a letter indicating so from its insurance carrier furnished on the insurance carrier’s letterhead, and include a letter from the NCCI indicating that is has assigned Offeror a Unity Rating of 1.0.

5. The above information, along with other information obtained from Government systems, such as the OSHA and EPA online inspection history databases, will be used to make an initial Determination of Responsibility. *The above information is not required for subcontractors.

6. Failure to provide the completed Contractor Safety and Environmental Record Evaluation

Form Attachment of the solicitation containing the above information, may result in a determination that an Offeror is not responsible and therefore ineligible for award.

D3. Final Proposal Revisions (FAR 52.215-1)

A. If determined to be necessary, Phase II proposal revisions will be requested from the Phase II proposals received. The CO will identify those Offerors, whose Phase II proposals are within the competitive range, considering the selection criteria identified in this section. Negotiations may be conducted with those Offerors falling within the competitive range, after which Phase II proposal revisions will be requested. Sealed Phase II proposal revisions will be submitted as per Part III.D1.D, above, except as noted below and will be due at a time and place to be determined.

B. Offerors submitting Phase II proposal revisions will not be requested to re-submit any documents which are unchanged from their initial Phase II proposals. They should provide necessary changes to individual paragraphs, as briefly as possible, together with a table of contents, which clarifies where within the initial Phase II proposal the additional information or changed documents would be placed. Phase II proposal revisions shall include a completed SF 1442 that acknowledges receiving all amendments, by number. A new bid bond shall be submitted only if the final Phase II proposal revisions Offeror’s price proposal is greater than its initial price proposal.

D4. Phase II - Technical Proposal Requirements (Volume I)

The Phase II proposal shall address the following evaluation factors. The factors are listed in descending priority of importance.

1. Volume I, Factor 1, Technical Solution: Offeror shall provide the following:

1. Estimated kilowatt-hour (kWh) that the proposed system will produce in the first year.

2. AC Energy Delivery for the proposed system shall be provided in the form of PVWatts. The PVWatts Calculator is located at the following link http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/.

3. Mounting System it intends to utilize.

4. Detailed description and schematics of the mounting system.

5. Metering specifications.

6. One-line diagram of proposed system with all major components delineated (PV panels and array, disconnects, Inverters, transformers, meters, etc).

7. Specify the orientation proposed for each of the major sub-arrays.

8. Weights and dimensions of proposed invertors and panel systems.

9. Detailed description of contractor’s on-site equipment testing program, including pre-installation checklists, installation checklists and individual panel performance testing.

2. Volume I, Factor 2, Draft Project Schedule: The firm shall demonstrate their understanding of Attachment 5 Project Schedule Specification by submitting a draft project schedule for design and construction of Turnkey Photovoltaic Solar System, that adheres to the requirements outlined in Attachment 5 Project Schedule Specification.

3. Volume I, Factor 3, Key Personnel: The Offeror shall provide a resume for each of the following key personnel members to include: Overall Project Manager, Design Project Manager, Construction Project Manager, Project Site Superintendent, A-E Field Representative and all of the identified Major Subcontractors. (It is recognized that not all subcontractors may be identified at the time of proposal submission.) For each resume, include name of company, name of individual, relevant listing of experience, qualifications for each person such as specialized training, education, experience. Please delineate approximate % of work the prime contractor will perform on this job and the approximate % of work the subcontractors (collectively) will perform on this job. Also, clearly describe the prime responsible firm (or firms if a JV) and individuals as well as the roles and responsibilities of individuals proposed as consultants and sub-contractors.

D5. Phase II Price Proposal Requirements (Volume II)

A. Carefully follow “Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors”. Standard form (SF) 1442 Solicitation, Offer and Award (Construction, Alteration, or Repair) and the pricing schedule when submitting price offers. Submit a bid guarantee as stipulated in the Section “Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors”.

B. The prices shall be Firm Fixed Price. The Offeror shall take care not to include remarks that take exception to the Government’s SOW/Specifications or pricing requirements or otherwise preclude the Government from evaluating the offer or render the offer as non-responsive or unacceptable.

C. If the Offeror communicates in its proposal any qualifications, exceptions, exclusions, or conditions to the proposed prices not provided for in the Offerors proposal documents, the Contracting Officer may reject the proposal and exclude the Offeror from further discussions.

D6. Evaluation of Offers

The Phase II evaluations will be conducted in accordance with Two-Phase Design-Build

Evaluation process and the methodologies provided below. All evaluation factors other than price, when combined are approximately equal to price. The factors are listed in descending order of importance.

1. Volume I, Factor 1, Technical Solution: Technical solution Will be evaluated based on the Offeror’s understanding of the technical requirements set forth in the solicitation and the feasibility of proposed kWH (AC Energy). Preference will be given to a mounting system that meets the requirements listed in the solicitation and provides the best value to the government (e.g. longer useful life, lower maintenance costs, etc.).

2. Volume I, Factor 2, Draft Project Schedule: The VA will evaluate and use as an aid to help determine that the Offeror understands and can perform all of the required elements to design and construct the solar PV system in the time frame specified with limited impact, to the greatest extent possible, to the Medical Center. (The draft schedule submitted with the offer should not be construed as the agreed upon schedule as per FAR 52.236-15, the contractor shall, within 21 Calendar days after receiving the Notice to Proceed, submit an interim project schedule which will supersede the draft project schedule. The interim project schedule will be subject to VA approval and must show the project being accomplished within the time frame specified on the SF 1442.)

3. Volume I, Factor 3, Key Personnel: The VA will evaluate the relevant management, technical personnel and subcontractor capabilities and qualifications of the team to provide the required planning, implementation and completion of the project. The VA will also evaluate how the Offeror organized personnel for this project, and the lines of authority between the construction firm, design firm, and key subcontractors.

4. Volume II, Price: The Contracting Officer will evaluate Offers in accordance with the process identified in the Price Schedule. The total evaluated price will be determined by the Offeror’s price for CLINs 0001-0004. The VA reserves the right to award to a higher priced Offeror in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria. The VA also reserves the right to award to a lower priced, lower rated Offeror if it’s in the interest of the VA.

E. PART V - POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS

E1. Construction Document Preparation:

A. Design Review Submissions:

1. The Design-Build Team A-E (D-B A-E) shall prepare and submit complete construction documents for review and approval by the VA in accordance with standard professional practice, the Department of Veterans Affairs RFP (VA RFP), and prevailing codes such as NEC, NFPA, EPA and all local Los Angeles City and California State code requirements.

2. The documents may be divided into multiple review submission packages. The VA will review as many as six (6) package submissions (examples: demolition, civil, architectural, structural, mechanical, Electrical, plumbing etc.) to facilitate the start of construction.

3. All submission packages will be reviewed at 30% and 95% completion stages. The 95% review submission packages will incorporate the final review comments from the 30% review.

If any package is not complete for the required stage a post review may be required the cost of which will be borne by the D-B Team.

4. Each review submission package shall include 10 hard copy sets and 3 set on CD-ROM. The package will include an index of drawings (by sheet number and title) and specifications (by section number and title) submitted. The packages will be distributed to the VA Project Manager, the VA Medical Center, RFP A-E, VA COR and others as determined to be appropriate by the VA Project Manager.

B. Design Review Meetings:

1. A review meeting to resolve design issues will be held for each design review package submitted. The meeting will include discussion of VA comments on functional relationships and technical peer review comments (by others).

2. Participants will include RFP A-E, VA Staff and D-B team members as appropriate for the specific package to be reviewed and others. The D-B team members will each allow for (3) full days for each discipline/package design review meeting. D-B team management will be present at each review meeting.

3. The D-B team shall allow a minimum of ten (10) working days for each review cycle. A cycle includes:

a. The VA’s receipt of the design review submission package.

b. The review meeting.

c. D-B teams receipt of comments from the VA, either electronically, by fax, or by hard copy delivery.

4. Coordination of the review meeting schedules will be the responsibility of the VA Project Manager (for the VA and RFP AE) and the D-B Team Project Manager (for the D-B Team).

See section I. Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Electronic software shall meet the Microsoft Windows, Autocad and PDF formats latest versions.

C. Electronic Media:

1. Design review submission drawings and final Construction Document…