RFI_Background.docx

Request for Information U.S. General Services Administration Electric Energy Storage Solutions

BACKGROUND:

President Obama announced in June, 2016 that the federal government is committing to increasing its storage and microgrid capacity through programs that will make our federal and military bases more resilient and provide funding for microgrids in rural communities. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is attempting to increase the Federal Government’s energy storage capacity and issues this Request for Information about building-level energy storage to explore a number of possible storage solutions, in particular for emergency back-up (potentially to replace diesel generators), for enhancing resiliency, and for aiding in demand response management of peak loads.

One of the distinctive characteristics of the electric power sector is that the amount of electricity that can be generated is relatively fixed over short periods of time, although demand for electricity fluctuates throughout the day. Electricity storage devices can manage the amount of power required to supply customers at times when need is greatest, which is during peak load. These devices can also help make renewable energy, whose power output cannot be controlled by grid operators, smooth and dispatchable. Storage devices can provide frequency regulation to maintain the balance between the network's load and power generated, and they can achieve a more reliable power supply for high tech industrial facilities. Thus, energy storage and power electronics hold substantial promise for transforming the electric power industry.

Energy storage systems provide a wide array of technological approaches to managing our power supply in order to create a more resilient energy infrastructure and bring cost savings to utilities and consumers.

Energy Storage Systems can derive value from multiple revenue streams:

· Demand management

· Reducing peak demand charges on utility bill, client driven

· Energy arbitrage

· Buying energy in off-peak hours, consuming during peak hours

· Ancillary services

· Providing grid support

· Demand response

· Resiliency

· Use storage to meet power quality during peak days

· Capacity markets

· Bid batteries into reserve markets

· Others may be possible as well

The purpose of the RFI is to

1) Gain feedback from the industry on a few test examples of federal building sites where GSA has done preliminary assessments that show that storage could provide economic savings and resiliency to the facility. We would like to learn more about what cost effective solutions the industry could provide.

2) Solicit input from the industry as to what facilities would it make sense for cost effective and value driven deployment of storage and define the revenue streams. Gather input from industry as to the business model that could accelerate such deployment.

3) Explore ways to improve energy redundancy and security for mission critical assets, and improve security and resiliency of electrical infrastructure.

PORTFOLIO SITES:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:

The GSA intends to share building specific data with interested parties after signing a non-disclosure agreement. Please provide names and affiliation of anyone who gets access to the buildings data.

Reponses should include details on the types of projects envisioned, and how they create value. Please describe the application type, technology and ALL value streams expected from this project including the beneficiaries of the storage applications. Several answers are possible depending on the project structure envisioned by respondents. Please provide information on questions to the extent appropriate, as questions are dependent on the application type.

QUESTIONS:

a) What kind of energy storage would work best in these facilities? Please provide a brief description of cost effective investment solutions to address resiliency and cost savings opportunities in these sites.

b) Discuss the benefits of the proposed asset for the site’s energy security posture.

i.) Would the proposed technology be integrated with the facility’s electric distribution system? If so, how?

ii.) What potential benefits to the resiliency of the electric distribution system at the site could be realized by the proposed technology? How can the proposed technology improve the reliability, availability, and maintainability of facility’s electric system?

iii.) Please explain the potential benefits to installation’s energy security as a result of a proposed technology.

c) Are there particular ownership structures that are better suited for certain application types?

d) What kind of procurement method would work best for energy storage solutions?

e) Which markets and geographic locations are best suited for energy storage applications?

f) What applications, facility types and load profiles are best suited for energy storage applications? And what is needed to make it work?

g) How best to define storage requirements (capacity, performance period, kWh…)?

h) How much discharge and how long should battery be discharged?

i) What kind of additional equipment, hardware, computer software is needed to switch to backup power?

j) How best to wire the energy storage to the building and connect to the grid?

k) How battery storage compares to diesel generators in retrofit programs?

l) What are the regulatory impacts and what kind of interconnection agreement works best?

m) What are your estimates for future energy storage prices?

n) Are thermal storage options viable when paired with renewables? In what markets?

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Responses may be of any length up to twenty (20) pages total. Include a brief summary of one (1) page or less of company background and PPA/renewable/energy storage development project experience with your responses. The remaining pages shall be used to respond to the RFI questions and propose any project development ideas that your firm may have. Respondents may submit responses to all or a portion of the RFI questions. A copy of your boiler plate PPA contract language can be included as an attachment.

DUE DATE

Responses are required to be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, November 30, 2016.

BUSINESS SENSITIVE, PROPRIETARY, OR OTHERWISE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Because information received in response to this RFI may be used to structure future solicitations and/or otherwise be made available to the public, respondents are strongly advised NOT to include any information in their responses which may be considered business sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential. However, if your company chooses to submit any business sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, it must be marked as proprietary or restricted data in the response and it will be treated as such.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted to Ken Shutika at GSA at ken.shutika@gsa.gov and marked RFI Questions.

EVALUATION AND ADMINISTRATION BY FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL PERSONNEL

GSA civil servant employees are subject to the non-disclosure obligations of a felony criminal statute, the Trade Secrets Act, 18 USC 1905. The GSA may seek the advice of qualified non-Federal personnel. The GSA may also use non-Federal personnel to conduct routine, nondiscretionary administrative activities. The respondents, by submitting its response, consent to GSA providing their response to non-Federal parties. Non-Federal parties given access to responses must be subject to an appropriate obligation of confidentiality prior to being given the access. Submissions may be reviewed by support contractors and private consultants.

DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES

This is an RFI issued solely for information and program planning purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated as information only. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the GSA to form a binding contract. GSA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that GSA is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind GSA to any further actions related to this topic.