PBS_GPG_RFI_FY2023_Final.pdf

Fiscal Year 2023

U.S. General Services Administration Public Buildings Service Office of Facilities Management

Request for Information:

#RFI101122

Green Proving Ground Program

October 11, 2022

Introduction: The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to putting the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economywide, by 2050.1 Agencies are directed to, among other things, implement a Governmentwide approach that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increases resilience to the impacts of climate change and spurs economic growth through innovation, commercialization and deployment of clean energy technologies and infrastructure.2 Working towards these and other goals, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to obtain responses from vendors and other interested parties on technologies that help reduce GHG emissions of commercial buildings, improve grid resiliency and have significant potential for equitable and broad adoption in the U.S. marketplace.

This includes, but is not limited to, technologies that reduce building energy consumption, enable load flexibility, generate carbon-free power, capture carbon, use lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, integrate the broad adoption of electric vehicles into comprehensive strategies for buildings and the energy grid, decarbonize heating and cooling systems, or other solutions that provide improvements towards transitioning commercial buildings to net-zero carbon emissions.

Overview: Buildings consume approximately 40% of U.S. primary energy and 75% of electricity,3 and are responsible for 12% of the U.S. GHG emissions.4 Field validations of high-efficiency retrofits, targeted electrification of specific end uses and onsite renewable energy generation and storage can accelerate the broad adoption of technologies to combat the climate crisis and help U.S. building stock stakeholders adapt to new laws and regulations around emissions that are being implemented across the nation.1,5,6 In addition, the transportation industry is responsible for 27% of the U.S.

GHG emissions.7 The U.S. Government needs novel solutions to transition a fleet of 450,000 vehicles to Zero Emissions Vehicles, including technology to manage and optimize fleet charging and integrate charging into the existing facility infrastructure.

7 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2020.

6 City of Boston Developing Carbon Targets for Existing Large Buildings https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/developing-carbon-targets-existing-large-buildings

5 NYC Local Law 97. April, 2019. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/sustainablebuildings/ll97/local-law-97.page

4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2018. “Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20( CO2)%20makes,natural%20gas%2C%20to%20produce%20electricity

3 U.S. Energy Information Administration Annual Energy Outlook. https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/.

2 Ibid.

1 White House Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Executive Order No.

14008, January 27, 2021, section 201, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the -climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/.

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/developing-carbon-targets-existing-large-buildings https://www1.nyc.gov/site/sustainablebuildings/ll97/local-law-97.page https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20(CO2)%20makes,natural%20gas%2C%20to%20produce%20electricity https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20(CO2)%20makes,natural%20gas%2C%20to%20produce%20electricity https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/

Why have GSA and DOE published this RFI?

Information obtained through this RFI will be used by GSA and DOE to identify and understand the most promising next-generation technologies and solutions that can enable energy efficiency and decarbonization in commercial buildings and contribute to a more efficient electric infrastructure. Technologies selected for measurement and verification (M&V) will be evaluated by third-party subject matter experts against quantitative and qualitative performance objectives under dynamic, real-world conditions in federally or privately owned commercial buildings, or both, in multiple climate zones. Outcomes of this evaluation will provide credible, independent performance data, thereby helping to facilitate the broader adoption of these technologies by facility owners and operators, occupants, utilities, and third-party financiers.

Overview of Technologies and Solutions Sought:

The information submitted in response to this RFI should clearly describe how a technology or solution can be innovative, transformational and applicable for wide-scale deployment in commercial buildings. Responses should demonstrate a significant potential to reduce energy and GHG emissions in a single building, as well as across a large portfolio of buildings. Only technologies and solutions that are ready for evaluation in occupied, operational buildings will be considered. Any claimed benefits must be directly verifiable through the M&V process.

Technologies and solutions of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Commercial Building Retrofit: High-Performance/Low-Carbon Building Technologies or Solutions Improved Operating Efficiency

● Upper-room germicidal ultraviolet and other low-energy systems for improved indoor air quality.

● Innovative envelope retrofit solutions to minimize heat transfer and air leakage, and manage solar heat gains.

● Advanced plug-load control solutions.

● Novel technologies to capture, manage and reuse waste heat.

● Integrated building controls to manage and coordinate multiple building end uses to reduce energy consumption, manage peak demand, reduce carbon emissions, and address electric infrastructure constraints.

Beneficial Electrification

● Larger scale, low GWP heat pumps (>10 tons/120,000 Btu) appropriate for commercial retrofit applications, including cold climate zones.

● Packaged heat pump systems with water heating or integrated with make-up air systems.

● Other technologies that efficiently electrify commercial building loads traditionally powered by fossil fuels.

GHG and Carbon Reduction

● Technologies that use next-generation, low or no GWP refrigerants.

● On-site carbon capture technologies for fuel-fired processes.

Distributed Energy Resources: On-site Renewable Energy Generation and Storage Systems Photovoltaics (PV)

● Cybersecure solutions that integrate on-site PV and electric battery storage with building management systems.

● Building integrated photovoltaics, including roofing materials, glazing, façades, and canopies.

● High-efficiency PV module designs, improved racking and associated systems.

Wind Turbines for Commercial Buildings

● Building-mounted and ground-mounted.

Advanced Energy Storage Systems

● Electric, thermal and other low GHG energy storage.

● Control software for integration with building loads, on-site renewables and demand management.

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment

● Shared charging solutions to manage zero-emission vehicle fleets across multiple tenants.

● Charging solutions that optimize charging demand and carbon emissions, while coordinating with building loads.

● Mobile and wireless charging infrastructure.

Novel financing approaches or business models, or both, to accelerate uptake of low-carbon technologies are encouraged and may be integrated into responses to this RFI to streamline and accelerate deployment of the technology or solution.

Measurement and Verification: DOE and GSA will fund third-party M&V for respondents selected for validation at host site locations. Responses should specify the use case and duration of the scenario under which the technology or solution would be validated. Responses should describe how an M&V performance study, in an occupied, operational building, will provide evidence-based information needed to validate the technical and operational characteristics of the technology or solution, the potential to reduce energy and carbon emissions, the life-cycle cost effectiveness of the technology or solution, and the potential for future deployment.

Information submitted in response to this RFI must propose measurable success criteria at the technology and whole building level that, where applicable, quantifies:

● GHG emission reductions;

● Primary energy reductions (including electricity and fuel);

● On-site energy generation;

● Reasonable simple payback periods.

The M&V phase will vary depending on whether a respondent participates in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 GSA program or the DOE program, or both. Expectations, milestones and outcomes will be discussed in greater detail at the time of review. The fieldwork associated with the M&V phase is generally completed within 6 to 12 months of installation.

Project Partners: Responses to this RFI may be submitted by a single vendor or by a team. Submissions by a single vendor must include all capabilities required to deliver the proposed solution. Submissions by a team should identify the team lead.

GSA and DOE Host Site Locations: Responses to this RFI will be evaluated and considered for inclusion in the GSA Green Proving Ground (GPG) program (for federally owned facilities) and voluntary partnership programs facilitated by DOE (for privately owned facilities), or both. GSA has jurisdiction, custody or control over more than 8,800 federally owned or leased properties totaling approximately 370 million square feet of workspace, which is primarily in large commercial office buildings, courthouses and land ports of entry. GSA also manages and oversees roughly 226,000 vehicles that are leased to agencies across the Federal Government.

The voluntary partnership programs facilitated by DOE (for privately owned facilities) are open to technology evaluation in all types of commercial buildings. The DOE Building Technologies Office has particular interest in solutions targeted at small and medium-size commercial buildings. As they pertain to your submission, recommendations for host sites with ties to small businesses and underserved communities are strongly encouraged.

Information submitted in response to this RFI will be used to establish host site locations for projects in commercial buildings. Respondents may recommend as part of their submission a specific building as a potential host site.

How to Submit a Response: Parties wishing to be considered for GSA’s or DOE's FY 2023 program, or both, including respondents who submitted information in response to previous years' program requests and whose submissions meet the requirements stated above, should respond to this RFI by completing the web-based questionnaire at the link provided below. Only submissions from respondents who fully complete the web-based questionnaire will be reviewed.

The web-based questionnaire can be found at: FY23 RFI Green Proving Ground Questionnaire. Additional information may be requested during the GSA and DOE planning and selection process.

This announcement will remain open until 11:59 PM EST on December 9, 2022. To be considered, responses must be received prior to this closing date. Questions about this announcement should be directed to gpg@gsa.gov.

Information Session: Representatives from the GSA and DOE programs will host one web-based information session to discuss the federal programs and provide more detail on the RFI questionnaire on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 1:00 PM EST - 2:00 PM EST. Register for the session here. Instructions for access will be e-mailed to registrants.

Fiscal Year 2023 RFI Selection Process: Teams from GSA and DOE will review and consider technologies submitted for M&V performance studies as part of the GSA or DOE program, or both. Neither the GSA program nor the DOE program will fund technology procurements through this RFI. Information submitted in response to or arising out of the performance testing under this RFI will enable the DOE program to connect technology providers with field study host sites and identify DOE-funded third parties to verify performance.

To participate in the GSA or DOE program, or both, the respondent must provide compelling responses to the RFI questionnaire, and the technology must demonstrate the ability to advance the achievement of the federal goals stated above. To participate in the GSA program, the respondent must either agree to donate the technology unconditionally to GSA in sufficient quantity to test and evaluate its performance or https://feedback.gsa.gov/jfe/form/SV_5olUTxSe7LXQG2i https://feedback.gsa.gov/jfe/form/SV_5olUTxSe7LXQG2i https://gsa.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_w02xAX_cTEq4z_z5PyqkBg provide alternative financing, such as through a Utility Energy Service Contract.

Applicants offering an alternative financing mechanism must submit documentation supporting the financial commitment, as well as an agreement from the financing partner to participate in the program. To participate in the DOE program, technology providers must agree to work directly with building owners and operators identified by DOE to supply equipment for monitoring and testing, as well as with laboratory experts to support M&V studies.

Using the collected information, a subset of respondents may be invited to participate in the FY 2023 GSA program or the DOE program, or both. Responses to the RFI will be evaluated through a multi-stage review process. Based on the evaluation of the submissions, each respondent will be notified whether or not GSA and DOE will request a follow-up presentation. Respondents who are invited to submit additional information will be asked to provide a brief written presentation to GSA and DOE. After considering the follow-up material, if any, and the submissions, a subset of respondents may be asked to participate in additional discussions with GSA and DOE. Respondents are advised that neither GSA nor DOE are under any obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI.

GSA and DOE reserve the right to select for inclusion in their respective programs any, all or none of the submissions received. There is no commitment by either GSA or DOE to make any selections, nor will GSA or DOE be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by the respondents in responding to this RFI. Neither GSA nor DOE will provide debriefs for those respondents not selected for inclusion in their respective programs. Responses to this RFI do not bind either GSA or DOE to any further actions related to this matter.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). Neither GSA nor DOE will issue an RFP as a follow-up to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the Federal Government to form an agreement or binding contract of any nature. Any information obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Federal Government on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy development; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts and your response to this notice will be treated as information only. Information received may be used to assist GSA and DOE in planning the scope of future technology performance studies or deployment efforts and may be shared with other federal agencies. Technology evaluations may be shared between GSA and DOE, and technologies submitted may be chosen for the GSA program, the DOE program, both of these programs, or neither.

GSA Information Technology Security: Network-based devices and application software hosted internally to GSA's network, as well as cloud-based software solutions, must adhere to federal and GSA-specific information technology (IT) security standards.

Note: These guidelines are applicable only to the GSA program. IT security requirements for DOE will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Background: GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition and technology services to the Federal Government and the American people. GSA supports over 1 million federal civilian workers and has jurisdiction, custody or control over more than 8,800 federally owned or leased properties totaling approximately 370 million square feet of workspace.

The GSA GPG program enables GSA to make sound investment decisions in next generation building technologies based on their real-world performance. Since its inception in 2011, the GSA program has evaluated dozens of next-generation building technologies in real-world operational settings, recommending the most promising for deployment within GSA’s real estate portfolio. By discovering best-of-breed innovative technologies early in their development and placing them strategically within federal properties, GSA has become widely recognized as a leader in the commercial building industry and is able to make sound investment decisions that greatly benefit the American taxpayer. More information about the program can be found at gsa.gov/gpg.

The mission of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is to create and sustain American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy. Its vision is a strong and prosperous America powered by clean, affordable and secure energy. DOE’s EERE and the Building Technologies Office are actively working to implement a bold plan to lead the world in building a clean energy economy, address climate change and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. DOE is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering and catalyzing good clean energy careers through research, development, demonstration, and deployment.

More information about EERE can be found at https://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997)

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal https://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy

Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of gathering information on new sustainable building technologies.

DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES: This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time.

EERE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE also may elect not to issue a FOA. There is no guarantee that a FOA will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue a FOA regarding the subject matter. Final details, including the anticipated award size, quantity and timing of EERE-funded awards, will be subject to congressional appropriations and direction.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Because information received in response to this RFI may be used to structure future programs and FOAs or otherwise be made available to the public, respondents are strongly advised to NOT include any information in their responses that might be considered business sensitive, proprietary or otherwise confidential. The Federal Government does not guarantee confidentiality of the information received. Although GSA and DOE ask that no confidential business information be submitted, it is GSA’s and DOE’s practice to protect the provided information and make it available on a need-to-know basis only to Federal Government personnel and contractors who will be using this information on behalf of the Federal Government. However, neither GSA nor DOE can guarantee that information will be free from access by others, during transmission or while stored in its system or otherwise in GSA’s or DOE’s custody or control or in the custody or control of another federal agency or their contractors, and the Federal Government and its contractors will have no liability whatsoever for disclosure of such information.

If a respondent chooses to submit business sensitive, proprietary or otherwise confidential information, it must be clearly and conspicuously marked as such in the response. Responses containing confidential, proprietary or privileged information must be conspicuously marked as described below. Failure to comply with these marking requirements may result in the disclosure of the unmarked information under the Freedom of Information Act or otherwise. The Federal Government is not liable for the disclosure or use of unmarked information and may use or disclose such information for any purpose.

If your response contains confidential, proprietary or privileged information, you must include a cover sheet with your response marked as follows identifying the specific pages containing the confidential, proprietary or privileged information:

Notice of Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data:

Pages [list applicable pages by number] of this response may contain confidential, proprietary or privileged information that is exempt from public disclosure. Such information may be used or disclosed only for the purposes described in this RFI #RFI101122. The Federal Government may use or disclose any information that is not appropriately marked or otherwise restricted, regardless of source.

In addition, (1) the header and footer of every page that contains confidential, proprietary or privileged information must be marked as follows: “Contains Confidential, Proprietary or Privileged Information Exempt from Public Disclosure” and (2) every line and paragraph containing proprietary, privileged or trade secret information must be clearly marked with double brackets or highlighting.

EVALUATION AND ADMINISTRATION BY FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL

PERSONNEL: Federal employees are subject to the non-disclosure requirements of a criminal statute, the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1905. The Federal Government may seek the advice of qualified non-federal personnel. The Federal Government also may use non-federal personnel to conduct routine, non-discretionary administrative activities. The respondents, by submitting their response, consent to GSA and DOE providing their response to non-federal parties. Non-federal parties given access to responses will be subject to an appropriate obligation of confidentiality prior to being given the access. Submissions may be reviewed by support contractors and private consultants.

Questions can be directed to: gpg@gsa.gov

Issuing Office Address: U.S. General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service, Office of Acquisition Management, Acquisitions Services Division, 1800 F Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20405-0001.