Request for Information - Smart Sensor Technology - Installation Upgrade Maintenance and Support Services_07172024_.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Smart Sensor Technology - Installation, Upgrade, Maintenance, and Support Services US General Services Administration (GSA) Public Building Services Office of Facility Management (OFM)

July 17, 2024

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This is not a solicitation or a request for proposal and no contract will be awarded from this notice. No solicitation or final specifications are available at this time.

Request for Information Objective The General Services Administration (GSA), Public Buildings Service (PBS), Office of Facility Management is issuing this RFI to obtain responses from all interested and qualified vendors that can successfully provide the services described herein. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the government.

The Government intends to utilize the information from this RFI to identify companies that can meet the Government’s requirements below, provide input on acquisition strategy, including proposed contract type, and acquisition planning schedule; the feasibility of the requirement, the contemplated NAICS code; the contemplated Federal Supply Schedule category (if applicable);

and any other industry concerns or questions.

The Government invites Respondents to submit ideas that could assist it in attaining its objectives. The Government will not reimburse Respondents for any expenses associated with responding to this RFI, though the Government sincerely appreciates Respondents' efforts and input.

Project Objective and Background The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for constructing, managing, and preserving Government buildings, and leasing and managing commercial real estate. GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS), is the landlord for the civilian Federal Government, managing over 370 million rentable square feet (SF) of workspace for 1.1 million federal employees, owning over 1,600 assets totaling over 180 million Square Feet (SF). GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across the Government.

Smart Sensor technology offers an opportunity to obtain continuous data to better inform business decisions for the GSA. GSA is limited in how data on occupants and indoor conditions are currently collected, and mostly reliant on manual data collection processes. With technology, there is opportunity to harvest data in a more real time way for facility management.

This data can be used for safety initiatives, portfolio planning, and potentially for operational improvements within the facility.

The Office of Facility Management (OFM) has been working closely with the Office of Portfolio Management and Customer Engagement (PT & CE) to refine requirements in support of collecting accurate occupancy data to optimize operations and help inform decision making for portfolio management of federal space.

In addition, GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings conducts research to improve knowledge of how indoor environments influence the health and performance of the occupants of GSA’s portfolio. GSA is seeking air quality monitoring components that shall meet the requirements outlined in the most recent version of the RESET™ Air Accredited Monitor Standard for High Performance Indoor Air Quality. This data consists of minute-by-minute recordings of environmental conditions for the interior spaces and the immediate exterior of buildings. Generally these include thermal comfort parameters Temperature (T) and Relative Humidity (RH); environmental quality parameters vertical illuminance (VI), horizontal illuminance (HI), sound levels (dBA), and pressure; and the air quality parameters particulate matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10) and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC). Carbon Dioxide (CO2), in particular, is a trusted parameter for evaluation of ventilation effectiveness, making it a key metric for healthier spaces. Together with occupancy sensor data, IAQ/IEQ sensors will provide a holistic picture of indoor conditions.

The objective of this RFI is to seek interested parties that can provide scalable and open Smart Sensor Installation and Support services that are interoperable with other current and potentially future technologies. Currently, GSA does not hold a contract or contract vehicle for this type of service; therefore this will be a new action.

GSA is seeking a contractor that can provide sensor solutions, including installation, maintenance, and support services to uphold the following major GSA mission areas:

● Support public health and safety efforts as they apply to social distancing and ventilation requirements.

● Support GSA post-COVID Return to Facilities planning efforts.

● Increase building operational efficiency.

● Provide data on environmental impacts on productivity.

● Provide data on environmental impacts of building operations related to occupancy.

● Provide insight on space use for facility management and portfolio planning.

Technology based objectives include:

● Ability to efficiently install accurate (95% or greater) sensor technology.

● Flexibility in data acquisition at room, floor, building, or multi-facility levels.

● Protect privacy and not capture any Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

● Ability to support and/or be supported by third-party integrations.

● Ability to provide near real-time data and analysis on data trends.

● Application and adherence to GSA IT Security policies and requirements to provide a secure solution.

This service will be for internal GSA facility use only. Service shall not be used for installation in leases, with the exception of capital or portfolio leases that are operated and maintained by

GSA.

The anticipated service period of performance shall be for a base year period with four (4) option years, or five (5) years of service.

RFI Response Requirements All Interested parties shall submit the following minimum information:

● Name of company

● SAM UEI#

● POC, Telephone Number(s), Address, and e-mail address

● Supporting narrative/capability statement as applicable to this RFI (10 pages maximum)

○ Anticipated Requirement Specifications

○ Generic Cost Estimate

○ Technical Questions

○ Additional Information

Interested companies should submit their email on or before 1:00pm Eastern Time, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Response to: Contract Specialist (CS), Tyrone Dallas, tyrone.dallas@gsa.gov.

Anticipated Requirement Specifications Interested contractors should provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate the company’s ability to meet, at a minimum, the service requirements as stated within this RFI.

A need for a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) sensor technology to integrate with the existing Building Monitoring & Control System/Building Automation System (BMC/BAS) on site. The GSA is not interested in pursuing vendor specific front-end platforms or web-interfaces. The sensors must also have open points to integrate to the GSA environment, to be provided by others and separate from this requirement. The Contractor will coordinate all technical implementation tasks with Government-designated support teams including server, application, network and/or security teams. This task includes the technical support, changes, and architectural expertise to maintain the solution in compliance with all existing GSA policies and guidelines. Issues that may be discovered through scan, reviews and audits shall be resolved in the timeframes defined by GSA Policy. The scope of the resulting procurement shall include all products and support services required to deploy, host, license, configure, integrate, and support the enterprise sensor technology, as well as train key stakeholders.

The following requirements are pools of potential tasks to be achieved, as needed, throughout the procurement’s period of performance. Each pool, while extensive, is not considered to be limiting in scope but to provide some guidance areas where types of requirements would fall.

The offeror shall describe how they will achieve specific pool/tasks, consistent with the requirements below. Note: offeror may propose on a single or multiple pools

Pool 5.1 Occupancy Sensors Pool 5.2 Indoor Air Quality/Indoor Air Environmental Sensors (IAQ/IEQ) mailto:tyrone.dallas@gsa.gov

Pool 5.3 Air Flow Measuring Stations (AFMS) Pool 5.4 BTU Meter/Flow Sensor Pool 5.5 Other Smart Sensors Pool 5.6 Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Support Services for Smart Sensors Pool 5.7 Engineering Services Pool 5.8 Training

1.0 Sensor Requirements For all Sensor Types

● Site locations and sensor requirements shall be defined by the Government.

● Sensor installation cost shall include labor required to confirm number of sensors for coverage of space, sensor type, sensor location, and configuration to meet data requirements. Government may provide drawings for the Contractor's use in the development of the installation plan.

○ Sensors shall only be installed indoors, with exceptions for outdoor installation based on government approval.

○ Contractor shall provide a detailed plan, including drawings, outlining recommended locations of each sensor that reflects sensor type, and installation requirements, including height or special angles for ‘line of sight’ requirements.

The final sensor plan shall be confirmed and approved by the designated Facility Manager or their regional designee prior to any installation.

■ Method and/or process for installation or mounting of sensors shall be documented in the sensor installation plan to be approved by the local facility manager.

■ Where sensor product offerings vary, the specific sensor type shall be coordinated with the requirements Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)/Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative (ACOR). This includes use of newer sensors with new technology capabilities. All sensors must be approved for installation, including Security Assessment authorization.

● A detailed plan shall include inventory list of sensors, including make, model, and location of sensor for facility equipment inventory list. Regional office is responsible for confirmation of the list and coordination with facility O&M contractor(s) to update the official equipment inventory list utilizing the GSA NCMMS equipment uploader template.

● Special precautions may need to be taken in historic facilities, which may require approvals by Historic Preservation Officers.

● Sensors shall respect tenant privacy. Installation, programming, and setup of occupancy sensor technology that does not utilize video, image capturing, and/or acoustic technologies. Subject to availability of funds.

● Solution shall be hardware based. Solutions requiring customization based on agnostic solutions will not be considered, as GSA is seeking consistency in hardware sensor type and function.

● Sensors shall maintain privacy and not capture any Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including pictures and/facial recognition data recording. This includes capture of information to be filtered out through other methods. GSA’s portfolio includes a number of sensitive government agencies, potentially sensitive to image capture by a non-law enforcement agency like GSA. Camera based solutions may have unique applications.

However, GSA is seeking a scalable solution for constantly evolving space assignments.

Installation of cameras that may not be problematic for some agencies, could become an issue in future space re-assignments. The hardware should be acceptable regardless of tenant, and technology respecting privacy is aligned with an investment that is more likely to be successful and supported by GSA stakeholders.

● Wearable solutions (e.g. tags, cards, bracelets, or other per person devices) shall not be considered based on typical GSA office and commercial facility use. Wearable solutions would impose additional “process based” burdens on the government for tracking and maintenance.

● Turn-Style or Counter mechanism-based solutions shall not be considered due to additional space requirements, and impacts associated in scaling that type of solution for data gathering at various levels (e.g. building, floor, or by office).

● Sensors shall be capable of re-calibration onsite and shall not be required to be sent ‘off site’ for recalibration. Device shall not require recalibration in a cycle less than one year, in order to allow for annual recalibration maintenance planning.

● Sensor shall be capable of providing alert in power loss or network loss events.

● IAQ/IEQ sensor devices, and applicable network components, shall meet minimum requirements as set forth by the most recent version of the RESETTM Air Accredited Monitor Standard. Equivalencies to RESETTM Air Accredited Monitor requirements are not permitted. The contractor shall deploy sensors providing monitoring of Temperature (T), Relative Humidity (RH), CO2, counts of fine Particulate Matter 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5), Vertical Illuminance (VI) and sound level (dBA).

● Other Smart Sensor Requirements may include, but not limited to, vibration sensors, leak detection sensors, differential pressure, parking, or other BMC system sensors.

● Telecommunications and video surveillance shall not be procured as part of this task, in accordance with NDAA SECTION 889.

● Contractor shall provide a detailed schedule or milestones for device approvals to allow for necessary reviews.

● Sensor data refresh rate shall be near real-time to support data use for health, safety and/or operational use.

● IAQ/IEQ sensors shall be capable of networking through a wired solution. Alternative solutions shall require full approval by GSA IT prior COR approval on the data architecture or installation plans. Contractor shall be prepared to install sensors using a wired solution if remediation and necessary approval is not obtained on alternative solution(s).

● Battery solutions are not permitted as a primary source of power. Battery power may be permitted as temporary backup power for the sensors in support of data integrity.

● Transmitters shall be provided with AFMS and Energy/BTU/Flow meters and provide BACnet/MSTP or BACnet/IP connection to building monitoring and control systems.

● AFMS shall be a multi-point, self-averaging Pitot traverse station with an integral air straightening honeycomb shell. Sensing tubes shall have an option for temperature and/or temperature and humidity readings.

● Energy/BTU/Flow meters can be water, gas, or electric (non-advanced meter) as determined by the specific tasks. Meters shall be of ultrasonic or electromagnetic inline type. Turbine meters may be acceptable for retrofit applications. Specific tasks shall determine type.

● Tasks may require engineering services that cover project planning, sensor installation, integration, programming for integration, calculations on POE+, network requirements, retro-commissioning, or post installation support.

● Occupancy sensors shall cover the following areas of occupancy: Building Level, Floor Level, Office Level and Special Use.

● Sound level meters shall meet ANSI Standard S1.4 or meet the following minimum requirements or better: sensing range of 30 to 120 dBA, accuracy of +/- 5%, and record data in at 1 min intervals or less.

1.2 Sensor Interoperability For all Sensor Types

Sensors must be open and shall be capable of integrating to other Building Monitoring and Control (BMC) systems, including the local Building Automation System (BAS). Issuing needs shall define specific integration requirements. Integration of data shall be achieved through open-source platforms, such as native BACnet, and/or integrate data via an open Application Programming Interface (API). The use of API’s is intended to remain within the GSA environment and is not intended for use with a vendor's cloud solution. Minimum requirements specific to sensor integration technical requirements are as follows:

● All points shall be fully open and exposed. Calculated point data shall be integrated along with raw data, including utilization and/or derived environmental data based on local readings, or otherwise formula based.

○ Sensors shall use native BACnet MS/TP, BACnet TCP/IP architecture and be in strict accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2010. All controllers shall be BACnet Testing Labs (BTL) Certified. All BACnet points shall only use native BACnet BTL Certified standardized PICS (Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement) and BIBBS (BACNET Interoperability Building Blocks). 100% of the physical and virtual points shall be programmed as BACnet Objects and Events without any exceptions. All BACnet configuration parameters, such as (but not limited to) BACnet/IP UDP Port, Network ID, and Device Instance numbers, shall be coordinated through, and approved by GSA Smart Building personnel within the region.

○ For repairs and/or upgrades of existing LON systems: Sensors shall have a fully compliant LonMark® Certified LNS LonWorks architecture that utilizes the ANSI/CEA 709.1. The entire system network shall be a Local Operating Network (LON) and installed by LonMark® Certified Technicians during Installation. All nodes shall communicate with each other utilizing ANSI/CEA 709.1 Controllers shall be capable of sharing SNVT (standard network variable type) data with other LON-based devices. The installed system shall utilize a daisy-chain bus topology configuration and use of “star”, “loop”, or “free” topologies are strictly prohibited. The system shall be an open architecture that utilizes the ANSI/CEA

709.1 (LonTalk™) Protocol as the common communication protocol between all controlled and controlling devices. Any and all SNVT packet communication shall be configured to utilize the “Repeated but Unacknowledged” communication service. Where necessary or desired, LonTalk packets may be encapsulated into TCP/IP messages to take advantage of existing infrastructure or to increase network bandwidth. Hierarchical systems consisting of master or global controllers that poll and/or control less intelligent unitary controllers on a secondary bus will not be considered. Any new devices and their protocol shall be the same as the overall system installed currently in the building, unless otherwise directed by issued requirement. For example, Lon devices for Lon BAS systems, BACnet devices for BACnet BAS etc. New devices and software versions shall be backwards-compatible with the previously installed BAS devices.

■ Gateways are not permitted.

● Data shall be organized and set up with clear identifiers following GSA Point naming convention. Data elements shall include identifiers for portfolio organization, including by region, building, or summary data of sensors within buildings.

● Data shall include sensor type identifier.

● Smart sensor data refresh rate shall be near real-time to support data use for health, safety and/or operational use.

● BAS Graphic and/or User Interface page must reflect both live data and historic data.

Graphic pages shall be capable of providing utilization calculation, as well as raw occupancy data. Where specified, GSA BAS templates shall be used, as provided by the issued task.

● Data shall display floor layouts with overlay of space use per area with active sensors.

● Tasks may require labor to provide integration support to others for sensor data into other GSA platforms or systems. Support may be specific to GSA, or to other GSA Contractors, including ‘Master System Integrators’. Integration systems may include GSALink, D2D Daily Occupancy Tool, National Digital Signage (NDS), GSA Space Reservation System, or other local BMC systems. API integration is permissible for Sensor Integration to other GSA platforms or systems, as noted in this section.

● All deliverables, including training, materials, equipment, licenses, software, and hardware, associated with the requirements shall be fully turned over to the government for ownership, management, and control. This includes administration tools, user credentials, and all administrative passwords.

● All software shall meet GSA IT security and quality standards.

● Consistent with the Building Technologies Technical Reference Guidelines, all license(s) in support of this task shall be government owned.

● Sensors may require re-configuration and/or updates to onboard device software and/or configuration to align with GSA OCIO requirements.

● All Smart Sensor and/or supporting devices shall meet and comply with all GSA IT

Security Policies and all applicable GSA standards.

● Networks and protocols proprietary to one company or distributed by one company are prohibited.

● Interfaces shall be capable of providing a range of reporting periods, varying from ranges within a day, week, month, quarter, or year(s). Hour queries should be capable of selections between full day, or operating hours only.

Generic Cost Estimate

1. Provide an estimated cost to configure and implement the technical solution based on GSA’s requirements.

a. What are the anticipated “best guess” costs?

b. Please provide for years 1 through 5.

Technical Questions

1. The GSA is not interested in pursuing vendor specific front-end platforms or web-interfaces (i.e. cloud-based solutions), can the contractor provide a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) sensor technology to integrate with the existing Building Monitoring & Control / Building Automation System (BMC/BAS) onsite?

2. Can the contractor provide a smart sensor solution that does not require an onsite bridge or gateway?

3. Proprietary protocols, naming conventions, and front-end platforms are not acceptable.

Does the smart sensor solution adhere to open protocols and naming conventions?

4. Does the contractor have experience implementing an installation nationwide?

Additional Information

1. What is your firm’s socioeconomic status?

2. Does your firm have a GSA Schedule contract, if so what is your schedule contract number and category?