RFP-25-802_Questions_and_Answers_ada.docx

RFP-25-802

March 13, 2026

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Enhancing Behind-the-Meter PV and Storage Adoption Modeling in California

The purpose of this document is to provide answers to questions for the above solicitation. The following answers are based on the California Energy Commission (CEC) staff’s interpretation of the questions received.

General / Administrative Questions Q1. Can the CEC confirm whether subcontractor additions after award will require formal amendment approval, and what the expected timeline for such approvals would be?

A1. Most subcontractor additions can be made without formal amendment, but it depends on the type of contract agreement that has been executed and what terms and conditions are agreed upon during contract execution. Additional information may be found in Attachment 8 Standard Agreement Example, Exhibit D, Section 3.I.3.

Q2. Can the CEC confirm whether the California Small Business Preference (5%) can be applied when a certified small business participates as a subcontractor, or only when the prime contractor itself holds the certification?

A2. Yes, the contractor is awarded points for all SB or DVBE participation whether subcontractor or prime contractor. Per the Solicitation Manual, Section V, Under DVBE Incentive, The DVBE Incentive Program may be used in conjunction with the Small Business preference which gives a 5% preference to small business Bidders or 5% to non-small business Bidders committed to subcontracting 25% of the overall Bid with small businesses.

Q3. For the 3% DVBE participation requirement, can the CEC clarify whether this participation must be distributed across specific tasks or whether it may be applied across any portion of the contract scope?

A3. The 3% participation can be distributed across multiple subcontractors for specific tasks and for any portion of the contract scope of work.

Q4. Will the CEC consider letters of support from academic institutions, utilities, or research partners as part of the proposal evaluation process?

A4. Yes, those could be considered when scoring background/qualifications.

Q5. We know that any applicant must be registered with the California Secretary of State. Does that same requirement extend to subcontractors? Does that answer change for minor subcontractors (<$100k?)

A5. Yes, that requirement extends to subcontractors. Before transacting intrastate business in California, all contractors and subcontractors must first register with the California Secretary of State. Businesses must comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards and should consult with their own counsel if they have questions regarding Secretary of State registration requirements. Sole proprietorships need to be validly registered with their local jurisdiction and must provide proof of such.

No, that answer does not change for minor subcontractors.

Q6. We are a certified CA small business but aim to be a subcontractor, if allowed. Does our small business certification qualify for the prime's bonus points?

A6. Bidders who qualify as a State of California certified small business will receive five percent (5%) preference points based on the highest responsible bidder's total score, if the highest scored proposal is submitted by a business other than a certified small business. Bidders qualifying for this preference must submit a copy of their Small Business Certification and document their status in Attachment 01, Contractor Status Form. The preference points only apply to small business prime contractors or to non-small business Bidders committed to subcontracting 25% of the overall Bid with small businesses.

Q7. How do we find potential partners for this RFP?

A7. Please reach out to the Contract Officer, Diana Grady, diana.grady@energy.ca.gov. We also encourage your team to create an Organization Account on Empower Innovation (Empower Innovation) to increase networking opportunities and find additional (CEC and non-CEC) funding opportunities.

Q8. Do employees need to be work in California only?

A8. No. The business the employees work for need to be validly registered with the CA Secretary of State.

Q9. Can the CEC clarify whether international firms, such as Canadian companies, are eligible to bid directly as the prime contractor, and whether any additional registration or requirements would apply? Can Canadian companies submit proposals?

A9. International (including Canadian) companies may apply as long as they are validly registered with the CA Secretary of State.

Q10. Are you able to provide recommendations of DVBE partners/sub-contractors?

A10. Yes. Please reach out to the Contract Officer, Diana Grady, diana.grady@energy.ca.gov Technical Tasks / Scope of Work Questions Q11. Can the CEC clarify whether access to Interval Meter Data (IMD) will be provided directly to the selected contractor, or must the contractor secure data access agreements independently?

A11. The CEC will provide access to IMD.

Q12. For utility service areas where IMD is unavailable, does the CEC have preferred proxy datasets or methodologies currently used that should be considered?

A12. The CEC does not have any specific dataset or methodology preference for that task.

Q13. Are there specific performance benchmarks or accuracy targets the CEC expects the updated dGen model to achieve?

A13. Specific benchmarks have not been defined. That is an expected result of coordination with the contractor.

Q14. For Task 3 (Market Dynamics Assessment), is the CEC open to replacing the Bass diffusion framework entirely if a technically sound alternative approach is proposed?

A14. Yes, the CEC is open to potentially replacing the framework if a sounder alternative is proposed by the contractor.

Q15. Regarding Task 4 (Choice Modeling for TPO systems), does the CEC have historical ownership data available to support calibration of leased vs. customer-owned adoption?

A15. The CEC does not have historical ownership data for TPO and customer ownership installations of behind-the-meter PV and energy storage. However, this data is publicly available in the California Public Utility Commission’s DGStats interconnected project sites datasets at https://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/.

Q16. For technology cost refinements (Task 5), does the CEC prefer regional stratification (e.g., IOU territory-level) or planning-area-level cost differentiation?

A16. One goal of this task is to determine the ideal stratification level; therefore, the CEC does not have a specific preference at this time.

Q17. For storage attachment rate modeling (Task 6), can the CEC provide recent California utility interconnection datasets to support calibration of attachment rates?

A17. Yes, CEC staff can provide recent historical attachment-rate data to support this task. (Duplicate/similar questions included in response.)

Q18. Are there specific documentation standards or code repository requirements (e.g., GitHub structure, documentation format) that the contractor must follow when submitting updated dGen source code?

A18. There’s an existing GitHub repository for the CEC’s dGen model, and its structure should remain unchanged unless a modification is deemed essential. Staff will coordinate with the contractor on any specific code repository requirements – such as commits, pull requests, and branching – prior to the start of Task 2.

Q19. Will the CEC provide access to the most recent internal version of the California-specific dGen adaptation prior to contract execution?

A19. Staff will provide the California-specific adaptation of dGen once the contract is executed.

Q20. At what stage of the contract will the selected contractor receive access to the California-specific dGen model adaptation and supporting datasets?

Will this access be provided prior to kickoff preparation activities?

A20. Staff will strive to provide access as soon as possible and expect to deliver it prior to the kickoff meeting. Note that some supporting datasets will require an NDA to be signed before accessing, which could cause a delay.

Q21. Will the CEC provide technical documentation, architecture diagrams, or prior calibration studies related to the California-adapted dGen model to support contractor onboarding?

A21. Yes, any available data that will assist the product can be provided to the contractor.

Q22. For tasks such as storage attachment rate calibration and cost input refinements, how frequently does the CEC expect technical coordination meetings between the contractor and CEC staff?

A22. Check-ins will be scheduled as deemed necessary; based on experience, staff expect weekly check-ins.

Q23. Can the CEC confirm the preferred development environment for the dGen model (e.g., Python versions, package requirements, or computing environment)?

A23. dGen is based in Python so Python must be used for dGen code updates. The contractor should use standard .py files (as opposed to file types like .ipynb). CEC uses Windows operating system so it’s important that all code be configured with Windows operating system in mind.

Q24. What is the role of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) / National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) (the dGen developer/owner)? Should they be included as a partner on the team?

A24. NREL/NRL developed the CA-specific version of the dGen model that the CEC uses under a previous contract. It is not required that NREL/NRL be included as a partner on the team.

Q25. Would you be able to clarify if behind-the-meter adoption referenced in this opportunity encompasses both residential and commercial PV and storage technologies?

A25. Yes, the behind-the-meter adoption modeled includes both the residential and non-residential sectors.

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