RFP Solar Photovoltaic Expansion_Final.pdf

Solar Photovoltaic Expansion

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Submission Deadline: 2:00 pm (MT), June 3, 2025

Section 1 – Introduction and Background

Project Description

Denver Water is requesting proposals from Design/Builder (Contractor) to design, furnish, and install the Solar Photovoltaic Expansion Project (Project). Project includes ground mounted, behind the meter, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at various Denver Water owned facilities. Project budget is ~$3 million annually over the next three years.

Background and History

To reach the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 goal, the Board directed staff to identify and implement internal sustainability goals and commitments to support reaching net-zero carbon and avoid adding new sources of carbon emissions to the extent feasible.

The Board further directed staff to complete a study of its property and facilities to identify opportunities to produce renewable energy, offsetting the use of utility power and increasing resiliency of operations to disruptions of the electrical grid.

On October 1, 2024, Denver Water contracted with Baker Tilly to perform the following evaluations:

1. Assess Denver Water’s current renewable energy assets, facilities, and land assets.

2. Identify potential improvements, changes, and additions to renewable energy generating capacity.

3. Develop a strategy to effectively mark the current and potential new energy produced by

Denver Water through one or more agreements/partnerships or participation in wholesale markets.

4. Advise Denver Water through completion of the process to secure one or more buyers for its current and potential renewable energy portfolios.

Baker Tilly completed an assessment of current renewable energy assets and land assets as well as the completion of improvements, changes, and additions to renewable generation recommendations. Baker Tilly recommended focusing on distributed solar generation upgrades at 14 high and medium ranked Denver Water project sites. Denver Water narrowed the site list to six sites of favorable financial and performance at 100-200% of annual site electrical usage. The six sites for initial prioritization are as follows:

Location Address Estimated Annual

Generation [kWh/yr]

West Belleview Pump Station

11200 West Belleview Littleton, CO 80127

3,400,000

Foothills Treatment Plant

6730 N Rampart Range Road Littleton, CO 80125

1,700,000

Kendrick Pump Station

9380 West Jewell Avenue Lakewood, CO 80232

2,300,000

56th Ave Pump Station

7361 East 56th Avenue Denver, CO 80216

750,000

Lone Tree Pump Station

7700 Chaparral Road Lone Tree, CO 80124

2,600,000

Capitol Hill/Elizabeth Pump Station

1050 Elizabeth Street Denver, CO 80206

900,000

Preliminary individual site design development for the six sites above can be shared with the Contractors after application and approval to the Security Prequalified Contractor/Consultant List.

Project Objectives

The following specific project objectives have been identified:

Evaluate, prioritize, and recommend sequence of installation for turnkey, ground mounted, ballasted, PV systems at a rate coinciding with the ~$3 million annual budget over three years

Installation of PV systems incrementally working towards the Board declared intent of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030

Provide a web-based condition and performance monitoring system Obtain the highest net-present value of energy savings Achieve the highest cumulative energy savings Design, procure, install, and commission commercial grade, high efficiency PV systems Provide reliable PV systems with low-cost long-term replacement and maintenance including disposal Provide Denver Water with the lowest energy cost Partner with experienced, innovative, and financially stable vendors Minimize impact on Denver Water operations at prioritized locations Reduce the cost of energy by utilizing all available financial incentives (utility or otherwise)

Section 2 – Project Overview

Scope of Services

Design, furnish, and install behind the meter, ground mounted and ballasted, solar PV systems at minimum of three Denver Water facilities within the outlined schedule and budget. The solar PV systems will offset 100-200% of annual site electrical usage.

Project Assumptions

The following assumptions were made in the Scope of Work development:

Contractor to provide all construction drawings, equipment, materials, labor, permitting, utility coordination, as-builts, and commissioning necessary to install fully functional PV systems at various listed sites, within the annual budget over the allotted 3-year period (2025 through 2027).

A gate is a term used to reference a formal document; it is also the process used to acknowledge project decisions. A gate is designed to acknowledge the approval of its related topic by project stakeholders. In addition, a gate is a means to document decisions made that are critical to the progress of the design beyond the current milestone/phase. Once the gate is closed, changes cannot be made to the design deliverable nor data transferred without approval from Denver Water and the Contractor Project Managers. If changes are identified, those changes are to be logged and addressed in accordance with an approved change management process. Design gates will meet the requirements of Denver Water’s Capital Projects Procedures Manual (CPPM) at a minimum. Denver Water’s CPPM can be accessed for free at this address (https://www.denverwater.org/contractors/construction-information/design-standards/capital-projects-procedures-manual)

Early procurement equipment storage and handling will be Contractor responsibility.

All project-related deliverables will be distributed collaboratively through Denver Water established, project-specific SharePoint site, with all final copies of documentation versioned and archived within ProjectWise.

Sites are free of any sensitive cultural resources that require environmental clearance or other required permitting at the local, state, or federal level.

Site locations are in urban, disturbed, and upland areas. However, in the event protected wildlife presence is found, Contractor is responsible for providing construction clearance of protected wildlife in compliance with authorities having jurisdiction.

The Contractor shall develop all necessary supporting documentation and submit applications to authorities having jurisdiction for permits, approvals, and reviews prior to construction.

All locations being considered in the RFP are secured/highly secured, operating facilities.

Coordination of Contractor’s work with Denver Water is critical to ensure minimal disruption to Denver Water operations and any concurrent facility maintenance work.

The Contractor is responsible for all coordination with utilities and authorities having jurisdiction.

A sample of the Contract is provided with the RFP. The selected Contractor will be expected to sign and execute a similar version of this Contract.

Upon completion of individual site solar PV systems, site specific service agreements will be negotiated and signed. Proposal to include a sample standard service agreement including costs to be evaluated as part of this RFP.

All sites shall be photo and video documented for existing site conditions prior to construction start.

Solar PV System Minimum Design Requirements:

o 20% safety factor:

PV system sizes shall be based on Normal Module Operating Temperature (NMOT) panel rating with an additional 20% higher than the average annual site loads to account for operational/modeling unknowns.

Contractors to provide stand alone cost for an additional 15% safety factor – provide as a unit price ($/MWh).

o Panel Performance Requirements:

Solar panels shall have minimum module efficiency of 20%.

PV systems shall be provided with minimum 25 year Linear Power Warranty not exceeding 0.5% annual degradation.

o One-line diagrams are indications of current state of site electrical equipment. Actual electrical service requirements to install a fully functional PV system, with all necessary electrical equipment and appurtenances, shall be communicated in the RFP response.

o Contractors to specify the types, quantities and proposed location of inverters, transformers, electrical panels, and any other required supplemental equipment necessary for the proposed Project sites. Inverter sizing shall be adequate so as not to cut off panel generation during peak outputs. A life cycle cost benefit analysis between micro inverters vs string inverters will be completed for value engineering. Assume micro inverters for this proposal.

o Rolling metering or independent feed metering of the PV system generation and site electrical consumption with Proposal to include independent feed metering with monthly net metering. Denver Water has interest in independent feed metering to facilitate generation during a facility outage.

o If locating solar PV equipment on top of structures (buildings or water storage tanks), a structural PE shall conduct structural loading analysis. Design and anchoring system will need Denver Water design review prior to proceeding. If loading exceeds existing structural limits, solar PV will not be allowed on structures.

o Any disturbed or damaged native grass areas, irrigation, or other existing onsite assets will require repair to like new condition. All native areas outside of the extent of the solar arrays shall be returned to pre-construction conditions adhering to Section 31 31 00 identified in Exhibit D – Project Specific Technical Specifications.

o Restoration of the solar field locations is dependent on each site's irrigation system. All solar fields shall be stripped of vegetation to a depth of 4-inches, separation fabric installed and covered with a 4-inch depth of an earthen tone crusher fine material to finished grade. If the solar field is within an irrigated area, provide irrigation design as needed to remove the irrigation from the solar field and modify the system to irrigate vegetation at the perimeter of the solar field.

Codes and Standards o All products and components outlined herein must conform to the following codes, standards and rating methodologies:

If PV modules using hazardous materials (i.e. Cadmium or other hazardous materials) are included in the RFP, the environmental impact of the hazardous material usage must be discussed, including any special maintenance requirements and proper disposal/recycling of the modules at the end of their useful life. Modules containing hazardous materials must comply with the EPA Landfill Disposal Requirements. Any additional costs related to PV modules containing hazardous materials must be clearly identified.

Follow most current requirements of codes governing installations, including but not limited to:

UL certification National Electrical Code IBC including authorities having jurisdiction amendments All outdoor enclosures should be at minimum rated NEMA 3R Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) directives Must comply with IBC wind uplift requirements and the American Society of Civil Engineers Standard for Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7)

Monitoring System o Denver Water must have access to system performance monitoring and historical data via secure website. Denver Water will provide business network access via ethernet connections.

o Monitoring System shall report energy generation back to user dashboards and general metering tracking. Data must include:

Production analytics Power generation Predicted power Irradiance vs. kW PV string level monitoring Plant alerts, reporting, fault codes, performance, and weather (ambient temperature, wind speed, etc.)

Insulation o Monitoring System should be Building Automation System [BAS] compatible with TCP/IP protocol, Monitoring System may be able to read items like ambient temperature from a

BAS.

Section 3 – Contractor Qualifications

Contractors to submit the following company qualifications and shall be limited to no more than 4 pages:

Organization Information:

Company Profile:

o Year founded o Private or Publicly Held o Number of employees o States and countries in which you do business o Target customers (residential, commercial, industrial, governmental, etc.)

o Organization participation in Green Programs and surrounding communities beyond their engineering, procurement, and construction work.

Green E certification status, as applies (See: http://www.green-e.org)

Financial Strength & Payment Bonding Capacity:

o If public, provide a link to investor reports. If private, attach audited financial statements from 2024/2023.

o Provide firm’s bonding capacity.

Project Team:

o Provide team leader identification for the entire proposal, including full contact information.

o Identify each business entity, person, or firm involved in the proposal and their role, e.g.

design, installation, permitting, equipment supply by component, operations and maintenance.

o Identify any portion of work that will be performed by subcontractors.

o Provide resumes of personnel that will be directly involved with the development, project manager, construction, and commissioning of the proposed systems.

Quality:

o Describe company’s (or each firm’s) quality assurance processes.

o Describe customer satisfaction processes, if any.

Safety Record:

o List firm’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) for each of the past three premium years.

Insurance:

o Provide a sample insurance certificate indicating compliance with insurance requirements.

Legal:

o Has the firm or any of the executive officers of the firm been a party to a lawsuit involving the performance of any equipment it has installed? If so, please include a summary of the issues and the status of the lawsuit.

Solar Project Experience:

Overview:

o Demonstrate technical experience and capability to design, construct, and manage large-scale grid-connected PV projects in the U.S. If a project team, identify the firm with the experience.

o Demonstrate interconnection experience and capabilities.

o Overview of company’s non-residential grid-connected PV systems installed (not in development):

Total kWdc installed Total kWdc installed in the last three years Number of ground mounted systems installed since 2011 Number of repeat customers

Financing Experience & Capabilities:

o Demonstrate experience and capability to secure financing for projects proposed.

Recent Solar Projects and Annual Service Agreements:

o List of non-residential, grid-connected PV projects installed and/or maintained within the last five years that exceed 500-kWdc. Include for each:

Exact role(s) the organization performed for the project (e.g. material supplier, lead contractor, electrical subcontractor, design, consulting, etc.)

Customer name Date installed System size (kWdc rating) Location including authorities having jurisdiction and utility Application description (roof, ground, etc.)

Status of system (operational: yes/no)

References:

o Provide references from at least three projects designed and built by the supplier company during the past five years and in operation at least one year that are at least 500 kWdc, single-site, grid-connected PV solar system installations.

Customer Name Contact name, phone, and email Size (kWdc) System Type (roof, ground, carport, reservoir concrete roof, open water, etc.)

Section 4 – Schedule

Denver Water may elect to follow the proposals with a formal questionnaire and/or interview to assist with the proposal evaluation. Final selection of a Contractor will be based upon the selection criteria detailed on page 13.

The anticipated Project Schedule is summarized as follows:

April 28, 2025 Advertise Request for Proposals May 13, 2025 Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting May 15-16, 2025 Optional Site Visits May 26, 2025 Final Written Questions Due May 28, 2025 Final Responses to Written Questions Due June 3, 2025 Proposals Due June 13, 2025 Contractor Interviews (if necessary) July 9, 2025 Board Award August 7, 2025 Notice to Proceed Issued to Selected Contractor September 15, 2025 30% Design Gate Completion October 31, 2025 90% Design Gate Completion November 3, 2025 First Site Construction Start November 26, 2027 Final Site Construction Complete

Proposals shall include a detailed schedule with any deviations from the schedule clearly identified.

Section 5 - Scope of Services

Task 1 – Project Management and Administration

Provide project management and administration.

Conduct meetings as outlined in the Denver Water-Engagement Plan included in proposal.

Review all existing information/documentation provided by Denver Water. Perform data gathering and investigation to obtain all required basis of design information to inform the Project.

Become familiar with the proposed solar sites through field investigations, review of previous capital improvement record documents, and all property license and easement agreements.

Evaluation of PV equipment locations and configurations.

Evaluation of construction interfaces with existing above and below grade infrastructure (mechanical, electric, fiber, utilities, water conveying conduit, water storage tanks, etc.).

Prioritization of solar sites, construction sequencing, and identification of value engineering opportunities in alignment with the project scope, schedule, and budget.

Evaluate cost savings potential of early procurement of all proposed sites PV equipment.

Task 1.1: General Project Management

Time for this task is allocated to the Design and Construction Project Manager to oversee and administer the project.

Project safety plan (for projects with field or construction work) Project budget Project schedule in GANTT chart format. Schedule updates will be provided in monthly progress reports, if changes have been made and agreed upon by Denver Water. The

Project schedule shall be developed in the most current version of Microsoft Project; it shall include meetings, workshops, and key deliverables. Dates for Denver Water-supplied information will also be provided.

Utility coordination plan Change management process and plan Conflict resolution plan

Deliverables:

The following deliverables will be provided as part of Task 1.1:

Project Management Plan (Including QA/QC) Cost loaded schedule Quarterly Progress Reports

Task 1.2: Denver Water-Engagement Plan

The Denver Water-Engagement Plan will document the key project information required by the Contractor Project Team members to assist them in executing the Project to meet the required objectives: on-time, on-budget, quality, and meeting Denver Water’s critical success factors.

The key elements of the Project plan are described as follows:

Specify design and submittal review process.

o At a minimum, a design review shall be included once major equipment is completely specified to gain Denver Water approval prior to major equipment procurement.

o Identify all equipment and materials for which Contractor will solicit approval from

Denver Water.

o Specify design and construction project meetings.

o At a minimum, include a project kickoff meeting, design coordination meetings every other week during design, design review workshop(s), a pre-construction meeting prior to mobilization to each site, and weekly construction progress meetings while Contractor’s personnel are actively onsite.

Identify commissioning, acceptance, and startup meetings, if applicable.

Identify As-Built red-line review meetings, if applicable.

Identify additional meetings as required.

Identify QA/QC Plan.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables will be provided as part of Task 1.2:

Denver Water-Engagement Plan

Task 1.3 Risk Management Plan

The Risk Management Plan will identify, document, and track anticipated project risk items for early mitigation. The Risk Management Plan will be reviewed and updated monthly throughout the entirety of the project through closeout.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables will be provided as part of Task 1.3:

Risk Register Management Log

Task 1.4: Project Controls and Reporting

Monthly invoices shall be prepared and submitted to Denver Water in an approved format.

Invoices shall be broken down by task, Prime Contractor, and Subcontractors and include the following:

Delineate expenses between all construction sites for all project invoices.

Develop and maintain a cost loaded schedule. Identify and track all long lead equipment, materials, and permits. Update each month for the duration of the project. Issue a current copy with each monthly invoice. Guidelines for the cost loaded schedule development shall follow the Project Specific Technical Specifications, Section 01 32 16.02 found in Exhibit D.

Provide tracking for risk buydown Total contract amount Detailed charges for the current invoice period including:

o Total contract amount o Total charges to date o Previous billings o Outstanding balance o Current amount remaining o Total amount due

Monthly project status reports shall be prepared and submitted to Denver Water, along with the monthly invoices. The reports shall include the following:

A summary of services completed since the previous report.

The current project schedule and budget status.

Project issues and potential change logs.

Milestones and/or deliverables scheduled in the coming month.

This task also includes periodic project review by the Contractor’s management to ensure the project meets Denver Water’s critical success factors, is on schedule, and is within budget.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables shall be provided as part of Task 1.4:

Monthly invoices Quarterly Project Status Reports

Task 2 – Design (30% and 90% Design Gates)

The design gates will finalize major decisions, design criteria, schedule and costs.

The 30% design gate will be a major milestone for the Project and if Contractor so wishes, early procurement of equipment will be allowed after Stakeholder review of design deliverables and formal release to procure.

Design gates will include all proposed facilities within the RFP’s outlined project schedule and budget.

Task 2.1: 30% Design Gate

Basis of Design Memorandum laying out the following major decisions:

o Final project site selections and analysis (six paired down to fit within annual program budget and schedule).

o Final equipment selections including submittals, instrumentation list, all accompanied with detailed equipment specifications per latest CSI format.

o Return on investment/Net present value calculations for each of the six sites.

o Life cycle cost comparison between micro inverters and string inverters.

o Property requirements and all permitting needs identified.

Permitting Drawings:

o Provide detailed plans proposed for review by all authorities having jurisdiction for review and approval. Plans will have enough detail where they would be acceptable for submission to authorities having jurisdiction for review. If not already provided, plans will require the following additional information:

Solar panel layouts with no interferences with Denver Water access, near future construction, or external agencies’ property incumbents.

Identification of construction laydown areas.

Electrical interconnection, facility/equipment penetration details and identification of any required equipment upgrades.

Civil and structural details showing mounting details of panels, final site restoration, and adherence to all authorities having jurisdiction code requirements.

Updated Construction Schedule.

Accompanying design and sizing calculations:

o Perform site survey as needed to layout out panel array and any necessary grading modifications.

o Electrical Code conduit and conductor code compliance o Building Code compliance (wind, snow, etc.)

o Panel system sizing calculations with over sizing and safety factor calculations

Request for early release of equipment procurement

Deliverables:

The following deliverables shall be provided as part of Task 2.1:

Basis of Design Memorandum Permitting Drawings Updated Construction Schedule Design and sizing calculations

Task 2.2: 90% Design Gate

At this stage, the design is finalized and addressing all 30% review comments from the Stakeholders. Contractor will resubmit all 30% required deliverables for final Denver Water review and acceptance to proceed with construction.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables shall be provided as part of Task 2.2:

90% Basis of Design Memorandum 90% Permitting Drawings Updated Construction Schedule 90% Design and sizing calculations

Task 2.3: Final Design Drawings

Submit all sites final design documents addressing all 90% review comments. No formal Denver Water design review will be performed. All identified deliverable documents will be handed over to Denver Water for ProjectWise archiving.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables shall be provided as part of Task 2.3:

Final Basis of Design Memorandum Final For Construction Design Drawings Updated Construction Schedule Final design and sizing calculations

Task 3 – Construction

Perform all construction activities to procure, permit, construct, commission and startup the approved design solar PV systems. Construction must remain within project budget and schedule.

Task 3.1: Construction

Construction includes the following activities:

Obtain building, electrical, environmental, health, and all other permits required for the Project by authorities having jurisdiction.

Provide Grading, Erosion, and Sediment Control Plan (GESC) as required by authorities having jurisdiction.

Minimize sound to authorities having jurisdiction limit.

Site work is to be completed weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., unless coordinated otherwise with Denver Water.

Due to underground infrastructure at these locations, Contractor to coordinate staging, equipment storage, parking, and work with Denver Water so as not to damage all above and below grade infrastructure or impede Denver Water operations.

Startup and Commissioning plan developed submitted and reviewed by Denver Water prior to startup.

Preliminary and Final Operation and Maintenance Manuals Training Plan detailing qualifications of representative, materials including O&M data, schedule, and recording of training.

Contractor will pay all applicable sales and use taxes.

Prevailing wages are not required for this project.

Performance and payment bonds will be required.

Smoking is prohibited on all Denver Water property, except in designated smoking areas indicated by “Smoking Permitted” signs.

Contractor will provide daily site clean-up and provide for their own rubbish removal

(dumpsters).

Contractor will protect finished work. Any damages to project equipment or existing

Denver Water equipment will be Contractor’s responsibility.

Contractor will need to make sure all roof and/or wall penetrations are properly sealed to be watertight.

Contractor will be responsible for any necessary traffic control, flaggers and/or spotters.

Contractor will be responsible for providing their own Sanitation (Port-a-lets) and drinking water.

Contractor to provide their own cranes, operator, and pick plans.

Contractor to provide means and/or methods to mitigate dust for large area excavations to maintain good stewards to neighboring communities.

Provide existing condition site survey for design and construction based upon Denver

Water provided control. This includes photo and video documentation of existing site conditions prior to construction start.

Denver Water will provide Contractor with available facility area map, survey control points, and known facility utility infrastructure locations.

Collect As-Built information as changes to infrastructure occur and any newly discovered underground facilities during construction. As-Built information will be delivered as a Civil 3D CAD drawing per Denver Water CAD standards.

Provide electronic data per Denver Water Digital As-Constructed Data Requirements and the Standard GNSS Feature Library for all installed infrastructure and interference based upon Denver Water’s provided project control.

Conduct weekly progress meetings. Provide meeting agenda, meeting minutes, and 3-week look-ahead-schedules of construction activities.

Schedule facility outages with Denver Water. Develop methods of procedure (MOP) detailing outage requirements, durations, and details of tie-in work to existing equipment.

Project site closeouts include the following activities:

Construction sites will be closed as you go. Closeout guidelines are detailed in Exhibit D

– Project Specific Technical Specifications, Section 01 77 00.

PV system commissioning and startup record.

Training of Denver Water personnel outlined in Contractor’s Training Plan.

Final operation and maintenance manuals.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables shall be provided as part of Task 3.1:

Site Safety Plan Permits Progress meeting minutes and 3-week look-ahead-schedules Startup and Commissioning Plan and Record Electrical System Commissioning Report Training Plan Preliminary and Final Operation and Maintenance Manuals Detailed as-built drawings.

Task 4 – System Warranty and Service Contract

All respondents must offer comprehensive on-site training in PV system operations, safety and maintenance consistent with the warranty and service contract provisions.

Task 4.1: Warranty and Service Agreement o The Contractor’s standard warranty coverage should be at least five years past individual site final project completion. In conjunction with the warranty, Contractor will provide service and maintenance for a five-year period including the following:

Daily active system monitoring and alert management Production analytics Power generation Predicted power Irradiance vs. kW PV string level monitoring Plant alerts, reporting, fault codes, performance, and weather

Annual on-site system inspection, including:

System testing Routine preventive maintenance Repair and/or replacement of defective parts (labor only) System performance monitoring and historical data access for customer via secure website. Reference Monitoring System section data above.

Unscheduled maintenance and remote support Provide a breakdown of contractor proposed response time addressing various anticipated troubleshooting problems.

Deliverables:

The following deliverables shall be provided as part of Task 4.1:

Warranty and Service Agreement Proposal

Section 6 – Denver Water Responsibility

Denver Water will provide the Contractor with available relevant information to aid in the design process.

This includes but is not limited to:

Establish a Project-specific SharePoint site for collaborative use by internal and external project design team members and stakeholders.

Organize and store final deliverables in ProjectWise.

Previous and any developing studies.

Provide any information on future or concurrent projects that may affect design or construction layouts.

Participate in Contractor-led meetings.

Provide review comments within agreed upon schedules.

Provide surveys including design surveys and record elevations.

Provide detailed as-built drawings.

Provide environmental planning investigations prior to construction, including wildlife presence/absence surveys for all protected species.

Provide construction oversight and assistance for access on Denver Water property, compliance with contract documents, and construction inspection.

Participate in Commissioning, Startup, and Training of installed PV Systems. Including the development of a Training Matrix identifying Denver Water Stakeholders who will participate in Commissioning, Startup and Training activities.

Provide property assessments for easements.

Provide public outreach for construction communications.

Section 7 – Proposal Evaluation

Selection Criteria

Denver Water will review the proposals and select based on best value while considering the following criteria:

Criteria Standard Weighting Factor

Contractor Qualifications

Does the firm have the appropriate support capabilities to meet the demands of the Project?

Has the firm done previous projects of this type of scope?

Do the assigned personnel have the skills and experience to exceed outlined Project objectives?

Proposed Approach, Project Plan, and

Schedule

Does the proposal show an understanding of the Project objectives and desired results, or alternative approaches to efficiently execute the Project?

Does the proposed schedule achieve Project objectives within Project schedule?

Financial Viability Total project cost, individual project payback periods and cost-benefit analysis.

Incentive & Compliance Adherence

Ability to meet IRA tax credit requirements and maximize financial incentives.

The scale of the criteria is from 1 to 10; 1 is a poor rating, 5 is an average rating, and 10 is an outstanding rating. Criteria will be multiplied by the associated weight to give a weighted criteria score. The weighted criteria scores will be summed for a cumulative score. The maximum possible cumulative score is 100.

Section 8 – Submittal Requirements and Instructions

Interested firms are to submit one electronic copy (PDF) prior to the deadline 2:00pm, MST, June 3, 2025 via DropBox using the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/HS9Ce923Z0xO3cFqXU8n

Proposal Requirements

At a minimum, the proposal shall include the following:

A cover letter Project Approach: Describe Contractor’s approach to manage and execute the project completing all Scope of Services detail in the RFP. The detailed project approach assists Denver Water in understanding the Contractor’s comprehension of the project, communicate opportunities of efficiency and identify constraints that a project of this complexity. Project approach shall include information on proposed major equipment including but not limited to solar panel, inverter, ballasting system, and condition monitoring system. Project approach should include any unique solutions and clearly identifying assumptions and any exclusions.

Project Schedule: A detailed schedule with any deviations from the schedule included herein clearly identified and tied to the proposed project approach.

Progress Payment Schedule: A detailed payment schedule identifying Contractors’ anticipated progress payments in alignment with the Project Schedule and Budget. Progress Payment Schedule shall be broken down by Scope of Service task and by individual site for asset management cost allocations.

Project Organization Chart: Identify all personnel assigned to the project including any subcontractors/consultants.

Key Personnel Resumes: Tailored resumes (2-page maximum per person), including projects similar in nature and complexity to the Solar Photovoltaic Expansion Project, shall be provided for key personnel shown within the project organization chart. Key personnel proposed for the project shall remain available for the entirety of the project.

Contractor’s sample service agreement terms and conditions to service and maintain individual site PV systems for 5 years after commissioning.

A written statement regarding the Contractor’s eligibility to perform the work without a conflict of interest.

Any other information and other appendices respondent feel will aid Denver Water in evaluation.

Proposal Assumptions

Proposals shall be limited to 14 pages not including resumes and not including 4-page company qualifications (a double-sided page is counted as two pages).

Each proposal will be reviewed to determine if it is complete prior to evaluation. Denver Water reserves the right to eliminate from further consideration any proposal that is substantially or materially incomplete or non-responsive. Clarity, accuracy, succinctness, and completeness of proposal will be valued over volume. Failure to provide all information required by this Request may result in disqualification. False information or misstatements within the proposal may be grounds for rejection.

Costs associated with proposal preparation, pre-proposal meeting attendance, interview attendance, etc. shall be borne entirely by the proposing Contractor. Proposal information will become the property of Denver Water.

Proprietary Or Confidential Information

Contractor acknowledges that Denver Water may be required to disclose any or all of the documents submitted with a proposal, pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. § 24- 72-201.1, et seq. Under C.R.S. § 24-72-204(3)(a)(IV), Denver Water may deny inspection of any confidential commercial or financial information furnished to Denver Water by an outside party.

Therefore, a Contractor must clearly designate any documents submitted with its proposal that the Contractor deems proprietary or confidential, to aid Denver Water in determining what must be disclosed in response to a request for documents under the Colorado Open Records Act.

The Contractor’s designation of material to be redacted must be reasonable or it will not be honored. For example, a Contractor may not designate the entire proposal to be confidential and proprietary.

Agreement

The selected Contractor will be required to sign a Denver Water Construction Contract. A sample of this contract is attached as Exhibit C – Solar Photovoltaic Expansion Sample Agreement.

Denver Water will consider comments about modifications and/or exceptions to the standard terms and conditions contained in this sample contract. Denver Water reserves the right to review and does not guarantee requests for modification or exceptions will be accepted or implemented.

Pricing submitted with the proposal must be as specified based on lump sum assigned to Scope of Service task items and broken down per site.

Denver Water’s standard requirements for insurance coverage can be found in the sample contract. Denver Water may, at its discretion, change these insurance requirements or accept alternative types of insurance if Denver Water deems such changes or alternatives to be sufficiently protective of its interest.

The selected Contractor will be required to maintain the required insurance in full force and effect during the entire term of the resulting contract. The selected Contractor must provide to Denver Water a certificate of insurance showing evidence of the required coverage and limits before work may commence.

Contractor shall quantify tariff costs in the schedule of values (SOV) at time of Proposal. In the event import tariffs are assessed on Project supplied materials, after the acceptance of the Proposal, Denver Water will pay the assessed tariffs without mark up through Change Order with accompanying detailed back up, but if Denver Water deems the project no longer financially or strategically aligned with Project objectives due to tariffs, Denver Water reserves the right to cancel.

Security Prequalified Contractor/Consultant List (SPCL)

Contractors are required to submit application for Denver Water’s SPCL list prior to access to restricted documents and project sites. The request for qualifications requirements is included in Exhibit B including directions to fill out. SPCL should be submitted via email to Amy Guire (Amy.Guire@denverwater.org), CC’ing Paul Ries (Paul.Ries@denverwater.org). Submission of SPCL application must be received no later than 24 hours prior to site visits.

Keep Jobs in Colorado Act

Contractor acknowledges that the Keep Jobs in Colorado Act requires Colorado labor be employed to perform at least 80% of the work on a public works project, pursuant to C.R.S. 8-17-

101. If a Contractor believes a waiver of this requirement is appropriate, then support for the waiver request must be submitted to the OWNER as part of its proposal.

Section 9 – Terms and Communication During Proposal Period

Any requests for clarification or additional information regarding the submission of this RFP shall be submitted in writing via e-mail to Paul Ries (Paul.Ries@denverwater.org) or during the pre-proposal meeting. Written requests for interpretation, clarification, and/or additional information must be received no later than 12:00 pm, MST, May 26, 2025. Contractor communication regarding the project with other Denver Water personnel is prohibited and shall be grounds for disqualification.

A Pre-Proposal meeting is scheduled for 1:30 pm, MST, Wednesday, May 13, 2025, via Microsoft teams using Meeting ID 251 487 881 776 0, Passcode xZ3Zt73R. Attendance is a requirement for submission of a proposal.

Addenda:

In the event it becomes necessary to revise, change, clarify, provide additional information about, and/or cancel this RFP, Denver Water will issue a written addendum. It is the sole responsibility of the Contractor to acknowledge all addenda in its proposal.

Withdrawal or Modification of Proposals:

Proposals may be withdrawn or modified by Contractors prior to the proposal due date, but only upon written request. After the proposal due date, Denver Water will not return proposals or other information supplied to Denver Water. After the proposal due date, if Denver Water identifies a defect in the proposal that could otherwise be cured, Denver Water may request the Contractor to supplement their proposal to make needed corrections identified by Denver Water.

Right to Negotiate Denver Water may select one or more proposals and may negotiate any and all elements of a proposal, if deemed to be in the best interest of Denver Water.

Exhibit A – INDIVIDUAL SITE EXHIBITS

Copyright nearmap 2015, Denver Water

Denver Water UserÜ Source(s): Denver Water

Belleview Pump Station

0 110 220 330 440 550 660 77055 ft

Map Date: 3/21/2025

This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and information shown is provided "AS IS" with no claim by the Denver Water Board as to the completeness, usefulness or accuracy of its contents. Any sale, reproduction or distribution of this information, or products derived therefrom, in any format is expressly prohibited. 2025 Denver WaterW wgeiss Callout - Red

RESERVOIR

wgeiss Callout - Red

PUMP STATION

wgeiss Callout - Red

SWITCHYARD

wgeiss Line wgeiss Line wgeiss Callout - Red

PROPERTY LINE

wgeiss Callout - Red

EASEMENT

Denver Water UserÜ Source(s): Denver Water

Map Date: 3/21/2025

This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and information shown is provided "AS IS" with no claim by the Denver Water Board as to the completeness, usefulness or accuracy of its contents. Any sale, reproduction or distribution of this information, or products derived therefrom, in any format is expressly prohibited. 2025 Denver WaterW wgeiss Snapshot wgeiss Snapshot wgeiss Snapshot wgeiss Rectangle wgeiss Rectangle wgeiss Line wgeiss Callout - Red

VAULT

wgeiss Callout - Red

FILTER BLDG

wgeiss Callout - Red

CHLORINE CONTACT BASIN

wgeiss

SWITCHYARD

Copyright nearmap 2015, Denver Water

Denver Water UserÜ Source(s): Denver Water

Kendrick Pump Station

0 80 160 240 320 400 480 56040 ft

Map Date: 3/21/2025

This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and information shown is provided "AS IS" with no claim by the Denver Water Board as to the completeness, usefulness or accuracy of its contents. Any sale, reproduction or distribution of this information, or products derived therefrom, in any format is expressly prohibited. 2025 Denver WaterW wgeiss Callout - Red

RESERVOIR

wgeiss Callout - Red

SWITCHYARD

wgeiss Rectangle wgeiss Callout - Red

PUMP STATION

wgeiss Line wgeiss Line wgeiss Callout - Red

PROPERTY LINE

wgeiss

Copyright nearmap 2015, Denver Water

Denver Water UserÜ Source(s): Denver Water

56th Ave Pump Station

0 80 160 240 320 400 480 56040 ft

Map Date: 3/21/2025

This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and information shown is provided "AS IS" with no claim by the Denver Water Board as to the completeness, usefulness or accuracy of its contents. Any sale, reproduction or distribution of this information, or products derived therefrom, in any format is expressly prohibited. 2025 Denver WaterW wgeiss Callout - Red

RESERVOIR

wgeiss Callout - Red

PUMP STATION

wgeiss Callout - Red

SWITCHYARD

wgeiss Rectangle wgeiss Line wgeiss Line wgeiss Callout - Red

PROPERTY LINE

wgeiss

59 2 0

Copyright nearmap 2015, Denver Water

Denver Water UserÜ Source(s): Denver Water

Lone Tree Pump Station

0 80 160 240 320 400 480 56040 ft

Map Date: 3/21/2025

This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and information shown is provided "AS IS" with no claim by the Denver Water Board as to the completeness, usefulness or accuracy of its contents. Any sale, reproduction or distribution of this information, or products derived therefrom, in any format is expressly prohibited. 2025 Denver WaterW wgeiss Callout - Red

RESERVOIR

wgeiss Callout - Red

SWITCHYARD

wgeiss Callout - Red

RESERVOIR

wgeiss Rectangle wgeiss Line wgeiss Line wgeiss Callout - Red

PROPERTY LINE

wgeiss Callout - Red

EASEMENT

wgeiss

PUMP STATION

Copyright nearmap 2015, Denver Water

Denver Water UserÜ Source(s): Denver Water

Capitol Hill Pump Station

0 110 220 330 440 550 660 77055 ft

Map Date: 3/21/2025

This Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and information shown is provided "AS IS" with no claim by the Denver Water Board as to the completeness, usefulness or accuracy of its contents. Any sale, reproduction or distribution of this information, or products derived therefrom, in any format is expressly prohibited. 2025 Denver WaterW wgeiss Polygon wgeiss Line wgeiss Line wgeiss Callout - Red

PROPERTY LINE

wgeiss Callout - Red

EASEMENT

wgeiss Callout - Red

RESERVOIR

wgeiss Callout - Red

SWITCHYARD

wgeiss Callout - Red

RECYCLE TANK

wgeiss

PUMP STATION

Exhibit B – SECURITY PREQUALIFIED CONTRACTOR/CONSULTANT LIST (SPCL)

APPLICATION

Date: 1/1/2025 – 1/1/2029

Denver Water Security Consultant/Subcontractor Restricted Projects Prequalification

Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Denver Water (DW) initiated a security prequalification process for Consultants/Subcontractors to access DW’s Restricted documents and project sites when completing a DW project. All Consultants/Subcontractors that will have access to Restricted documents or will be accessing DW’s Restricted project sites must submit to be prequalified. If approved, the Consultant/Subcontractor will then be placed on the Security Prequalified Contractor/Consultant List (SPCL) and will subsequently have access to Restricted documents and project sites. The term “Restricted” includes projects identified by DW as Restricted or Highly Restricted. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) outlines the requirements to be placed on the SPCL.

If you are a prime Consultant or have any Subcontractors or Subconsultants working for you on a DW project, you are responsible for ensuring their staff complies with the same requirements listed below.

You may choose to have them submit their own SOQ under their entities name and if approved DW will place them on the SPCL.

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This prequalification process consists of the following:

• DW categorizes projects based on where the work is being performed as Restricted or public.

Restricted sites include projects at our water treatment facilities, dams, hydropower facilities, specific pump stations, and other critical infrastructure.

• DW requires Consultants/Subcontractors to submit their Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for approval which ensures Consultants/Subcontractors will comply with DW’s security requirements to access Restricted projects.

• This process requires a Consultant/Subcontractor to agree to intermittent audits of its security program by DW personnel, as well as sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and personnel screening affidavit attesting to its intent to comply with certain security related items if awarded a project.

• The SOQ will be evaluated, and if a Consultant/Subcontractor is approved by DW, the Consultant/Subcontractor will be prequalified and placed on the SPCL for a period of four years, beginning on January 1, 2025.

• The prequalification process will remain open, and Consultants/Subcontractors may submit their SOQs at any time during the four-year period. If approved, they will be placed on the SPCL for the balance of the four-year period ending December 31, 2028.

• Intermittent audits will be completed by DW’s Security Personnel to ensure compliance with the security procedures/requirements. Failure to comply and/or unsatisfactory audit results may result in suspension from future work or other consequences at DW’s discretion.

DW will continue to add Consultants/Subcontractors to this list as they submit their qualifications and become approved. The DW SPCL is posted at:

https://www.denverwater.org/sites/default/files/2017-05/security-prequalification-contractor-list.pdf

1.2 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION

This RFQ contains the instructions governing how qualifications are to be submitted, the material to be included therein, and the mandatory requirements which must be met to be approved for the SPCL.

https://www.denverwater.org/sites/default/files/2017-05/security-prequalification-contractor

Any requests for clarification or additional information regarding submission in response to this RFQ shall be submitted via email to amy.guire@denverwater.org.

1.3 SUBMISSION

Submittal Instructions:

1. Consultants/Subcontractors must submit one emailed electronic copy (.PDF) of the SOQ to amy.guire@denverwater.org. In the subject line, the title shall be: SPCL - (Firms Name) Security Prequalification Submission.

2. Submissions must be in the format noted in Section 3.1. Information must be legible and current. DW reserves the right to disqualify any response submitted incorrectly.

3. The submission must contain the signature of a duly authorized officer or agent of the Consultant's/Subcontractor’s company.

4. Submissions become the property of DW upon receipt. The content of submissions will be kept on file for future use if applicable.

Submissions may be withdrawn, or the Consultant/Subcontractor may request their company be removed from the SPCL at any time. This request must be submitted in email and specify the name of the authorized agent and contact information to verify the request.

SECTION 2: ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

2.1 OBJECTIVE

This RFQ enables DW to obtain necessary documents from Consultants/Subcontractors and ensure security procedures will be adhered to for DW Restricted projects. The RFQ is not a contractual offer or a commitment that if approved and listed on the SPCL, the Consultant/Subcontractor may be invited to perform work on upcoming projects.

2.2 NOTIFICATION

DW will review the submitted SOQs and if approved, update the SPCL…