Amendment No. 1 - Environmental Chamber Level 2.pdf

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Managed and Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Request for Quote (RFQ) Number 2025025451

Level 2 Environmental Chamber

AMENDMENT NO. 1

Amendment Issue Date: 7/24/2025 Due Date for Proposals: 8/8/2025 Time Due: 5:00pm Mountain Time

1. Solicitation Type Lowest Price (Cost), Technically Acceptable Selection

Submit offers to the NREL RFQ Contact below

2. NREL RFP Contact Nicole Edun National Renewable Energy Laboratory 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401 Email: Nicole.Edun@nrel.gov

Amendment No. 1 is hereby issued in response to questions received regarding the subject Request for Quote (RFQ). Please note that some questions may have been edited to address duplicate questions or to protect business-sensitive information provided in the original questions. The essences of the original questions are not affected. Questions are in no particular order.

1. Q. Are you designing and installing your own racking system?

A. We plan to design and install our own racking. Vendor to specify the distance required between modules for adequate airflow to meet temperature ramps plus excess around racking envelope.

2. Q. Where do you need the water inlet placed? What size fixture do you need? 1" 3/4 FNPT?

A. ¾" FNPT. Ceiling or side of the chamber toward the rear.

3. Q. Where on each wall do you prefer the four ports for access wires? Wall height and front to back locations.

A. Height between 5' - 6' from the floor. Roughly 1/3 and 2/3 front to back.

mailto:Nicole.Edun@nrel.gov

4. Q. Are the solar panels energized and therefore generating heat during the test cycles? If yes, what is the total heat dissipation during the test cycles?

A. Solar panels may be energized during testing. This is indicated by “live load” in the different specification levels, along with the required capabilities when this live load is present.

5. Q. These are to be solid walk-in chambers with approximate dimensions of 150" High X 171" Long X 150" Wide> (current estimates). Will NREL have sufficient loading dock doors and building entryways to accommodate product placements in your facility? *Note: Thermotron Industries does not offer nor contract for any rigging services for these solid walk-in chambers.

Customer must supply their own. We only offer Start Up operational services, preventative maintenance training and Controller usage and programing once the system(s) are in place and connected.

A. Doors to likely locations will be constrained at 117” tall by 90” wide

6. Q. Estimated lead time for a Purchase Order to be awarded?

A. The estimated lead time can vary depending on a range of factors including technical evaluation of submissions, acceptance or negotiations of NREL terms and conditions, and reviews of safety required documents. The Vendor should provide its best estimates regarding the delivery time of the system in their quote.

7. Q. For the required capability of transitioning from -40°C to 85°C test article temperature in 105 minutes and vice versa, will there be an active heat load inside the chamber? If so, how many kW of heat?

A. Throughout the three specification levels, loads are specified as dead load, meaning there is no active heat load, just mass, and live load, meaning there is heat dissipated in the chamber at the specified level. Requirements vary throughout the three levels for dead and live load.

8. Q. How will the panels / rack be oriented in the chamber?

A. Orientation is flexible.

9. Q. Do you plan to run humidity with the heat load energized? If so, what will the heat load be during humidity control?

A. Yes. Live loads as specified in the technical specifications

10. Q. If you are running humidity control with a heat load, what specific temperature and humidity setpoints will you run?

A. Full range of humidity control with live heat load as specified. Temperature ramps and set points are specified.

11. Q. Humidity control is spec’d to be 10% to 95%RH. Over what dry bulb range does this apply?

A. Needed set points include 85°C/85%RH, 60°C/95%RH, 60°C/10%RH. Inclusion of an air dryer is requested.

12. Q. What diameter do you need the ports to be?

A. 3” inner diameter

13. Q. You asked for water inlet to enable customer-built spray capability. Do you want a port in the ceiling of the chamber or in a wall?

A. Either works, but please position it toward the rear of the chamber

14. Q. Do you need to control temperature or temperature and humidity while spraying water? If so what setpoints? How much water is sprayed?

A. Temperature and humidity control capability is required during water spray. During water spray, chamber RH setpoint would be around 95+/- 5 % RH. A typical temperature would be 25°C or 40°C.

15. Q. What are the applicable codes and standards that you need the unit NRTL evaluated against?

We typically test against UL508A, NFPA 70, and UL61010-1. Is this acceptable?

A. Evaluating against UL508A, NFPA 70, and UL61010-1 would be acceptable. Field evaluations are acceptable.

16. Q. Will the chamber be water cooled or remote air cooled?

A. Vendor to specify facilities requirements. Chilled water will be available.

17. Q. What power Voltage will be provided to the chamber? 460V 3PH?

A. Vendor to specify facilities requirements.

18. Q. What size floor drain is needed and how much flow is expected to go through it?

A. A trench 4’ x 2" centered on the floor, to collect water; feeding at least a ¾" drain, up to

2.1 gpm of flow

19. Q. Where does the heat load come from?

A. Energized test articles (solar panels)

20. Q. Is the customer installing a solar array?

A. This chamber is for testing solar panels in a R&D environment as specified. The 8 solar panels do not need to be tested as an “array” that is analogous to field installation.

21. Q. Do we need to leave room somewhere in the chamber for this?

A. Test article requirements are specified.

22. Q. When you say you need the control based on the panel temperature, where do you mount the thermocouple at?

A. Temperature probe to be mounted on the surface of the solar panel. Note the temperature uniformity requirements.

23. Q. Do you need a particular type of thermocouple?

A. T-type is preferred

24. Q. Do you need us to provide a certain number of product thermocouples provided by us?

A. We can supply surface-mount thermocouples

25. Q. Is Humidity Freeze Test a requirement? If Humidity Freeze Test is a requirement, does RH need to be maintained above 80%RH while ramping temperature, Or can humidity drop during the temperature ramp?

A. Humidity freeze as specified in IEC 61215 is a required capability.

26. Q. Will any testing be conducted "under load?" If so, please describe the Watts or BTU's that will make up the "live load" and when that load will be on: (Pull Down , Steady State, Heat Up, Humidity).

A. In some cases. Live loads dissipated by the test articles as well as capabilities with the live load present are specified.

27. Q. Chamber walls etc will be large in size, can you share how the product may be delivered and the path to the install Site?

A. The specific location, and path, will be determined by the utility needs and space availability. Doors to likely locations will be constrained at 117” tall by 90” wide.

28. Q. Is the install site (room) air conditioned? If so, at what temperatures?

A. Lab temperatures are controlled but may fluctuate between 65˚F to 72˚F.

29. Q. Since there are 3 separate procurements for the Environment Chamber (Level 1, 2 and 3), who should the quote be directed too?

A. The Offerors shall submit proposal/quotes to the appropriate person identified in the RFQs and Amendments.

30. Q. Does this need to be submitted via SAM.GOV or can I just send the quotes and other documents to you?

The Offerors shall submit proposal/quotes to the appropriate person identified in the RFQs and Amendments and not through SAM.gov.

31. Q. A company completed registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and is able to provide verification upon request. Are there any additional requirements related to SAM registration specific to the RFQ?

A. There are no other specific requirements other than that the Offeror should be fully registered in SAM.gov and the account is “active”.

32. Q. Regarding the “domestic end product” declaration (as defined in FAR 25.003), a proposed product is manufactured in China. The company adhere to international quality standards in the production process to ensure reliable performance and provide a one-year warranty for all equipment to guarantee post-purchase support. Please advise if further documentation (such as quality certification or warranty details) is needed to support this.

A. Completion of the Reps and Certs should address the matter regarding the definition of "domestic end product" found in Far 25.003. The technical details of the offer should address quality standards, quality standards documentation may be requested later if not included in the technical offer.

33. Price Justification documentation. Would redacted invoices billed to other customers satisfy the price justification requirements?

A. Yes, it is preferred that the Offeror provides a minimum of 3 redacted invoices for similar systems billed to other customers within 18-months.

34. Are there any other eligibility criteria or pre-qualification steps not explicitly mentioned in the RFQ that Offerors should be aware?

A. There are no other eligibility criteria or pre-qualification steps. To be considered responsive, the Offerors are required to complete and submit all documents set forth in the

RFQ.

35. Q. Are overshoots allowed on tests? Specifically the Level 2 and Level 3 +60°C to +15°C tests.

A. Chamber air temperature may overshoot, but test article temperature must not overshoot by more than 2°C. Temperature at the end of all specified ramps shall be stable and uniform for all 8 modules ±2°C.

36. Q. Where is the live load coming from: Is it from the panels themselves, or will there be Inverters in the chamber? If so, is there a static load associated with the live load source?

A. The solar panels will be under bias and dissipating the live loads. Their dead/static load will also be present as specified.

37. Q. Is NREL using utility consumption to factor in the Lowest Price for vendor selection?

A. Utility consumption will not be a factor in determining lowest price.

38. Q. Are 8 thermocouples required to validate the ±2°C for all 8 modules?

A. Customer can supply T-type surface mount thermocouples. The uniformity specification applies to over the surface of each module as well as between modules. For example the edge and center of each module must be within ±2°C at the end of the ramps. Customer may deploy an array of temperature probes during acceptance testing to confirm uniformity over each module’s surface, as well as between modules.

39. Q. "Temperature at the end of all specified ramps shall be stable and uniform for all 8 modules ±2°C". Under normal loaded conditions, the uniformity deviation may exceed approximately 10C. Will be tough to meet the ±2°C requirement. Is this acceptable?

A. ±2°C uniformity requirement applies only to dead load situations

40. Q. Regarding the heating and cooling rates: The customer's requirement refer to the temperature of the test samples. In reality, when controlling the temperature of the test samples under load conditions, there can be a significant temperature difference between the samples and the test chamber. For example, during the cooling process, when the chamber temperature has just dropped to -40°C, the temperature of the samples may still be around 0°C. The same situation applies to high-temperature conditions. Is this acceptable?

A. Overshooting on chamber air temperature to achieve ramp rates is acceptable.

Specifications apply to test article temperature.

41. Q. Humidity control is spec’d to be 10% to 95%RH. Over what dry bulb range does this apply?

A. Needed set points include 85°C/85%RH, 60°C/95%RH, 60°C/10%RH. Inclusion of an air dryer is requested.

42. Q. What diameter do you need the ports to be?

A. 3” inner diameter

43. Q. You asked for water inlet to enable customer-built spray capability. Do you want a port in the ceiling of the chamber or in a wall?

A. Either works, but please position it toward the rear of the chamber

B. Q. Do you need to control temperature or temperature and humidity while spraying water? If so what setpoints? How much water is sprayed?

A. Temperature and humidity control capability is required during water spray. During water spray, chamber RH setpoint would be around 95+/- 5 % RH. A typical temperature would be 25°C or 40°C.

C. Q. How long does the customer soak at 10C with 21kW live load for?

A. Indefinitely

D. Q. How will the panels / rack be oriented in the chamber?

A. Orientation is flexible

As a reminder, each proposal must be submitted electronically to Nicole.Edun@nrel.gov by the deadline date of 8/8/2025. To be considered a Responsive Offeror, please include all the required documents per the instructions listed in the RFQ (Section 6 – Evaluation Process, paragraph a through g).

If your company submits a quote, please include confirmation of receipt and acceptance of this Amendment in your cover letter. Thank you for your interest in this project. We look forward to receiving your proposal!

mailto:Nicole.Edun@nrel.gov

Submit offers to the NREL RFQ Contact below