Salem Motor Pool ITB Contractor Questions_08.25.25.pdf

Questions and Answers Date: 08/25/25

ITB # S-10700-00014480

Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Salem Motor Pool Solar Panel Array Project

1) Could you please provide updated solicitation and completion schedules?

Answer: See A.7 Key Project Dates of the ITB. The Key Project Dates set in this ITB are based on the Renewable Development Fund Award (RDFA) Agreement with PGE, and DAS EAM is bound by the dates set in the RDFA Agreement.

2) Also, regarding the $1,000 in liquidated damages, is it possible to waive these, perhaps through an amendment, given the fast-paced timeline and the design-build aspect of hitting the dates?

Answer: DAS is willing to reduce the liquidated damages to $500/day.

3) Are there any workforce training or COBID certification requirements for this project?

Answer: Pay Equity Certificate issued by the Department of Administrative Services is required if the Bidder employs 50 or more full-time workers and the resulting Contract price is estimated to exceed $500,000.

4) What are the requirements for PGE interface applications, and who is responsible for the associated paperwork and costs, if it’s already done do you have registration number?

Answer: Net metering interconnection agreement required to be submitted and approved by PGE.

Contractor is responsible for providing required technical information, The submission needs to be done by the contractor. Side Note: (When DAS EAM tried to fill the Net Metering form last year, we did not have all the information required for the submission.) DAS is willing to pay for any associated fee provided the information is provided.

5) Has a Geotech report and survey been completed?

Answer: The Oregon Department of State Lands gave approval for the construction of solar panels and the areas to avoid have been noted on the Attachment C Plans and Drawings.

Boundary survey has been completed and can be provided to contractor for use. Geotechnical report has not been completed and should be included to verify ground screw/augur support requirements.

The contractor is responsible for the Geo-Tech Report and costs.

If not, who is responsible for this, or is it not required?

Answer: The contractor is responsible for the Report and associated costs.

6) Is the contractor or PAE responsible for the electrical design?

Answer: PAE has provided a performance specified design for deferred submittal by the contractor as noted in the PV collectors specification section. Final permit drawings for PV system components are the responsibility of the contractor.

Can I make any adjustments if needed for the electrical and engineering aspects?

Answer: Base requirement is the project boundary as specified, tie in per existing switchboard constraints, and PV system size noted in ITB. Adjustments to array arrangement, final inverter sizes, ITB # S-10700-00014480

Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Salem Motor Pool Solar Panel Array Project etc. will be evaluated as a part of the submittal review. Substitutions of system components outside of specification requirements should be submitted via substitution request for evaluation prior to completion of contractor design.

7) Has there been a load study and AIC study for the existing electrical system that we'll be connecting to in order to support the solar system?

Answer: Load Study: The existing loads have been calculated.

AIC Study: There has been an AIC calculation done.

8) Is a permit already issued for this project, and do we just need to endorse it with structural details, especially given the swift installation timeline?

Answer:

• 23 124535 00 CO-Commercial Permit-DS-Commercial Read to issue, needs payment.

• 23 122780 00 BP- Building Permit - Commercial-Civil site work only, needs payment.

• 25 113358 00 BP- Building Permit – Commercial, needs payment.

Contractor will be required to submit their final submittal/drawing set to the city for review and approval and is responsible for application and fees for electrical permit.

9) Regarding the Buy America Act, my research indicates that some of the solar panels are not on the approved list, and the Sunmodo racking system's compliance is unconfirmed but appears not to be Buy America compliant. Could you please clarify what is required to be Buy America compliant and what is not for this project?

Answer: Refer to the approved waiver document number S-10700-00012902 pursuant to ORS 279C.303(2)(c)(A) posted in OregonBuys for details on what material is waived from this requirement.

Sunmodo’s domestic content can be found in the “general documents” page on their website.

10) Could you please confirm the expectations and review the civil plans to let me know if they are accurate or if any changes need to be made?

Answer: Civil drawings are complete and it is not anticipated that they would require any additional work.

During the site walk, a possible thought was just to mow the field. If that’s the case, do we still need to perform the same amount of erosion control if we are not scrubbing the site?

Answer: If the site needs mowed, I will have DAS landscaping do so prior to the contractor arriving on site.

11) Please confirm if the breaker is already in place in the main electrical room.

Answer: The Breaker is not on site; the contractor is to coordinate with PGE and PAE on the type.

If not, could you provide pictures and documentation for the location of the breaker that needs to be purchased?

ITB # S-10700-00014480

Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Salem Motor Pool Solar Panel Array Project

Answer: 1200A frame breaker is provided within service gear as noted on the field walk at the pre-bid conference. Contractor to provide pricing alternate to reuse existing breaker, pending field verification and acceptability of use by contractor and owner.

12) Regarding concerns about the solar system's structure not being Buy America Act (BAA) compliant, is it acceptable to use alternative product names? Also, please keep in mind that each type of solar panel would require different dimensions for the structural products, which is another reason why it would be beneficial to have multiple structure systems.

Answer:

• That structure and panels are not integral pieces in their design – meaning that it can be from two different suppliers.

• That their design is not in some way specifying a structure and panel integral system that would be causing these questions

13) Is it possible to allow a pylon system for the structure?

Answer: City of Salem noted they did not want any concrete foundations of any kind due to concerns about stormwater runoff. Contractor bids should be based on earth augur/ground screw supports.

14) We’re currently reviewing the documents for the Salem Motor Pool Solar Panel Array Project and with the short window between the solicitation release, pre-bid meeting, and bid due date, we wanted to ask if it might be possible to extend the bid deadline.

Answer: See answer to question #1.

15) I am writing to you today regarding the Bid Amendment Notification for Bid # S-10700-00014480, the ITB for the Salem Motor Pool Solar Panel Array Project, which I received this morning. I noticed that the amendment mentioned a mandatory pre-bid conference was held yesterday, August 19, 2025. We are very interested in bidding on this project and would appreciate the opportunity to still be included. Could you please let us know if there is any way for Smart Oregon Solutions to participate in the bidding process despite missing the conference?

Answer: First of all, the amendment referenced in your email is not an addendum to the ITB – It was the Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting Agenda and Attendance Roster posting on the OregonBuys. ITB S- 10700-00014480 was issued on OregonBuys on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 and the advertisement for the ITB with the Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting information was published by DJC on Friday, August 15, 2025 and Monday, August 18, 2025. Section A.10 Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference clearly stated the following “ The bidders are required to be on time and attend the entirety of the mandatory pre-bid conference directly or through authorized representative. Bids from Bidders who do not comply with these attendance requirements will be rejected as non-responsive.” Therefore, if you submit your bid, it will be rejected as non-responsive.