SJPC Solar PPA RFP (01596951xA9E76) Final Clean.pdf

St. Johns Public Schools

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Third-Party Solar Power

Date of RFP Issue: 11/7/19 Proposal Due Date: 12/3/19

1. Contents

Section Topic Page 1 Contents 1 2 Objective 3 3 Overview 3 4 RFP Schedule 4 5 Site Information 5 6 Site Examination 6 7 Provider Qualifications 6 8 Personnel Qualifications 7 9 Project Scope and Standards 7 10 Proposal Content 8 11 Technical Specifications 10 12 Operations and Maintenance 13 13 Project Schedule 13 14 Finanacial Statements 13 15 Selection Committee 14 16 District Responsibility 12 17 Right to Reject Proposals 12 18 RFP Exhibit

A. General Site InformationApproximate Locations B. Pre ESPC Energy Use

ATTACHMENT A: General Site Information (aerial photos). Guidance for Energy Generation

Calculation (PV Watts. If you have additional calculations specific to your proposal/plan, those may be included in ADDITION to the PV Watts information.)

ATTACHMENT B: Electrical information – Baseline electric bill data in Excel spreadsheets.

(Additional information on-line in a secure project share-file: Demand data, utility bills).

ATTACHMENT C: PROPOSED POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND SITE LEASE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

2. Objective

St. Johns Public Schools hereinafter referred to as “the District” is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified contractors to design, build, own and operate, maintain, and potentially finance a solar installation on District property and provide power to School facilities.

The District is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide turn-key solar photovoltaics (PV) services through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The District is willing to review other financing and ownership models including a conventional PPA with tax benefits through system donation, a lease, or any other structured proposal.

Responses shall be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. on December 3, 2019.

Responses should be clearly marked with “Response to Request for Proposals for PPA-Do not open until 2PM 12/3/19.” The Superintendent or representative of the district will open the bids at that time and read the proposals aloud.

Late responses will not be considered. By combining multiple sites, the District hopes to recover some benefits for reduced pricing.

3. Overview

The District is seeking proposals from interested firms that are capable of designing, engineering, installing, financing and maintaining a solar PV project limited to the following six (6) sites:

1) St. Johns High School

2) St. Johns Middle School

3) Eureka Elementary

4) Gateway Elementary

5) Oakview Elementary

6) Riley Elementary

For purposes of this RFP, respondents should limit their responses to only these sites.

The District believes on-site PV power generation will provide a long-term financial benefit by reducing energy costs and daily energy consumption at the sites. The program will provide high quality power with minimal environmental impact. Through on-site PV solar generation, the District hopes to:

• Reap the financial benefits of more affordable electricity at no up-front cost.

• Reduce environmental impact.

• Provide an example of successful renewable energy generation and showcase the District as a leader in development of renewable energy sources.

Through this RFP process, the District intends to select only one proposer for the solar project, and is looking for the “best value” proposal based on the selection criteria stated within this RFP. Best value considerations may include but are not limited to rates, reliability, risk, equipment/system quality, equipment lifespan, purchase option price, and utility program risk.

4. RFP Schedule

The following schedule and deadlines apply to this solicitation:

• Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference—11:00 AM November 14, 2019. (Wilson Center, 101 W. Cass St., St. Johns, MI.)

• Date for Final Submittal of Questions –November 26, 2019 no later than

4:00 PM EST.

Submit questions to:

Kurt Carter Performance Contracting Owner’s Representatives KCarter@PCOwnersReps.com

• Proposals are Due—December 3, 2019, no later than 2:00 PM EST

1 Original and 6 hard copies PLUS 1 electronic copy. The electronic copy should be on a USB flash drive.

Proposal should be Addressed to:

Kelly Corbett Director of Finance St. Johns Public Schools 501 W. Sickels Rd.

St. Johns, MI 48879

Proposals must be clearly marked as follows:

Company Name Contact Name/Title Address “Proposal Response to St. Johns Public Schools, RFP for Solar PPA Do not open before 11/3/19 at 2 PM.”

• Interviews will be held—December 16, 2019 (Tentative). It is the intent of the District to recommend one company/proposer to the board at a January BOE meeting.

5. Site Information

The District currently uses approximately 5.99 Million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually for the 6 buildings planned for solar with an average monthly electric bill of approximately $68,083. The District believes that photovoltaic systems can be successfully installed at the following facilities, with emphasis in providing solar power on ground mounted systems. The detailed power usage of each facility for the period May 2018 through April 2019 is provided.

The district is (separately) seeking comprehensive energy conservation measures under an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) throughout the District. The ESPC is being bid separately and from this PPA. The ESPC will provide guaranteed energy savings and will reduce the approximate energy use 50% from the original baseline data noted above. The baseline data noted and provided is from the pre- ESPC implementation period of May 2018 to April 2019.

The exact demand and energy consumption will be expected to change (decrease) commensurate with the Energy Conservation Measures undertaken in each building.

Although specific ECMs are not yet identified, common ECMs are expected to include:

• District wide LED lighting (new fixtures or retrofit)

• EMS/Controls upgrade

• VFDs

• High efficiency motors

For the purpose of this PPA RFP and proposal, the District is requesting that all proposals be based on a common assumed baseline electric reduction of 50%, to allow for the ESPC impact.

Original Baseline Consumption (Prior to ESPC) St. Johns High School – 501 W. Sickels, St. Johns, MI Average Monthly Energy Use: 276,805 kWh Average Monthly Demand: 747 kW

St. Johns Middle School – 900 W. Townsend, St. Johns, MI Average Monthly Energy Use: 120,461 kWh Average Monthly Demand: 445 kW

Eureka Elementary—7550 N. Welling Rd, St. Johns, MI Average Monthly Energy Use: 12,613 kWh Average Monthly Demand: 47 kW

Gateway Elementary—915 N. Lansing St., St. Johns, MI Average Monthly Energy Use: 32,027 kWh Average Monthly Demand: 161 kW

Oakview Elementary—1400 S. Clinton Ave, St. Johns, MI Average Monthly Energy Use: 40,480 kWh Average Monthly Demand: 216 kW

Riley Elementary—5935 W. Pratt, St. Johns, MI Average Monthly Energy Use: 16,170 kWh Average Monthly Demand: 61 kW

Additional bill and site details can be found in Attachments A & B. Electric bill details have all been entered into Excel. An Excel summary is provided (Attachment B.) A detailed Excel file with all detailed costs is available as well as copies of the scanned electric bills. These are available in a secure share-file site that will be set up for your team.

6. Examination of Site Prior to Submitting Proposal

Each provider must inform themselves fully of the conditions relating to the project.

Failure to do so will not relieve a successful bidder of the obligation to carry out the provisions of the contract.

The provider will design, install and maintain a solar photovoltaic system to maximize the solar resources at all, or as many of, the above listed sites, taking into account the facilities’ electrical demand and load patterns, proposed installation sites, available solar resources, applicable zoning ordinances, installation costs and other relevant factors, which shall be discussed in the provider’s proposal. The provider should make every effort to visit each site and determine the best course of action for each facility. It is the District’s intent to minimize its overall resultant combined (utility and PPA) electric cost and risk, including rate risk, operational risk, and future utility program structure risks.

Before submitting a proposal, providers will have the ability to tour the sites as part of the Pre-bid Conference. Additional re-visits of the installation site may be schedule by contacting Rob Gleeson at gleesonr@sjredwings.org to re-visit the installation sites if needed. Proposals shall be for ground mounted installations.)

7. Provider Qualifications

To qualify as the provider for award of this agreement, the prime provider or joint venture must either individually or collectively demonstrate extensive training, relevant expertise and a thorough knowledge of the professional services, functions, activities and related responsibilities to successfully perform their role in this solar photovoltaic installation.

8. Personnel Qualifications and Abilities

Specialized experience is required of the proposed project personnel to undertake the work assignments. Proposals must clearly demonstrate the capability, academic background, training, certifications and experience of the proposed personnel. The availability of the proposed staff is also of crucial importance and must be demonstrated. Specific project responsibility of staff to be assigned to the project must be included, as well as professional background and caliber of previous experience of key persons and of each consultant to be assigned to the project. If sub-consultants will be employed, similar information must be provided and the portions to be sub-consulted must be identified. (There is no penalty for use of sub-consultants; the qualifications of the entire team will be evaluated).

Provider(s) shall possess:

• Valid and pertinent State of Michigan contractor construction licenses.

• Michigan Professional Engineering (PE) registration for photovoltaic/electrical, structural, civil, and fire protection work as applicable.

• North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification.

• Certified Energy Manager (CEM) from the Association of Energy Engineers

9. Project Scope and Standards

The provider will design, provide, install, own, maintain, and, if necessary, repair the solar photovoltaic systems. The District will purchase electricity produced by the photovoltaic system through a Power Purchase Agreement. The scope of this project is all inclusive and includes planning, engineering, labor, materials, delivery, installation and commissioning, as well as all warranties and maintenance. This includes all structural and utility modifications that are required. The provider shall include in its proposal all elements necessary for a turn-key project including rebate applications, grid connection agreement, all permits and approvals from governing agencies and all labor, taxes, services and equipment. Provider shall apply for and obtain all necessary permits required by St. Johns Public Schools and all regulatory agencies including federal, state, and local jurisdictions. All fees required by Westwood Heights Schools or other jurisdictions shall be the responsibility of the applicant. Provider shall obtain a Michigan business license.

If the project scope includes multiple electrical services, net metering will be located at each electrical service; however, the provider shall make the decision on the best location for metering and the numbers of meters required.

Ownership of Solar Renewable Energy Credits (RECS) or Certificates should be assumed to be owned by St. Johns Public Schools for the life of the agreement unless otherwise specified by the Proposer as part of the proposal. If ownership of the Solar RECs changes the pricing, Provider shall provide separate pricing dependent on control of Solar RECs Connection to the local Utility – the Proposer is responsible for all connections and facilitating purchase agreements to the Utility for systems that proposed to export power to the Utility.

All equipment shall be UL listed. All installations shall comply with current local government approved building and electrical codes. Guaranteed minimum output from the system shall be 85% of the expected performance output from the system.

10. Content of Proposal

Proposals shall have Arial text font at a minimum of 11 point in size. They shall be printed on 8 1/2” & 11” paper. \ In order to maintain uniformity with all proposals furnished by provider, proposals shall include the following:

• Overview of Principal Elements. A project understanding summary that includes an overview of the principal elements of the proposal, demonstration of an understanding of the project objectives, and a description of your approach to solar systems. Include any suggestions or special concerns that the District should be made aware of, the proposed configuration of equipment and any additional scope of work tasks you feel are necessary for the successful completion of the project. Include a discussion of work assignments between the provider and subcontractors used, if any.

• Schematic Design Layout. Provider shall provide a system schematic design layout for the systems, including photovoltaic model type and model no., wattage, number of modules, year 1 production, degradation percentage, inverter type and model, mounting system type, azimuth, tilt, system size AC and DC,

• Minimum Qualifications. Sufficient information for the District to evaluate the provider’s ability to successfully complete the scope of work and to meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Maintenance of valid business license

• Appropriate Contracting Licenses in good standing

• Appropriate other licensing in good standing

• Company’s bond rating

• A list of personnel who will work on the project, including resumes of proposed project team members that delineates education, current licenses and certificates, prior employment and titles (included as attachments);

• Project Team Structure: An organizational chart describing the roles and responsibilities of each person

• References. A list of similar projects which your firm completed within the last 5 years. To be considered, respondents are required to have financed, designed, installed, operated, maintained, and completed a minimum of five (5) solar PV projects in the United States that are commercial grid-connected solar PV systems under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Two (2) of the referenced projects must be with local governments, schools, or state government and one must be of a similar scale and type. All five (5) PV projects must be currently providing the full/rated solar generation capability.

Project information should include project description, agency or client name along with the person to contact, telephone number(s) and e-mail addresses, year completed and project construction and project cost.

• Proposal submittal and signature. Proposal shall be signed by a company official with the power to bind the company in its proposal. All proposals must be completely responsive to the RFP.

• Power Purchase Agreement. A separate cost proposal is to be submitted that includes the financial terms of a power purchase agreement. A variety of pricing models or structures may be proposed. The District expects the selected proposer to execute the draft Power Purchase Agreement and Site Lease included as Attachment C. Each proposer must specifically identify all proposed amendments to the draft Power Purchase Agreement or Site Lease as part of its proposal. The failure of a Provider to identify any exceptions to the draft Power Purchase Agreement or Site Lease shall be considered an unqualified acceptance of all provisions of those documents.

Notiwthstanding the foreoing, the District reserves the right to negotiate the terms of the Power Purchase Agreement and the Site Lease. The District will select the provider based on the best overall value, including qualifications, price, quality, contract terms, and guarantees.

The provider should bid the lowest cost of electrical energy (price per kWh or percentage of net metering credit) they are willing to provide the District for each year of the Power Purchase Agreement. The Price Proposal also shall include guaranteed minimum energy to be produced in each year at each site proposed to be developed and a purchase price of the PV systems for each year after installation if the District chooses to exercise a purchase option.

Provider shall identify the warranties to be transferred to the District, if the District purchases the PV systems. The District is to pay no up-front fees, including legal fees and professional fees for owner’s representative. All costs and fees must be incorporated into the power purchase rate. The provider shall be able to retain all environmental attributes including Renewable Energy Credit (REC) and carbon credits. At the end of the PPA or renewal term, and should the District choose not to purchase the system, the proposer shall remove the photovoltaic systems(s) and to return the sites to preexisting conditions at their expense.

• Warranties/Guarantees. The proposer shall provide the following minimum warranties/guarantees. (Longer manufacturer guarantees will be noted and are preferred.)

• Any warranty required to qualify a system for available rebates or incentives;

• 10 year complete system warranty;

• 20 year PV panel warranty, with a maximum of 20% degradation; and

• 10 year complete operational power capacity warranty.

• Local Economic Development. The District believes that solar energy development can contribute to economic development and job creation/job retention in our area. The bidder should demonstrate its ability to contribute to the local economy including the use of local businesses and workers if possible, given the aforementioned requirements for specialized skills.

11. Technical Specifications

The following technical information should be discussed in this section.

• Major equipment manufacturers

• Description of technology and configuration

• Summary of the commercial operating experience of the equipment used or to be chosen

• Solar system layout of equipment and characteristics

• Electrical interconnection and metering/net-metering

• Foundation of PV support system

• Level of efficiency

• DC and AC capacity rating

• Expected annual energy production in kWh by month o Provide PV Watts output and inputs, see Appendix A for further guidance on PV Watts calculations.

• Communications, control and instrumentation

• Facility limitations that may constrain operation

• Project Management plan

• Quality assurance plans

• Start-up and testing

• Factory and performance tests

• Design life loading (wind, seismic, etc.)

• Description of frequency and duration of scheduled maintenance

• Provide any information that could impact the cost, construction schedule or output capability of the project

• Proposals shall demonstrate a proven, comprehensive data acquisition system with current and historical data available remotely through a real-time internet site capable of tracking, but not be limited, to the following:

o Site-specific actual kWh production (average and cumulative totals) o Site-specific instantaneous maximum kWh production o Actual meteorological data o Solar irradiance o Ambient and module temperature o Capacity factor o Degradation

• Proposals shall provide evidence that the proposed technology and equipment would meet or exceed all currently applicable and proposed safety and interconnection standards. All equipment components must be listed or recognized by an appropriate safety laboratory (e.g., Underwriter’s Laboratory [UL]), and meet existing facility structural and fire safety requirements.

• Proposals shall provide evidence that the proposed technology and equipment would meet or exceed all currently applicable and proposed environmental standards.

• Proposals shall provide evidence that the proposed technology and equipment are designed for normal operation in the Michigan, Lansing climate.

• Proposals shall provide evidence that the proposed technology does not incorporate proprietary components and that the system design allows for multiple sources of supply and/or repair.

12. Operatons and Maintenance

Provide a detailed Operation and Maintenance (O&M) plan, including staffing, budget, management and control over any facility, authority over the O&M budget, and guarantees on O&M costs for the entirety of the lease term(s).

Provide a description of the basic philosophy for performing O&M and include a discussion of contracting for outside services, if applicable. The successful respondent shall provide five (5) copies of the complete O&M manuals for all components of the system to the District upon system commissioning. The O&M manuals should include, but not be limited to, all information required for operation, including equipment specification, maintenance schedules, suppliers information, warranty information, etc.

13. Project Schedule

All proposals must include a project schedule that includes the following milestones:

• Permitting begins [Date]

• Final design plans complete [Date]

• Equipment ordered [Date]

• Construction begins [Date]

• Electrical generation begins [Date]

14. Financial Statements

Please submit a detailed financial report prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) reflecting the current (as of the most recent financial statement date) financial condition of the provider. Such report must include a balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows, along with applicable footnotes, dated concurrently for at least each of the last preceding three years ending on the most recent fiscal quarter such statements were prepared. Public entities or subsidiaries should attach SEC Form 10-K along with, as applicable, detailed unaudited statements for the provider. Non-public entities may attach either unaudited financial statements or copies of tax forms and schedules that are filed with the Internal Revenue Service where applicable.

Please submit a Certificate of Insurance.

15. Selection Committee

The District has established a Selection Committee to evaluate provider proposals. The evaluation of each proposal will be based on cost, quality, technical criteria and qualifications, reference checks, guarantees, and risks. This district will be using an independent third party owner’s representative to assist in the evaluation of the proposals, subsequent interviews, and contracts. At present, the selection committee is planned as follows: the Superintendent, Director or Finance, Facility Director, Owner’s Representative.

16. District Responsibility

The District will be responsible for the following:

• Providing all available existing plans and records. Provider is responsible for researching available records and copying records needed to successfully implement the photovoltaic projects of this RFP.

• Coordinating access to the site for provider review prior to submittal of proposal.

17. Right to Reject Proposals

Bid proposals shall remain valid for 60 days after opening of the proposals.

The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted and no representation made herein that any contract will be awarded pursuant to this RFP or otherwise. The District reserves the right to waive irregularities or formalities in the RFP process, in its discretion.

Each Provider submitting a proposal, by submitting a proposal, agrees to hold the District and its employees and agents harmless for any costs, claims, damages associated with the RFP process or the Provider’s submission of a proposal.

All costs incurred in the preparation of the proposal, the submission of additional information and/or any aspect of a proposal prior to award of a written contract will be borne by the provider.

The District will provide only the staff assistance and documentation specifically referred to herein and will not be responsible for any other cost or obligation of any kind which may be incurred by the respondent. All proposals submitted become the property of the District.

18. RFP Exhibits

ATTACHMENT A: General Site Information (aerial photos). Guidance for Energy Generation Calculation (PV Watts. If you have additional calculations specific to your proposal/plan, those may be included in ADDITION to the PV Watts information.)

ATTACHMENT B: Electrical information – Baseline electric bill data in Excel spreadsheets, Pre-ESPC Electric consumption per building.

(Additional information on-line in a secure project share-file:

Demand data, utility bills).

ATTACHMENT C: Draft Power Purchase Agreement and Site Lease

Attachment A

Aerial Photos:

St. Johns High School Hamady HS/MS

Aerial Photo:

St. Johns Middle School

Gateway Elementary

Eureka Elementary

Oakview Elementary

Riley Elementary

Attachment B

Listed below is an overview of the electric history just prior to the implementation of the Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC). The ESPC will reduce the electric consumption 50%.

Construction on the ESPC projects will be completed in the spring of 2021.

Detailed electric bills will be available via a secure share-file for the project. Those electric bills have all been entered into a detailed Excel spreadsheet identifying every charge and surcharge on each bill. This has also been added to the secure share-file for the project. In addition, electric interval (demand) data has been obtained and will be available on the secure-share file. Firms attending the mandatory pre-bid meeting and expressing interest in bidding the project will be provided access to this data.

Electric Summary

Attachment C