Solar_Array_Preventative_Maintenance_Service.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

For

SOLAR ARRAY PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICE

Utilities Department

Issued: February 21, 2025

Proposal Deadline: March 14, 2025, 3:30 pm

CITY OF NAPA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

I. THE SERVICES

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

III. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCEDURES

IV. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

V. EVALUATION

VI. SELECTION AND AWARD

VII. MISCELLANEOUS

VIII. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

Attachments:

A - 2.1.1 Services Agreement (General) (2024-08-29)

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 3 of 12

2024-RFP-050

1. ............................................................................................... THE SERVICES

1.1. ...................................................................................................................... Summary

The City requires Solar Array Preventative Maintenance Service (“Services”) for Contractor to provide monitoring and alerting services along with annual preventative maintenance, inspections and testing.

This is an ongoing service.

1.2. ....................................................................................................... Form of Agreement

A copy of the City’s standard Services Agreement (General) (“Agreement”), is attached hereto in the

Attachments section and incorporated herein. Respondents are strongly encouraged to have the

Agreement reviewed by their legal counsel and insurance company. Any objections and/or proposed changes to the Agreement must be included in the Respondent’s Proposal pursuant to the Exceptions to

Agreement provision within the Proposal Requirements section and are subject to City approval.

1.3. .......................................................................................................... Scope of Services

The City has prepared a draft Scope of Services, see the Draft Scope Services section (“Draft Scope of

Services”). The final scope of services to be included in the Agreement with the successful Respondent will be based on the Draft Scope of Services as well as the Proposed Scope of Services, provided by the successful Respondent in the Proposal Submittal section and may be the subject of negotiations between the City and the successful Respondent.

1.4. ............................................................................ Project Manager and Decision Maker

For purposes of the Selection and Award section of this RFP, Mark Holderbein, Management Analyst II, is the City’s project manager (“Project Manager”), and Kelly Pennington, Water Control Systems

Superintendentis the City’s decision-maker (“Decision-Maker”).

2. ...................................................................................... SCOPE OF SERVICES

2.1. ............................................................. 1. Provide a Customer Service Support Hotline:

a. Support technicians who specialize in remote troubleshooting to provide step-by-step diagnosis instructions. Support to be provided 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday.

2.2. .................................................................................... 2. Provide Monitoring Website:

a. Customer web site should be updated at least every 15 minutes for monitoring operational and environmental performance of the solar power system

b. All site data should be downloadable to Customer's computer in Microsoft Excel format

c. Customer will be provided with login credentials for use during the term of the Agreement

2.3. ................................................................................... 3. Annual Performance Reports:

a. Provide Annual Performance Reports reflecting actual vs. expected performance of the System for the period with a comparison of performance to a typical weather year.

b. Environmental benefits will be estimated and included

c. Annual Operations and Maintenance records will be provided to Customer upon request

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 4 of 12

2.4. ........................................................4. Daily Performance Monitoring and Notification:

a. Continuous monitoring of Customer’s System via experienced solar monitoring technicians

b. Operational status (inverter and system on/off) and performance alerts (actual vs. expected performance) to be continuously monitored by the Operations Center system computers and monitoring technicians automatically receive alerts of system anomalies

c. Monitoring technicians identify and respond to system alerts including contacting Customer’s system administrator

2.5. ......................................... 5. Annual Preventative Maintenance, Inspections & Testing:

a. Array

i. Inspect PV modules for damage, discoloration or de-lamination

ii. Inspect mounting system for damage or corrosion

b. Trackers

i. Inspect tracker components for damage or corrosion

ii. Inspect tracker controllers for damage

iii. Lubricate tracker motors and jackscrews

iv. Verify proper operation and alignment

c. Inverter

i. Torque checks on critical electrical terminations

ii. Clean all filters and fans

iii. Inspect inverter pad and container

iv. All other preventive maintenance required by OEM warranty

d. Electrical BOS

i. Inspect ground braids, electrodes and conductors for damage

ii. Perform thermo-graphic analysis of combiner boxes, inverters, transformers, and conductor connections to buses, breakers or disconnects

e. Meteorological Station

i. Inspect weather measurement equipment for damage

ii. Clean pyranometers and reference cells

f. Site Conditions

i. Inspect drainage conditions

ii. Inspect vegetation for array shading or fire hazards

iii. Inspect safety conditions and proper signage

g. Maintenance Reporting

i. Record results of all inspections

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 5 of 12

ii. Take photographs of any damage or defects identified

iii. Inform Owner and warranty providers of all deficiencies identified

iv. Provide Owner with recommendations for corrective actions

2.6. ................................................................................................ 6. Performance Review:

a. Review of the following System performance data with a performance engineer and proposal of a recommend action plan where applicable:

i. Expected vs. Actual system production ( kWh )

ii. System Availability

iii. Recoverable Degradation

iv. Performance Index

v. Operation and Maintenance Records

vi. Safety, Accidents and Environmental Reporting

vii. Proposal of Recommended Actions

2.7. ........................................................................... 7. Corrective Maintenance to include:

a. On-site troubleshooting & diagnostics of all system components

b. Inverter and Data Acquisition System resets:

i. Unlimited remote resets (if capability enabled and connection available)

iii. Up to two on-site resets per year

c. Processing of warranty claims on behalf of Customer and verification of replaced equipment

d. Management of repair and replacement for equipment out of warranty

3. ........................................................REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCEDURES

3.1. .............................................................................................. Requests for Information

Questions or objections relating to the RFP, the attachments hereto, the RFP procedures, or the required Services must be submitted by 3:30 pm, Friday, February 28, 2025 (the “Request for

Information Deadline”) through OpenGov, the City's electronic procurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa ("Procurement Portal").

Any questions or objections that are not submitted through the Procurement Portal and by the Request for Information Deadline will be deemed waived. City will not be bound by the oral representations of any City officials, employees, or representatives.

3.2. ................................................................................................... Submittal Instructions

A. General. Proposals must be received by the City by or before Friday, March 14, 2025 at 3:30 pm

(“Proposal Deadline”). Respondent must submit a proposal through OpenGov, the Procurement Portal, at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa, no later than the Proposal Deadline.

B. Electronic Submission.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 6 of 12

1. OpenGov. The Proposal response all required forms and attachments must be submitted in

PDF format via OpenGov at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa.

2. Vendor Registration. To participate in the bidding process, each bidder must register with

OpenGov at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa. Once registered, each bidder must subscribe to the City of Napa portal.

3. For instructions on how to register as a vendor with OpenGov, visit the City’s website at:

http://www.cityofnapa.org/265/Bidding-Information. Please read the instructions carefully and follow all steps, including registration with OpenGov and subscribing to the City of Napa account.

3.3. ................................................................................................... Planned RFP Schedule

The following schedule is provided for planning purposes based on current information. However, all dates are subject to revision, including the Proposal Deadline, and may be amended by addenda to this

RFP:

RFP Release Date: February 21, 2025

Request for Information Deadline: February 28, 2025, 3:30pm

Proposal Submission Deadline: March 14, 2025, 3:30pm

Notice of Selection Date: March 21, 2025

3.4. ....................................................................................................................... Addenda

City reserves the right to issue addenda to modify the terms and conditions of this RFP, including modifications to the Proposal Deadline or to the Attachments to this RFP. Addenda will be issued through the Procurement Portal. Each Respondent is solely responsible for checking the Procurement

Portal for addenda, and for reviewing any and all addenda before submitting its Proposal.

If the City releases an addendum, it will be posted on the project. Vendors following the project, or bidders who have already submitted will be notified via email. Bidders who have already submitted responses MUST log back in, un-submit your response, acknowledge the new addendum, or risk your response being deemed non-responsive. Bidders should check OpenGov periodically for any addenda or updates on the Project at: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa.

4. .......................................................................... PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1. ................................................................................................. General Requirements.

Each Proposal must be submitted in compliance with the requirements of this RFP. Each Proposal must respond to the items listed below. Clarity and brevity are preferable to volume. Do not attach brochures or promotional materials to the Proposal. Proposals should not exceed 10 one-sided pages, excluding https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa http://www.cityofnapa.org/265/Bidding-Information

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 7 of 12 any tabs or dividers. However, resumes may be included in an appendix and not counted in the total page count.

4.2. ................................................................................................................. Cover Letter.

Provide a brief cover letter that includes all of the following information:

(1) Respondent’s name, address, phone number, and website address;

(2) type of organization (e.g. corporation, partnership, etc.);

(3) a summary of general information about Respondent and the types of services it provides in relation to the Services required by the City; and

(4) contact information, including name, title, address, phone number, and email, of

Respondent’s primary representative for purposes of this RFP.

The cover letter must be signed by a representative that is authorized to bind Respondent by contract and must state his or her name, title, and email address.

4.3. ................................................................................................. General Qualifications.

Provide a brief description of the Respondent’s business, including the number of years in business under the current name. Describe the size of the business, including total number of employees and offices, and identify and briefly describe each local office that will be involved in providing the Services if awarded the Agreement. Describe how and why Respondent is qualified to provide the Services.

4.4. ................................................................................................................... Experience.

Identify services Respondent has provided in the last five years that are similar in scope and nature to the Services required by this RFP, particularly with respect to services provided to other cities or public agencies. For each example, provide (1) a brief description of the services provided, (2) an explanation of why this experience is relevant to the required Services, and (3) the name and address of the contracting agency, including contact information for a reference check (name, title, phone number, and email address).

4.5. .......................................................................................... Proposed Scope of Services.

Based upon the Draft Scope of Services, provide a complete description of the scope of services

(“Proposed Scope of Services”) the Respondent proposes to perform to achieve the City’s objectives identified in the Draft Scope of Services. The Proposed Scope of Services may identify services which differ from the services in the Draft Scope of Services if the Respondent believes the changes will assist the City in more efficiently and effectively achieving the City’s objectives. Briefly describe Respondent’s proposed approach to providing the Services and how that approach will offer value to the City. Identify any proposed innovations that may be used to achieve more cost-effective delivery of the Services.

Provide a work plan and proposed schedule for the tasks described in the Draft Scope of Services.

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 8 of 12

4.6. ........................................................................................................................ Staffing.

Identify by name and title Respondent’s key personnel that will be assigned to provide the Services and for each, include a resume with his or her education, training, and experience. Identify by name, address, and website, each subconsultant or subcontractor, if any, that will be involved with providing the Services, including the proposed role for each such subconsultant or subcontractor. Include all applicable license numbers for any license required to perform the Services.

4.7. ............................................................................................................................ Price.

A. Provide a total “not-to-exceed” cost for performance of all Services included in the Proposed

Scope of Services, including all labor, materials, equipment, supplies, the insurance required under the terms of the Agreement, and all reimbursable charges.

B. Identify whether compensation for performance of the Services will be based on hourly billing rates or a lump sum.

C. If compensation is based on hourly billing rates, attach a copy of hourly billing rates.

D. If compensation is on a lump sum basis rather than hourly, provide a breakdown of the proposed lump sum based on each task to be performed and/or deliverable to be provided.

E. Identify any reimbursable expenses (e.g., travel, supplies) and the proposed rate of reimbursement for each category of expense.

4.8. ............................................................................................. Exceptions to Agreement.

Identify any objections to and/or requested changes to the Agreement.

5. ................................................................................................ EVALUATION

The factors that the City will consider in evaluating Proposals are as follows:

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. General Qualifications Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

2. Pricing Points Based 50 (50% of Total)

3. Relevent Experience Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

6. ............................................................................... SELECTION AND AWARD

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 9 of 12

6.1. ......................................................................................................................... Review

Proposals will be reviewed for responsiveness and evaluated and ranked based on the factors listed in the Evaluation Section. When the evaluation is complete, the Proposals will be ranked based on total scores to identify the relative merits of each Proposal. Acting in its sole discretion, the City may elect to conduct interviews with shortlisted Respondents, and the City may negotiate with shortlisted

Respondents to amend the scope of services in order to best achieve the City’s goals for the Project.

6.2. .......................................................................................................................... Award

The City will award the Agreement, if at all, to the Respondent that is determined by the City’s Decision-

Maker, acting in the Decision-Maker’s sole discretion, to offer the most advantageous Proposal to the

City based on the City’s review, as outlined above. The City’s Project Manager will submit a recommendation to the City’s Decision-Maker for award of the Agreement to the Respondent that the

Project Manager determines to offer the most advantageous Proposal. The Respondents will be notified of the Project Manager’s recommendation to the Decision-Maker by a Notice of Intended Selection which will be issued through the Procurement Portal.

6.3. ....................................................................................................... Protest Procedures

Any protest challenging the City’s intended selection or the selection process must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., on the fifth business day following the date of the Notice of Intended Selection. The protest must be submitted in writing via email to Mark Holderbein, Management Analyst II, at mholderbein@cityofnapa.org, and must clearly specify the basis for the protest. The protest will be reviewed by the City’s Decision-Maker, along with the recommendation from the Project Manager and legal advice from the City Attorney’s Office. The determination of the City’s Decision-Maker on the protest is final. No public hearing will be held on the protest. Time being of the essence, the City reserves the right to proceed with award of the Agreement and commencement of the Services notwithstanding any pending protest or legal challenge.

7. .......................................................................................... MISCELLANEOUS

7.1. ........................................................................... Disclaimers and Reservation of Rights

Upon receipt, each Proposal becomes the sole property of City and will not be returned to the

Respondent. Each Respondent is solely responsible for the costs it incurs to prepare and submit its

Proposal. The City reserves, in its sole discretion, the right to reject any and all Proposals, including the right to cancel or postpone the RFP or the Services at any time, or to decline to award the Agreement to any of the Respondents. The City reserves the right to waive any immaterial irregularities in a Proposal or submission of a Proposal. The City reserves the right to reject any Proposal that is determined to contain false or misleading information, or material omissions.

7.2. ........................................................................................................ Conflict of Interest

Respondents must disclose to the City any actual, apparent, direct or indirect, or potential conflicts of interest that may exist with respect to Respondent, any employees of Respondent, or any other person relative to the Services to be provided pursuant to this RFP. This RFP process will be conducted in compliance with all laws regarding political contributions, conflicts of interest, or unlawful activities. City

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 10 of 12 employees are prohibited from participating in the selection process for this RFP if they have any financial or business relationship with any Respondent.

7.3. .............................................................................................................. Public Records

The City is subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (Govt. Code § 6250 et seq.) (the

“Act”), and each Proposal submitted to the City is subject to disclosure as a public record, unless the

Proposal or any portion thereof is exempt under the Act.

Exceptions relevant to this RFP that authorize the City to refuse to disclose City records to the public, include (1) the “deliberative process”; and (2) “Confidential – Official Information.”

Deliberative Process: Unless otherwise compelled by a court order, the City will not disclose any

Proposal while the City conducts its “deliberative process” of reviewing the Proposals. However, when the Project Manager submits a recommendation to the City Council to award the Agreement to the preferred Respondent, the City will consider all Proposals to be subject to public disclosure, unless the

Respondent demonstrates to the satisfaction of the City that there is a legal exception to disclosure.

(See, Michaelis v Superior Court (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1065)

Confidential – Official Information: Another potential exception from public disclosure is “official information” submitted to the City in confidence, where the necessity for preserving the confidentiality of the information outweighs the necessity for disclosure in the interests of justice. (See California

Government Code Section 6254(k) and Evidence Code Section 1040.)

If a Respondent asserts that any portion of its Proposal is exempt from disclosure under the Act, it must clearly mark each portion of its Proposal “Confidential”; and for each marked portion, identify the legal basis for the exemption, including citations to specific sections of the Act. Each Respondent bears the burden of proving any claimed exemption under the Act, and by submitting a Proposal, a Respondent agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City against any third party claim seeking disclosure of the Proposal or any portions thereof. Any blanket confidentiality statement in the Proposal (e.g., regarding entire pages, documents or other non-specific designations) shall not be sufficient and shall not bind the City in any way whatsoever.

If the City receives a request for disclosure of records identified by a Respondent as “Confidential,” the

City will take one of the following actions in its sole and absolute discretion:

1. If the City determines there is a legal basis to withhold the records from disclosure, the City will not disclose those records unless compelled by a court order; provided that, upon request by the City, the Respondent shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City regarding any claim or litigation by any third party for the public disclosure of the

“Confidential” portion of the Proposal.

2. If the City does not identify a legal basis to withhold the records from disclosure, the City will provide written notice of the request for disclosure to the Respondent, and the

Respondent will be given a reasonable opportunity to seek protection from disclosure by a court of competent jurisdiction prior to the City’s disclosure of the requested information.

8. ................................................................................. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 11 of 12

Please see the Proposal Requirements section of this RFP.

Each Proposal must be submitted in compliance with the requirements of this RFP. Respondent must respond to the items listed below. Clarity and brevity are preferable to volume. Do not attach brochures or promotional materials to the Proposal.

1. .................................................................................................................. Cover Letter* Provide a brief cover letter that includes all of the following information:

1. Respondent’s name, address, phone number, and website address;

2. Type of organization (e.g. corporation, partnership, etc.);

3. A summary of general information about Respondent and the types of services it provides in relation to the Services required by the City; and

4. Contact information, including name, title, address, phone number, and email, of

Respondent’s primary representative for purposes of this RFP.

The cover letter must be signed by a representative that is authorized to bind Respondent by contract and must state his or her name, title, and email address.

*Response required

2. ...................................................................................................General Qualifications* Provide a brief description of the Respondent’s business, including the number of years in business under the current name. Describe the size of the business, including total number of employees and offices, and identify and briefly describe each local office that will be involved in providing the Services if awarded the Agreement. Describe how and why Respondent is qualified to provide the Services.

*Response required

3. .................................................................................................................... Experience* Identify services Respondent has provided in the last five years that are similar in scope and nature to the Services required by this RFP, particularly with respect to services provided to other cities or public agencies.

For each example, provide:

1. A brief description of the services provided

2. An explanation of why this experience is relevant to the required Services, and

3. The name and address of the contracting agency, including contact information for a reference check (name, title, phone number, and email address).

*Response required

4. ........................................................................................... Proposed Scope of Services* Based upon the Draft Scope of Services, provide a complete description of the scope of services

(“Proposed Scope of Services”) the Respondent proposes to perform to achieve the City’s objectives

City of Napa Request For Proposals Page 12 of 12 identified in the Draft Scope of Services. The Proposed Scope of Services may identify services which differ from the services in the Draft Scope of Services if the Respondent believes the changes will assist the City in more efficiently and effectively achieving the City’s objectives. Briefly describe Respondent’s proposed approach to providing the Services and how that approach will offer value to the City. Identify any proposed innovations that may be used to achieve more cost-effective delivery of the Services.

Provide a work plan and proposed schedule for the tasks described in the Draft Scope of Services.

*Response required

5. ......................................................................................................................... Staffing* Identify by name and title Respondent’s key personnel that will be assigned to provide the Services and for each, include a resume with his or her education, training, and experience. Identify by name, address, and website, each subconsultant or subcontractor, if any, that will be involved with providing the Services, including the proposed role for each such subconsultant or subcontractor. Include all applicable license numbers for any license required to perform the Services.

*Response required

6. ............................................................................................................... Price Proposal*

A. Provide a total “not-to-exceed” cost for performance of all Services included in the Proposed

Scope of Services, including all labor, materials, equipment, supplies, the insurance required under the terms of the Agreement, and all reimbursable charges.

B. Identify whether compensation for performance of the Services will be based on hourly billing rates or a lump sum.

C. If compensation is based on hourly billing rates, attach a copy of hourly billing rates.

D. If compensation is on a lump sum basis rather than hourly, provide a breakdown of the proposed lump sum based on each task to be performed and/or deliverable to be provided.

E. Identify any reimbursable expenses (e.g., travel, supplies) and the proposed rate of reimbursement for each category of expense.

*Response required

7. ................................................................................................ Exceptions to Agreement Identify any objections to and/or requested changes to the Agreement and upload a copy here.