Sources Sought Notice - RCx.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Retro-Commissioning (RCx) and Building Control Systems Support

The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) is conducting a market survey of providers of Retro-Commissioning (RCx) and Building Control Systems Support.

This is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN). This SSN is being issued for market research purposes ONLY to identify potential sources and is not a request for competitive proposals or quotes. Therefore, responses to this notice are not considered offers or quotes and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Companies that respond will not be paid for the information submitted. No telephone calls requesting a bid package or solicitation will be accepted. There is no bid package or solicitation. Please do not submit any classified information.

1. BACKGROUND

CERL is exploring technical services for Retro-Commissioning (RCx) and Building Control Systems Support. This SSN intends to capture, via a market survey approach, industry’s current capabilities and constraints in these areas.

The purpose of this SSN is to identify existing capabilities and expertise in the following areas:

1. Building Control Systems Specifications and Criteria

· Technical review of specifications and criteria, white papers, presentations, and industry publications pertaining to control systems: cybersecurity, system installation, sequence of operations, standard operating procedures, and compliance instructions.

· Feasibility Analysis of Utility Monitoring Control Systems (UMCS) procurement processes.

· Assistance with development of implementation plans for UMCS upgrades and DoD installations.

2. Technical Field Support of Building Systems (HVAC/Electrical/Water/Building Controls/Building Envelope)

· Evaluation, analysis, documentation, and recommendations for repair or replacement of Building Control Systems (BCS). Documentation and evaluation of network architecture/riser diagrams.

· Review, troubleshoot, and develop control logic sequences, review logic-block diagrams, sequences, and narratives. Install BCS software and firmware updates and patches. Provide specific functionality compliance issues or observations.

· Analyze BCS data to discover trends, anomalies, and patterns with the intent of finding system errors or energy inefficiencies and to develop energy savings calculations and life cycle cost analyses.

· Assessment of systems to assist in the development of scopes of work. This includes documenting system diagrams, creating lists of observable defects and quantitative measures of condition (or deduct values) for each type of component/subcomponent.

· Support ongoing commissioning (OCx) efforts including implementation of fault diagnostic detection (FDD) systems, evaluation of potential add-on or third party systems, or validation of FDD rule sets, alarm schemes, and algorithms.

· Support commissioning (Cx) and retro-commissioning (RCx) efforts related to BCS including the evaluation of existing points schedules, naming conventions, and trend archives, and analysis of raw data to determine conditions. Examples include but are not limited to building monitoring data and utility usage data that provides data on loads, cycles, operating hours, etc.

· Analysis of air and water systems including testing and balancing (TAB). This includes evaluation of existing conditions, changes from original design intent, and recommendations on changes for optimal energy efficiency.

· Development, evaluation and performance of functional tests, data logging, energy calculations, and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA).

· Generate user-friendly and reusable analysis tools for recurring data calculation needs associated with controls and retro-commissioning assessment/investigation procedures

· Provide cost estimates and determine cost-related data for the work activities, including detailed line items for quantity and type of labor, materials, and equipment within an assembly cost where applicable.

3. Retro-commissioning (RCx) and Building Control System Training

· Experience with the various aspects of RCx, including planning, assessments, investigations, and implementation.

· Experience with hands-on training of retro-commissioning theory, functional tests, and other techniques.

· Experience with data logging and analysis

· Demonstrated experience with execution of functional tests on mechanical systems and use of tools to diagnose mechanical systems.

· Experience with leading groups of students in RCx investigative work.

· Demonstrated experience in online teaching of RCx and mechanical systems.

· Demonstrated capability to produce RC training content include training exercises and videos.

· Demonstration of expertise with control systems including installation and use.

4. Cybersecurity Technical Support

· Provide support for a control system test lab including the set-up and configuration of a lab environment for research and development efforts.

· Support Risk Management Framework (RMF) activities associated with systems and technologies.

· Provide pre- and post-test event documentation capturing results of test events and developing test procedures and other procedural documentation for test events.

· Provide cybersecurity engineering support to include the application of Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIG) and Security Requirements Guides (SRGs) for systems and technologies under test.

· Provide Subject Matter Expert (SME) in specifying proper control system and IT equipment needed to support test events by conducting research and providing technical analysis and recommendations to the Government to facilitate acquisition actions.

· Review government-furnished or industry created documents related to control systems and cybersecurity marketspace technology advances and to provide technical analysis and comments on the applicability and feasibility of technical transfer to the Department of Defense (DoD).

· Reviews design and construction drawings, layout plans, design analyses,

· technical specifications, and cost estimates for the procurement, assembly, installation, and cybersecurity testing of Facility-Related Control Systems (FRCS).

· Identify and recommend technical courses of action related to policy, instruction, and specification and criteria modifications based on the reviewed documents as appropriate. Documents will include policies, regulations, criteria, specifications, white papers, presentations and industry publications.

· Provide system, security, and network engineering services, Risk Management Framework (RMF) (Assess Only or Assess and Authorize) process services, project specifications, and deliverables to support system owner required cybersecurity activities to obtain operational and/or connection approvals.

· Develop training material and support virtual or on-site training related to the cybersecurity of control systems.

It is anticipated that the submissions received will reflect a demonstrated body of work/portfolio or other evidence for those companies that can perform the stated tasks.

Some additional parameters, characteristics and general requirements sought by ERDC, via this SSN, is provided below.

· Provide examples of an RCx portfolio of prior work including reports, energy calculations, audits, etc.

· Disclose number and skill of personnel on staff.

2. SUBMISSION FORMAT

Submissions should address these concepts and issues within the 9 Areas of Interest (AOI) identified in Section 2.B (Technical Capabilities Description) below. ERDC will analyze the submittals received to inform acquisition strategy going forward.

Respondents to this SSN are encouraged to be as succinct as possible, while also providing actionable insight. Responses shall be in MS Word or Adobe PDF format. Responses of ten (10) pages or less will be considered. Respondents are responsible for clearly identifying proprietary information. Responses containing proprietary information must have each page containing such information clearly marked with a label such as “Proprietary” or “Company Proprietary.” DO NOT INCLUDE ANY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN THE SSN RESPONSE. The following format shall be used for all submissions[footnoteRef:1]: [1: Submissions that are not in this format will NOT be considered]

A. Cover Sheet (1-page maximum): Provide the following information:

a. Response Title

b. Company Identification

· Company Name:

· Address:

· Telephone Number (Of POC):

· Fax Number:

· Email Address (Of POC):

· CAGE Code:

· Business Size Status/Applicable Socioeconomic Program Qualifications

c. Technical point of contact (POC) name, organization, telephone number, and email address B. Technical Capabilities Description (8-page maximum): ERDC is seeking capability statements that address areas including, but not limited to, the following technical capabilities.

1) Development of building control systems specifications and criteria

2) Design and implementation of building control systems, including examples of various network architecture/riser diagrams and system protocols (e.g. LON, BACNET, Fox).

3) Operation of building control systems, including development of logic-block diagrams and sequences, installation of software and firmware, and development of points and system trending.

4) Implementation of ongoing commissioning (OCx) efforts including fault detection diagnostics (FDD) systems.

5) Commissioning (Cx) and Retro-commissioning (RCx) skills including point to point tests, system testing and balancing, development, evaluation, and performance of functional tests, and life cycle cost analysis.

6) RCx training, accounting for both live and remote configurations, focused on all phases of RCx.

7) Development of RCx Training Content including lecture material, instructional exercises, and videos.

8) Cybersecurity technical capacity, including design and installation considerations within the risk management framework process.

9) Cybersecurity testing of hardware and software in a test lab environment.

C. Bibliography/References (1-page maximum)

3. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All questions regarding and responses to this SSN must be emailed to CERL-CT-QUOTES@usace.army.mil. The subject line of the email must read “Retro-Commissioning (RCx) and Building Control Systems Support ” Responses will be accepted any time from the publication of this SSN until 4:00 PM (Central Standard Time) on 08 January 2021.

4. ELIGIBILITY

ERDC invites responses from all those engaged in related research activities and appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources including, but not limited to, universities, university-affiliated research centers (UARCs), Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), private or public companies and Government research laboratories.

5. DISCLAIMERS AND IMPORTANT NOTES

• Responses do not bind ERDC to any further actions related to this topic including requesting follow-on proposals from respondents to this SSN.

• Submission is voluntary and is not required to propose to any subsequent solicitation (if any) on this topic.

• ERDC will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this SSN.

• Respondents are advised that ERDC is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this SSN.