Certified SB/MB or DVBE Only* Photo-Voltaic (PV) System Maintenance and Repair Services (Various Counties in Central California)

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Procurement and Contracts is issuing an Invitation for Price Quote (IFPQ) for comprehensive photo-voltaic (PV) system maintenance and repair services across 33 Caltrans facilities located throughout the Central Region of California, spanning multiple counties and jurisdictions. The procurement requires the selected contractor to provide all necessary labor, tools, materials, parts, supplies, permits, equipment, travel, and incidentals to test, inspect, troubleshoot, repair, and replace PV system components at facilities ranging from 4 kW to 180 kW in capacity. The contractor must deliver routine maintenance services during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) with a 48-hour response time and non-routine emergency services outside normal hours with a two-hour response time following initial phone contact. The contract scope includes annual inspections and maintenance services for PV systems installed in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and pricing is structured on an hourly rate basis with estimated quantities of 1,250 hours for routine services and 96 hours for non-routine services, plus a 10 percent materials and parts allowance capped at 10 percent of the subtotal. Contractor qualifications must include a valid C-10 (Electrical Contractor) or C-46 (Solar Contractor) license from the California Contractors State License Board and current Department of Industrial Relations registration. The solicitation timeline includes a written questions deadline of April 10, 2026, an initial price quote due date of April 20, 2026, extended to April 27, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time (per Addendum No. 1), with an estimated award date of May 11, 2026, and contract commencement on June 1, 2026, extending through May 31, 2029.

This procurement is restricted exclusively to certified Small Businesses (SB), Micro Businesses (MB), Small Businesses for Public Works (SB-PW), or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE), and prevailing wage requirements apply to bids exceeding $15,000. Caltrans requires payment bonds of 100 percent of service request amounts exceeding $25,000 prior to work commencement, and contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and statutory workers' compensation coverage. The maximum allowable bid amount is $484,000.00, with bids exceeding this threshold resulting in automatic rejection; Caltrans will not provide additional funding beyond this cap. Addendum No. 1 clarifies that PV string testing rather than individual panel testing is required only when there is a significant change in system output, and approved equivalent inverter brands include Solectria, Satcon, PV Powered, Fronius, SMA, and Power One. As-built drawings and specific inverter information for each site are currently unavailable, requiring contractors to conduct thorough site assessments during initial inspections and field verify manufacturer and model numbers prior to purchasing equipment. Caltrans must receive at least two price quotes from certified entities before award can be made, and contractors shall perform all services as outlined in written Service Requests from the Caltrans Contract Manager with no markups permitted on parts purchases, though contractors may charge for time spent researching, ordering, and processing parts as part of their hourly labor rates.