Facility Solar Photo-Voltaic System Design & Build

Namekagon Transit, a public transportation service provider covering five Wisconsin counties and the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, is soliciting proposals for a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system design and build project at their facility in Hayward, Wisconsin. The procurement seeks qualified solar PV providers to design and construct a maximum 20-kilowatt system featuring bifacial solar panels, a grid-tie inverter with battery backup, and appropriate fencing with locked gates. Proposers must demonstrate extensive experience in designing, planning, permitting, and constructing complete solar electric systems, with required capabilities including utility relationships, project financial analysis, rebate support, system monitoring, warranty maintenance, and established safety standards. The RFP evaluation criteria will allocate points across four key areas: 35 points for cost effectiveness, 30 points for technical approach and implementation schedule, 20 points for company qualifications and project experience, and 15 points for project team experience. Critical procurement dates include a July 13, 2022 optional pre-proposal site walk, a July 20, 2022 deadline for information requests, a July 26, 2022 notice of intent deadline, and a final proposal submission date of August 5, 2022 at 1:00 PM.

The solar PV project is federally funded through an FTA Section 5311 grant providing $110,000 in federal monies, with a preference for American-sourced materials. Namekagon Transit will own the installed system, which will be procured as a cash purchase. The selected contractor must provide a security fence system and maintenance services for the warranted system life, with required warranty specifications including 25-year power output and 10-year workmanship warranties for modules, 10-year limited warranty for inverters (with replacement pricing for years beyond), and 10-year limited warranty for racking. The facility's current electricity consumption is approximately 34,960 kilowatt-hours annually at an average commercial rate of $0.11 per kilowatt-hour. The contractor will be responsible for all permitting and must comply with the current adopted State Building Code, including the International Building Code and National Electric Code. Award will be made to the respondent offering the overall best value, not necessarily the lowest price, with a targeted system operation date of October 30, 2022, and full contract execution anticipated by August 15, 2022.