Solar Modules

The City of Madison, Wisconsin, Engineering Department issued Request for Quotation (RFQ #5100-0-2022-BG) seeking 1,550 solar modules for municipal procurement. The solicitation required solar modules with a minimum capacity of 380 watts, specifying strict technical parameters including monocrystalline or polycrystalline 5-busbar configuration, 72 cells (or 144 half cells), minimum 19% efficiency at Standard Test Conditions, and MC4 connectors. Acceptable manufacturers were limited to Canadian Solar, Hanwha Q Cells, Heliene, REC, and Trina Solar. The City established detailed delivery requirements, mandating a minimum of 20% of the order per delivery, with at least 40% delivered by March 31st, 2022, and full completion by May 31st, 2022. Quotations were due on January 20th, 2022, at 2:00 PM CST, with electronic submissions required via email. The City would evaluate award criteria including cost, quality, compatibility, warranty terms, delivery capability, and past performance, with modules required to have a 25-year linear power output warranty and a 10-year product materials and workmanship warranty directly from the manufacturer.

The procurement allowed for both complete and partial bid submissions, with a local vendor preference policy in place for registered suppliers. The solicitation did not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. Four vendors ultimately submitted bids: Crescent Electric Supply Company, Ecolectrics LLC, Inxeption Solar Capital, and Connections LLC. The contract was awarded to Ecolectrics LLC at a total contract value of $286,094.35, with solar modules priced at $184.77 per unit. Competing bids ranged from $250,840.00 to $342,400.00, with Crescent Electric Supply Company submitting the lowest alternative bid at $250,840.00. The winning bid from Ecolectrics LLC included delivery to 200 North First Street in Madison, Wisconsin, and all proposals were binding for 90 days from the submission date. The solicitation represented a competitive procurement process for municipal solar infrastructure investment.