HomeMy WebLinkAboutTesting of Small Wind Turbines at Regional Test Centers 2009National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Request for Proposals Number REE-0-40878
“TESTING OF SMALL WIND TURBINES AT REGIONAL TEST CENTERS”
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY
This solicitation is being conducted under the procedures for competitive subcontracts
established by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
NREL will award a subcontract based on the following:
» All Statement of Work (SOW) requirements being met
= The best combination of:
- Technical factors (based on qualitative merit criteria)
and
- Evaluated price (or cost)
1.
2.
3.
Issue Date: 10/16/09 Due Date: 12/08/09 Time Due: 5:00 PM Mountain Time
Bidders Webinar to discuss project will be held on Friday, October 30, 2009 at
10:00 AM Mountain Time. Details on how to join the Bidders Webinar will be
posted as an addendum to this RFP on NREL’s Website at:
http:/www.nrel.gov/business_opportunities/solicitations rfps.html
Technical questions must be received in writing no later than 11/09/09
Solicitation Type Best Value Selection
Fixed Price
Submit offers to and request information from the NREL RFP Contact below
NREL RFP Contact Kim Tangler, Subcontract Administrator
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
1617 Cole Boulevard, MS: 3811
Golden, CO 80401-3393
Phone: (303) 384-7018
Fax: (303) 384-6950
Email: kim.tangler@nrel.gov
Electronic (PDF) copies of forms and appendices can be found at: http://www.nrel.gov/business opportunities/related docs.html
Project description
As specified in the Statement of Work (Appendix A) titled “Testing of Small Wind Turbines Regional Test Centers’.
Proposed subcontract award and period of performance
It is the intent of NREL to award up to four firm fixed price subcontracts. Each subcontract
award is for testing up to two (2) small wind turbines. The anticipated period of
performance is 36 months.
Proposed Payment Schedule is as follows:
Test Plan Completed (1 per turbine) _ | 25%
Turbine System and DAS Commissioning Report Complete (1 25%
r turbine,
esa = Test Report Complete (1 per turbine) 8%
Safety and Function Test Report Complete (1 per turbine) | 8%
Acoustic Noise Emissions Test Report Complete (1 per turbine) 8% Duration Test Report Complete to include results of pre and post | 16% test inspections (1 per turbine)
Post Test Review Meeting and Final Report (1 per turbine) 10%
Rough Anticipated Milestone Schedule is as follows:
Turbine System and DAS Commissioning Report Submitted to 9 months
NREL after (1 per turbine) subcontract
award
Duration Test Report Submitted to NREL to Include Results of 24 months Pre and Post Test Inspections (1 per turbine) after
subcontract
award Post Test Review Meeting and Final Report (1 per turbine) 36 months
after
subcontract
award
Competitive negotiated subcontract using Best Value Selection
This solicitation shall be conducted using Best Value Selection that results in an award that is most advantageous to DOE/NREL based on the best value combination of (a) evaluated qualitative merit and (b) evaluated price (cost) of the offers submitted.
Best Value Selection is based on the premise that, if all offers are of approximately equal qualitative merit, award will be made to the offeror with the lowest evaluated price (cost). However, NREL will consider awarding to an offeror with a higher evaluated price (cost) if the offer demonstrates the difference in price (cost) is commensurate with the higher qualitative merit. Conversely, NREL will consider awarding to an offeror with a lower evaluated qualitative merit if the price (cost) differential between it and other offers warrant doing so.
Qualitative Merit Criteria for Best Value Selection
The Statement of Work (Appendix A) in this Request for Proposals serves as NREL’s baseline requirements that must be met by each offer.
The qualitative merit criteria establish what NREL considers the technical factors valuable in an offer. These qualitative merit criteria are performance-based and permit selection of a higher priced offer that provides higher qualitative merit.
Page 2 of 12
The following qualitative merit criteria will be used to determine the technical value of the
offer in meeting the objectives of the solicitation.
6.1
6.2 DAD > MAW Site and Facilities
Equipment/DAS
Personnel/Management Plan
Business Plan Demonstrating Long Term Viability
Turbine
. Qualifications Requirements for RTC (Screening Criteria)
To be considered for this award, the proposed site must meet the following minimum
standards. Failure to meet all site requirements will result in the exclusion of the
proposal from further consideration.
1. Site and Facilities (See the SOW’s Attachment 1 for a discussion of Small Wind
Turbine (SWT) Test Site Selection guidelines)
a. Offeror must demonstrate legal right to use the site (ownership, lease, or
option) and zoning approvals (if needed) through at least 12/31/2014.
b. The proposed site must allow for installed turbines to connect to the utility
grid.
c. The proposed site must receive an average of at least 30hrs of winds per
year above 15.0 m/s at 65 ft (20 m) above ground level (AGL).
d. The proposed site must receive an average of at least 300hrs of winds per
year above 9.0 m/s at 65 ft (20 m) AGL.
Qualitative Merit Criteria for Best Value Selection
Offers that meet the screening criteria will be evaluated using the following technical
evaluation criteria:
1. Site and Facilities: (25%)
Preference will be given to sites that demonstrate:
a. A minimum of 30 hours per year (average) of wind speeds of at least 15 m/s
within the measurement sector and,
b. A minimum of 300 hours per year (average) of wind speeds of at least 9.0
m/s within the measurement sector. For purposes of determining the
measurement sector, the Offeror may assume a turbine with a rotor diameter
of 8.0 meters and a rotor diameter of 16.0 meters.
c. the ability to test at least two wind turbines simultaneously.
d. they are zoned to allow towers heights of 120 feet or greater.
Note: A good wind resource for testing is not necessarily the same as a good
wind resource for power production. A good testing resource will have the
following characteristics:
e Highly directional, so the met tower can be located in the prevailing
upwind location from the test turbine.
e Suitable wind speed distribution, to meet requirements for minimum hours
at minimum wind speeds.
e Clear of obstacles which may affect or limit valid measurement directions.
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Proposals should include documentation which demonstrates the quality
of the Offeror’s site. The documentation may include items such as:
a. A detailed description of the proposed small wind test site.
b. Documentation of the wind resource at the proposed test site including
information about the site’s wind speed distribution and wind direction as
follows:
co Type of data (on-site measurements, near-site measurements, resource
map) o Annual average
o Wind rose
o Wind speed distribution or Weibull shape factor
c. Topographic map(s) (with scale) of the site and surrounding area showing
proposed locations of turbine sites, met tower sites, existing or proposed
facilities, grid interconnection point, and existing structures and obstacles.
d. Map/diagram showing measurement sectors for each proposed test pad.
Show the measurement sectors assuming the following turbine rotor
diameters: 8m and 16m.
e. Description of existing or proposed facilities to support the testing effort
(sheds, existing and proposed conduit runs, etc.).
f. Proof that the offeror has legal use of the site, and zoning approvals for
testing purposes (ownership, rental, or option documents) through at least
December 31, 2014. Zoning information must include information about any
height restrictions at the site.
g. Documentation demonstrating that the local utility company will allow turbines
to interconnect with the grid.
. Equipment/Data Acquisition System (DAS): (15%)
Preference will be given to sites that demonstrate:
a. that the offerors DAS supports small wind turbine testing to the IEC
standard. This would require the offeror’s DAS to:
e have a minimum 1Hz sampling rate.
e be able to average at 1 min, 10 min, and, for acoustic measurements,
10 sec intervals.
e be able to calculate/determine: min, max, standard deviation.
e have enough channels for the following: power, wind speed (2), wind
direction, pressure, and temperature.
e having a DAS which meets the IEC noise measuring standards of:
Microphone 20Hz — 20 kHz, sound pressure levels, 1/3 octave level,
A-weighting, 10 second averaging, and narrow band analysis
b. that the offerors DAS capture: RPM, precipitation, voltage, energy sent to
and used from the grid, and turbine status signal(s).
Proposals should include documentation which demonstrates the quality
of the Offeror’s data acquisition system. The documentation may include
items such as:
a. Adescription of the equipment to be used to complete the test protocol,
including safety and function, power performance, duration, and acoustics
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such as:
e Schematics of proposed DAS system (including instrumentation)
e Specification sheets for proposed instrumentation and DAS
e Any special software needed to use the DAS (e.g. LabVIEW)
3. Personnel/Management Plan: (30%)
Preference will be given to sites that demonstrate:
a. A feasible plan to install, instrument and commission turbines, collect and
analyze data, write a test report, and make the test results public.
b. The experience of proposed personnel in SWT operation,
instrumentation/DAS installation and operation, data validation and analysis,
and test report writing.
c. Aschedule that credibly meets the milestones specified in the chart entitled,
“Rough Anticipated Milestone Schedule” under number 4 on page 2 of 12.
Proposals should include documentation which demonstrates the offeror
has a feasible plan for accomplishing the tasks in the scope of work. The
documentation may include items such as:
a. A detailed description of how the project team will meet DOE/NREL’s goals
and objectives described in the Statement of Work (Appendix A). This
description may include:
A detailed narrative of the management plan describing how the
Offeror will install and commission the turbine and DAS, collect and
analyze the data, write and review the final report, and disseminate the
results. At a minimum test results shall be reviewed and approved by
NREL, then posted on a publicly available web site.
An organization chart for the proposed project and an explanation of
the role of each key participant and organization.
A description of the capabilities, expertise, and experience of the
Offeror, the offeror’s staff, and any partner organizations.
Descriptions of any past small wind turbine test experience, general
wind turbine experience, and/or past general testing experience.
A description of any relevant past experience in project management
and grant/subcontract management.
A schedule and milestone chart that shows the timing of all major
project activities and meetings, and links these with project
deliverables (e.g., milestones, meetings, and reports).
An explanation of the assistance requested from NREL.
Resumes or CVs of all participating key personnel.
Letters of Commitment from key partner organizations and project
participants.
4. Business Plan Demonstrating Long Term Viability: (20%)
Preference will be given to offerors that demonstrate:
a. A-sound business plan that demonstrates the long term financial viability of
the RTC after award period; and
b. Sufficient level of support and cooperation by potential partners.
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Proposals should include documentation which demonstrates the quality
of the Offeror’s Business Plan. The documentation may include items such
as:
a. A detailed description of how the offeror plans to ensure long term financial
viability of the RTC after the subcontract period is completed.
b. A description of any potential partners and their level of support, including
financial support.
c. Letters of commitment from any proposed partners and outside funding
sources.
. Turbine: (10%)
The turbine system to be tested must meet the following requirements:
a. Generate electricity for use on a 60 Hz AC grid or for a battery system with a
minimum 12 volts nominal voltage. Mechanical turbines and direct connect
(variable voltage) generator/motor configurations will not be accepted,
Rotor swept area less than or equal to 200 m?,
New, not refurbished,
Turbine inverter has UL-1741(or similar) listing,
Turbine manufacturer must agree in writing to allow test results to be posted
in the public domain, and
Manufacturer must demonstrate ability to supply quality turbines for the U.S.
market, and provide the associated installation and maintenance support as
shown by:
e Description of past R&D and testing history of the turbine.
Current (2009) annual manufacturing capacity.
Operations and maintenance requirements.
Operations and maintenance costs.
Warranty, including coverage length and content (parts/labor/exclusions).
Sales history, especially in the past year (worldwide and U.S.).
Number of turbine systems currently installed (worldwide and U.S.).
Number of dealers/installers (worldwide and U.S.).
Existing/pending certifications.
Plan to introduce and support the turbine into the U.S. market if not
currently available in the U.S. eaog a eeee eeeee Note: It must be emphasized that the testing described under this effort is for
certification purposes, not R&D purposes. Turbines selected for testing under
this effort must be production models and should have already completed
sufficient prior R&D and testing to provide some assurance of completing the IEC
tests. In addition, the offeror should provide evidence that the turbine
manufacturer can and will, or currently does; support the turbine in the U.S.
market.
A turbine will not be excluded simply because it is not currently available in the
U.S. market, so long as, the manufacturer has a credible plan to introduce and
support the turbine in the U.S. market.
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Proposals should include documentation which demonstrates that the
turbine meets the requirements listed above. The documentation may
include items such as:
a. A detailed description of the turbine system, including:
e Turbine type, size, and model
e Tower configuration and size
e Tabulated power curve and projected Annual Energy Production at the
test site
e Turbine system features
e IEC SWT Design Class and/or design 50-year extreme wind speed, Veso.
Turbine system design lifetime
e ULrating of the inverter and other components
e Warranty
e Any additional public domain information, such as published technical
e information, sales brochures, and company website information
e Selling cost
e Operations and maintenance requirements
e Operations and maintenance costs
e A letter/memo from turbine manufacturer stating that the turbine is
available for shipment to the RTC within 60 days of contract signing
e A letter/memo from turbine manufacturer authorizing the placement of the
test reports in the public domain
e Information about the manufacturer's background and development and
testing history of the turbine to be tested. Information on company’s
experience should include sales history, especially in the past year (U.S.
and worldwide); approximate number of turbine systems currently
installed (U.S and worldwide); tower options; number of dealers/installers
(U.S. and worldwide); existing/pending IEC certifications; and capabilities
to support installed systems in the U.S. or a plan to introduce and support
he turbine in the U.S. market.
Price (cost) evaluation for Best Value Selection
After evaluation of the qualitative merit criteria, the following price (cost) evaluation will be used to determine the best value of the offer in meeting the objectives of the solicitation.
The combined qualitative merit value will be considered equally important to the price
(cost).
Additional Factors for Evaluation
In addition to the qualitative merit criteria and price (cost) evaluation above, each offer will
be evaluated using the following evaluation factor(s) to determine the competitive range
and final negotiation rank order. These factors are not weighted but add value to the
proposal.
8.1 Turbine manufacturer, size, and configuration diversity.
8.2 Geographic diversity.
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9. Evaluation process
NREL will evaluate offers in three general steps:
Step One - Initial Review
An initial review will be performed to determine if all required information has been
provided for an acceptable offer. Offerors may be contacted only for clarification purposes
during the initial evaluation. Offerors shall be notified if their offer is determined
unacceptable and the reasons for rejection will be provided. Unacceptable offers will be
excluded from further consideration.
Step Two - Screening
All proposals passing the initial review will be evaluated against the minimum site
requirements as stated above in item 6 A.1. Any proposal failing to meet any of the site
screening criteria will be excluded from further consideration.
Step Three — Evaluation, Discussion, Selection, Negotiation, and Award
All acceptable offers will be evaluated against the Statement of Work (Appendix A) and the
qualitative merit criteria listed above. Based on this evaluation, NREL has the option,
depending on the specific circumstances of the offers received, to use one of the following
methods of selection:
(a) make individual selection(s), conduct negotiations, and make an award(s);
(b) conduct parallel negotiations with all offerors and make award(s);
(c) conduct discussions with all offerors, select successful finalists, conduct parallel
negotiations with successful finalists, and then make award(s);
(d) conduct discussions with all offerors, conduct parallel negotiations with the finalists,
select successful finalist(s), and then make award(s);
(e) select successful finalists, conduct successive negotiations, and make successive
selections and awards;
(f) make no award(s).
10. Proposal preparation information
a. The proposal must include a title page, including the RFP title and number, name of
your organization and principal investigator (with postal address, telephone and fax
numbers, and email address). The title should be succinct and capture the essence
of your offer.
b. Formatting instructions
- A page is defined as one side of an 8 2” x 11” sheet of paper.
- Use a 12-point font.
- Maintain at least 1-inch margins on all sides.
- Copies may be either single or double sided.
c. A technical proposal in original and 8 copies directed toward meeting the
requirements of NREL’s Statement of Work (Appendix A). The proposal shall
include the following components in this order: (1) introduction and project summary,
(2) RTC test site information, (3) description of equipment and DAS (4)
Personnel/Management Plan, (5) Business Plan (6) wind turbine system description,
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and (7) description of wind turbine and turbine manufacturer. The total proposal shall
not exceed 100 pages, not including resumes. Refer to section 6. B. Qualitative
Merit Criteria for Best Value subsections 1 through 5, referenced above, for the
minimum details the technical proposal shall address.
e Introduction and Project Summary section shall present a 1-4 page
introduction and summary of the proposed effort, including RTC description,
location, turbine(s) to be tested (size, type,) and RTC’s ability to set up a
small wind test site and ability of the RTC plus any partners to install,
commission, and test small wind turbines.
A completed “Price/Cost Proposal” form in original and 8 copies submitted with the
offer (see NREL website listed below under item 12). An individual offeror’s
price/cost proposal standard format can be used if the data included is substantially
the same as the NREL form. The offeror’s price/cost and delivery terms must be
valid for 90 days from the date of the offer. The price/cost proposal should include
support documentation for all categories of the proposed price/cost. The price/cost
proposal should separate price/cost for lower-tier subcontract(s) and include support
documentation for all categories of the proposed lower-tier subcontract(s) price/cost.
(see Price/Cost Proposal preparation instructions (NREL website below under item
12).
A completed “Representations and Certifications” form with original signatures.
(see NREL website listed below under item 12).
EITHER the “Organizational Conflicts of Interest Representation Statement”
OR the “Organizational Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statement” form with
original signatures (see NREL website listed below under item 12), as applicable.
A completed “National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Checklist” form with
original signatures (see NREL website listed below under item 12).
A cover letter including a summary statement indicating acceptance of the
proposed Statement of Work or any change with the reason(s) in original and 8
copies. (see NREL website listed below under item 12) or;
A cover letter including a summary of deviations/exceptions (if any) to the
subcontract schedule and the standard terms and conditions and/or the intellectual
property terms and conditions in the appendices with original signatures. The offeror
will explain any exceptions (including deviations and conditional assumptions) taken
with respect to the subcontract schedule and terms and conditions. Any exceptions
must contain sufficient amplification and justification to permit evaluation. Such
exceptions will not, of themselves, automatically cause an offer to be termed
unacceptable. A large number of exceptions or one or more significant exceptions
not providing any obvious benefit to the Department of Energy or NREL may,
however, result in rejection of such offer as unacceptable.
This solicitation does not allow the submittal of facsimile or electronic proposals.
This solicitation does not commit NREL to pay costs incurred in the preparation and
submission of a proposal in response to this RFP.
Page 9 of 12
11. Solicitation Provisions—full text provided
Late submissions, modifications, and withdrawals of offers
Offers, or modifications to them, received from qualified organizations after the latest
date specified for receipt may be considered if received prior to award, and NREL
determines that there is a potential price (cost), technical, or other advantage, as
compared to the other offers received. However, depending on the circumstances
surrounding the late submission or modification, NREL may consider a late offer to
be an indication of the offeror’s performance capabilities, resulting in downgrading of
the offer in the technical evaluation process. Offers may be withdrawn by written
notice received at any time before award. Offers may be withdrawn in person by an
offeror or an authorized representative, if the representative’s identity is made known
and the representative signs a receipt for the offer before award.
Restrictions on disclosure and use of data
Offerors who include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the
public for any purpose or used by the government or NREL, except for evaluation
purposes shall—
1. Mark the title page with the following legend:
“This offer includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the
government or NREL and shall not be used or disclosed—in
whole or in part—for any purpose other than to evaluate this offer. If,
however, a subcontract is awarded to this offeror as a result of—or in
connection with—the submission of this data, the government or NREL
shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent
provided in the resulting subcontract. This restriction does not limit the
government or NREL’s right to use information contained in this data if
obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to
this restriction are contained on pages [insert page and line numbers or
other identification of pages] of this offer’; and
2. Mark each page of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:
“Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the
restriction on the title page of this offer.”
Notice of right to receive patent waiver (derived from DEAR 952.227-84) and
technical data requirements.
Offerors (and their prospective lower-tier subcontractors) in accordance with applicable statutes and Department of Energy Acquisition Regulations, (derived from
DEAR 952.227-84) have the right to request a waiver of all or any part of the rights of
the United States in inventions conceived or first actually reduced to practice in
performance of the subcontract that may be awarded as a result of this solicitation, in
advance of or within thirty (30) days after the effective date of subcontracting. Even
where such advance waiver is not requested or the request is denied, the
subcontractor will have a continuing right during the subcontract to request a waiver
of the rights of the United States in identified, individual inventions.
Domestic small business firms, educational institutions, and domestic nonprofit
organizations normally will receive the clause: Patent Rights - Retention by the
Subcontractor, which permits the offeror to retain title to subject inventions, except in
Page 10 of 12
12.
subcontracts involving exceptional circumstances or intelligence activities. Therefore,
domestic small business firms, educational institutions, and domestic nonprofit
organizations normally need not request a waiver.
If an offeror’s proposal includes a lower-tier subcontract to another organization, that
lower-tier organization's business type will determine the applicable intellectual
property provisions that will apply to the lower-tier subcontract. Note that a lower-tier
subcontractor may apply for a patent waiver under the same conditions as the
offeror.
Under a research, development, and demonstration project, the Department of
Energy and NREL are unable to ascertain, prior to receipt of offers or performance of
the project, their actual needs for technical data. It is believed that the requirements
contained herein are the basic needs of the Department of Energy and NREL.
However, if the offeror indicates in its proposal that proprietary data will be used or
withheld under its proposed effort, the Department of Energy and NREL reserve the
right to negotiate appropriate rights to the proprietary data. The appropriate rights
may include "Limited Rights in Proprietary Data" and/or "Subcontractor Licensing."
Disclaimer
NEITHER THE UNITED STATES; NOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY; NOR
ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC; NOR ANY OF THEIR
CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES MAKE ANY
WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR ASSUME ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS
FOR ANY PURPOSE OF ANY OF THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION OR DATA
ATTACHED OR OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN AS REFERENCE MATERIAL.
Solicitation disputes
The General Accountability Office and the Department of Energy do not accept or
rule on disputes for solicitations for Requests for Proposals issued by Management
and Operating Contractors for the Department of Energy (operators of Department of
Energy National Laboratories). Should an offeror have any concerns regarding the
NREL solicitation process or selection determination, the offeror may contact Marty
Noland, Advocate for Commercial Practices, at (303) 384-7550. NREL will address
each concern received from an offeror on an individual basis.
Solicitation provisions—incorporated by reference—general access
This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference with the
same force and effect as if they were given in full text. The following documents can be
downloaded from the NREL general access website at:
http://www.nrel.gov/business_opportunities/related_docs.htmi or the NREL RFP
Contact (see item 2) will make full text available upon request.
* NREL Standard Terms and Conditions:
- Appendix B-7 (10/01/08)
* NREL Intellectual Property Provisions:
- Appendix C-3 (10/22/98)
Page 11 of 12
NREL Price/Cost Proposal Form and Instructions (07/18/02)
NREL Representations and Certifications for Subcontracts (05/10/07)
NREL Conflicts of Interest Forms (09/19/05)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Checklist (02/09/06)
13. NAICS Code and Small Business Size Standard
a. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this solicitation is
Testing Laboratories (541380).
b. |The small business size standard for Testing Laboratories is $5,000,000.00 in annual
receipts. (Annual receipts of a concern means the annual average gross revenue for
the last three fiscal years.)
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Statement of Work (SOW)
SOW Attachment 1: SWT Test Site Selection Considerations (informational)
SOW Attachment 2: SWT Test Instrumentation Selection Considerations (informational)
SOW Attachment 3: Minimum Commissioning Plan and Checklist Requirements
SOW Attachment 4: Monthly report format
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