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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRequest For Application Village Energy Efficiency Program Denali Commission Final Solicitation 09-01-2020-VEEP Page 1 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Retrofit Alaska Village Energy Efficiency Program (VEEP) REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) Funding Announcement & Instructions Announcement Date: September 8, 2020 Application Due Date: October 2, 2020 at 2:00 PM Alaska Standard Time Introduction and Instructions Purpose The Alaska Energy Authority (“AEA” or “Authority”) is soliciting competitive applications from qualified applicants for the specific purpose of receiving grants for retrofitting outdoor lighting of public buildings and facilities to LED technology . Introduction Last year, the Alaska Energy Authority received funding from Wells Fargo to fund Village Energy Efficiency Program (VEEP) grants for outdoor lighting retrofits to LED technology. Additional grant funds for this program were recently added by the Denali Commission . This solicitation is intended to target any interested communities that are eligible under VEEP . Funding has also been provided by the State of Alaska through the Village Energy Efficiency Program (VEEP). Regulations for this program can be found under Title 3 of the Alaska Administrative Code, 3 AAC 108.400 – 3 AAC 108.499. Total funding available under this announcement is $115,000. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants may include municipalities, cities, school districts, unincorporated villages, Native regional and village corporations, 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) tribal consortiums, regional housing authorities, councils organized under 25 U.S.C. 5123, and traditional councils. Funding Funding for this RFA is provided by Denali Commission via award 1600. Total f unding amount will be capped for eli gible applicants based on population size. The population currently listed in the DCCED Community Database (https://dcra-cdo-dcced.opendata.arcgis.com/ ) will be used to determine community population. Only a community’s resident population will be considered. The formula for funding is as follows:  100 or fewer people may receive up to $15,000  101 to 200 people may receive up to $20,000  201 to 500 people may receive up to $30,000  501 to 1,000 people may receive up to $40,000  1,000 to 8,000 people may receive up to $50,000 There is a 20% cash or in-kind match requirement on awards made under this RFA. A higher match is encouraged and will be considered in the scoring process. Page 2 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 Timeline  September 8, 2020: Funding announcement, application process opens – communities are notified.  October 2, 2020: 2:00 PM Alaska Standard Time : Application deadline  October 2 - October 9, 2020: AEA review of applications, notification of awards  October 31, 2020: Grant awards in place  September 30, 2021: Deadline for all work to be completed  December 30, 2021: Final reports and grant closeout, if not completed sooner Modifications to the RFA Applicants may submit written requests for clarifications or modifications to this request for applications (RFA) to the Grant Manager no later than September 27, 2020. Acceptance or denial of a request for clarification or modification is solely at the discretion of the Authority. The Grant Manager has 5 calendar days to respond . Failure of the Grant Manager to issue a written clarification or modification within 5 days from submittal of request shall be considered a denial of the request. Modifications to this RFA may be issued at any time prior to the deadline for receipt of applicati ons at the Authority’s option. If modifications are issued within 5 days of the deadline for applications, the application deadline may be extended to allow time for applic ants to respond to any ch anges. All modifications to this RFA will be in writing and posted to the program web site at http://www.akenergyauthority.org/Efficiency/VEEP . Grant Regulations Grant regulations , 3 AAC 108.400 to 3 AAC 108.499, effective June 30, 2013, are available for review at http://www.akenergyauthority.org/Who -We -Are/Governing-Documents#top Application Preparation Costs The Authority shall not pay for any costs incurred by the applicants to prepare and submit their application. No costs incurred by the applicants in preparation of their application may be charged as an expense of performing the grant. How to Submit an Application Please submit a completed Village Energy Efficiency Program Application to Alaska Energy Authority as described below by October 2, 2020 at 2 PM, Alaska Standard Time . Please be as accurate and concise as possible to avoid delays in processing or disqualification. Page 3 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 Preferred Method of Submittal  Download the adobe fill -in forms and complete the forms on a computer, typing responses in the spaces given. Save a digital copy of the completed digital form on your computer.  Email the completed application and associated forms to veep@akenergyauthority.org  Be sure to include the W-9 form, heating fuel invoice , and any other applicable documents.  If you do not have an electronic signature , please print, sign and fax the Grant Agreement page to 907-771-3044.  Please keep a copy for your records. Alternative Methods of Submittal  Complete the appl ication forms on a computer (PDF fillable form), typing responses in the spaces given. If entering the information on a computer is not possible, print and neatly handwrite the application forms.  Print and sign.  Fax, mail, hand deliver, or scan and email the documents to the address below.  Please keep a copy for your records. Submit Applications to Email: veep@akenergyauthority.org Mail : Alaska Energy Authority Attn: VEEP Outdoor Lighting Retrofits 813 W. Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage, AK, 99503-2495 Fax: (907) 771-3044 Deadline : Applications must be received by October 2, 2020 at 2 PM Alaska Standard Time . The Applicant is solely responsible for complete and timely submission of the application. The Authority accepts no responsibi lity for submissions of applications or for applications that are received after the application deadlines, whethe r because they were misdirected, de layed, or erroneously addressed or for any other reason. Failure to meet the deadline will result in the application being rejected. Confirmation of Receipt A confirmation of the receipt of your application will be made via email to the primary contact within two business days of receiving your application. Review Process Applications will be reviewed for completeness and to ensure the proposed communities and projects meet the AEA regulations and the limitations on the eligible projects for which the funding under this RFA is available, i.e., outdoor lighting retrofits of public buildings and facilities to LED technology. Applications will be reviewed and ranke d by an AEA review committee using the evaluation criteria outlined below . Page 4 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 Approved applican ts will be notified of their awards. Once signed by both parties, the Grant Agreement is complete and work may begin. Any errors, omissions or illegible writing in the appl ication could delay the review of the application. Contact information Receipt confirmation: Josi Hartley, (907) 771-3919, jhartley@akenergyauthority.org Taylor Asher, (907) 771-3903, tasher@akenergyauthority.org Application or activity questions: Taylor Asher, (907) 771-3903, tasher@akenergyauthority.org Rebecca Garrett, (907) 771-3042, rgarrett@akenergyauthority.org Grant agreement questions: Karin St. Clair, (907) 771-3081, kstclair@akenergyauthority.org Evaluation of Applications To ensure effe ctive use of the funding, AEA has developed criteria by which to evaluate applications. The first six criteria will be used to score all applicants ; each criterion is weighted according to the following table. The seventh criterion may impact the final selection to e nsure that resources are distributed in a ge ographically equitable way. Criteria # Criteria Percentage of score 1 Cost of energy – blend of cost per kWh and per gallon for heating fuel 35% 2 Demand for energy in community from climate 10% 3 Recent past participation in identified state or federal end-use efficiency programs 15% 4 Local Match 20-25% 5 Current participation in state or federal funded end-use efficiency or other energy programs 10% 6 The administrative capability of the Applicant 5% 7 Equitable geographic distribution of the awards N/A 1. Cost of energy. Maximum score = 35 a. Communities will be given points for cost of fuel based on a 50/50 blended cost of electricity and heating fuel. b. Electricity cost: For Power Cost Equalization (PCE) communities, the PCE level for the most current year will be used to establish electricity costs. For non -PCE communities, a statement of cost from the utility must be provided with the application. c. Heating fuel cost: The applicant must provide a copy of an actual invoice for heating fuel from within the last 12 months to establish cost. Page 5 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 2. Demand for energy in the community. Maximum score = 10 a. Demand for energy will be established by heating degree days (HDD) posted by the Alaska Climate Research Center; applicant does not need to provide any information. 3. Past participation in state or federal end -use efficiency programs. Maximum score = 15 a. If a community has NOT recently (within the past 4 years) received Village Energy Efficiency Program (VEEP), Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) or Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) assistance they will be given additional points and considered an underserved community. Please note: communities are still eligible for VEEP funding under this solicitation even if they have recently participated in one of programs listed above. 4. Local match. Maximum score = 20-25 points a. Community match can include: cash, labor resources, equipment resources, and lodging and support for contract workers. b. For each additional 5% in match, the applicant will be awarded one extra point. Example, for 30% match the applicant will receive a score of 21. 5. Current participation in state or federal funded en d-use efficiency programs and/or programs that offset diesel through heating system improvements such as heat recovery, biomass, ground source heat pumps, etc. Maximum score = 15 points a. If a community is currently participating in a state or federal funded end-use efficiency or other energy program and AEA determines there are cost and energy saving benefits that can be derived from running VEEP in conjunction then the community will receive up to 15 additional points depending on the amount of benefit. 6. The administrative capability of the applicant. a. Applicants are expected to manage the project with limited support from AEA. Please describe administrative capabilities in the grant application Part B. 7. Equitable geographic distribution of the awards. After the applicants have been scored , the evaluation committee will distribute funds to insure geographic equity. Page 6 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 Project Requirements Eligible projects under this RFA Communities may use Wells Fargo/Denali Commission/VEEP grant funding available under this RFA for the following types of energy efficiency and conservation projects. 1. Retrofitting of outdoor lighting of public buildings and facilities to LED technology. This is expected to include: street or trail lighting, harbor lights, or outdoor wall pack fixtures on public infrastructure. Implementation Options For the purpose of this solicitation, grant recipients will be required to implement the grant project, including the purchase and installation of new outdoor lighting that utilizes LED technology or the retrofitting of existing lighting fixtures to LED technology, using the grant recipient’s own resources. Limited technical assistance will be available from AEA. Reporting All grant recipients will be required to submit a cut shee t or specification sheet to their AEA project manager of the products they intend to purchase . The project manager will respond via email when the product has been reviewed and whether it is approved. Once approved, the grantee can move forward with purchasing the equipment. Additionally, all recipients will be required to file quarterly reports that follow the Authority’s reporting requirements. These reports will include narrative, metric, and financial reporting. All reports must be submitted in the format and using the technology required by the Authority. http://www.akenergyauthority.org/Efficiency/VEEP Payments Grant funds will be paid on a reimbursement basis for eligible documented costs upon receipt of a complete and timely quarterly report (see Grant Stipulations for quarterly deadlines). Additional payment requests may be made no more frequently than monthly so long as they also include a progress report on the same form as the q uarterly reports. Payment for technology cannot be made unless the project manager has approved the technology. Please see reporting above. Photographs Recipients are encouraged to take before and after photographs of their projects to include in their quarterly and/or close -out reports. Digital photographs and brief descriptions may be emailed to the project manager, along with a photo release form if individuals are pictured. The release form is located at http://www.akenergyauthority.org/Efficiency/VEEP Waiver of Sovereign Immunity An applicant that is a tribe, tribal council, 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) tribal consortium, council organized under 25 U.S.C. 5123, traditional council, tribe-owned utility, and any other entity that may assert sovereign immunity is required to adopt and submit a resolution and agreement waiving sovereign immunity from suit for claims related to the grant award using the form included with Page 7 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 this application. The resolution and agreement waiving sovereign immunity must be provided at the time the grant agreement is signed, before grant funds are paid. More Information More information can be found at the Alaska Energy Authority website at http://www.akenergyauthority.org/Efficiency/VEEP including links to materials about these grants, grant guidance, updates to this Request for Applications , frequently asked questions (FAQs), and additional information. Th e website will continue to be updated as new information is available. Instructions for the Grant Application Part A Section 1 “Applicant Information”: Complete all boxes in this section  Organization EIN is the applicant’s Federal Employer Identification Number, also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN).  Fiscal Year: Month and day of applicant’s fiscal year end  Principal Contact/Project Manager: Provide the contact information for the contact person for this project, typically the applicant’s project manager. Section 2 “Scope of Grant”: This section should be a short and descriptive. Example: Replace 16 HPS Streetlights with LED and 4 wall packs on the Tribal Office , 6 wall packs at the School, and 1 wall pack at the Community Center. Section 2.1 “Project Name”  Give the project a descriptive name. Please include the community name in the project name. Example: “X Community Outdoor Lighting Retrofit” Section 3 “Period of Performance”  Review this section to e nsure understanding of grant completion date. Section 4 “Appendices”  Review all documents listed in this section and complete and return all documents in the application packet.  If community is NOT a PCE community , please include documentation showing electric rate information. Section 5 “Signature Line”  Please include the signature of an authorized represent ative, the printed name and title , and date of signature . An electronic signature is acceptable. Instructions for the Grant Application Part B 1. Required: Name of eligible applicant/grantee 2. Required: Name of Community 3. Required: Community current population as listed in the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) database at https://dcra-cdo- dcced.opendata.arcgis.com/ Page 8 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 4. Required: Provide cost per gallon of heating fuel in space provided. Applicant must also attach an actual invoice for heating fuel delivered to the community within the last 12 months. 5. Required: Please indicate in-kind cash match amount on this line. Cash match can include other local, state , or federal government funds, loans that are not yet secured but in-process, and other sources of funding. 6. Required: Please indicate the total in-kind match dollar equivalent value of non-cash match in the space provided. 7. Required: Describe in-kind contributions . 8. Required: Indicate details of VEEP, EECBG, or START funding, if any, that the community has received in the last four years, if known. 9. Required: Please describe any efficiency programs currently underway or planned for the time period that the current VEEP grant will cover that may create synergistic or value-added opportunities. For example, if there is a planned efficiency project around the same time f unded through a different source , then materials procurement and labor might be shared, lowering costs for both. 10. Required: Please describe the community’s ability to implement the project. Local skilled labor force, past experience, or if the community i ntends to contract the work out. Be specific. 11. Required: Describe the buildings and/or facilities that will receive LED lighting upgrades under this award. 12. Required: Identify the project manager or community contact who will be coordinating the work. If local crews are expected to change out the lights, please list them. 13. Required: Project timeline. Keep in mind that cut sheets and/or specifications must be sent to the project manager and approved prior to ordering the products. 14. Required: Please respond to meet the requirement for criteria #6, ad ministrative capability of the applicant. Instructions for the Grant Application Budget Form Table A must be completed by all applicants. To determine the maximum amount of VEEP funds available for the community please see page 1 of this announcement for the funding level associated with community population levels. Use current community p opulati on listed on DCCED database located here: https://dcra-cdo- dcced.opendata.arcgis.com/ Page 9 Wells Fargo and Denali Commission Outdoor Lighting Funding Announcement and I nstructions September 2020 Definitions For the purposes of this RFA and the application form, the following definitions are provided:  Retrofit: Replacing components of existing equipment with new equipment. For example, a lighting retrofit would typically involve replacing ballasts and lamps in existing lighting fixtures. A replacement or redesign, by comparison, would replace the entire fixture or would redesign the placement and light output of the new lig hting fixtures. NOTE: VEEP funds can only be used to replace existing fixtures with more efficient technology. New fixtures cannot be added.  Public building and facility: A building or other infrastructure that consumes electricity or heating energy, is open to the general public, and is used by the community; in this paragraph "other infrastructure" includes water systems and street or community outdoor lighting. Application Checklist Is your application completely filled out including the authorized si gners form? Have you included an invoice for heating fuel delivered in the community in the last 12 months? Is the budget form completely filled out? Did you complete the W-9 form and include it with the application? If needed, is the waiver of sovereign i mmunity included in the application package? Is the media release included in the application package? Did you review the grant terms and conditions? Have you reviewed and understand the LED purchasing guidelines? Have you reviewed and understand the grant reporting requirements ? Did you save all your documents? Please reach out to AEA if you have any questions !