EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR RESIDENTIAL BASELINE STUDY RFP EM Date Issued: January 6, 2015

Transcription

1 EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR RESIDENTIAL BASELINE STUDY RFP EM Date Issued: January 6, 2015 Closing Date: February 10, 2015, 3:00 pm local time

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 RFP INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS... 3 SECTION 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION... 5 SECTION 3 SCOPE OF WORK... 7 SECTION 4 GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS SECTION 5 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS SECTION 6 PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD SECTION 7 GENERAL CONDITIONS Separate attachments: Attachment A Proposal Cover Sheet Form Attachment B Standard Agreement Attachment C Project Proposal Cost Form Page 2

3 SECTION 1 RFP INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS 1.1 Title/Purpose RFP EM Request for Proposals for Residential Baseline Study. The Efficiency Maine Trust seeks a qualified bidder or team of bidders to perform residential baseline study to characterize representative residential homes in Maine based on age and type, including information on households, lighting, appliances, building envelope, water heating, central/space heating, and cooling. 1.2 Designated Contact Person for this RFP Laura Martel Efficiency Maine Trust 168 Capitol Street, Suite 1, Augusta, ME laura.martel@efficiencymaine.com Phone: (207) Schedule of Activities Event Date/Deadline RFP Issued January 6, 2015 Question Period Closes January 20, 2015 Responses to Questions Posted January 27, 2015 Proposals Due at Efficiency February 10, 2015, 3:00 pm local time Maine Trust Office Anticipated Award Date February 17, 2015 Anticipated Contractor Start March 3, 2015 Schedule changes: Efficiency Maine Trust reserves the right to modify this schedule at its discretion. Any changes or additional information regarding the RFP schedule and pre-bid activities, including responses to questions, will be posted on the Efficiency Maine Trust website at: Questions Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by to the Designated Contact Person listed in section 1.2 prior to the close of the Question Period specified above. The subject line of the should be: RFP EM Questions. Responses to questions will be posted on the website. Page 3

4 1.5 Proposal Submittal Deadline Proposals must be received at the Efficiency Maine Trust office by the due date and time specified above (1.3 Schedule of Activities). Any proposal received after the exact date and time specified will not be considered. Proposals must be complete when submitted; changes or additions will not be accepted after the specified due date and time, except for any clarifications requested of bidders by Efficiency Maine Trust. It is the responsibility of each bidder to ensure timely receipt of its proposal. Further details regarding proposal requirements are provided in section 5 of this RFP. 1.6 Cost of Proposal Preparation Costs incurred in the preparation of any proposal in response to this RFP are the sole responsibility of the bidder. 1.7 Anticipated Contract Term It is anticipated that this RFP will result in one contract with all tasks and deliverables under the contract to be completed no later than June 30, Anticipated Contract Budget The total anticipated budget for the Residential Baseline Study pursuant to this RFP is $120,000. The proposal should be bid as Time and Materials with a Not-to-Exceed maximum type contract. 1.9 Contract Award Efficiency Maine Trust will notify all bidders of the contract award decision by . The anticipated award date is specified in section 1.3. The Trust reserves the right to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the contract award with a winning bidder whose proposal is selected by the Trust, and to reject any winning bidder with whom the Trust cannot agree to terms and conditions meeting the Trust s needs, in the Trust s sole judgment Contracting Process The selection of service providers for energy efficiency and alternative energy programs administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust and the selection of grant recipients to receive funds administered by the Trust for energy efficiency and alternative energy projects are governed by the Efficiency Maine Trust Rule Chapter 1: Contracting Process for Service Providers and Grant Recipients, which can be found on the Efficiency Maine Trust website: Related Requests for Proposals/Qualifications The Efficiency Maine Trust has posted several Requests for Proposals at Page 4

5 Bidders are invited to respond to multiple requests on this list. However, bidders must submit a separate, stand-alone proposal in response to each request for which the bidder wishes to be considered. Efficiency Maine may award one bidder more than one contract. SECTION 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2.1 Efficiency Maine Efficiency Maine is the independent administrator for energy efficiency programs in Maine. Efficiency Maine s mission is to lower the cost and environmental impacts of energy in Maine by promoting cost-effective energy efficiency and alternative energy systems. Efficiency Maine does this primarily by delivering rebates on the purchase of high-efficiency lights and equipment to help customers save electricity, natural gas and heating fuels throughout the Maine economy. Efficiency Maine is governed by a stakeholder Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission. 2.2 Program Goals, Objectives and Requirements The design and administration of programs must fulfill a number of goals and requirements specified in law. These include: Guiding principles. As a program of the Trust, Programs must be designed and delivered such that they are consumer-oriented; program effectiveness is maximized; program efficiency is maximized; and sufficient checks and balances are provided to ensure consistency, accountability and sustainability (35-A MRSA section 10104, subsection 2). Additional principles and objectives are outlined in law for each source of funding for the Program (35-A MRSA sections 10109, 10110) Cost-effectiveness. Programs funded by the Conservation Fund and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) fund must be cost effective. The cost-effectiveness test used by the Trust is a version of the Total Resource Cost test. Triennial Plan and performance measures. Effective July 1, 2010, the implementation of programs are guided by the Trust s Triennial Plan. As part of that plan, the Trust is required to develop and implement performance measures for all programs (35-A MRSA, section 10104, sub-section 3). 2.3 Residential Baseline Background and Context In preparing the third Triennial Plan to be implemented July 2016 June 2019, Efficiency Maine Trust is gathering information regarding the current state of efficiency measures, building stock and energy usage in Maine. Understanding the current conditions in Maine is critical to Page 5

6 quantifying energy efficiency opportunities and establishing program goals laid out in the Triennial Plan. To support residential program planning, the Trust is seeking detailed information about current conditions in the residential sector. Previous surveys, studies and evaluations have characterized aspects of the residential baseline. For example, in September 2012, Cadmus published their final report for the Assessment of Energy-Efficiency and Distributed Generation Baseline and Opportunities. For the residential sector, the baseline assessment was built upon secondary data and, therefore, did not include any on-site surveys. The current RFP calls for a study that would be the first to comprehensively evaluate the residential baseline in Maine through on-site surveys with no preselection criteria. Analysis of program data has allowed the characterization of some aspects of the residential baseline. However, because the datasets used are limited to program participants, statewide conclusions cannot be drawn from the results due to the potential self-selection bias. The 2014 Assessment of Natural Gas Energy Efficiency Opportunities in Maine performed by GDS Associates focused on baseline characteristics applicable to natural gas energy efficiency. 2.4 Additional Sources of Information Following are links to additional information that may assist bidders in preparing a response to this RFP: TITLE LOCATION (link) Efficiency Maine Trust website Efficiency Maine Trust 2014 Annual Report Efficiency Maine Trust Triennial Plan Natural Gas Potential Study Baseline Opportunities Study Maine Residential New Construction Technical Baseline Study Retail/Residential Program Evaluations Technical-Baseline-Study.pdf Program-Evaluation-Report-2014.pdf Program-Final-Report_FINAL.pdf Final-Evaluation-Report-DOE.pdf Page 6

7 TITLE ISO New England Manual for Measurement and Verification of Demand Reduction Value from Demand Resources (ISO- NE M-MVDR) Rule Chapter 380 Rule Chapter 480 LOCATION (link) tion_demand_reduction_revision_6_06_01_14.doc Programs-PUC.pdf Program-PUC.pdf SECTION 3 SCOPE OF WORK 3.1 Overview and Objectives The Efficiency Maine Trust seeks a qualified bidder or team of bidders to perform residential baseline study to characterize a series of representative residential homes in Maine based on age and type. The contractor will be responsible for defining the number of representative baselines and a small number of variants that accurately capture the diversity of conditions observed. The study must include on-site surveys of properties. Following are aspects of the residential baseline to be characterized: Households (to be correlated with all other data collected) o Number of adults o Number of children (<18 years) o Months/year occupied Appliances o Type o Quantity o Energy Star or not o Nameplate efficiency if available, otherwise make and model o Age Lighting o Number of sockets o % by bulb type Building Envelope o Insulation type and amount: floor/basement, wall, attic/ceiling o Air exchanges per hour o Heat loss o Areas of greatest heat loss Water heating Page 7

8 o Number of heaters o Fuel o Type o Nameplate efficiency if available, otherwise make and model o Wrapped tank o Wrapped exposed pipes o Aerators & shower heads Quantity Measured flow rates Type Central/Space Heating o Number and Type of heating systems (boiler, furnace, wood stove, heat pump, electric baseboards, space heaters) o Characteristics of each system Type Fuel Annual consumption Usage patterns (temperature set point, manual/automatic, seasons) Nameplate efficiency if available, otherwise make and model Age Capacity (BTU/h) Controls (outdoor temperature reset, cold start, type of thermostat) Number and type of boiler circulator pumps (ECM or not), type of furnace motor (ECM or not) Cooling o Type (central, window, ductless heat pump) o Annual consumption o Usage patterns (temperature set point, manual/automatic, seasons) o Quantity o Age o Nameplate efficiency if available, otherwise make and model o Capacity (BTU/h) o Controls Sampling shall be performed such that 10% relative precision is achieved with no less than 80% confidence interval for overall study results. 3.2 Task by Task Description The Trust expects the contractor to perform the following tasks. Task 1: Project Kickoff Meeting. The contractor, in consultation with the Trust, will organize and facilitate a Project Kickoff Meeting to be held at the Trust s offices. The purpose of the meeting is for the Trust and the contractor to establish a common Page 8

9 understanding of the deliverables, the overall project schedule, and expectations regarding the conduct of the program, and to provide the foundation for development of the Work Plan. At a minimum, this meeting should include discussion of the proposed statement of work and schedule, initial data requests, and communication protocols and expectations. Task 1 Deliverables: Kickoff Meeting materials Task 2: Work Plan. The contractor will develop a detailed Work Plan that specifies the specific approach, schedule, implementation and quality assurance plan, for each task, sub-task and deliverable required under the project. The Work Plan should follow the basic structure and format of the proposed Statement of Work, with revisions, modifications and additional detail incorporated as appropriate. The work plan should detail data collection techniques to be used and outreach/recruitment plan. Task 2 Deliverables: Draft and Final Project Work Plan. Task 3: On-Site Surveys. The contractor will perform on-site surveys for a sample of Maine residences. The sampling method must meet the following requirements: Accurately reflect the diversity of residential building stock in Maine (including age, number of units, type of construction) Contain sufficient samples to achieve 10% relative precision at 80% confidence level for overall study results Task 3 Deliverables: Draft and Final Data Collection Instruments and Protocols; Data Files; Observation Memo. Task 4: Additional Data Gathering. The contractor will perform additional data gathering as deemed necessary to complete the baseline characterization. Following are examples of possible additional data gathering activities: Literature search Telephone survey Examination of Census Bureau data Task 4 Deliverables: Draft and Final Data Collection Instruments and Protocols; Data Files; Observation Memo. Task 5: Baseline Characterization. The contractor will analyze data, observations and findings as necessary to generate a series of representative baselines as described above under overview and objectives. Task 5 Deliverables: Representative Baselines. Page 9

10 Task 6: Project Management and Reporting. The contractor will oversee all aspects of the project, including management of all tasks and sub-tasks, any subcontractors and submission of all deliverables. Management of the project should be designed to deliver high-quality, on-time, on-budget services to the Trust. As part of this ongoing task, the contractor will, at a minimum: Implement formal and informal communication strategies throughout the contract period to maintain effective and timely communication with the Trust. Provide monthly status reports to the Trust that summarize the accomplishments during the prior month, the current month s activities, schedule and any difficulties encountered and remedial action taken during the reporting period. Prepare interim memos documenting key findings as they are reached. Prepare a comprehensive draft and final reports on the study, providing clear and complete descriptions of the methodology, data sources, assumptions, results, references, and any other information relevant to the study. Task 6 Deliverables: Monthly Project Status Reports; Draft and Final Study Reports; Draft and Final PowerPoint Presentation. 3.3 Project Deliverables The contractor will be responsible for timely completion of all requirements specified in the Scope of Work. Specific deliverables to be completed by the contractor will include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Draft and final work plans 2. Monthly project status reports 3. Draft and final data collection instruments and protocols 4. Original data files and final, cleaned data and analysis files resulting from the study 5. Observation memos 6. Representative baselines 7. Draft and final study reports 8. Draft and final PowerPoint presentations The contractor must commit to completing all deliverables by June 30, Specific deadlines for each deliverable will be determined as part of the Work Plan. The contractor is responsible for providing the Trust with electronic copies of all deliverables in Microsoft Office software format or other appropriate editable format approved by the Trust. SECTION 4 GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS Page 10

11 4.1 Contractor Responsibilities The winning bidder will be responsible for adhering to the following requirements: Confidentiality. All Efficiency Maine Trust customer information is confidential, and the winning bidder, its staff, and its subcontractors will be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement before any customer data is released to the contractor. For additional information on applicable confidential restrictions, see ISO New England M&V Requirements. The contractor must ensure that the evaluation, measurement and verification of electric energy and demand savings conducted under this study are consistent with and meets the requirements set forth in the ISO New England Manual for Measurement and Verification of Demand Reduction Value from Demand Resources (M-MVDR), including but not limited to the requirements for metering and measurement equipment, frequency and duration of metering and monitoring, and statistical significance and sampling precision. 1 Safety. The contractor will be responsible for adhering to safety protocols and providing all necessary safety gear for site visits conducted as part of the study. 4.2 Efficiency Maine Trust Responsibilities Efficiency Maine Trust, through its designated Project Manager for this contract, will be responsible for overseeing and managing all work undertaken by the winning bidder, including but not limited to the following activities: Providing project oversight and contract management; Reviewing, commenting on and approving all deliverables; Coordinating with Trust program staff; Reviewing and approving invoices; and Making available the following items developed and used by current contractors, which are the property of the Efficiency Maine Trust: o Data collected by the current contractors and subcontractors o Relevant work products prepared for the Trust by current contractors and subcontractors. 1 n_revision_6_06_01_14.doc Page 11

12 SECTION 5 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS 5.1 Project Organization and Staffing Requirements Proposals that include teaming arrangements must designate one party as the lead bidder. Personnel who are proposed shall be the actual contract performers. There will be no substitution of personnel allowed without prior written approval of Efficiency Maine Trust. 5.2 Submittal Requirements Proposals must be delivered to the Trust by the due date and time specified in section 1.3 of this RFP to the attention of the designated Contact Person specified in section 1.2. Proposals must be delivered in an envelope or package visibly labeled, Response to RFP EM Request for Proposals for Residential Baseline Study. The proposal submission must include: One (1) signed original document that is unbound and includes all sections, forms and appendices; Four (4) bound hard copies of the entire original, and One (1) electronic copy on CD of the complete proposal; files on the CD must be provided in Microsoft Office and/or PDF format and a copy of Attachment C must be provided in Microsoft Excel format. Efficiency Maine reserves the right to reject any proposal that does not meet these requirements. 5.3 Format Requirements Proposals will be evaluated for adherence to the following format requirements: Proposals must be typewritten, using a standard font (11 or 12 point). Each page should state the page number, the name of the bidder, and the RFP number. Each page should have one inch margins. Unnecessary attachments (i.e., any attachments beyond those sufficient to present a complete, comprehensive, and effective proposal) will not influence the evaluation of the proposal. Proposals must adhere to prescribed page limits specified in section 5.4. Please note that each printed side counts as one (1) page. Efficiency Maine reserves the right to reject any proposal that does not meet these requirements. Page 12

13 5.4 Content and Organization Requirements The proposal must include the following contents, which should be presented in the following order: 1. Proposal Cover Sheet Form Include a completed, signed Proposal Cover Sheet Form, which is provided in Attachment A. If the proposal involves any subcontractors, complete the Team Commitment page. 2. Letter of Transmittal / Letters of Commitment Include a brief Letter of Transmittal, on company letterhead, signed by an appropriate officer of the lead bidder who can bind the company to a contract. If the proposal involves any subcontractors, include a letter of commitment from each subcontractor, signed by an appropriate officer of the subcontractor who can bind the company to a contract. 3. Table of Contents 4. Introduction (2 pages maximum) Summarize understanding of the services requested in the RFP and proposed approach to fulfilling the requirements of this RFP. Briefly describe the proposed project team and qualifications. 5. Statement of Work (16 pages maximum) Overview: Provide an overview of the proposed approach. Describe how the project is to be implemented to fulfill the objectives of the study, as specified by the Trust, and the requirements of the Scope of Work (RFP Section 3). Task-by-Task Work Plan: Specify the proposed work plan for accomplishing each individual task and sub-task specified in the Scope of Work. Each task-specific work plan should outline the approach to the task and specify the relevant data sources, sampling issues, data collection methods, analysis and deliverables. Schedule and Deliverables: Provide a chart or outline detailing the proposed schedule for the project, including proposed timelines for each task and sub-task and associated deliverables. Page 13

14 6. Staffing, Management and Qualifications (12 pages maximum) Overview: Briefly describe the overall staffing plan and management approach to the project, including coordination with subcontractors when applicable. Organizational chart: Provide an organizational chart of the proposed team for the project. The chart should identify key team members, their project roles, and illustrate relationships between the individual staff and the organizations (Trust, the contractor and any subcontractors) and clearly indicate the primary point of contact for the Trust. Individual qualifications: For each staff member that is bid on the project, please provide a brief narrative that includes a description of the individual s role on this project and a summary of his or her relevant skills, qualifications, experience and expertise, including previous relevant projects completed. (Resumes must be included in a separate appendix). Corporate qualifications: Describe the corporate qualifications of the lead bidder in reference to the proposed project, including relevant projects and reports completed. Provide the same for each subcontractor. 7. Budget/Cost Proposal (4 pages maximum) Price Bid: Provide a Time and Materials with a Not-to-Exceed maximum bid for conducting the project. The bid should reflect an understanding that under the resulting contract agreement the winning bidder will be required to complete all tasks specified in that agreement without charges above the total agreement price. Narrative: Provide a brief narrative explanation of the project budget/cost proposal, including the total price, price for each task, and any relevant assumptions. Cost Form: Provide a completed Project Proposal Cost Form (Attachment C) detailing the breakout of costs, including: labor hours, hourly rates and costs for all personnel, including any subcontractors; other direct costs; and total costs. All related expenses must be included and itemized on this form; any costs not included on this form will be disallowed. Appendices Appendix A References: Provide a list of references for the lead bidder and any subcontractors included in the bid. At least three (3) references must be provided for each organization included in the bid. For each reference, please provide current contact information (name, company, telephone number and address). Appendix B Resumes: Provide resumes of key project team members in an Appendix. Key project team members identified in the proposal must be dedicated to the proposed project at the level proposed. Any substitutions of key project team members must be approved by the Trust. Page 14

15 Appendix C Baseline Study Reports: Provide examples of baseline study reports completed within the past 5 years by the lead bidder. Please provide URLs where the relevant reports may be accessed on-line; where on-line access is not possible, please provide electronic copies of the reports on the CD that is required as part of the proposal submission (see Section 5.2). In the body of Appendix C, please provide a list of the submitted reports that includes: the report title, author(s), publication date, and URL (or filename if provided on CD) for accessing the report. SECTION 6 PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD Proposals that are received by the submission deadline and that meet the requirements established in the RFP will be reviewed and evaluated by a proposal review team. Efficiency Maine Trust reserves the right to decide whether a proposal is or is not acceptable in terms of meeting the requirements of this RFP and to accept or reject any or all proposals received. In evaluating proposals, Efficiency Maine Trust reserves the right to take any of the following steps, with respect to either all of the proposals received or to a subset of proposals selected as superior to the others: (1) consult with prior clients on the performance of the bidder or of particular persons proposed for this bid; (2) schedule presentations or interviews with representatives of the bidder or persons proposed for the project; (3) conduct a review of past performance, including a review of reports, analyses, or other materials that would reflect the bidder's performance; and (4) request additional data or supporting material. 6.1 Evaluation Criteria In evaluating proposals submitted in response to this RFP, the proposal review team will use the following criteria, which are described in subsequent paragraphs: MAXIMUM AVAILABLE SCORING CATEGORY POINTS 1. Statement of Work Staffing, Management and Qualifications Project Cost/Budget Overall Quality and Responsiveness 15 TOTAL Statement of Work o Does the Statement of Work present a comprehensive, sound approach for accomplishing the requirements of this RFP? o Is the Statement of Work thorough, specific and responsive to the requirements and details specified in the RFP? Page 15

16 o Does the proposal demonstrate a clear understanding of the study to be performed and the Trust s expectations for this specific project? o Does the Statement of Work reflect best practices? 2. Staffing, Management and Qualifications o Is the proposed project staffing plan clear, well-defined and appropriate to the substance and scope of the services requested by the Trust? o How qualified are the proposed personnel in terms of skills, expertise and experience relevant to this particular project? o How qualified are the proposed organizations (lead bidder and subcontractors) in terms of demonstrated experience and capacity to execute this type of project? 3. Project Budget/Cost o Are appropriate resources being devoted to the individual tasks and sub-tasks? o How does the total bid compare to other comparable proposals? o Is the proposed budget consistent with the proposed Statement of Work? 4. Overall Quality and Responsiveness o What is the overall quality of the proposal submission, including but not limited to completeness, clarity, attention to detail, adherence to instructions and requirements and lack of errors? o Does the proposal reflect and respond to the specific priorities for the project? 6.2 Contract Award Efficiency Maine Trust will notify all bidders of the contract award decision by . The anticipated award date is specified in section 1. Efficiency Maine Trust reserves the right to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the contract award with a winning bidder whose proposal is selected by the Trust, and to reject any winning bidder with whom the Trust cannot agree to terms and conditions meeting the Trust s needs, in the Trust s sole judgment. SECTION 7 GENERAL CONDITIONS 7.1 RFP Process Reservation of Rights Efficiency Maine Trust reserves the right to cancel or extend the RFP process at any time. Efficiency Maine Trust also reserves the right to reject any and all submissions in response to this RFP and to waive formalities if doing so is in the best interests of Efficiency Maine Trust. Page 16

17 7.2 Contract Agreement A copy of the Efficiency Maine Trust Standard Agreement appropriate to this RFP is provided as Attachment B Standard Agreement. This is the standard document that will complete the agreement for services between the winning bidder and Efficiency Maine Trust. 7.3 Billing Invoices submitted for work performed under the resulting contract shall be sufficiently specific to allow Efficiency Maine Trust to evaluate charges billed in light of the tasks required. Each invoice must include a clear breakdown, by task where appropriate, indicating the individual personnel who performed work; the date, nature, and duration of work; and the rate charged. 7.4 Termination of Contract Termination of the agreement by the Trust is governed by section 7 of the Standard Agreement (see Attachment B). 7.5 Request for Reconsideration An aggrieved person may request a hearing for reconsideration of a contract award decision by filing a written petition with the Executive Director of Efficiency Maine Trust within 14 calendar days of the notification of the contract award. Each petition to reconsider must meet the requirements specified in Efficiency Maine Trust Rule Chapter 1, Contracting Process for Service Providers and Grant Recipients, Section 5(B), which can be found on the Efficiency Maine Trust website under Documents and Services: Page 17