Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is seeking qualified firms to submit proposals for the design, procurement, and installation of new, residential and commercial, direct-owned photovoltaic systems at a per-watt price lower than the typical, single solar electric installation.
The Central Wisconsin group buy program is being led by the MREA with the goal of increasing familiarity of solar PV investments and advancing installations on homes and businesses in Portage County and Wood County, Wisconsin. As part of the program, the MREA is selecting a qualified contractor through a competitive bidding process and will host a series of free information sessions for interested home and business owners.
The group buy is being done with the support of representatives from the City of Stevens Point, City of Wisconsin Rapids, Mid State Technical College, and local community groups.
Click here to download the Request for Proposals
RFP Announced – May 22, 2017
RFP Questions Due/Posted – May 31, 2017 at 2pm
RFP Proposals Due – June 7, 2017 at 2pm
QUESTIONS:
Q: Can MREA provide us with a list of modules that they would accept as “Made in the U.S.”? We assume MREA is aware of what’s going on with SolarWorld, so that leaves a very short list of unqualified American made modules. Please advise.
A: Good questions. Unfortunately, we don’t have a list to share. My guess is it would be obsolete as soon as we made it! At this point, we will review proposed modules on a case by case basis. For reference, these two manufacturers have recently met the Made in MN requirements http://www.heliene.ca/ and http://www.itekenergy.com/. Though we can’t attest to their availability, quality, or price.
Q: In the “additional cost factors” table, can we choose to leave some blank? Or identify a specific category as “case-by-case”? For instance, it’s difficult to have a simple $/watt adder for batteries. So it’s better to review battery storage on a case-by-case basis.
A: You should complete based on how you will price for the program. You should assume that the customer will be able to see the sheet as part of the program so transparency is important. If some categories do not represent cost increases, leaving them blank is fine. For categories that you consider “case by case” you should include a range for reference.
Q: How do we go about “provid(ing) the homeowner with info regarding energy efficiency”? Could you better define what’s needed under this criteria?
A: We include this to make sure that contractors are providing basic information about energy efficiency with the site assessment. This does not have to be extensive but should include common energy efficiency improvements in lighting, HVAC, and common electric loads.
Q: In the “Baseline Bid”, can we provide a $/watt range rather than one number? This is difficult because $/watt will vary greatly from 1kW to 50kW.
A: Please provide one number, and not a range. You can include a flat rate or per watt discount for larger systems or adder for smaller systems accordingly. A suggested threshold for “large” and “small” arrays is in Exhibit C, but you can add more granularity if needed.