RFP 102 On-Site Solar System Services

Background
The City of East St. Louis, Illinois is soliciting proposals from qualified solar photovoltaic (PV) providers for the turn-key installation of a solar array PV project. This initiative is in accordance with the Local Government Energy Conservation Act (50 ILCS 515/). The City aims to engage a provider with demonstrated experience in designing, planning, scheduling, permitting, and constructing complete solar PV systems while also providing financial analysis and support for securing rebates and incentives.

Work Details
The selected Proposer will be responsible for the following services:
- Turn-key installation of a ground-mounted community solar array at a remediated Alcoa aluminum smelter landfill site.
- System capacity target of 2-5 MW DC (scalable).
- Compliance with local utility regulations and all applicable building, mechanical, fire, seismic, structural, and electrical codes.
- Development of a design that meets the City’s best value criteria.
- Daily cleanup during construction and adherence to safety standards.
- Provision of warranties:
- 25-Year Power Output & 10-Year Limited Warranty for modules;
- 10-Year Limited Warranty for inverters;
- 25-Year Limited Warranty for racking;
- 2-Year Limited Warranty for workmanship.
- Installation of monitoring systems for performance tracking and public education integration into the City’s website.
- Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services are to be provided by the City post-installation, with optional O&M services available from the Proposer.

Period of Performance
The contract period will commence upon execution of the agreement and is expected to align with project milestones leading up to system commissioning and energization within a specified timeframe as determined during contract negotiations.

Place of Performance
The project will take place at a remediated Alcoa aluminum smelter landfill site located in East St. Louis, Illinois, which is less than one mile from a major utility substation.

Bidder Requirements
Proposers must demonstrate experience in solar PV projects and comply with local hiring requirements including a minimum of 30% local hiring from East St. Louis residents. They must also provide evidence of insurance coverage as specified in the RFP including commercial general liability, workers compensation, and bonding capacity. A bid bond of 5% is required along with documentation proving good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State.