Simply Solar Community Renewable Energy Deployment
The city is soliciting statements of interest to develop an approximately 1.5MW community scale solar project as part of its Community Renewable Energy Deployment program. The intent of this SOI is to select a developer to design, construct, finance, own and operate a new Photovoltaic (PV) or Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) system located within SMUD service territory. City plans to purchase the electrical output and is offering its 2011 Feed-In Tariff rates to support the project. City 2010 Feed-In Tariff rates MAY be available if the proposed project meets a significant number of the original objectives of the Solar Highways project. Desired proposals will include PPA offers of between twenty (20) years. This project will be awarded $1,632,800 in grant funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) as part of city's Community Renewable Energy Deployment program. City's intends to distribute the DOE grant funding to the successful project developer (as key milestones are achieved) to subsidize the development of the project. An additional $125,000 is available from the State Energy Commission in matching funds, pending final execution of the funding agreement with the CEC. The CEC funding will be used to cover ongoing city staff and other project support costs. Please note that the grant funding agreement requires that the project be permitted, constructed and commissioned by June of 2013. In summary, city's intended approach for this project is: 1. Site open for developer proposal (within city service territory only ) 2. Technology open for developer proposal (interested in PV and CPV technologies) 3. Preference for sites that utilize disturbed/marginal/public land near load center with public visibility and educational opportunity 4. Projects sized at approximately 1.5MW, with duration of 20 years 5. Projects must utilize city's 2011 FIT rates as a ceiling, proposers are encouraged to offer more competitive rates 6. Successful Offer will receive DOE CRED grant funding ($1,632,800) and two advanced inverters PROJECT DETAILS AND REQUIREMENTS
The successful developer should be prepared to begin permitting and detailed project design immediately following contract execution, so that project construction and facility commissioning can be completed by June of 2013.
City will provide two Satcon 500kW Equinox inverters in support of this project, further offsetting project costs. These advanced inverters will be utilized for evaluating VAR/voltage control on the distribution lines for which there will be a testing protocol (developed in conjunction with city staff), monitoring & evaluation requirements. SCADA applied to the city-provided SatCon inverters for demonstration purposes are not the responsibility of the Proposer. Please see Satcon's Equinox system specifications attached as Appendix I.
Any offer considered pursuant to this SOI must be capable of clearly verifying energy delivery by metering or other means acceptable to the District including, without limitation, metering on less than or equal to an hourly basis. Power must include the Green Attributes from the Facility to be provided to city to qualify for this SOI.
See Solicitation documents for additional scope requirements.
