Commodity Codes: 29080 Solar Powered Electrical Systems (For Battery Charging etc.)

The Building Services Division of the General Services Department/Engineering and Project Management is responsible for maintaining a portfolio of approximately 180 buildings, including offices, fire stations, police division offices, and equipment shops, that house various City activities.  The City also maintains cultural facilities, including museums and arenas that serve as venues for sports, entertainment, and other events.  Contracts resulting from this RFP may be used by various City departments for needs across the entire City organization, including the Airport.

 

The City plans to contract with one or more companies to provide annual routine preventive maintenance and repair services, as well as services on an on-call as-needed basis (collectively referred to as Services), for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems currently in existence or under construction as listed in the table below.  Systems may be added or removed from the list in accordance with the City’s needs.  The City is seeking firms whose combination of experience and expertise will provide professional, timely, and cost-effective services to the City.

The Company will deliver to the City a plan for preventive maintenance and cleaning to ensure maximum efficiencies in the operation of all equipment per manufacturer specifications.  The preventive maintenance and cleaning plan will include, at minimum, the following tasks, which the Company will perform at all the specified City PV system sites within 30 business days of receiving a Task Order, and every eleven (11) months thereafter if authorized by subsequent Task Orders:

 

• inspect generation meter and monitoring equipment;
• validate display data accuracy;
• verify that system production is accurately communicated via remote monitoring software (e.g. SolarEdge Monitoring Platform);
• visually inspect PV system condition including all modules and any auxiliary equipment;
• inspect solar PV system modules for any signs of degradation;
• clean all solar thermal collectors (with low PSI cleaning and biodegradable cleaning products);
• confirm inverter operating modes (standby; startup and on);
• inspect and maintain blower intake filters and electronics section air filters;
• verify proper fan operation on each inverter;
• check the inverters heat sinks and clean as needed;
• check inverter enclosure seals for damage;
• visually inspect the condition of all inverter cables and connections, and roof-top exposed wiring and electrical connections;
• confirm power supply and transformer output;
• check module ground connections;
• complete mechanical inspection of connections and wiring;
• measure the torque of all electrical connections and re-torque as needed;
• perform a complete array electrical performance verification including visual and mechanical inspection and string level electrical tests with Solmetric Analyzer;
• inspect flashings and sealants at roof penetrations;
• inspect racking with particular attention to major fasteners; corrosion or damage; array shifting from wind; and thermal cycling damage;
• tighten any solar module mounting hardware as needed;
• remove debris and any blockage of roof drainage around racking;
• inspect for and mitigate any vegetation and pest activity; and
• complete thermal imagery in support of diagnosing any potential and actual performance issues.