SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Solar Photovoltaic Multi-channel IV Curve Tracer and Load Simulator
- Notice Date
- 8/14/2013
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- NB732030-13-04662
- Archive Date
- 9/13/2013
- Point of Contact
- Prateema E. Carvajal, Phone: 301-975-4390, Donald Collie, Phone: 301-975-6485
- E-Mail Address
-
prateema.carvajal@nist.gov, donald.collie@nist.gov
(prateema.carvajal@nist.gov, donald.collie@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- : THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-69. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 500 Employees. This requirement is 100% small business set aside *** 1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010) Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to Prateema.carvajal@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than 7 calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (End of Provision) All offerors shall provide a quote for the following line item(s): Line Item 0001: One (1) EACH, Solar Photovoltaic Multi-channel IV Curve Tracer and Load Simulator The contractor shall meet the following minimum specifications: 1. Instrument is capable of electrically loading at least seven separate solar photovoltaic modules simultaneously. 2. Instrument shall allow two electrical loading options for each connected module: (1) maximum power tracking and (2) fixed voltage tracking. 3. Instrument shall allow connecting and testing a combination of negatively grounded and positively grounded PV modules at the same time. 4. Instrument shall allow simultaneous loading and sequential IV curve tracing of, at least, seven solar modules having the following grounding and maximum (worst case) power requirements. a. One module: 450 W maximum, positively-grounded b. Four modules: 350 W maximum, negatively-grounded c. Two modules: 250 W maximum, negatively-grounded 5. Instrument shall allow instantaneous measurement of the photovoltaic panel's DC voltage and DC current when electrically loaded; instrument shall allow such measurements at user-specified intervals that may be as short as every 15 seconds with 7 modules connected. The instrument shall also provide the user options on reporting/saving the average of multiple instantaneous measurements (e.g., the average values over a one minute interval or over a five minute interval). 6. Instrument shall allow interrupts to the normal electrically loaded operating mode to permit the sweeping of an IV curve (and then immediately resuming maximum power or fixed voltage power tracking). 7. Instrument shall permit measurement of each of the photovoltaic test module's IV curve at user-specified intervals, and reporting of the associated open circuit voltage, short circuit current, maximum power point current, maximum power point voltage, and peak power. An individual IV curve trace shall be completed in 5 seconds or less. 8. Minimum number of data points collected per IV curve trace: 100 points. 9. Resolution provided for IV data acquisition: 15 bit A/D conversion or better. 10. For the one 450 W connected module, the instrument shall be capable of measuring a maximum PV module voltage of 80 V. For all remaining connected modules, the instrument shall be capable of measuring a maximum PV module voltage of 500 V. To aid in effectively measuring voltages less than these maximums, the instrument shall offer at least 3 voltage range levels for each module connection. 11. For each of the four 350 W connected modules, the instrument shall be capable of measuring a maximum PV module current of 12 A. For all remaining connected modules, the instrument shall be capable of measuring a maximum PV module current measurements = 10 A. To aid in effectively measuring currents less than these maximums, the instrument shall offer at least 2 current range levels for each module connection. 12. Instrument shall be capable of measuring the below listed representative operating voltages for each module to within an expanded uncertainty (k=2) of ±0.2% of the reading. a. For the 450 W connected module: 60 V b. For the four 350 W connected modules: 40 V c. For the two 250 W connected modules: 40 V 13. Instrument shall be capable of measuring the below listed representative operating currents for each module to within an expanded uncertainty (k=2) of ±0.2% of the reading. a. For the 450 W connected module: 5 A b. For the four 350 W connected modules: 7 A c. For the two 250 W connected modules: 4 A 14. Instrument shall provide inputs suitable for measuring the output from a minimum of two solar pyranometers and eight Type-T thermocouples. 15. Instrument shall communicate with a computer running Windows 7, either directly or over a network. User-specified instantaneous or averaged data that is collected by the instrument shall be transferable to the Windows-based PC so that it becomes resident on the PC's hard drive. Instrument shall be capable of collecting and storing measurements for at least 12 hours before being transferred to a PC. 16. When combined with the Windows-based PC or a separate monitor, the system can allow near real-time monitoring - i.e., maximum lag between measurement and access by the PC is 1 minute -- of the operating current, voltage, and power generation of the electrically loaded photovoltaic panels. 17. Instrument shall be designed to permit 15 months of continuous operation during which it performs electrical loading, periodic current and voltage measurements, periodic interrupts for IV curve traces, and at least daily data transfers to the Windows-based PC for all channels having connected PV panels. For this deployment, the unit shall be able to operate in an environment where the air temperature around the unit can vary between 0 and 45 °C. 18. The instrument shall be capable of autonomously -without communications with PC - for a minimum of 8 hours. This allows any software/security updates of the PC or otherwise dedicated use of the PC for other purposes while not interrupting the collecting of data on the solar modules. 19. As an alternative to sending the unit back to the factory, the instrument shall provide a means for user calibration of the instrument's current and voltage measurements. 20. The instrument shall be designed to allow changing, in the future, the connection for the 450 W module from its initial positively grounded configuration to a negatively grounded configuration. Similarly, any of the initially negatively configured connections shall allow changing to accommodate a positively grounded PV module. This change in the grounding configuration shall be implementable by the user and not require that the unit be sent back to the factory. 21. The instrument shall operate when powered using a nominal 120 VAC source operating at a nominal 60 Hz frequency. 22. No single component of the instrument shall weigh more than 100 pounds. The instrument components shall permit mounting in a standard 19" instrumentation rack. 23. The instrument shall offer the capability for adding, in the future, a minimum of two more connected modules - specifically one more of the above-described 450 W positively grounded modules and one more of the above-described 250 W negatively grounded modules. 24. Shall include a one (1) year warranty. OPTION LINE ITEM: The following item(s) are option line items. The Contractor shall provide pricing for these items. Prices quoted shall be effective for a period of one year from the date of award. Award of option line items is at the sole discretion of the Government in accordance with 52.217-7. Optional Items: 1. The as-purchased instrument includes the hardware and software needed to accommodate the two additional PV modules described in above specification #23. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES: The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. Provisions 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items; 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items; 1352.209-70, Potential Organizational Conflict of Interest; Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law (Class Deviation) (March 2012) 1) In accordance with Sections 543 and 544 of Public Law 112-55 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2012, Title V (General Provisions) none of the funds made available by that Act may be used to enter into a contract with any corporation that- a) Was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government. b) Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government. 2) The Offeror represents that, as of the date of this offer- a) It is [ ] is not [ ] a corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the preceding 24 months. b) It is [ ] is not [ ] a corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreements with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. (End of provision) Offerors shall complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. Clauses 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (APR 2010)-Commercial Items including subparagraphs: 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards; 52.209-6, Protecting the Government' Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment; 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (section 740 of Division C of Public Law 111-117, section 743 of Division D of Public Law 111-8, and section 745 of Division D of Public Law 110-161); 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options 52.219-, Small Business Set Aside 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Representation; 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52-222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.223-18, Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging while Driving; 52.225-1, Buy America Act-Supplies 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-30, Installment Payments for Commercial Items 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. 1352.201-70, Contracting Officer's Authority 1352.201-72, Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) 1352.209-73, Compliance With The Laws 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity - Separately Priced Line Item: The Government may require the delivery of the numbered line item, identified in the Schedule as an option item, in the quantity and at the price stated in the Schedule. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within one day from date of expiration. Delivery of added items shall continue at the same rate that like items are called for under the contract, unless the parties otherwise agree. INSTRUCTIONS: System for Award Management (SAM) In accordance with FAR 52.204-99, the awardee must be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award. Due Date for Quotations Offerors shall submit their Quotations so that NIST receives them not later than 8:00 am, August 29, 2013. Eastern Time on. FAX quotations shall not be accepted. E-mail quotations shall be accepted at Prateema.carvajal@nist.gov. Offerors' quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered into the e-mail address inbox set forth above. Quotations shall be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition Management Division, Attn: Prateema Carvajal, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. All offerors should ensure the RFQ number is visible on the outermost packaging. Because of heightened security, FED-EX, UPS, or similar delivery methods are the preferred method of delivery of quotes. If quotes are hand delivered, delivery shall be made on the actual due date through Gate A, and a 48 hour (excluding weekends and holidays) prior notice shall be provided to Todd Hill, Contract Specialist on 301-975-8802. Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Quotation Preparation Instructions 1) Price Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and four copies of the completed price schedule. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The pricing quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The offeror shall propose a firm-fixed-price for each CLIN. Price quotations shall remain valid for a period of 60 days from the date quotations are due. 2) Technical Quotation: The offeror shall submit an original and one copy of the technical quotation. If the quotation is submitted electronically, additional copies are not required. The technical quotation shall address the following: Technical Capability: The offeror shall demonstrate its understanding of the requirements and provide a concise, detailed, and thorough discussion of its approach and capability to fulfilling the requirements of each task in the Statement of Work/Specifications. The offeror shall describe its proposed methods and techniques. The offeror must demonstrate that its proposed solution meets or exceeds each minimum requirement described in the statement of work by providing a citation to the relevant section of its technical description or product literature. Experience: The offeror shall demonstrate the extent to which it has recently provided similar services. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The quotation should include one of the following statements: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following: Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s) Note: This procurement is not being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price. However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror's FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation. QUOTATION EVALUATION: Evaluation Factors Award shall be made to the offeror whose quotation offers the best value to the Government price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability 2) Experience, and 3) Price. All non-price factors, when combined, are equivalent to price. Technical Capability: Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. NIST will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed solution meets or exceeds all minimum requirements. The Government will evaluate the offeror's technical approach and capability to conducting the requirements of each task in the SOW to determine its overall understanding of the requirements and the extent to which its proposed approach will ensure successful performance of this effort. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed solution meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed solution meets a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. Experience: NIST will evaluate the extent of the offeror's experience providing similar services. Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness. Past Performance, Experience, and Price shall not be evaluated on quotes that are determined technically unacceptable under the Technical Capability Evaluation factor. 1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010) (a) An agency protest may be filed with either: (1) the contracting officer, or (2) at a level above the contracting officer, with the appropriate agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999) (b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: DONALD COLLIE, CONTRACTING OFFICER 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (c) Agency protests filed with the agency Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO) 100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (d) A complete copy of all agency protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority. (e) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230. FAX: (202) 482-5858 1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010) (a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed. (b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims. (c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows: U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230. FAX: (202) 482-5858 (End of clause)
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- Place of Performance
- Address: NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899, United States
- Zip Code: 20899
- Zip Code: 20899
- Record
- SN03148538-W 20130816/130814235214-4d72da58dadb2e9e79229669bd6da4a7 (fbodaily.com)
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