RFP #14-001 Energy Audits/Assessments DUE DATE: January 19, 2015 DUE TIME: 4:00 P.M.

Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. Headquarters: 2400 Rhode Island Avenue Ft. Pierce, FL 34950 (772) 468-1818 Orlando Office: 930 Woodcock Rd., Suite 226 Orlando, FL 32803

Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. (SELF) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Sealed Proposals will be received at the Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc., P. O. Box 5506, Ft. Pierce, FL 34954, until 4:00 P.M. local time on January 19, 2015, for the following:

RFP #14-001 Energy Auditors RFP documents may be obtained via the Internet by contacting Jeff Benavides ([email protected]) or by using SELF’s website at www.solarenergyloanfund.org. If you do not have Internet access, you may obtain the documents by calling # (772) 468-1818 (headquarters) or # (407) 267-3071 (Jeff Benavides) and request document number #14-001. RFP's may be either mailed to the Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc., P.O. Box 5506, Ft. Pierce, FL 34954 or hand delivered to 2400 Rhode Island Avenue, Ft. Pierce, FL 34950. Any RFP’S received after the above stated time will be returned to the bidder unopened. SELF reserves the right to waive any informalities or minor irregularities; reject any and all bids/proposals which are incomplete, conditional, obscure, or which contain additions not allowed for; accept or reject any bids/proposal in whole or in part with or without cause; and accept the bid/proposal which best serves fund.

Publish: December 2, 2014

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Table of Contents Part I General Information

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Overview Definitions Invitation to Propose; Purpose Issuing Office and Location of Proposal Opening Contract Awards Development Costs Inquiries - Interpretations Addenda Timetables Delays Proposal Submission and Withdrawal Irregularities; Rejection of Proposals Equal Opportunity Oral Presentation Insurance Lobbyist Disclosure Requirements Public Entity Crimes Statement

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Part II Scope of Work

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Part III Qualifications

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Part IV Instructions for Preparing Proposals

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Part V Evaluation of Proposals

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PART I GENERAL INFORMATION

1) OVERVIEW: The Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County Inc. (SELF) is a legal nonprofit corporation, tax exempt under Section 501(c) 3 organized in the State of Florida. A) Our Mission is to enhance consumer access to clean energy technologies by: 1) Providing energy expertise; 2) Providing favorable finance options; 3) Providing project management 4) Stimulating economic prosperity and employment opportunities; 5) Serving underserved areas; and, 6) Facilitating educational awareness. B) The SELF Board of Directors consists of nine (9) volunteer members. C) The SELF staff consists of an executive director, chief financial officer, accountant, operations manager, regional managers in the Treasure Coast and Space Coast regions, full underwriting team, and marketing & communications coordinator. D) SELF currently provides home energy loans throughout the State of Florida, with an emphasis on six (6) counties, including: St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, Okeechobee, Brevard, and Orange Counties. E) This RFP is specifically focused on the Orlando Metro region. 2) DEFINITIONS For the purposes of this Request for Proposals ("RFP"), Proposer shall mean individuals, contractors, consultants, respondents, organizations, firms, or other persons submitting a response to this Request for Proposals. SELF, the Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc., is seeking contractors and individuals that possess an active certification to perform energy assessments in the State of Florida. Proposer must provide copies of one of the following certifications: a) Florida Certified Bldg. Energy Rating System Class 1 Rater #1011 b) Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certified

3) INVITATION TO PROPOSE; PURPOSE SELF is requesting qualified contractors and individuals to submit a proposal to perform energy assessments in compliance with the standards established by the U. S. Department of Energy.

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4) ISSUING OFFICE AND LOCATION OF PROPOSAL OPENING Solar Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. 2400 Rhode Island Avenue Ft. Pierce, FL 34950 (772) 468-1818 5) CONTRACT AWARDS The Proposer understands that this RFP does not constitute an agreement or a contract with the Proposer. An official contract or agreement is not binding until proposals are reviewed and accepted by SELF and a written agreement or contract is approved by both SELF and the successful Proposer(s). SELF reserves the right to reject all proposals, waive any informality, and solicit and re-advertise for other proposals. SELF reserves the right to present the results of the RFP to any governmental agency or public utility within SELF’s service area. 6) DEVELOPMENT COSTS Neither SELF nor its representatives shall be liable for any expenses incurred in connection with preparation of a response to this RFP. Proposers should prepare their proposals simply and economically, providing a straightforward and concise description of the Proposer's ability to meet the requirements of the RFP. 7) INQUIRIES – INTERPRETATIONS SELF will not respond to oral inquiries. Proposers may mail or fax written inquiries for interpretation of this bid to: Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. P.O. Box 5508 Ft. Pierce, FL 34954 (772) 468-1818 FAX (772) 468-1811 E-mail: [email protected] SELF will respond to written inquiries if received at least seven (7) working days prior to the date scheduled for receiving the bid/proposals. SELF will record its responses to inquiries and any supplemental instructions in the form of a written addendum. No interpretation shall be considered binding unless provided in writing by SELF.

8) ADDENDUM If revisions become necessary, SELF will provide a written addendum at least five (5) working days prior to the opening date to all Proposers who receive the RFP. This will be adhered to even if the opening date must be postponed in order to observe the time requirements. Any changes to the RFP will be made available for all prospective

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Proposers to receive. Although SELF will make an attempt to notify you of the addendum, it is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to ensure it is received. 9) TIMETABLES SELF and the Proposers shall adhere to the following schedule concerning this RFP. a) From opening time January 2, 2015 at 4:00 p.m., SELF will review and evaluate the proposals on a timely basis. b) SELF may enter into a contract after conducting negotiations and obtaining appropriate approvals. SELF may notify unsuccessful Proposers at this time. 10) DELAYS SELF may delay scheduled due dates. SELF will notify Proposers of all changes in scheduled due dates by written addenda. 11) PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND WITHDRAWAL SELF will receive proposals as follows: If by courier or hand delivery: Solar Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. 2400 Rhode Island Avenue Ft. Pierce, FL 34950 If by mail: Solar Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. P.O. Box 5508 Ft. Pierce, FL 34954 In order to facilitate processing, please mark the outside of the envelope with, "RFP #14-001 – Orlando Energy Assessments”. Proposers shall submit four (4) copies including one marked original on the outside with an original signature inside. All proposals shall be submitted in a sealed, opaque package marked as noted above. The Proposer may submit the proposal in person or by mail. Proposers may withdraw their proposals by notifying SELF in writing at any time prior to the opening. Proposers may withdraw their proposals in person or through an authorized representative. Proposers and authorized representatives must disclose their identity and provide a signed receipt for the proposal. Proposals, once opened, become the property of SELF and will not be returned to the Proposers. Upon opening, proposals become "public records" and shall be subject to public disclosure in accordance with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Telephone confirmation of timely receipt of the proposal may be made by calling (772)

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468-1818 before proposal opening time. Proposals received after the established deadline will be returned unopened to the Proposer. 12) IRREGULARITIES; REJECTION OF PROPOSALS Proposals not meeting stated minimum terms and qualifications may be rejected by SELF as non-responsive or irregular. However, SELF reserves the right to waive any irregularities, technicalities or informalities in any proposal. SELF reserves the right to allow for the clarification of questionable entries and for the correction of typographical and mathematical errors. SELF reserves the right to reject any or all proposals without cause. 13) EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SELF recognizes fair and open competition and encourages participation by minority and women business enterprises. SELF requests minority and women business enterprises to submit evidence of such classification with their proposals. 14) ORAL PRESENTATION At the discretion of SELF, Proposer(s) may be required to make an oral presentation. These presentations will provide an opportunity for the Proposer to clarify the proposal for SELF. SELF will schedule any such presentations. 15) INSURANCE The Proposer, if awarded a contract, shall maintain general liability insurance with limits of no less than $500,000 per occurrence. 16) LOBBYIST DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT Any professional consultant who utilizes the services of a lobbyist is required to make full disclosure to SELF Board prior or concurrently with the submission of a proposal to SELF. Such disclosure shall include the following: a) The name of any lobbyist employed directly or indirectly by the consultant for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the selection of the professional consultant by the SELF Board. b) The name and address of the lobbyist. c) The length of such agreement, contract or understanding and the amount of any fee, gratuity, compensation or consideration paid or promised to be paid to the lobbyist either before or after hiring whether or not same is set out as compensation for the lobbying or is for other services. The disclosure shall be filed with SELF and all such records shall be open to the public. 17) PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME STATEMENT A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a

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conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to SELF. SELF will not intentionally award publicly-funded contracts to any contractor who knowingly employs unauthorized alien workers, constituting a violation of the employment provisions contained in 8 U.S.C. Section 1324a(e) [Section 274A(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA")]. SELF shall consider the employment by any contractor of unauthorized aliens a violation of Section 274A (e) of the INA. Such violation by the Recipient of the employment provisions contained in Section 274A (e) of the INA shall be grounds for unilateral cancellation of this Agreement by SELF. SELF also desires to support military veterans and related green job-training programs. Special consideration will be given to veteran-owned businesses and businesses that collaborate with green veteran training programs.

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Part II SCOPE OF WORK SELF will require the successful contractor(s) or individual(s) to perform energy assessments in accordance with the following levels for each project.

1) SELF will provide the level of energy assessment that is required based on the following criteria: a) Level 1: Visual inspections will be required when a property owner simply wants to address improvements on a property to increase energy efficiency. b) Level 2: Visual inspection and a blower door test will be required when a property owner is experiencing unusually high electric bills. This assessment will indicate the level of leakage there is from windows and doors. c) Level 3: Visual inspection and a duct test will be required when a property owner is requesting an air conditioning replacement. This assessment will indicate leakage in the mechanical system (air handler and ductwork). d) Level 4: An energy assessment using visual inspections, blower door and duct test will be provided to clients that wish to have a full analysis of their property to determine the best types of improvements to reduce energy usage. This level of an energy assessment is required when a client wishes to install photovoltaic panels to produce electricity. (SELF will determine which energy rating system will be used based upon the credentials of the energy rater.)

2) The following list of information is required upon completion of an energy assessment: a) b) c) d)

Recommendations for energy improvements Estimated cost of improvements Estimate of kilowatt savings with each improvement Provide a written report with results of tests and narrative of findings

3) The Contractor or individual may be requested to perform post construction inspection and testing.

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PART III QUALIFICATIONS Qualifications: a) Qualifications – The energy raters will be required to have the industry standard certifications for whichever rating program they represent along with all licenses required to operate as a legal business within the Orlando metro region. b) Capacity – Estimated number of energy audits that can be completed in a seven day period. c) References – Provide two to three references of organizations or individuals that your organization has served. d) Please list initial questions you have for SELF about this project.

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PART IV INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING PROPOSALS RULES FOR PROPOSALS The proposal must name all persons or entities interested in the proposal as principals. The proposal must declare that it is made without collusion with any other person or entity submitting a proposal pursuant to this RFP. PROPOSAL FORMAT Proposers shall prepare their proposals using the following format: 1) Letter of Transmittal: This letter will summarize in a brief and concise manner, the Proposer's commitment to timely performance of the work. The letter must name all of the persons authorized to make representations for the Proposer, including the titles, addresses, and telephone numbers. An official authorized to negotiate for the Proposer must sign the Letter of Transmittal. The letters should not exceed two (2) pages in length. 2) Organization Profile and Qualifications: This section of the proposal must describe the Proposer, including the firm size, range of activities, etc. Each Proposer must be authorized to do business in the State of Florida and, if a corporation must be incorporated under the laws of one of the States of the United States, proof of same must be provided. The Proposer must emphasize its expertise in, and experience with similar programs. The proposal must identify the primary individuals responsible for supervising the work. The Proposer shall provide SELF with the resumes of the primary individuals. The proposals must also include recent and pertinent references, including bank references, contact name, telephone number and address. 3) Scope of Work: This section of the proposal should explain the Scope of Work as understood by the Proposer and detail the approach, activities, and work products. 4) Individuals: Submit a resume of experience and copies of certifications. 5) Additional Data: Attach copies of any addendum (if issued). Any additional information, which the Proposer considers pertinent for consideration should be included in a separate section of the proposal.

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6) Compensation: The proposal shall include a fee schedule for each level of an energy assessment: a) b) c) d) e)

Level 1: Visual inspection Level 2: Visual inspection and a blower door test. Level 3: Visual inspection and a duct test. Level 4: A full energy assessment including blower door and duct test. Post construction inspection and testing. i. Post 1: Visual inspection ii. Post 2: Visual inspection and a blower door test. iii. Post 3: Visual inspection and a duct test.

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PART V EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA 1) General: a) SELF shall be the sole judge of its own best interests, the proposal, and the resulting negotiated agreement. SELF reserves the right to investigate the financial capability, reputation, integrity, skill, business experience and quality of performance under similar operations of each Proposer, including stockholders and principals before making an award. Awards, if any, will be based on both an objective and subjective comparison of Proposals and Proposers. SELF’s decisions will be final. b) SELF’s evaluation criteria will include, but shall not be limited to, consideration of the following: Total Points i. Experience 30 ii. Verification of availability of qualified personnel 20 iii. Qualifications 10 iv. Fee schedule 30 v. Bonus – Veteran and minority-owned businesses and/or businesses that incorporate a veteran training and apprentice programs 10

2) Selection: a) SELF staff will review all Proposals received and make preliminary recommendations to the Board of Directors based on all of the criteria and considerations listed herein. b) The SELF Board of Directors will consider staff recommendations and may request oral presentation from the Proposers as needed. c) All negotiated contracts shall be subject to final approval by the Board, unless such approval is waived by the Board.

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