SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Phase II - Low Wind Speed Technology Development
- Notice Date
- 10/25/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory - Midwest Research Institute (DOE Contractor), National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO, 80401
- ZIP Code
- 80401
- Solicitation Number
- RAM-3-33200
- Archive Date
- 12/21/2002
- Point of Contact
- Neil Wikstrom, Contract Administrator, Phone 303-384-6960, Fax 303-384-6901, - Laura Hughes, Subcontract Administrator, Phone 303-384-7018, Fax 303-384-6901,
- E-Mail Address
-
neil_wikstrom@nrel.gov, laura_hughes@nrel.gov
- Description
- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is soliciting comments on its proposed approach to phase II of a cost-shared, public-private project to develop cost effective large wind turbine (greater than 100 kilowatt) technology for low wind speed resource sites throughout the United States. Background: Current cost of energy (COE) levels for wind energy have been achieved by focusing development on Class 6 wind resource sites (average wind speeds of 6.7 m/s @10 m height) and by taking advantage of the production tax credit (1.7 cents/kWh in 2002 dollars). With favorable financial terms, such Class 6 sites can market electricity at prices of 4 cents/kWh or less, before the subsidy. However, as more and more sites are developed, easily accessible prime class 6 sites are disappearing. In addition, many class 6 sites are located in remote areas that do not have easy access to transmission lines. The full development of accessible class 6 sites may cause wind energy growth to plateau in the near future unless improvements in technology can make lower wind speed sites more cost effective. Class 4 wind sites (5.8 m/s @10 m) cover vast areas of the great plains from central and northern Texas to the Canadian border. Class 4 sites are also found along many coastal areas and along the shores of the great lakes. While the average distance of class 6 sites from major load centers is 500 miles, Class 4 sites are significantly closer, with an average distance of 100 miles from the load centers. Thus, utility access to the class 4 sites is more attractive and less costly. Also, class 4 sites represent almost 20 times the developable wind resource of class 6 sites. Currently wind energy at class 4 sites can be marketed at prices in the range of 5 to 6 cents/kWh. Low Wind Speed Technology (LWST) Goal and Strategy: The Federal Wind Energy program has defined goals for its technology development activities that will position wind as an attractive advanced technology option for the twenty-first century. The LWST goal is: Reduce cost of energy from large wind systems to 3 cents/kWh in class 6 wind resources by 2004, and to 3 cents/kWh in class 4 wind resources by 2010. (compared to a 2002 baseline of 4 cents/kWh in class 6, and 5.5 cents/kWh in class 4). In 2001, the DOE wind energy program launched a major new effort to reach the LWST goal. The program currently envisions that the LWST project will represent an increasingly large portion of total program funds over the remainder of this decade. The strategy for the low wind speed technology (LWST) project was developed in cooperation with industry, and guided by several principles: Public/private partnerships will be developed to support continuing innovation. They will be flexible and adaptive, support multiple pathways, and offer repeated opportunities for new players to enter the program; Program research and testing activities will be closely aligned to support public/private partnerships. Applied systems integration activities will guide portfolio planning and technology transfer; Program evaluations performed regularly using performance-based management techniques will provide a strong analytical basis for performance criteria, periodic review, and adjustment. A Phase I request for proposals (RFP) under the low wind speed technology (LWST) project was issued on October 19, 2001. The RFP offered bidders an opportunity to participate in one of three technical areas, including: Concept and Scaling studies; Component Development; and Prototype Turbine Development. Two proposals were selected under each of these technical areas for negotiations leading to NREL subcontract awards. Solicitation Plan: Consistent with the described plan, the DOE is planning the release of another RFP in the early Spring of 2003 (representing Phase II of the LWST project). At this time, the program envisions an RFP structured much like the initial request. There will be three options open to bidders: Conceptual Design Studies; Component Development Projects; and Prototype Turbine Development. Conceptual Design Studies (Technical Area 1) are envisioned as 4-6 month efforts with the maximum DOE funding being $200,000 for any single award. The program intends to use a cost reimbursable type of subcontract, and cost sharing will not be required of participants under Conceptual Design Studies subcontracts. However, proposals for Conceptual Design Studies that do propose cost sharing above the $200,000 will be considered. Component Development (Technical Area 2) is envisioned as a 2-3 year effort with the maximum DOE funding being $3 million for any single award. LWST Prototype Development (Technical Area 3) is envisioned as a 2-3 year effort with the maximum DOE funding being $6 million for any single award. Initial prototype wind turbines are expected to operate by 2007 and the final LWST, which will be funded under a Phase III solicitation, is expected to operate by 2009. These expectations do not preclude an offeror from proposing projects of different duration or cost. For Component Development subcontracts, the minimum direct cost sharing (by the Offeror) required of industry participants will be 30 percent. For LWST Prototype Development subcontracts, the minimum direct cost sharing (by the Offeror) required of industry participants will be 50 percent. Additional consideration in the evaluation process will be given for cost sharing in excess of these amounts. The program would expect to award 1-3 subcontracts in each area of participation (Technical Area). Each project will be funded incrementally on an annual fiscal year basis. Throughout the projects, the program will encourage the use of best business and project-management practices. Disciplined engineering development processes, including rigorous laboratory and field tests to verify component and subsystem designs, will be emphasized. The RFP will require an offeror to describe its proposed concept in sufficient detail to be understood and evaluated by a group of knowledgeable reviewers. Offerors must also identify the planned teaming arrangements, budget, and schedule for their proposed projects. The program expects a majority of the subcontract work to be performed within the United States, and offerors will be asked to demonstrate the economic benefits of the proposed project to the United States. This RFP will be focused on large scale turbine design for utility grid interconnection. These important requirements will be among the program policy factors considered in evaluating and ranking the submittals. Qualified business and technical professionals will evaluate these written proposals, which will be restricted to a maximum of 20 pages. Awards will be based upon technical feasibility, projected COE, offeror?s capabilities, and likelihood of achieving program goals and objectives. Unsuccessful bidders from the previous solicitation are welcomed to resubmit unsuccessful proposals or submit modified proposals. Expressions of Interest: The purpose of this pre-solicitation notice is to obtain an indication of the level of interest by industry participants in the project described in the Solicitation Plan. Therefore, expressions of interest are sought from potential respondents to the forthcoming RFP, and comments on the proposed plan and scope-of-work are sought from all interested parties. Because the LWST project targets bulk-electricity generation, the program is interested in comments from potential developers, owners, operators, utilities, and manufacturers. This notice is also intended to promote the formation of industry partnerships and to stimulate interaction among potential participants. Failure to respond to this notice will not disqualify anyone from participation in the solicitation, but those that do respond to this notice are assured of receiving the RFP and notification of related activities, if they indicate that desire. Expressions of interest should not include detailed proposals, but should include the following information: the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and facsimile numbers of the primary contact person and key collaborators; the potential participants, their affiliations, and their proposed roles; comments on the proposed plan, scope-of-work, cost-sharing, and funding; and a statement indicating whether or not the respondent wishes to receive a copy of the RFP. Responses to this notice should not exceed five pages and they should be received at NREL by December 6, 2002. This is not a request for proposals. Please send responses by mail or facsimile to: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Attention: Neil Wikstrom, Mail Stop 3811, 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, CO 80401, Phone/Fax: 303-384-6960/6901, References: The DOE Paper describing the Low Wind Speed Turbine Project and the WindPACT studies can all be obtained from the NREL Web site at the following Web site address: http://www.nrel.gov/publications/. Keywords to use in the title search are ?Low Wind Speed Technology? and ?WindPACT?.
- Record
- SN00193933-W 20021027/021025213240 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |