A -- HIGH-EFFICIENCY, RESIDENTIAL, RECESSED COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMP AIRTIGHT DOWNLIGHT FIXTURES

Notice Date

June 12, 2001

Contracting Office

Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL), P.O. Box 999, (MSIN K3-04), Richland, WA 99352

ZIP Code

99352

Solicitation Number

pnnlcfl0601

Point of Contact

John Calhoun, Phone (509) 376-0374, Fax (509)376-0341, E-mail john.calhoun@pnl.gov .

E-Mail Address

click here for the contracts point of contact (john.calhoun@pnl.gov)

Description

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), plans to issue a Request for Proposals for high-efficiency, residential, recessed downlight fixtures using dedicated compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Fixtures must be airtight and rated for use in insulated ceilings (IC-rated). The purpose of this solicitation is to address the limited availability of energy efficient, affordable, residential recessed downlight fixtures. Virtually all recessed fixtures currently use incandescent light sources. Approximately 15 percent of residential lighting energy consumption in the U.S. is due to recessed cans, and this is believed to be growing due to the increasing popularity of these fixtures in new home construction and remodeling. While existing recessed fixtures can be retrofitted with screw-in CFLs, the high-temperature environment inside the can typically decreases light output and longevity of fluorescent sources. Fixtures designed to use hard-wired CFLs are currently difficult to find and too expensive for the residential market. Battelle intends to award Basic Ordering Agreements (BOA's) to selected Offerors containing the terms and prices under which the recessed CFL downlight fixtures will be sold directly to buyers. Neither DOE, nor Battelle intend to purchase recessed CFL fixtures. Battelle is acting in a third party role. Instead, Battelle and its partners will promote purchase of these products to intermediate buyers -- such as lighting fixture retailers and electrical wholesalers -- and to final buyers -- such as public agencies and production builders, and to companies and organizations that can influence the intermediate and final buyer market, such as electric utilities. A significant market opportunity exists for those suppliers who can produce a product that can successfully compete with incandescent recessed fixtures on the basis of price, lumen output, and performance. The forthcoming RFP represents Phase II of a competition begun with issuance of the Phase I RFP on November 22, 2000. (To download the Phase I RFP documents, go to http://www.pnl.gov/fixtures-rfp/.) Product proposals submitted in response to the Phase I RFP are currently undergoing laboratory testing and evaluation. Selected Offerors from both Phase I and Phase II will have opportunities to supply fixtures to participating program partners. In addition, many utility partners plan to promote winning products to their residential customers and homebuilders. Program partners and supporters include: Bonneville Power Administration, NSTAR Services Companies, Consortium for Energy Efficiency, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Lowe's Home Improvement, Southern California Edison Company, Massachusetts Electric U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance 1. SCHEDULE. The Phase II RFP will be issued on July 31, 2001. More detail on the planned schedule for the Phase II RFP follows: RFP issued July 31, 2001 Bid acceptance period August 1 October 31, 2001 Bid evaluations and short-term tests completed November 30, 2001 Long-term testing (see below) September 1, 2001 November 30, 2002 Field testing (see below) March 1, 2002 November 30, 2002 Basic ordering agreements issued starting September 1, 2002 Sales period September 1, 2002 August 31, 2004 The bid acceptance period will last for three (3) months. Program sponsors will evaluate bids on a rolling basis, as they are received. Proposed equipment meeting the minimum evaluation criteria identified in the RFP will be subjected to short-term thermal testing, followed by long-term laboratory testing and field-testing in residential applications. All proposed products must complete long-term laboratory and field-testing prior to award of a basic ordering agreement. Therefore, products submitted earlier in the bid acceptance period will have an advantage, in terms of earlier completion of testing, compared to bids submitted at the end of the acceptance period. Testing duration will be as follows: Bid evaluation and short-term thermal testing will last for up to one (1)month, following receipt of proposal and prototype fixtures. Long-term laboratory testing will commence after successful completion of evaluation and short-term testing. Long-term laboratory testing will last for twelve (12) months. Field-testing will commence after six (6) months of successful long-term laboratory testing. Field-testing will last for six months, concurrent with the final six months of long-term laboratory testing. 2. TESTING PROCEDURES. Laboratory tests will be performed on fixtures proposed in response to the RFP. For detail on the testing procedures, please see Description of Recessed Fixture Testing Procedures, available at http://www.pnl.gov/fixtures-rfp/. 3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS. The technical specifications remain identical to those published in the Phase I RFP dated November 22, 2000, available at http://www.pnl.gov/fixtures-rfp/. Contractors not previously involved in this project may direct expressions of interest in the planned Phase II recessed CFL fixtures RFP and/or statements of capabilities (not required) to John Calhoun at (509) 376-0374, telecopier at (509)376-0341, or e-mail at john.calhoun@pnl.gov . All interested parties may direct questions, requests for explanations or interpretations to the same contact.

Web Link

Recessed Fixture Testing Procedures & Phase I RFP dated (http://www.pnl.gov/fixtures-rfp/ http://www.pnl.gov/fixtures-rfp/)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010614/ASOL007.HTM (W-163 SN50O7H1)