The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from solar PV developers and installers (Contractors) that offer solar PV installation, storage, and/or financing options for participating in Solarize Philly, a program to help all Philadelphians go solar. The Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) is seeking qualified Contractors to deliver cost-competitive solar installations to one or more of the following segments of Philadelphia property owners:
- Market-rate (MR) residential customers
- Low- and moderate-income (LMI) residential customers
- Commercial customers
PEA expects to select multiple Contractors with this RFP for a two-year contract term from January 2024 through December 2025, with the option to renew the Contract for up to three years.
The Purpose of the Request for Information (RFI) by Philadelphia Green Capital Corp (PGCC) is to seek input from financing companies to develop new and innovative financing models to further expand the solar market in Philadelphia.
PEA launched Solarize Philly as a discount program for residential rooftop solar in 2017. Since then, the program has evolved into a platform for connecting property owners to approved solar companies to grow consumer trust and accelerate market growth. To date, over 1,900 homes (including approximately 600 LMI households) have gone solar, making it the largest solarize initiative in the U.S. Over 38,000 Philadelphia property owners have expressed interest through the Solarize Philly portal and through installer outreach efforts, and over $36 million has been invested in communities across the City. 50% of Solarize Philly customers said they would not have gone solar on their own.
PEA aims to grow Philadelphia’s residential and commercial solar market segments to take advantage of the many benefits of solar, including creating local jobs, reducing our carbon footprint, and providing long-term utility cost savings. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 established additional incentives for solar and energy projects that PEA is supporting. As detailed in the City’s Clean Energy Vision, released by the City’s Office of Sustainability, Philadelphia must add 15 MW of rooftop solar annually to set us on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050.
PEA is calling on companies responding to this RFP (“Respondents”) to put forward bold, creative proposals to help achieve the following 2-year goals:
- 10 MW of additional contracted residential solar capacity
- Contract 750 more LMI households
- 5 MW of contracted commercial solar capacity
Intent to Respond: Respondents must submit a statement of your Intent to Respond on your company’s letterhead to solarize@philaenergy.org by 5pm EST on September 22, 2023, as an attachment with the subject line “Solarize Philly RFP Intent to Respond – [Company Name].”
Questions: All questions regarding Solarize Philly, this RFP, and the Solarize Philly Contractor Response Form must be submitted by email to solarize@philaenergy.org. Responses to questions received before 5pm on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 will be emailed to all Respondents who have submitted statements of Intent to Respond and posted on the RFP page on the PEA website (www.philaenergy.org). Contractors responding to this RFP are urged to check the website for the responses to the questions. All responses will be issued by 5pm on September 29, 2023. Oral responses by any PEA employee or agent of PEA are not binding and shall not in any way be considered as a commitment by PEA.
Proposal Deadline: Responses to this RFP must use the Solarize Philly Contractor Response Form in Appendix A and submit an electronic version of both the completed Response Form and its Exhibits by email to solarize@philaenergy.org no later than 5pm on Friday, October 13, 2023. Responses received after the deadline will not be considered.
All RFP Documents are available below:
Appendix A: Solarize Philly Contract Response Form
Appendix A: Solarize Philly Contract Response Form – Word version
Appendix B: Contract for Services Bewteen Contractor and the Philadelphia Energy Authority