RFQ - Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage Systems

Location:	North Carolina
Posted:	Jun 23, 2026
Due:	Jul 23, 2026
Agency:	State Government of North Carolina
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	61 - Electric Wire, and Power and Distribution Equipment
Solicitation No:	345-06/23/2026
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Solicitation Number:	345-06/23/2026
Project Title:	RFQ - Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage Systems
Description:	Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) requests statements of qualifications (SOQ) from consulting engineering firms for the design and contract administration services for a project to install solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) at select CFPUA facilities located at Groundwater Way, Wilmington NC.
Opening Date:	7/23/2026 2:00 PM
Posted Date:	6/24/2026
Status:	Open
Department:	CAPE FEAR PUBLIC UTILITY AUTHORITY


Solicitation Number * 345-06/23/2026	Department CAPE FEAR PUBLIC UTILITY AUTHORITY	Status Reason Open
Opening Date 2026-07-23T14:00:00.0000000	Posted Date * 2026-06-23T18:33:06.0000000Z	Primary Commodity Code Professional engineering services
Mandatory Conference/Site Visit — —	Special Instructions No pre-submittal conference to be held	Solicitation Type * Select RFP IFB RFI
Owner Teresa McPherson
Description Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) requests statements of qualifications (SOQ) from consulting engineering firms for the design and contract administration services for a project to install solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) at select CFPUA facilities located at Groundwater Way, Wilmington NC.

Attachment Preview

Request for Qualifications

Professional Engineering Consulting Services

Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage Systems for Cape Fear

Public Utility Authority Facilities

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority

Wilmington, North Carolina

June 23, 2026

General Information

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) requests statements of qualifications (SOQ)

from consulting engineering firms for the design and contract administration services for a

project to install solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) at

select CFPUA facilities located at Groundwater Way, Wilmington NC.

This project will be designed to qualify for the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Clean

Energy (Section 48E) elective pay mechanism under Section 6417 of the Internal Revenue

Code, as enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The project will not seek

qualifications for the Energy Community bonus credit. Services shall provide a firm

schedule to ensure energy systems are constructed and placed in service by December

31, 2027, to qualify for the ITC. The consulting engineering firm will evaluate and

incorporate applicable design, place-in-service deadlines, procurement, equipment

selection, documentation, permitting, construction, commissioning, and project close-out

considerations necessary to qualify for the ITC/elective pay mechanism and will

communicate and address any known components during design and construction that

may impact eligibility.

The project will consist of evaluating and designing solar PV and battery system sizing and

additional on-site opportunities for clean energy infrastructure, developing contract

drawings and technical specifications, obtaining necessary permits and encroachments (if

necessary), assisting in the bidding process, providing construction administration and

observation-based services, and providing services for ITC / elective pay application

processes during and after design and construction activities. CFPUA will own the energy

property for federal tax purposes, and no contractor, consultant, or third party may claim

or represent that they are eligible for any federal tax credits associated with this project.

Submission of a Statement of Qualification (SOQ)

Consulting engineering firms are invited to submit a Statement of Qualification to CFPUA to

be received no later than Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 2:00PM. Submittals received after this

deadline will not be considered.

CFPUA will address questions regarding the RFQ until July 14, 2026, at 2:00PM. Questions

submitted after this time will not be addressed. Questions concerning this advertisement

should be directed to Ben Guerrieri, Procurement Manager, Cape Fear Public Utility

Authority, at bids@cfpua.org.

SOQ’s shall be limited to 25-pages or less, excluding cover page, table of contents, tabs,

resumes and appendices.

Firms shall submit their statement of qualifications for consideration in .pdf format to

bids@cfpua.org. Maximum file size for .pdf submission is 25MB. A reply will be sent to the

email address submitting the statement of qualifications to confirm receipt. It is the

submitting firm’s responsibility to confirm that CFPUA has received a statement of

qualifications via email. If email reply is not received from bids@cfpua.org, please call 910-

332-6472 or 910-332-6651 before deadline for submission.

Submitted information shall comply with N.C.G.S. 143-64.31 through 64.34 (aka Mini

Brooks Act).

All SOQ’s will be evaluated by a CFPUA selection team.

One firm will be selected from this request for qualifications.

Project Description

CFPUA is interested in pursuing the design of a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system

at the Groundwater Way location in Wilmington, North Carolina, coupled with battery

storage with a three (3) day capacity and inverters to transition DC to AC power. The

following facilities and anticipated size are prioritized for a solar-PV and battery energy

storage system, as outlined in Exhibit A:

• Collections Administrative Building, 140.4 kW DC, with 3-day capacity BESS

• Collections Garage, 13.72 kW DC, with 3-day capacity BESS

• Raw Water Well A, 87.75 kW DC, with 3-day capacity BESS

All facilities shall qualify for the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Clean Energy (Section

48E) elective pay mechanism under Section 6417 of the Internal Revenue Code. Selected

firm is anticipated to assist with application of ITC / Clean Energy credits or provide

consultants to fulfill these requirements.

Please note that all facilities are currently fitted with an on-site diesel generator for

standby power services and shall be designed to accommodate the current standby power

generation source. The Collections Administration Facility is sub-metered downstream of

the Richardson Water Treatment Plant and does not have a dedicated utility meter. The

facility is also connected to the Water Treatment Plant’s standby generator and shall be

designed to prevent impacts or disruptions to grid-power or standby power services to the

Water Treatment Plant during solar and battery operations dedicated solely for the

Collections Administration Facility. Due to absence of a dedicated utility meter, there is

limited information on the Collection Administration Facility’s energy demand and

historical usage from the sub-meter. The current sub-meter for the facility is a Honeywell

E-Mon Class 2000 Meter.

Based on the facility utility bills, Well A’s annual electrical energy consumption in 2025 was

146,510 kWh with a peak energy demand of 12.2 kW, and the Collections Garage annual

electrical consumption in 2025 was 21,529 kWh with peak energy demand of 1.63 kW.

Using the sub-meter, the Collection Administration Building’s approximate annual

electrical energy usage is 420,000 kWh per year, with a peak energy demand of 97.0 kW.

There is approximately 3 acres of available land for ground-mounted solar panels. All

ground-mounted systems must be installed using earth anchors or ground screws rather

than concrete piers to reduce stormwater impacts and prevent soil erosion.

Description of Services

The scope of services is expected to include the services described below. No guarantee is

expressed or implied by CFPUA that all services will be performed or that the selected

consultant will perform all services associated with the project. CFPUA may terminate

work or pursue other consultant selections at any phase of the project.

The project will generally consist of installing ground-mounted solar PV and battery energy

storage systems (BESS), to include, but not limited to:

• Design the project to maximize eligibility for Section 48E ITC/Elective Pay

• Evaluation of solar PV and battery system sizing and additional on-site

opportunities for clean energy infrastructure

• Evaluation of the solar array and battery placement and structures to satisfy the

needs of each facility.

• Advising CFPUA of any ITC/Elective Pay eligibility risks associated with proposed

equipment, procurement methods, project delivery methods, or construction

approaches that become known during the design process.

• Islanding and generator coordination design

• Compliance with NEC, NC Building Codes, NC Fire Code

• All permitting and utility coordination, to include interconnection support with

Duke Energy Progress (DEP)

• Developing contract drawings and technical specifications

• Coordinating survey work (if necessary)

• Assisting in the bidding process

• Providing construction administration and observation-based services

• Providing ITC / Elective Pay support documentation

• Providing ITC / Elective Pay application assistance

Schedule

The CFPUA selection team will place strong emphasis on a firm’s ability to meet the

schedule of deliverables outlined below. The selected consultant will be expected to

complete final plans and specifications in accordance with the project schedule shown

below, or sooner. CFPUA will provide comments on all design submittals generally within

2 weeks from the date received.

• Submit SOQ

• CFPUA Selects Firm(s)

• Complete scope and contract

• 60% design documents

• 90% design documents

• Final contract documents and permits

• Construction substantial completion

deadline

No later than 2:00PM Thursday, July

23, 2026

7 days

30 days

60 days

45 days

30 days

December 31, 2027

The goal is to have design plans and specifications ready to be advertised for bid within 6

months of notice to proceed.

Consultant Selection

CFPUA will follow a qualifications-based selection process. Consultants must demonstrate

their level of competence and qualification, and each sub-consultant's level of competence

and qualification, with respect to the listed evaluation factors for the needed services.

SOQ’s will be evaluated based on the following four (4) considerations and the level of

importance for each consideration. The SOQ shall be formatted consistent with the

evaluation consideration. Criteria shown under each of the four (4) considerations are to

be addressed in the SOQ. Consultants may provide additional information as necessary.

1. Project Understanding & Approach (30%)

a. Understanding of project drivers and scope of work to be performed.

b. Approach to keep the project on schedule and achieve construction by the

December 31, 2026 deadline.

c. Description of the design team’s quality control program.

d. Approach to ensure qualification and successful application for ITC / Elective

Pay Credits.

e. Approach to ensure all installations and operations meet all local, state, and

federal safety and interconnection requirements.

f. Identify potential hurdles with Duke Energy Progress (DEP) interconnection

requirements and suggestions to reduce project schedule delay as a result.

g. Identify optimal locations for solar array and battery storage facilities for the

designated locations listed in Exhibit A.

2. Relevant Firm Experience (35%)

a. Provide 3 – 5 comparable projects of similar size and scope completed by

firm or currently in progress. At least two (2) of the comparable projects

listed shall be completed and operating. Experience within the Wilmington

area or with local partners and resources strongly preferred.

b. Provide design and/or installation projects completed that qualified for the

ITC, Clean Energy Section 48E and the firm’s role in the ITC / Elective Pay

application or qualification process.

c. Experience designing systems >500 kw of solar only, or >100 kw with > 50

kWh of storage. Designing large projects in the Wilmington area strongly

preferred.

d. Provide the initial dates for schedules start and finish and the actual start and

finish dates, along with explanation of potential schedule shifts.

e. Experience designing ground mounted systems serving municipalities.

f. Experience and understanding of hybrid systems, microgrid installation,

battery energy storage systems (BESS), and utility interconnections.

3. Overall Staff Experience Proposed for this Project (25%)

a. Project Manager to lead the design aspect of the project

b. Individual team members for each discipline and relevant experience

4. Firm Licensures and Regulatory Compliance (10%)

a. Describe credentials that firm and/or personnel hold relevant to solar

photovoltaic or energy storage system design, including but not limited to

NABCEP PV Design Specialist, Installation Professional, Energy Storage

Installation Professional

b. Describe firm’s familiarity with National Electrical Code (NEC) including

articles 609, 705, 706, and North Carolina State Building Codes, and

applicable utility interconnection requirements.

c. Describe firm’s familiarity with local, state, and federal permitting and

interconnection requirements needed for projects of similar scope and size.

A more detailed scope of work and fee schedule will be negotiated with the best qualified

firm, and a fair and reasonable fee shall be established. If negotiations are not successful

with any selected firm, CFPUA will terminate negotiations with that firm and initiate

negotiations with the next best qualified firm.

Insurance Requirements

The following criteria will be deemed necessary for selection:

• The firm must meet the following insurance requirements. Workers Compensation

may be waived if firm has no employees.

• General Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate. Authority must

be additional insured and endorsement required.

• Workers Compensation $500,000/$500,000/$500,000. Waiver of Subrogation

against the Authority and endorsement required.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Daily notification on new contract opportunities

With GovernmentContracts, you can:

Find more opportunities and win more business
Receive daily alerts for all new bid opportunities
Get contract opportunities matched to your business

ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL

RFQ - Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage Systems

Attachment Preview

See also