Solar Photovoltaic Feasibility Study

Background.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Today, it is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. It provides support to impoverished and disadvantaged people in over 100 countries based solely on need, regardless of their race, religion, or ethnicity. CRS has worked in Cameroon since 1960.

To support climate change mitigation, CRS Cameroon aims to reduce dependence on the city electricity grid and reduce use and reliance on the office generator. Cameroon suffers from countless electrical outages each month. This situation has worsened as a result of the dilapidated state of the country’s infrastructure. As 35% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions are from the burning of fossil fuels, reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a critical step in mitigating the effects of climate change.

In FY22, CRS Cameroon in its main office in Yaounde, consumed 27,274 kWh of electricity, which accounts for 38.5% of the total consumption, i.e. an estimated USD 5,008.

The mitigation action will contribute to the CRS Central Africa Regional Office’s (CARO) climate action strategic framework, specifically Objective 2: CARO’s operational carbon footprint known, tracked, and reduced. Under this objective, CARO seeks to reduce its CPs operational carbon emission by 50% by 2030.

Scope of Services:

The scope of the consultant services includes:

• Provide a technical and financial assessment of an SPV solution, which takes into account the following variables: Number and types of batteries, building of frame to carry solar panels, building of shelter for batteries, installation and connection of smart electricity meter.
• Provide design calculations, layout and schematic drawings for each of the options detailed above including load bearing capacity of roof or other areas being considered for installation.
• Provide technical specifications and required Bills of quantities (BOQs) for each option that can feed into a procurement process for vendors supplying and installing the systems. This must include estimated depreciation periods for key components of each system (panels, wiring, inverters, batteries, etc. and a recommended spare parts list).
• Provide kWh per day estimates of the system and estimated cost savings estimates in monthly utility bills for each option.
• Provide warranty estimates that can reasonably be expected from vendors for the main components of the system.
• Provide information and implications of any local legal regulations or market barriers that may impact feasibility of implementing and maintaining the SPV.
• Provide technical expertise to the bid committee to evaluate offers, supervise the installation and acceptance / commissioning of the solar rooftop PV system.
• Design a portable solution that can be implemented in sub offices and residences.

Task 1: Assessment to determine the technical and financial feasibility for installation of the solar panel solutions to generate power by Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) systems.

The consultant is expected to propose the optimal solar panel solution by specifying the following:

1. Optimal sizing of the SPV Capacity for each of the requested options under the Scope of Services
2. Total costs per system and estimated cost-benefit analysis based on realistic operations and maintenance (O&M) (including warranty considerations and contextual factors)
3. Required Energy Production Capacity to cover load.
4. Grid Usage taking into consideration various battery options.
5. Annual Monetary Savings and payback period (including net metering potential if available)
6. Estimated Greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

For proper sizing of the SPV capacity, the consultant shall:

• Assess the Yaounde officeand required electrical use to understand its consumption and related requirements per the described options. Review available load consumption data from the team.
• Determine whether it is feasible to run the office exclusively on SPV system, especially for critical systems whose power consumption is high, and availability and reliability key.
• Advise whether the country program office can depend totally on SPV power or whether this will complement existing options and how this relates to the design options proposed.
• Provide guidance on whether this is a phased transition or whether this should/could be done all at once.

While calculating the annual monetary savings, the consultant should consider the following:

• The availability of sunlight throughout the year, sun exposure, and other conditions affecting system performance.
• The area available (rooftop, parking and possible options for ground-mounted, etc) and their exposure towards the south/north/east/west to calculate the power that can be generated.
• Projected realistic O&M and expected performance of the system in the context.
• Share current or anticipated future net metering options, or other ways to utilize or monetize surplus electricity generated.

Task 2: Prepare technical specifications for procurement and installation of SPV system, including bills of quantities with costs estimates for all options:

The technical specification must include details for all that follows, but not limited to:

• Solar Photovoltaic Modules
• Adequate protective devices against surges at the PV module (including switchgear for larger systems)
• Inverter(s)
• Battery storage and capacity recommendations
• Appropriate warranty relating to different equipment parts but also installer workmanship.
• Design/performance requirements of the system as a deliverable (e.g. weather or uplift loading resistance)
• Inclusion of access to real time information on system performance over the internet (many systems provide real-time inverter applications)
• Outline training on O&M and trouble-shooting needs as related to technical specifications. Provide recommendations on what will be provided by supplier or contractor and what can reasonably be delivered in-house by operations staff.

Task 3: Be part of the evaluation team, supervise installation and acceptance /commissioning of the PV implementation contract.

• The Consultant shall participate in evaluation of the proposal by the prospective vendors and will play an advisory role to the bid committee.
• The Consultant shall prepare reports, evaluate schedules, monitor progress of the Vendor on projects, and ensure that project deadlines are met.
• The Consultant will also evaluate the completion and commissioning of the project, confirming its compliance with the investment plan.
• The Consultant shall be responsible in case of deviation from the proposed design/system, justification of the differences and evaluation of consequences in terms of compliance of the project must be provided.

Deliverables.

The Consultant will be required to provide the following report:

1. SPV system solution Assessment Report

2. Technical specifications report including BOQ (bill of quantities).

3. Checklist for review or inspection of the completed solar installation project.

4. Final report including the information on Supervision and Certification of the works completed.

Qualifications and Experience.

• Bachelor of Science, Engineering or related field to energy efficiency, renewable energy.
• A post graduate qualification in Project Management is an added advantage.
• At least 5 years relevant experiences in solar PV projects. Demonstrated knowledge of the key characteristics of implementing solar PV installations, including grid-connected, off-grid, and hybrid installations with and without battery storage.
• Installed or supervised at least 3 projects of solar installations, with references provided.

Evaluation Criteria – Technical Compliance of Individual Consultant.

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Technical Evaluation Criteria

Maximum Score

• Bachelor of Science, Engineering, or related field. 5
• Post Graduate qualification in Project Management 5
• At least 5 years relevant experience in renewable energy with strong experience in Solar Energy. 20
• At least 3 projects managed in solar PV installation.20
• Knowledge of implementing solar PV installations, including grid-connected, off-grid, and hybrid installations with and without battery storage.20
• **Competitive Financial Proposal.30

Total possible points 100

** Financial proposal elements

Activities

Percentage of Payment

Conduct site assessments.

Conduct load calculations.

30%

Design solar panel systems according to CRS Yaounde office needs, including the electrical system, inverters, panels, and batteries

Elaboration of list of items or equipment to be purchased

Propose energy-efficient solutions to reduce the amount of electricity required by the solar panels. This includes recommending energy-efficient appliances and lighting

20%

Evaluating the performance of solar panels and identifying ways to improve their efficiency. This includes analyzing the amount of energy produced, the efficiency of the system, and identifying areas for improvement

Ensure SPV is installed from start to finish

25%

Creation of detailed system designs and installation plans with technical drawing software. This includes creating electrical schematics, panel layouts, and other technical drawings

Presentation of SPV and learning events

25%

NB: **The Competitive Financial Proposal is exclusively for the services of the consultant. This does not include the cost of the purchase and installation of SPV equipment. This is the consultant’s fees.