Site work for a power facility in Evanston, Illinois. Completed plans call for site work for a power facility.

The City of Evanston's Sustainability & Resilience Division of the Evanston Department is seeking proposals from experienced firms for an Accessible Solar Program to unlock the benefits of solar power for low-income residents. This program will install at least 20 residential solar projects for low-income residents while reducing the citywide carbon footprint. ALL PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS/RESPONDENTS ARE HEREBY CAUTIONED NOT TO CONTACT ANY MEMBER OF THE CITY OF EVANSTON STAFF OR OFFICIALS OTHER THAN THE SPECIFIED CONTACT PERSON. The Evanston City Council also reserves the right to award the contract to an Evanston firm if that firm's bid is within 5% of the low bid. All questions related to this RFP should be submitted in writing to Cheryl Stuart, Purchasing Specialist at cstuart@cityofevanston.org with a copy to Cara Pratt, Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer at cpratt@cityofevanston.org. Question Deadline 10/03/2025 M/W/D/EBE GOALS The City has a goal of 25% of the contract amount for the participation and utilization of Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Disadvantaged and Evanston-based businesses (M/W/D/EBEs) in completing a portion of the services required by the City. Responsibilities of the contractor include: o Provide point of contact who speaks Spanish and provide program documents in Spanish as needed o Facilitate biweekly meetings with City staff on program progress including updates on budget and cost breakdowns per project o Support program marketing efforts o Facilitate 3 community meetings about the program: o 2 informational meetings about the benefits of energy efficiency and solar broadly; o 1 for selected recipients about the installation process o Receive referrals from City staff on income eligible properties o Conduct a solar site assessment and viability analysis including roof condition and shading for referred applicants o Complete the solar system design o Maintain constant communication with recipient including detailed information about the system design, timeline, maintenance, and savings to the customer o Provide the customer with a project timeline and contract for signature o Obtain all necessary permits o Install the solar projects o Complete the interconnection agreements o Complete final inspections o Act as the sellers under the applicable renewable energy credit (REC) contracts. RECs must be retired through the IL SRECs program and quantified for City reporting purposes. o Facilitate tax credit acquisition process to maximize cost savings, if applicable o Quantify project metrics including kilowatts installed, energy bill savings, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, etc o Compile recipient testimonials o Submit one invoice to the City for each installation o Provide feedback on lessons learned and recommendations for future iterations of the program