Decentralised Energy Network Frameworks (Phase 1: Technical and Professional Consultancy)

Internet address(es):

Main address: https://www.stoke.gov.uk

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.stoke.gov.uk

Decentralised Energy Network Frameworks (Phase 1: Technical and Professional Consultancy)

This is the first phase of frameworks to support decentralised Energy Networks. Key features:

(a) This phase will cover the Technical and Professional Consultancy element, i.e. services. Future frameworks will cover Supplies and Works;

(b) Contracts will be awarded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. However management of the frameworks will be via a Central Purchasing Body called Sinfra (UK), effectively a franchise of the Swedish purchasing body Sinfra. Contracts will be novated from the Council to Sinfra (UK);

(c) The frameworks will be made available to other authorities, universities and hospital trusts;

(d) Coverage will be UK wide.

Energy Mapping

The consultant is required to collect and collate data as part of an energy mapping and modelling study, and present the data digitally on a suitable GIS base. As a minimum this will require extensive:

— Analytical and data management skills (including the ability to identify sufficient accuracy of peak energy demands and annual energy consumptions for heat, cooling and power,

— Geographic Information System (GIS) skills.

It could also require the following capabilities (either directly or via supply chain/sub-contractor):

— Low carbon energy specialists,

— GIS analyst to undertake a modelling of energy (heat, cooling, power) demand calculations and calculating building footprint areas,

— The ability to train customers in using GIS systems,

— The ability to identify and incorporate Planning and other constraints (flood risks; protected highway corridors; Scheduled Ancient Monuments etc),

— Master-planning.

Commercial and Techno-Economic Feasibility

The consultant is required to assess local opportunities for assessing the commercial, technical and economic feasibility of a decentralised energy network, including sources of heat, cooling and power generation, as well as potential customers, and develop a strategy to create commercially and technical viable solutions in a given boundary area. The outcome of such activity is a whole life cost-benefit analysis of whether a given investment in a heat network or decentralised energy system is feasible from an economic and/or environmental and/or social point of view. A successful supplier will be able to:

— Assess the feasibility of a district heat network project and/or decentralised energy system from a technical physical point of view,

— Evaluate the most appropriate technologies to use,

— Based on the above, provide budget costs for the initial capital investment required for such a scheme,

— Identify the likely cashflow, i.e. operational income and expenditure of such a scheme,

— Based on the above analysis, make recommendations (including options appraisal).

It could also require the following capabilities:

— Provision of commercial advice to clients in negotiating Heads of Terms and key agreements,

— Provision of specialist cost advice, including tax and other accountancy strategies,

— Calculation of social costs/benefits, e.g. reducing fuel poverty,

— Calculation of environmental costs/benefits, e.g. CO2 reduction.

Energy Master-planning

The consultant will be required to undertake initial master-planning of a decentralised energy scheme, including identifying the feasibility of routing (where appropriate based on the energy mapping, techno-economic feasibility and any other research undertaken). A successful supplier will be able to demonstrate expertise and experience in:

— District heat network and/or decentralised power system master-planning,

— In-depth knowledge of district energy technologies including generation and distribution,

— Initial route feasibility studies,

— Business cases and business plans to inform decision-makers.

It could also require the following capabilities (either directly or via supply chain/sub-contractor):

— The ability to calculate and evaluate energy loads,

— The ability to cost projects and prepare initial financial modelling,

— The ability to advise on various technologies,

— The ability to prepare an outline design for an energy centre.

Building & Plant Room Survey

The consultant will be required to review the mechanical and electrical services associated with existing plant rooms in prospective buildings to be connected to proposed energy network. This will include:

— Ascertaining the condition of the major items of plant,

— Assessing the capability, capacity and suitability of existing plant to manage a district energy supply,

— Where necessary, making recommendations to adapt plant and equipment to ensure suitability with a district energy network.

— Assessing spatial requirement to install equipment.

The consultant should be able to review:

— Incoming primary utilities supplies (gas; electricity; water supplies; incoming telecommunications),

— Mechanical services (above ground drainage; internal gas distribution; hot and cold water services; space heating; mechanical heating/cooling/chilled water systems; mechanical ventilation; fire engineering),

— Existing electrical services installation (low voltage electrical supply; telecommunications; general and emergency lighting installation; lift; security installations; CCTV; and access control system),

— Current Building Management System (BMS) or Building Energy Management System (BEMS) in use if any, including capturing scheduling strategy for each building.

Detailed Mechanical/Electrical Design

The consultant will be required to produce a detailed energy network mechanical and electrical design, including technical and process specifications.

Skills required will include:

— Experience to work under Building Information Modelling (BIM) Level 2 system,

— Experience and expertise in both energy generation and energy transmission,

— Experience and expertise in decentralised energy project engineering (with an emphasis on district heat and CHP schemes), including specification of equipment,

— Experience and expertise in designing a cost effective system, maximising network capacity and pipe sizing for minimum lifecycle cost,

— Experience and expertise energy supply and distribution in buildings.

From time to time the following expertise may also be required:

— Architectural, surveying and other expertise in designing an energy centre,

— The ability to identify peak heat demands and annual consumption,

— Development of specific software for energy modelling, demand assessment and SMART technologies.

Detailed Buried District Network Civil Design

The consultant will be required to produce a detailed design for the installation of the buried infrastructure. Crucial to being able to meet the specification is an ability to work under Building Information Modelling (BIM) Level 2 system, and extensive experience in doing so.

The following activities are likely to be required:

Stage 1: Information collation and review.

— Obtain map and utility data.

—— GIS Map, Ordnance Survey (OS) Tiles, Utility/C2 Service Drawings and Historical OS Maps.

— Review of project route drawings and technical reports,

— Remote review of route,

— Initial site technical and commercial visit and walk around,

— Prioritised execution plan,

— Key stakeholder identification.

Stage 2: Desktop Study.

— Review of historical structural/infrastructure landscapes to identify and build a knowledge base of:

—— Foundations;

—— Bridges;

—— Tunnels;

—— Canals;

—— Road networks;

—— Rail/Trams;

—— Changed street layouts;

—— Known Ground Conditions/Land Use/Contamination.

— Build Technical and commercial risk assessment log.

Stage 3: Route development and utility review.

— Technical site visits,

— Liaison and meetings with key stakeholders,

— Review of available utility data,

— Review of key infrastructure challenges/crossings (water courses, major highways etc.),

— Undertaking a detailed and referenced optimum route options appraisal,

— Develop Project Phasing and Expansion Strategies.

Stage 4: Document Development.

— Route drawings including outline expansion detail, and option appraisal.

— Utility Overlay Drawings.

— Commercial and Technical risk report and recommendations,

— Hazard Identification Studies (HAZID),

— Route drawing referenced with key risks and opportunities,

— Desktop Study Report,

— Stakeholder and Consent Matrix,

— Detailed design and consent Programme,

— Underground Utility Detection, Verification and Location survey programme and drawings.

Stage 5: 2D and 3D Detailed Design

— 2D and 3D Modelling of post processed surveys/trial holes information,

— 2D Network route design,

— 3D Network route design,

— Presentation and agreement of design with client and stakeholders,

— Production of Construction Design drawings incorporating HAZID,

— Phase Drawings,

— Typical Chamber Details, Communication Ducts,

— Plan and Section view 3D Construction Drawings annotated with trench centre line, bell hole and weld positions,

— Leak detection schematics,

— Production of Pre-Construction Information (PCIP) including known restrictions and recommended trial holes.

Underground Utility Detection, Verification and Location Survey

The consultant will be required to undertake utilities survey in accordance with PAS 128:2014 (“Specification for underground utility detection, verification and location ”). PAS 128 defines this activity as:

“It applies to the detection, verification and location of active, abandoned, redundant or unknown underground utilities and the location of their associated surface features (e.g. manhole covers and utility markers). It applies regardless of where these utilities are located (e.g. in urban or rural areas, in the street, or on private sites such as hospitals or airfields). It applies to utilities buried no deeper than 3 m.”

In the context of this framework it covers surveys relevant to district energy projects. It covers all 4 types of activity covered in PAS 128, namely:

— Desktop utility records search,

— Site reconnaissance,

— Detection,

— Verification.

Additional skills which will be required include:

— The ability to undertake geological and geophysical investigation,

— Ability to manage, interpret and manipulate results via a CAD and/or GIS format.

Buried District Network Construction Contract Management

The consultant will support the customer to package the specification for the civil works to procure the installation of the district network infrastructure. And once the contractor is appointed, the consultant will ensure on behalf of the customer that the delivery of the works is completed under the quality, cost and time parameters, effectively acting as employers’ agent.

The consultant should have the following experience:

— Extensive knowledge in HSE and CDM,

— Working within public sector governance,

— Combined experience in construction, energy supply, operation, commercial, financial and legal in the field of infrastructure for decentralised energy systems,

— Practical experience of delivery and operation of decentralised energy system,

— Practical drafting, implementation and enforcement,

— Practical supervision and governance.

Project Management for Full Feasibility Support (Combining Lots 1-8)

The purpose of this Lot is to allow a customer to commission multiple skills (between 2 and 8) within a single package. Within this Lot, the consultant is expected to:

— Provide all of the technical requirements of Lots 1-8, above, in a combined package either directly or through a supply chain (the customer will determine how much of that expertise will be purchased),

— Project-manage a complex district heat/energy project from initial inception to implementation.

The consultant (either directly or through an ability and expertise to establish and manage a supply chain) will be able to demonstrate experience and expertise in:

— Energy Mapping (see Lot 1),

— Commercial and Techno-Economic Feasibility (see Lot 2),

— Energy Master-planning (see Lot 3),

— Building and Plantroom Survey (see Lot 4),

— Detailed Route Mechanical/Electrical Design (see Lot 5),

— Detailed Buried District Network Civil Design (see Lot 6),

— Underground Utility Detection, Verification and Location Survey (see Lot 7,

— Buried District Network Construction Governance (see Lot 8).

In addition, the consultant will be able to offer a full project management package including:

— Project leadership for a complex energy project, pro-actively managing project activities. This will require Prince 2 or equivalent project management skills,

— Provide an effective project management process, incorporating establishing reporting arrangements (including client updates); project documentation (including a project plan); monitoring; risk management; change control process; cost management (including cost engineering); and supply chain management. This will require expertise in working with multi-disciplinary professionals,

— Overall stakeholder management, including preparing and implementing a communications plan. This will require influencing and presentation skills, for stakeholders within and outside the customer organisation,

— Advising on the most appropriate delivery model (direct delivery; procuring a third party; special purpose vehicle; joint venture etc),

— Facilitate negotiation with key anchor customers,

— Preparing the appropriate documentation to take a district energy project to market, including but not limited to all procurement documentation. This will require expertise in public sector procurement,

— Securing all necessary statutory consents, e.g. planning permission; consent from the highway authority,

— Managing the health and safety aspects of a project including where appropriate compliance with the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015.

Suppliers must be able to demonstrate compliance with recognised industry standards.