RFQ—Planning, Evaluation and Research Tasks

Energy Trust of Oregon seeks qualifications from consultants with skills in qualitative research, quantitative research, engineering and measure analysis, and/or resource assessment and resource planning assistance to maintain a pool of qualified consultants for work on Energy Trust planning, evaluation, and research projects. The RFQ covers four work areas: (1) Qualitative Evaluation and Research including literature reviews, process mapping, customer journey mapping, logic modeling, sample design, survey instrument design, focus group design, interview guide design, data collection approaches (ride-alongs, virtual diaries, etc.), survey fielding, focus group conducting, interviews, qualitative data analysis, and reporting; (2) Quantitative Evaluation and Research including sample design, survey instrument design, data collection approaches (metering, etc.), survey fielding, data collection, quantitative data analysis, billing analysis, engineering project review, calibrated building simulation modeling, and reporting; (3) Engineering and Measure Analysis assisting Energy Trust in analyzing or reviewing cost, savings, measure life, load shapes, and applications for potential energy efficiency measures, including developing or reviewing assumptions and tools, comparing to established sources, critiquing reliability, negotiating with contractors, documenting findings, assisting with benefit/cost calculations, and performing building simulation modeling; (4) Resource Assessment and Resource Planning Assistance developing, updating, reviewing, and/or revising inputs to and findings from various energy simulation models, including updating and expanding Energy Trust's Analytica-based Resource Assessment model, operating the model, reviewing/verifying results, modeling whole home/building energy savings, developing presentations for utility integrated resource planning meetings, advising on new energy simulation model development, assisting with calibration, updating measure characterizations, researching and characterizing emerging technology measures, providing training, developing/updating load and savings profiles, and assisting with avoided cost estimates development. Energy Trust plans to use this RFQ to select contractors for smaller research projects (less than $100,000 each), with several projects anticipated annually. Larger projects over $100,000 will be contracted through public RFPs, RFQs, or RFIs. Final contracts are expected to have terms of no longer than two years, with some umbrella task order contracts set up for ongoing assignments. Completed work products may be posted on Energy Trust's website.