SOLAR PV PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICES

The U.S. Department of State, through the American Embassy in Bujumbura, Burundi, is soliciting quotes for preventive maintenance services for the embassy compound's photovoltaic (solar) systems. This firm-fixed-price contract covers a one-year base period with four one-year options for a maximum total duration of 60 months. Services must result in all systems under the agreement remaining in good operational condition, covering solar modules, inverters, DC disconnects and panels, controls, monitoring equipment, combiner boxes, and fuses. The contract is expected to commence no later than November 2026, with a Notice to Proceed establishing a start date at least ten days after award.

The solar PV systems comprise two plant installations (UTILITY and NOB) with a total capacity of 307.2 kWp across five sites at the embassy: 672 SunPower SPR 320E-WHT-D modules, 36 SMA 7000HV inverters and 6 SMA 5000A inverters, SMA webboxes and reducers for monitoring, a SMA DATA MANAGER M data acquisition system, a Mango Enterprise MangoES data logger, a Sunny Sensor Box weather station, and PLP Power Base P8 roof-mounted structures. Annual preventive maintenance includes visual inspections, panel cleaning including infrared thermographic inspection for hot spots, DC disconnect cleaning and testing, inverter maintenance (air filters, heat sinks, torque checks, operational verification), grounding and polarity testing, and array testing including meg-ohm ground resistance, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and I/V curve tracing per IEC 62446-1:2016. Repairs and hardware replacement are excluded and must be quoted separately for government approval; the contractor is also asked to provide hourly repair labor rates for the base and option years.

RFQ 19BY7026Q0009 was issued on June 9, 2026, and offers are due by July 10, 2026. Standard services are performed between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM Monday through Friday, with no work on U.S. or Burundian holidays. Contractor personnel must pass security screening, with names, biographic data, and police clearance submitted within 5 days of award. Required deliverables include signed maintenance checklists after each visit and a typed test and inspection field report within 30 days of each service. The contractor must carry public liability and workers' compensation insurance, and value added tax (18 percent) is priced as a separate line item with the firm-fixed-price payable entirely in U.S. dollars.

Award will be made to the lowest-priced, acceptable, responsible offeror, evaluated on total price including all options, technical acceptability, and responsibility under FAR 9.1. Offerors must submit a completed SF-1449, technical and financial proposals, a financial statement, company brochure, insurance quote, a list of clients over the past three years, SAM registration with UEI, and a performance work schedule. Offerors must operate an established business in Burundi or plan to establish an office within 30 days of award. No site visit will be held.