REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Notice is hereby given that consultant qualifications will be received by the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program for:
Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program, Multifamily High-Rise Path
Whole Building Infiltration Testing - Field Verification Services
Please submit your qualifications by:
Date: 06/24/2019
Time: 5:00 pm E.S.T.
Qualifications submitted after the due date will not be considered for RFQ solicitations.
The Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program reserves the right to reject any and all
submittals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This
RFQ does not obligate the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program to pay any costs
incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their statement of qualifications.
Furthermore, the RFQ does not obligate the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.
It is the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program policy to assure that no person shall,
on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated
against under any of its federally funded programs and activities.
The Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program is committed to a program of equal
employment opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, nationality, disability, or sexual
orientation. The successful consultant must comply with the Massachusetts Residential New
Construction Program equal opportunity requirements.
Dated this 7th day of June, 2019.
Kristen Simmons
Account Manager on behalf of Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program
Published:
MA Residential New Construction Program:
https://www.masssave.com/en/saving/residential-rebates/multi-family-high-rise-new-construction/
Northeast HERS Alliance:
http://www.nehers.org/
Massachusetts Residential New
Construction Program (High-Rise Path)
Request for Qualifications
General Information
NOTICE: Notice is hereby given that letters of interest and statement of qualifications will be received by the
Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program, reference- Whole Building Infiltration Testing by
submitting to the Program at the above location via email or postal mail.
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: The Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program is soliciting requests
for qualifications for the purpose of pre-approving third-party whole building infiltration testing firms for newly
constructed multifamily High-Rise projects participating in the program. The intent of this RFQ is to pre-qualify
energy auditors or energy auditing firms that may be available and willing to provide whole building infiltration
testing to participating projects that choose to pursue whole building infiltration testing. Payment and terms for
whole building infiltration testing services are made between the pre-qualified energy auditor or energy auditing
firm and the program participant. Whole building infiltration testing fees are to be negotiated and contracted
between the pre-qualified energy auditor or energy auditing firm and program participant.
SCOPE OF WORK: See Attachment A for a detailed summary of project related work responsibilities. This RFQ
is specific to the verification and submission to the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program of the
following items:
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ASTM E 779 Testing protocol and reporting
QUALIFICATIONS: This program will require the consulting firm to have the following qualifications:
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RESNET accredited certified Home Energy Rater (HERS); HERS rater with RESNET accredited Providership, or Building Performance Institute-Multifamily Building Designation.
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Availability of multiple blower door equipment, including a minimum of 4 Air Leakage testing kits and a communication device to link air testing kits, along with experience utilizing multiple setups
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Ability to calculate or interpret results from pressure/flow gauges when using multiple setups
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Ability to effectively conduct on site assessments and to communicate to the project development team all relevant issues found within the building enclosure
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Ability to provide inspection comments relative to problems and correction recommendations.
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Ability to provide Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program Energy Conservatory or ASTM E 779 equivalent reporting
RFQ SCHEDULE:
SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:
Responses to this RFQ must include the following information. Responses must be limited to 1 page per item
excluding attachments. Firms which were qualified as Approved 3rd Party Verifiers under the High-Rise
Path need only resubmit items 1, 2, 4, 5, & 7.)
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A cover letter/statement of interest indicating the firm’s interest in the Massachusetts Whole Building Infiltration Testing –Field Verification Services.
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A summary of firm’s experience in requested service areas, as specifically mentioned in attached scope.
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A description of the firm’s experiences working with Multifamily/commercial building projects, energy audits, and utility sponsored conservation programs.
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Specific qualifications or resumes of key team members such as proposed Project Manager and field energy auditors who will be performing work for the program.
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Minimum of (4) sample reports for similar projects using ASTM E779
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A minimum of three (3) references relating to completed projects for the services being requested with full name, title, address, and phone and fax numbers.
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Current insurance certificates’ for general liability and worker compensation.
PROPRIETARY PROPOSAL MATERIAL – Any proprietary information revealed in the proposal should,
therefore, be clearly identified as such.
SIGNATURES: RFQ submittals shall be signed by one of the legally authorized officers of said corporation.
EVALUATION CRITERIA: Evaluations will be based on the criteria listed below:
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Experience of firm with similar projects
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Experience of proposed team members
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Overall quality of qualifications
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Overall quality of the RFQ submittal
QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this Program may be directed to Kristen Simmons via e-mail at
multifhr@icf.com. Unauthorized contact regarding this RFQ with other Program employees or utility sponsors
may result in disqualification. Any oral communications will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the
Program and/or its sponsors. Any questions will be answered in writing and available for disclosure upon
request.
REJECTION OF SUBMITTALS: The program reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive
irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFQ does not obligate the program
to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of their qualifications. Furthermore,
the RFQ does not obligate the program to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.
PRE-APPROVAL PROGRAM STATUS AWARD: The Program reserves the right to make awards without
further discussion of the submittals.
TITLE VI: It is the programs policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin or
sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits
of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally funded programs and activities.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: The selected firm shall maintain insurance that is sufficient to protect the
firm’s business against all applicable risks. Current certificates’ for general liability and worker compensation
must be included in the RFQ response. Individual program participants may require specific coverage amounts
based upon the needs and requirements of their specific projects.
NON-ENDORSEMENT: As a result of the selection of a firm to supply products and/or services to the Program
participants, firm agrees to make no reference to the Program in any literature, promotional material, brochures,
sales presentation or the like without the express written consent of the Program Project Manager.
NON-COLLUSION: Submittal and signature of a statement of qualifications swears that the document is
genuine and not a sham or collusive, and not made in the interest of any person not named, and that the
consultant has not induced or solicited others to submit a sham offer, or to refrain from proposing.
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS: In addition to nondiscrimination and affirmative action
compliance requirements previously listed, the consultant or consultants ultimately awarded contracts with the
participant shall comply with federal, state and local laws, statutes and ordinances relative to the execution of
the work. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, protection of public and employee safety and health;
environmental protection; waste reduction and recycling; the protection of natural resources; permits; fees;
taxes; and similar subjects.
ATTACHMENT A
SCOPE OF WORK
Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program, Multifamily High-Rise Path
Whole Building Infiltration Initiative - Field Verification Services
As has long been understood, multifamily buildings use less energy than a single family home but that alone
does not make them energy efficient. Determining the energy savings associated with multifamily buildings is a
complex process. Residential and common area spaces often occupy the same building footprint and share the
same mechanical systems. The Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program sponsors believe that
air infiltration is an important measure to observe as uncontrolled loss of conditioned air causes major energy
losses. In order to collect data and validate savings, a unique incentive offer is in place to capture whole
building infiltration saving opportunities and to provide high performance learning opportunities for program
participants.
The Infiltration Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) will be offered to developers so that they can become
familiar with using building performance to measure energy savings in multifamily high-rise buildings. Since
building infiltration performance is already a criterion for base code in single family and low rise multifamily
buildings, a standard many developers are already familiar with, The Massachusetts Residential New
Construction Program is leveraging this familiarity with the goal of creating higher performance buildings.
To that end, the energy efficiency consultants will be responsible for:
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Measuring the infiltration rate of whole buildings using the ASTM E 779 testing standard as noted in IECC 2015 C402.5 and ASHRAE 90.1 2013 G3.1.1.4 utilizing Table G3.1
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Providing automated reporting per Energy Conservatory TECTITE software or equivalent for ASTM E 779 test procedure results.