REQUEST FOR LETTER OF INTEREST (LOI)LOI15-22097This is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP). There is no commitment with respect to future purchases or contracts. Companies that wish to support this project are asked to respond with a Letter of Interest.BackgroundThe Government of Canada (GOC), through the National Research Council Canada (NRC), is investing in the upgrade of the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) and as a result, is seeking industry partners to support this exciting project.In response to changing industry needs, NRC will address leading-edge R&D by building a low-rise multi-unit residential building under part 9 of the National Building Code, as part of the CCHT facilities. The new building, adjacent and to the North of the existing CCHT twin single-family test houses, will expand the scope of services offered to industry.This new project will bring CCHT to the leading edge – for testing of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, envelope components, renewable energy and control systems. It will provide for the assessment and demonstration of intelligent building and smart grid integration technologies while addressing two market areas: detached and multi-unit homes. These new facilities will be able to assess how renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, can be seamlessly integrated into the existing electrical grid using intelligent load management strategies. The new building will also allow for the expansion of existing services to better serve manufacturers of building envelope wall components and windows.PurposeThe purpose of this request for a Letter of Interest (LOI) is to identify companies that understand the current state of the art in high performance multi-unit residential building construction. The GOC would like to partner with companies that are innovative and see the need to advance R&D in areas relating to high performance buildings.MotivationFor almost a year, the GOC conducted internal and external stakeholder consultations to assess industry needs. Through these discussions we have determined that the new build should support product development for both detached and multi-unit residential buildings. Affordability, energy usage, land limitations and urban infrastructure costs are key issues driving increased development of multi-unit buildings. Conversely, early adopters of new technologies tend to be detached home owners with discretionary income and the autonomy to decide what technologies will be implemented in their homes. However, some technologies principally targeted toward detached home owners are applicable to multi-unit dwellings. Demonstration of these technologies in multi-units may help to open up new access to markets for manufacturers. With the addition of the multi-unit building, CCHT will be well positioned to address the needs of both detached and multi-unit markets.The focus on reducing energy loads and greenhouse gas emissions, including the introduction of more stringent energy codes and carbon taxes, has caused manufacturers to react. Often complicating improved energy performance of new products are unintended consequences that adversely affect human comfort, health, and building performance. The new build will extend the validation and proof of concept investigations currently supported by CCHT, but with an expanded scope. Industry has informed the GOC that the ability to modify the load side of the energy equation with flexible wall and window alterations is of value. With this in mind, the standard of the new build is intended to meet the 2014 R2000 standard. This standard is considered to be the basis for net-zero-ready construction. Improvements to building envelope exterior insulation and windows could be assessed to determine the impact on net-zero-energy performance. However, it is important that the new facilities be built according to existing building practice and not beyond the norm of what constitutes a typical high performance building built to current standards.Letter of InterestIf interested in partnering with the GOC on this project, please submit a Letter of Interest indicating how your company might support the project. Consultations with industry have identified a number of possibilities for partnership, such as co-funding, in-kind contributions, technical advice, and work performed at-cost. The GOC will be pleased to consider all Letters of Interest in support of this project.Forecasting – Request for Proposal in the FallNRC will issue a request for proposal (RFP) in the Fall of 2015. The RFP will disclose:Design / build budgetA design briefA potential option to increase the scope by a maximum of 50% of the budget in point #1.Site environmental assessment report.Site survey and geotechnical report.Site service layout.A description of the maximum scope of work.A description of the minimum scope of work.Building energy performance criteria.A request from builders of representative examples of existing builds that meet the criteria.A project schedule with phases identified.Services / features of the building necessary to support technical development.The build standardScoring criteria to assess the value add proposed by the builder.IntentThe Government of Canada is seeking to partner with firms to assess, test, and develop technologies in the following areas:Experienced tracked builders with in-house engineering and design.HVAC equipment & domestic hot water heater manufacturers.Building materials and windows manufacturers.Energy management and control companies: renewables, battery storage, electric vehicle power, micro-grid applications, and smart building control.Related industry associations and companies including smart appliance and information and communication technologies companies.ScopeDevelopment of a multi-unit NBC part 9 building, built on the NRC Montreal Road campus in Ottawa Ontario Canada. The new building will be co-located with the existing CCHT buildings. The project must be completed by March 2017.NotesA design / build contract with a builder is envisioned.Some work may need to be completed outside of normal operating hours.Site access by NRC staff will be required from time to time.The GOC is seeking comments from prospective bidders as to the approach we are taking. GOC cannot commit to adopting or altering our approach based on any response to this request for a LOI but does reserve such right to do so. The GOC may have a dialogue with respondents to clarify feedback as required.
