Request for proposals for Design, Supply, Installation, Commissioning & Maintenance of Solar Energy Systems for Zipline Facilities in Muhanga and Kayonza. Location: Muhanga Deadline: Friday, 27/03/2026 23:59 Introduction Zipline Rwanda Ltd. invites qualified and experienced renewable energy solution providers to submit proposals for the design, engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for Zipline facilities located in Muhanga and Kayonza. The objective is to secure a reliable, clean, cost-effective energy supply capable of supporting Ziplines 24/7 mission-critical operations. Solutions must include all required civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and control systems, including optional integration with backup generators. 2. Company Background Zipline operates the worlds largest instant logistics and drone delivery network, enabling on-demand delivery of healthcare, commercial, consumer, and agricultural products. Our facilities rely on continuous, high-reliability power systems to deliver safe, consistent operations. 3. Project Scope The Contractor shall lease OR design and deliver systems that meet the following minimum expectations: 24/7 operational continuity with 99.9% uptime. Hybrid or off-grid-capable architecture Renewable penetration maximized to reduce diesel reliance Robust BESS sized for operational autonomy Integration with Ziplines existing distribution boards and backup generators where applicable; Generators should be part of the proposals. Revenue-grade metering and monitoring systems Multi-year maintenance and performance guarantees 4. Site-Specific Technical Requirements NOTE: Placeholder values inserted below (e.g., expected load ranges). Replace once contractor conducts measured consumption and peak demand. 4.1 Facility Technical Requirements Table Parameter Estimated Daily Energy Demand Peak Load Recommended PV System Size Recommended BESS Required Autonomy Supply Voltage Frequency Ground Resistance Required Minimum Availability Delivery Point Allowance for Zipline Check Meter PS: A site visit is required to determine the measurements of the parameters to your proposal 5. Detailed Scope of Work 5.1 Engineering & Design Contractor shall provide: Technical studies including load profiles, irradiation modeling, autonomy modeling, PR calculations Single-line diagram Civil and structural drawings Detailed equipment specifications Protection, grounding, earthing, and lightning protection designs Control logic and hybrid control philosophy Commissioning plans 5.2 Equipment Supply Requirements Contractor must supply: Tier-1 PV modules Industrial-grade inverters and charge controllers Specify which BESS that is going to be used Hybrid controllers / microgrid controllers Surge protection devices Combiner boxes, switchgear, breakers Weatherproof enclosures or containerized systems Backup generator (if offered as hybrid solution) All equipment must be new, factory-certified, and compliant with global and Rwandan standards. 5.3 Installation & Construction Site preparation, civil works, foundations, battery containers, inverter pads AC and DC cabling, terminations, routing, trunking, conduits Installation of metering systems Interconnection to Zipline facility distribution board Installation of fencing, security features, access control Specify how long the installation and commission is going to take Contractor assumes all responsibility for site safety and works execution. 5.4 Commissioning, Testing & Acceptance Contractor must deliver: Pre-commissioning tests System functional tests Capacity tests for PV and battery Energy yield validation Protection and trip-curve testing As-built documentation Commissioning report 6. Performance Requirements Contractor must commit to: 6.1 Minimum Availability Requirement 99.7% annual availability, excluding: Force Majeure Scheduled maintenance 6.2 Guaranteed Daily Output (GDO) Bidders must propose: Minimum daily energy output Day vs. night profiles (if applicable) Minimum annual output (MWh/year) 6.3 Liquidated Damages (LDs) Requirements Contractor shall propose LDs for: Failure to meet COD Failure to meet availability guarantee Failure to meet daily/annual output guarantee 7. Monitoring, Metering & Communication Contractor must provide: Revenue-grade bidirectional energy meters at delivery point Web-based monitoring platform with dashboards Local HMI or SCADA system 24/7 data logging: PV generation Consumption Battery state-of-charge, temperature System events and alarms Zipline shall have unrestricted viewing access. 8. Operations & Maintenance Requirements Contractor must provide full O&M including: Daily Monitoring Walk-around inspection Removal of debris Monthly Module inspection Cable inspection Battery status checks Quarterly Inverter service Combiner box checks Diesel generator service (if applicable) Annually IV curve tracing (25% of strings minimum) Thermography Breaker and protection testing Earthing resistance verification Asset register validation 9. Contractor Responsibilities Secure all permits and approvals Provide safety certification and HSE compliance plans Maintain accurate books and records for audit Maintain adequate insurance coverage 10. Proposal Submission Requirements 10.1 Technical Proposal Must include: Methodology and execution plan System design & sizing per site Single-line diagrams Project schedule with COD date O&M strategy and SLAs Quality assurance processes Risk assessment and mitigation plans 10.2 Financial Proposal Provide: Itemized Bill of Quantities (BoQ) per site CAPEX and OPEX breakdown Multi-year O&M pricing Proposed LD schedules Payment milestones Quotes should in RWF 10.3 Legal & Compliance Documents RDB Certificate Tax & RSSB clearance Relevant licenses (RURA Generation License,EIA Certificate, Technical Standards Compliance,Electrical Installation License, etc.) References from previous clients 11. Evaluation Criteria Technical compliance Vendor experience & capacity Financial competitiveness Performance guarantees O&M capabilities Contractual robustness Delivery timeline [Disclaimer: The above text is machine translated. For accurate information kindly refer the original document.] Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/request-proposal-rfp-design-supply-installation-commissioning-maintenance-solar-energy-systems
