The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) offers resources to help federal agencies implement energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs). ESPC resources are listed by essential education, phases of the ESPC process, and general information.
ESPC case studies and training are also available.
ON THIS PAGE:
- Essential Education
- Phase 1: Acquisition Planning
- Phase 2: ESCO Selection and Preliminary Assessment, Project Risk and Responsibility
- Phase 3: Project Development Through Task Order Award Resources
- Phase 4: Implementation, Construction, and Project Acceptance
- Phase 5: Performance Period
- Measurement and Verification
Essential Education
These resources offer helpful information about structuring sound ESPC projects with sustained savings.
DOE IDIQ ESPC Master Contract and Modifications
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) ESPCs were established to streamline the ESPC process and make ESPC procurements as practical and cost-effective for agencies as possible.
Review FEMP's generic IDIQ contract templates and ordering guides for developing, awarding, and administering task orders under DOE ESPC IDIQ contracts.
ESPC Training
Review FEMP's ESPC Training by Work Function document that outlines FEMP's energy savings performance contract courses by job role.
FEMP Services and Primary Activities During ESPC Project Development Process
Review FEMP's ESPC Project Development Resource Guide, which charts the ESPC process for providing project development support to agencies developing ESPC projects using the DOE IDIQ ESPC.
Frequently Asked Questions, Best Practices, Auditing, and ECM Resources
FEMP compiles frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to ESPC strategy and the scope of the ESPC statutory authority, ESPC best practices documents, auditing resources, and energy conservation measure (ECM) documents and guidance.
Review FEMP's ESPC FAQs, best practices, auditing, and ECM documents.
Guidelines for ESPC Savings and Payments
Review FEMP's resources for incorporating savings strategies into ESPC payments.
Phase 1: Acquisition Planning
FEMP provides the following documents, templates, and guidance for phase 1 of the ESPC process.
- Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Federal Agency ESPC Projects: See sections 1-3: Introduction, General Best Practices, and Acquisition Planning.
- Interagency Agreement for U.S. Department of Energy Project Facilitator Support Form: Form for engaging the services of a FEMP project facilitator.
- FEMP Suggested ESPC Milestone Plan: Excel tool and example of an ESPC project milestone plan.
- Tri-Party Agreement for ESPCs: Template for ESPC project responsibilities at DOE sites/facilities.
- Cybersecurity Considerations for Performance Contracts: Provides a brief overview of key cybersecurity requirements for agencies, utilities, and subcontractor partners on performance contracts.
Preliminary Planning for Specialized Energy Conservation Measures
- Enhancing Performance Contracts with Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx): Provides the benefits and process of integrating monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) into energy performance contracts.
- Renewable Energy Screening for ESPCs: Outlines process and data needed for screening advanced technology projects.
- Water Project Screening Tool: Excel file enables federal agencies to quickly screen sites for water-efficiency opportunities.
- Including Retro-Commissioning in Federal ESPCs: Describes the benefits of and process for conducting retro-commissioning.
- Example Retro-Commissioning Statement of Work to Include Services as Part of an ESPC Investment-Grade Audit: Offers a sample statement of work to include retro-commissioning in the ESPC.
Phase 2: Energy Service Company Selection and Preliminary Assessment, Project Risk and Responsibility
FEMP provides the following documents, templates, and guidance for phase 2 of the ESPC process.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Federal Agency ESPC Projects: See sections 4-5: Energy Service Company (ESCO) Selection and Preliminary Assessment
Notice of Opportunity
- ESCO Selector Tool: Online tool agencies can use to develop a notice of opportunity (NOO) and NOO response evaluation forms, including the Past Performance Questionnaire for agencies to request feedback from the ESCOs' past customers.
- Guidance for Using ESCO Oral Presentations in ESPC Source Selection: Guidance for agencies allowing ESCOs to make presentations or attend agency meetings as part of a second down-selection.
- Letter to Successful Company: Template for agency letter informing an ESCO that it was selected for a project.
- Letter to Unsuccessful Company: Template for agency letter informing an ESCO that it was not selected for a project.
Preliminary Assessment
Review FEMP's resources for preliminary ESCO assessments in ESPCs.
Project Risk and Responsibility
Review FEMP's resources for assessing project risk and responsibility in ESPCs.
Notice of Intent to Award
DOE IDIQ ESPC Notice of Intent to Award Letter: Templates for the agency letter notifying an ESCO of its intent to award it an ESPC.
Phase 3: Project Development Through Task Order Award Resources
FEMP provides the following documents, templates, and guidance for phase 3 of the ESPC process.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Federal Agency ESPC Projects: See sections 8-9: Review of the IGA/Proposal and Critical Outcomes of Review.
Establishing Escalation Rates for Financed Projects
- Guidance on Utility Rate Estimations and Weather Normalization in Performance Contracts.
- Energy Escalation Rate Calculator (EERC): Escalation rates can be computed based on the Energy Information Administration energy price projections.
- Recommended vs. Actual Escalation Rates for ESPCs: Is the Guidance Good?: Paper on energy escalation rates as an important facet of energy savings performance contracts.
- Energy Price Indices and Discount Factors for Life-Cycle Cost Analysis: Annual Supplement to NIST Handbook 135: Handbook on energy price indices and discount factors for performing life-cycle cost analyses.
Task Order Request for Proposal Templates
Review FEMP's resources for task order requests for proposal (TO-RFPs).
Investment-Grade Audit Process
- Process Chart: Direct-to-IGA Path in ESPCs for Generation 4 IDIQ Contracts: Document outlines a flexible process to skip all Preliminary Assessment steps and to go directly to Notice of Intent to Award (NOITA) and the investment-grade audit (IGA).
- Agenda: Investment-Grade Audit Kickoff Meeting: Standard agenda for IGA kickoff meeting.
- Agenda: Investment-Grade Audit Midpoint Review Meeting: Standard agenda for an IGA midpoint review meeting.
- Agenda: Investment-Grade Audit Review Workshop: Standard agenda for the IGA review workshop.
- Investment-Grade Audit: Review Checklist: Checklist for reviewing an IGA.
- ESPC Project Review Comment Template (Word and Excel versions available): Template for documenting the project facilitator (or other’s) review of the PA, IGA, commissioning plan, and other ESCO deliverables.
- Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) Lessons Learned - For Energy Generation, Power Purchase Agreements, and Emerging Technology ECMs: Lessons learned for specific ECMs to be utilized when developing an IGA.
Proposal Review: Task Order Financial Schedules
Review FEMP's resources for proposal review of task order (TO) financial schedules.
Proposal Review: Pricing
Review FEMP's resources for ESPC proposal review, including pricing guidance and worksheets.
Proposal Review: Financing
- Investor Deal Summary (2023 IDIQ ATT J-5): Required format for summarizing the ESPC project and soliciting financing offers.
- Standard Financing Offer (2023 IDIQ ATT J-6): Required format for financing offers.
- Investor Deal Summary (IDIQ Attachment J-11): Required format for summarizing the ESPC project and soliciting financing offers.
- Standard Financing Offer (IDIQ Attachment J-12): Required format for financing offers.
- Review of ESPC Financing: Form for documenting review of project financing.
- Guidance Regarding Refinancing, Restructuring, or Modifying Loan Agreements Entered into by an ESCO Under a Federal ESPC: Guidance on refinancing ESPCs.
Task Order Award
Review FEMP's resources for ESPC task order awards, including processes, sample deliverables, and best practices.
Phase 4: Implementation, Construction, and Project Acceptance
FEMP provides the following documents, templates, and guidance for phase 4 of the ESPC process.
Phase 5: Performance Period
FEMP provides the following documents, templates, and guidance for phase 5 of the ESPC process.
- Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Federal Agency ESPC Projects: See section 11: Measurement and Verification.
- ESPC Best Practices from Life of Contract Field Reviews: Offers FEMP experience with the life-of-contract process.
- DOE IDIQ ESPC Contract Management Plan Template: Provides best practices to agency personnel in the management of a DOE ESPC project during the post-installation performance period.
- ESPC Audit Ready Checklist: Helps agencies confirm when a project is ready to be audited.
- Annual Measurement and Verification Report Review Checklist: Checklist for the review of the annual and verification report.
Measurement and Verification
FEMP provides the following documents, templates, and guidance for measurement and verification (M&V) in ESPCs.
M&V Process and Guidelines
- M&V Guidelines: Measurement and Verification for Performance-Based Contracts Version 5.0: Procedures and guidelines.
- Supplement to M&V Guidelines: Measurement and Verification for Performance-Based Contracts Version 4.0.
- Guide to Government Witnessing and Review of Measurement and Verification Activities: Process and guidance.
- How to Determine and Verify Operations and Maintenance Savings in Energy Savings Performance Contracts: Process and guidance.
M&V Plan
FEMP provides documents, templates, and guidance for ESPC M&V plans.
M&V Post-Installation and Performance Period
FEMP provides documents, templates, and checklists to support the ESPC M&V post-installation and performance period.
