Announcement of a Sole Source Purchase

The existing control system on one boiler and associated DA equipment is obsolete and no longer supported by the manufacturer. Replacement parts are no longer available. A failure of these controls would not be repairable and would result in an extended outage until a full control replacement could be completed.

Three of the four boilers in this plant have already been upgraded to the new control platform. The remaining boiler and DA controls must be brought onto the same control system to maintain:

-Proper boiler sequencing and load sharing

-Lead/lag operation and redundancy

-Safety interlocks and coordinated shutdowns

-Centralized alarming and monitoring through the campus BAS

Installing a different or similar control system would create compatibility gaps that prevent the boilers from operating as a coordinated plant. Mixed control platforms would:

-Prevent reliable communication between boilers

-Compromise safeties and alarms

-Increase the risk of missed failures

-Increase the likelihood of heat or hot-water outages

This directly increases the risk of service interruption and safety incidents.

The University has provided detailed justification to support its conclusion as shown on the attached Sole Source Justification Form. Although the University has presented this as a sole source procurement, we are seeking competitive information from firms with the capability of meeting the university's need (even if performed in a manner different from what has been presented) to contact us and provide sufficient information to show the need can be met. If we receive that information, the Chief Procurement Officer will offer a public hearing to consider the matter. Hearing information is described below.

The University has determined that this purchase is only economically available from this source because the compatibility of equipment, accessories, replacement parts, or service is a paramount consideration. The boiler controls are designed to communicate with one another and operate in a coordinated, lead/lag configuration, allowing multiple boilers to run simultaneously as needed. Installing a different control system would eliminate this integrated functionality and prevent proper tandem operation.