Frequently asked questions VW Settlement: Phase 1 Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations Updated as of 9/4/2018

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1 Frequently asked questions VW Settlement: Phase 1 Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations Updated as of 9/4/ What is the Request for Proposals (RFP)? The RFP announces the availability of grant funds, who may apply for the funding, and other information that will help applicants plan their project and submit a proposal. 2. What is the difference between the RFP and the workplan? The RFP is a document that explains the eligibility and criteria; the workplan is what the proposer or its representative would fill out to apply for a grant. 3. How much money is available under this grant opportunity? There is a total of approximately $158,000 available for Level 2 EV charging station installations in places available to the general public, multi-units dwellings, and workplaces. 4. How many Level 2 charging stations are expected to be installed through this RFP? Depending on the cost of the chargers applied for, approximately 45 Level 2 charging stations are anticipated to be installed. 5. How much money is available for each charging station? There is a maximum of up to $5,000 per station and $10,000 for dual charging stations for both categories. Refer to the RFP for the lists of eligible and ineligible costs. 6. Are there any match requirements? Grantees are required to provide a 20% cash match for stations at public locations or a 40% cash match for stations at workplace or multi-unit dwelling locations. Eligible sources of cash match include cash, loans, other grants, or capital assets. Match funding is to be listed in the proposed project budget. 7. When will operators be notified of award status? Within approximately 45 days of the September 5, 2018, RFP closing date. 8. If my application is selected for funding, when will I receive the funds? This grant is a reimbursement grant. Grant payments are made as reimbursements after the work is completed, verified, and approved. Requests for reimbursement can occur after each individual charging station is installed or after all of the approved charging stations are installed for the project. 9. Can I apply for funding for a charging station that is more powerful than 240-volts? This grant will provide funding for 240-volt stations only. 10. Can the grant funding through this program be used to purchase real estate at a Level 2 charging station installation site? Funding through this program cannot be used to purchase, rent, or lease real estate or for capital costs such as construction of buildings or parking facilities. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or use your preferred relay service Info.pca@state.mn.us Available in alternative formats

2 11. Can applicants collaborate with other organizations to submit a single proposal? Multi-organizational collaboration is allowed; however, no entity may be part of multiple proposals. If multiple organizations apply together, one must be designated a contractor to receive funding (only one name may be listed as the applicant). 12. What is a contractor? For this grant, a contractor is any individual, group, company, or non-profit that applies for grants as a representative of at least three organizations with three distinct site locations. Only one organization may apply as a contractor on behalf of the other organizations. The contractor is responsible for all contract oversight responsibilities as stated in the grant agreement. 13. How will contractors be paid? Each application includes the amount for the Level 2 station, as well as an amount for any contractor, if applicable. In applications involving a contractor, the amount the contractor is asking for (up to 10% of the cost of the application) will be divided by the number of stations they are applying for, and the amount paid to the contractor will depend on the number of stations awarded under their application. 14. Will there be any training available to answer questions and help with grant applications? Yes. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is offering training on Friday, August 3, Information on the training will be posted on the grant webpage. The training will be recorded and posted on the MPCA VW grant webpage for future reference. 15. What is the difference between the Level 2 grant and the fast-charging station corridor grant? Level 2 charging stations allow users to charge their vehicles in 2 to 4 hours. They are useful in locations where users will park their car for at least 15 minutes. This grant provides funding for Level 2 charging stations. Fast charging stations allow users to charge their vehicles much more rapidly, but are much more expensive. They are useful in locations where users are charging on the way to other destinations, such as along highways. The MPCA s fast charging corridor grant provides funding for these high-power chargers along designated highway corridors to allow long-distance travel by electric vehicle around the state. 16. I installed a Level 2 charging station earlier this year, am I eligible to recoup the cost of installation through this grant? The purpose of this grant is to encourage the installation of new Level 2 charging stations. Therefore, stations already installed are not eligible for this grant. 17. Is there a preference to have the Level 2 charging stations powered by renewable energy? Proposals that identify sources of renewable energy that will be used to provide electricity to the stations through a utility wind or solar, community solar, or onsite solar array will receive points. 18. What is networking? Networking can allow for collection of usage data and electronic payment from station users. Networking can also help optimize the use of renewable sources of electricity when production is high and can help utilities balance their load. These features can increase the potential benefits of the station; therefore, the proposal evaluation includes points for their inclusion. 19. Will my proposal be accepted as long as it is submitted by close-of-business on the due date? No, proposals are due by 2:00 p.m. Central Time in accordance to the deadlines as outlined in the RFP under Proposal submission instructions section. Proposals must be electronically submitted to grants.pca@state.mn.us using subject line: Level 2. As this is a competitive grant program, deadlines will be strictly adhered to. Please allow yourself ample time for delivery. Also, please ensure that all applicable items on the proposal workplan and budget forms are addressed and documentation is correctly attached. Page 2 of 8

3 20. What is environmental justice and how is it used to evaluate projects? The principle of Environmental Justice is to ensure that pollution does not have a disproportionate impact on any group of people. The MPCA uses mapping tools to identify areas of concern for Environmental Justice in Minnesota. Learn more about Environmental Justice on the MPCA s webpage: All applications will be evaluated for their environmental justice impact. 21. How are health effects of vehicle pollution considered in evaluating projects? The MPCA worked with the Minnesota Department of Health to identify areas of the state that are disproportionally affected by the adverse effects of air pollution. All applications will be evaluated for their benefits in these areas. Questions asked during the EV Level 2 Charging Station RFP Training held on August 3, For non-profits, are the grantee bidding requirements mentioned in the RFP based on individual project costs or on the cumulative costs for all projects requested in an application? For example, if the EV station will cost $5,000 but the applicant wishes to install 25 stations, will this require bids. Yes, you will need to seek multiple bids if you are applying for proposals exceeding the cost thresholds mentioned in the RFP. 23. If bids are required, are these needed prior to submitting an application? No, bids are not required to be submitted with the application. 24. Must the renewable energy include the renewable energy credits? No, it does not. If your utility offers a wind or solar program, you can sign up through your utility and provide the documentation. The credits are for when a utility does not have a renewable wind or solar program. 25. If the EV station installation is part of a larger construction project for which construction bids have already been awarded, must the EV installation project still require additional bids for the installation work? No, you can use the bids from the larger project, but you must meet the bidding requirement section in the RFP. 26. Is the 20% match part of the $5,000 ceiling, or is $5,000 the largest grant for which the recipient would need to come up with another $1,000 minimum? The match is in addition to the grant amount requested. You will need to provide the match portion of the total cost referenced in the RFP. 27. Our city has alternative parking requirements over the winter months where public parking is not allowed overnight every-other evening for snow removal. Would this preclude our parking lots from being eligible since they are not available 24/7? As described, every-other night, snow removal closures would not disqualify a parking lot from eligibility. 28. Are there any reporting requirements after a grant is issued? After the grant is issued, MPCA may request additional information on usage data. 29. If the applicant uses an in-house electrician, can we count their time toward matching funds? Yes, you can use those services as part of your match. 30. Can energy credits purchased from a cooperative or another source be used for the match? No, they cannot be. Page 3 of 8

4 31. Does the MPCA have a list of licensed electricians it is recommending? No, we do not. Any licensed electrician should be able to install these. 32. For a multi-organization application with a non-governmental organization (NGO) contractor working on behalf of cities, are the bidding requirements driven by the municipal standards or the NGO bidding standards? You need to follow the guidelines applicable to whoever signs the contract. 33. Can you provide more details on the networking what it is and their costs? Networking allows you to connect to online services that may allow credit card payments at the station or advanced options like using an app on your phone for payment. It also may allow the utility to balance electricity usage during peak times and provide the option to gather usage data of the charging station. Networking does increase the cost of a project. It may not be needed at every station, but it does improve the station so we are including extra points for networking. 34. Are networking costs an eligible expense? Up-front networking costs are eligible. 35. For multi-organizational collaborations, must all participants register in SWIFT or just the lead? Just the lead. 36. Where can I obtain a list of potential charging station providers? The state does not promote any one source, but there are search tools for locating existing stations in Minnesota. 37. Can one organization submit a grant application for both fast chargers and a Level 2 charger? These are two separate grant opportunities and you can apply for both. 38. Can you please clarify this sentence should payment be required to access and use the charging stations, it must allow for multiple options including direct use of a credit or debit card at the station itself? If you choose to network your station and seek payment from the user, the station needs to be able to accept a credit card and a debit card. 39. Not all chargers come with onboard data tracking capability, will the MPCA require equipment to have data tracking capabilities to meet the data reporting section in the RFP? The MPCA does not require data recording software for this proposal. 40. The REC question was not understood. A solar energy system sells its renewable energy credits (RECs) to the utility, so the charger owner would not own RECs or the right to say the charger is powered by solar energy. The REC and the power have been separated; does it still count toward the REC credit? The applicant can sign up for a utility renewables program. The applicant would only need to purchase RECs if there is no utility program available in the area. 41. Are there two grant application opportunities at this time? Yes, there are two grants available at this time for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. 42. Do the Level 2 stations need to be installed near the established corridor? No. 43. The MPCA may require data collection, including but not limited to the number of charging sessions, average kilo-watt-hours used per charging session, maximum instantaneous peak power, start and charge times? If the MPCA is not requiring data collection for L2 chargers but may request the data in the future, it may not be available for some L2 sites. Is this a concern for projects? No. Page 4 of 8

5 44. For a multi-organization application with a designated contractor, does the $5,000 or $10,000 cap increase to accommodate the 10% contractor cost? For instance, three dual chargers for three different organizations that cost at least $10,000, can the application be for $33,000 or is it limited to $30,000 and the 10% contractor costs must be part of the $30,000? The contractor costs are above the cap. 45. This might be beyond your expertise, but do you know a range of cost for a city installing one level 2 charging station? Costs vary depending on installer and type of equipment. 46. On page 9 of the Request for Proposals document (p-f2-33a-fy18) under 8. Proposal instructions it says Host site letter of commitment (attached). Where is the Host Site letter of Commitment attached? I am unable to locate it. Please also provide detail of what this letter should include if it does not state in the attached document. The applicant must attach the host site letter of commitment to the proposal. The letter must simply indicate the host site location and a commitment to host the charging station. 47. I work for a County that has a licensed electrician and building contractors on staff. Can we submit their time for installing the charging station towards the 20% cash match requirement? Yes. 48. Can you please explain the meaning of dual station? Dual stations can charge two cars simultaneously. 49. Do you have a sample letter of commitment that you could provide? Does it need to be passed by City Council, for local government, or just signed by a person able to make the commitment? No, we do not have a sample. Yes, just signed by a person able to make the commitment. 50. We have two possible projects one for public use and one for city vehicles. Should I apply for both and possibly one or both would be funded? Or, am I better positioned to be funded by only applying for one? Also, is it a better strategy to join a group collaborating many projects or submit on our own? Each individual station in an application will be reviewed and scored individually. An applicant may be awarded for all, some, or none of the stations they apply for. Group applications may potentially find cost efficiencies that would improve their cost effectiveness score, but each station will be reviewed and scored individually, no matter the number applied for. 51. While I understand the physical stations can be paid in part by the grant, can grant funds be used to pay for the power management system as part of the network monitoring of the charging station? Or would this fall under the Membership item in the ineligible costs section of the RFP?. Up-front costs of the station installation and activation are eligible for funding. Ongoing costs, electricity, internet, or telephone service are not eligible costs. 52. On page 4 of the RFP, the Equipment physical appearance and design references a cord management system. Must this be a retractable cord? Or can this be as simple as a hook to hang the cord? Please identify, if possible, examples of qualifying cord management systems. The proposer is able to choose their own cord management system, it is not required that the cord be retractable. 53. On page 5 of the RFP, section g., the RFP states that the installation must include conduit and electric service box for potential future installation of two additional Level 2 charging stations. Is the additional two for each charger funded through the grant? or an additional 2 chargers regarding of how many are being installed? The conduit and electric service for an additional 2 charging stations is required per host site. Page 5 of 8

6 54. Regarding the same requirement on page 5, section g., can the ability to add chargers in the future be met by using a networked charger than can use load balancing? A system that uses load balancing can incorporate more chargers on the same circuit than a system that does not have load balancing capability. The requirement is in regards to the conduit carrying electricity to the box and the electrical box having space to add power to supply to 2 additional stations. 55. The recorded slide presentation with Q&A states clearly that only 240 Volt EVSEs are acceptable. However, we are considering a triple-evse installation that uses three-phase cabling for 208-Volt Level 2 EVSEs. This design results in a substantial savings in wiring costs with just a small reduction (13.3%) in delivered power as compared to 240 Volts. This makes it practical for us to install three free-to-the-public stations for a total cost less than the $5,000 limit per station. Commercial Level-2 EVSEs at 208 Volts are fairly common. Level-2 EVSE manufacturers almost always specify both 208 & 240 Volts. EV manufacturers typically specify charging rates at 208 Volts (e.g. 3.3kW). So, can a 208 Volt installation be allowed for the grant program? It s surprising that voltage is mentioned without mentioning wattage, which is more significant. The RFP requires 240 volts to produce 6.6kW of power for the level 2 chargers. Please work with an electrician to discuss options for your transformer. 56. Do the parking stalls have to have at least one HDC (ADA) or handicap accessible stall? All of the stations must comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. There is a list of requirements on page 3 and 4 of the linked document: Guidance in Complying with Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements Do the parking stalls need to be exclusively designated for electric vehicles or can they be used by regular gas vehicles when not in use? The parking stalls must be marked for electric vehicle use only. 58. If we would like to apply for funding for more than one charging station is that allowed? Yes 59. I would like a summary of the 3-4 crucial steps that an applicant needs to take to write the application. Please follow the requirements listed in the RFP. 60. If we miss the deadline, (remind me of the date?) approximately when would you make the decision to open a second round? The deadline for the EV Level 2 chargers is Wednesday, September 5, This funding is part of phase 1 of Minnesota s Volkswagen Settlement Mitigation plan. Phase 2, which is not yet defined, is currently scheduled to begin in year Are you aware of any manufacturers of EV charging stations who are helping applicants and if so, could you share with me the names of companies and contacts there? The MPCA does not have information on manufacturers assisting applicants. 62. How much is being awarded per Charging Station and is it the whole cost of the station or only a percentage? Grant recipients are required to provide a 20% match. A maximum of $5,000 is available per charging station, $10,000 for stations that charge two cars at once, known as dual charging stations. For example a $6,000 project requires $1,200 match and can be awarded $4,800 of grant dollars. 63. Are Level 3 charging stations a part of the settlement, or is it only Level 2? No, only Level 2. Page 6 of 8

7 64. Can you clarify whether tribes are eligible to apply? The wording of the Affidavit of Non-Collusion is unclear with regard to tribes. Yes, tribes are eligible. 65. Do you have a sample submittal package I could use to ensure I have all the required documentation? No, please follow the requirements listed in the RFP. 66. We are also wondering what type of solar panel output data you would like included in the renewable energy portion. If we show the capabilities of an array on site in kwhs is that sufficient? Yes, reporting output in kw is sufficient. 67. For the Level 2 charging station it says that units must be covered by a 5-year warranty. The manufacturer we want to use is Bosch they do not have a 5 year warranty option, only a 3 year option. Most manufacturers that I have found only have a 1 or 3 year option. I have not been able to find a 5 year warranty. Are we able to self-insure or is there another way around this? The cost of the warranty is an eligible cost to be covered by the $5,000 grant per station, therefore MPCA expects that the additional warrantee will be purchased from the manufacturer and included in total project costs. 68. Regarding the form for the proposal budget. How do you determine equipment costs? Talk to a contractor? Yes, equipment costs will be determined by all contractors hired to accomplish the work required for installation of the charging station and the station itself. 69. What is the start date required on the first page of the work plan? Doesn t the start date depend on when we receive the funding? How can we be specific with mm/dd/yr when we do not know that date? The start date is in fact after a grantee has been notified that their project has been selected. Keep in mind that this is a reimbursement grant, money is paid after the installation is complete. Work must be complete by September 30, Start date is any date after the contracts are signed, for example, November 1, 2018 or after. 70. Please specify what type of bollard is needed? The bollards must protect the charging station from being hit by a vehicle and not interfere with the American Disabilities Act requirements. 71. This question is in regard to EVSE cord-management systems. Is it sufficient to have a method of manually coiling the cord on a hanger to keep it off the ground? The automatic retraction systems I have seen on chargers around the Twin Cities are almost always malfunctioning. See question #52. Yes, a hanger is sufficient. 72. This question is regarding the bollards requirement in the RFP. Is it sufficient to have any kind of barrier that prevents damage from vehicles while allowing access according to ADA requirements? Yes 73. Are churches eligible for the grant? Should we apply as a non-profit, and can we forgo getting registered as a vendor on the Small Business Certification Program s targeted list? Yes, churches are eligible. If the church is a non-profit, you may apply as a non-profit. Only small businesses that are certified veteran-owned, economically disadvantaged, or targeted group businesses in Minnesota based on the business s ownership by a woman, a minority, a person with a substantial physical disability will receive points in the scoring for that section. Additional information is at Page 7 of 8

8 74. What exactly is meant by a cord management system? Does a cord holder (like the one built into a clipper creek model) qualify, or does it need to be more sophisticated like the stations at MPCA HQ that have a reel that pulls the cord back? See question # Does the affidavit of non-collusion need to be signed by municipalities? We are a municipal corporation under our charter, so want to clarify if we fall under your definition of a corporation. If municipalities are a corporation, item 3 in the affidavit would be in conflict with public meeting laws. No, the affidavit of non-collusion does not apply to municipalities. 76. Is renewable energy infrastructure (solar panels, racking, fuse box, cabling, etc.) associated with the charger eligible for grant funds? The electrical supply equipment such as cables, conduit, and electrical boxes are covered as eligible costs. Solar panels are a capital investment and are not eligible for reimbursement. 77. In meeting the renewable energy goals, does the entity with the charger need to retain the RECs from their community solar or own solar array to get credit under the EV charger grant? For instance, almost all community solar gardens in Xcel territory sell the REC to Xcel so the electricity user cannot make the claim of using solar energy. Similarly, Xcel s Solar*Rewards program for solar arrays can reduce the payback time by nearly 40%, but the RECs are given to Xcel under the program. The applicant should document that they are part of a utility s renewable energy program helping to fund the purchase of wind or solar. For applicants in an area where a renewable energy program is not offered by the local utility, documentation that renewable energy credits have been purchased is sufficient. The applicant does not need to retain the RECs 78. Under 2. Funding, the Reporting section says the MPCA may request various data on EV charger usage. Should applicants assume the MPCA will ask for this data, as a smart charger would very likely be needed in order to get all this data? When data is requested that only applies to smart chargers, only those with smart chargers will be expected to provide that data. Smart charging is optional, yet scores higher on the evaluations due to the value smart charging stations add to the system. 79. For Question 4. Renewable Energy on the Level 2 Charging Station Grant Request form, our electric utility provider s proportion renewable electric generation is 29%. Will any consideration be given regarding this fact, or are you looking for a specific, dedicated source of renewable energy? The MPCA is not requiring a specific dedicated source of renewable energy. Please document that your electricity purchased is powered by 29% renewable energy. Inquire from your electric utility the options of purchasing higher percentages of renewable energy. Page 8 of 8