# AI workability — Facilities Energy Study

*Buyer: City of Nelson · Source: merx · Closes: 14 Sep 2026 00:00 UTC*

**AI workability: 44%** (majority needs humans) · notice-only read · bid call: **NO_GO**

- Effort: 420 h total · 185 h AI · 235 h human (low confidence)

## Verdict

AI can handle data analysis and reporting, but physical site visits and professional sign-off keep AI-workability at 44%.

## Bid call

**NO_GO** — AI can support data analysis and reporting, but the core energy study requires on-site facility assessments and professional sign-off, which are human-only. At 44% AI-workability, this does not meet the AI-agent-first majority threshold. The shop lacks energy qualifications and bonding/reference history. Recommend no-go unless a qualified energy consultant partner is added and the City confirms AI-assisted delivery is acceptable.

## Deliverables

| Deliverable | Mode | AI share | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Project management and coordination | ai_assisted | 25% | 40 |
| Utility data collection and benchmarking | ai_assisted | 70% | 60 |
| Site visits and facility assessments | human_only | 0% | 80 |
| Energy modeling and savings calculations | ai_assisted | 60% | 60 |
| GHG and decarbonization pathway analysis | ai_assisted | 70% | 50 |
| Financial analysis and cost-benefit | ai_agent | 80% | 30 |
| Report generation and recommendations | ai_assisted | 70% | 50 |
| Stakeholder workshops and presentations | human_only | 10% | 30 |
| Professional review and sign-off | human_only | 0% | 20 |

## Risks

- **[high]** City may require certified energy professional; small IT shop lacks credentials. — *Partner with local engineering/energy consultant; confirm requirements before bid.*
- **[high]** Only 44% AI-workable; project requires significant human site visits and sign-off, diluting AI-agent-first advantage. — *Scope AI to data/reporting; price accordingly or no-bid.*
- **[medium]** Four municipal facilities require on-site visits; scheduling/access could delay. — *Plan site visits early; coordinate with City.*
- **[medium]** Utility data may be incomplete or in inconsistent formats. — *Request data in RFP; use AI for cleaning but validate.*
- **[high]** AI-generated energy recommendations need professional validation; errors could cause financial/legal exposure. — *Human professional review and sign-off; include liability coverage.*
- **[medium]** No evaluation criteria or full RFP; bid strategy uncertain. — *Request clarification; review City's standard consulting terms.*

## Human roles

- **On-site facility auditor** (34%): Physical walkthroughs and equipment inventory at four municipal facilities cannot be done by AI.
- **Project manager/client liaison** (17%): Client relationship, accountability, and coordination require a human.
- **Data acquisition coordinator** (13%): Utility data requests and validation require human interaction with the City and utilities.
- **Stakeholder facilitator** (13%): Workshops and presentations need in-person presence and relationship management.
- **Professional engineer/energy advisor** (15%): Technical review and any required sign-off must be done by a qualified professional.
- **Quality assurance/validation** (8%): Human oversight is needed to validate AI outputs and avoid errors in energy recommendations.

## Why not more AI

- Cannot perform physical site inspections or verify equipment/occupancy.
- Cannot provide professional engineering certification or legally binding sign-off.
- Cannot replace in-person stakeholder trust and municipal relationship management.
- Energy modeling requires validated inputs and assumptions; AI may hallucinate if data incomplete.
- No facility security clearance; if any secure areas, human escort needed.

## Requirements & compliance

| Ref | Requirement | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Budget | Total budget for this project is $150,00.00 plus GST. Proposals exceeding this value will not be considered. | met |
| Completion | It is the City's intent to have this work completed on or around February 28, 2027. | met |
| Qualification | Seeking qualified consultants to perform energy studies on municipal facilities. | unclear |

## Evaluation criteria

- **Not specified** (Not stated): No evaluation criteria in extracted documents; likely price, qualifications, and approach.

## Key dates

- 2026-08-20 — Publication
- 2026-09-14 — Closing
- 2027-02-28 — Target completion

## Gaps in source documents

- No full RFP document; only notice text.
- No evaluation criteria or scoring weights.
- No explicit certification requirements; 'qualified consultants' undefined.
- No utility data or facility condition data provided.
- No site visit schedule or access constraints.
- No insurance/bonding requirements stated.
- Budget amount appears typo ('$150,00.00').

## Assumptions

- Budget is $150,000 CAD plus GST (typo in notice).
- No security clearance required; site visits are ordinary municipal facilities.
- City will provide utility data and facility access.
- Professional sign-off may be required; if so, partner with a local engineering firm.
- AI can access data and produce analysis under human supervision.
- No evaluation criteria means price/qualifications likely dominate.

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*Generated by GovContract from public tender documents. Human review required before acting on bid decisions.*