Overview

The Department of Corrections (DOC), State Correctional Institution (SCI) Houtzdale was served by two water-tube coal-fired boilers and two fire-tube oil-fired boilers in their central plant to meet their heating and domestic hot water needs, including supplying the kitchen and laundry. DOC desired for SCI Houtzdale to become as energy efficient as possible through installation of energy or water conservation measures to be implemented through an energy performance contract. DOC desired to abandon the coal fired boilers, convert the existing oil-fired boilers to a dual-fuel system, and modify them to generate hot water in lieu of steam.

We teamed with The Efficiency Network (TEN), an Energy Service Company (ESCO), to conduct an Investment Grade Audit (IGA) at the correctional facility. We began by completing a Utility Master Plan (UMP) to evaluate options for renovating the central system and to develop core Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs). Once the State selected the options from the UMP, we then performed the IGA to develop the scope of work and provided engineering services for the design and construction of the selected ECMs.

We met with TEN, SCI Houtzdale, DOC, and Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute to discuss possible options to meet the State’s goal of updating the heating and cooling systems at SCI Houtzdale. Through a collaborative process, a list of possible scope options was agreed upon, which we then analyzed through a feasibility study. As a result of the study, we provided the State with a UMP for heating and cooling that described the scope of work, annual energy cost, and installation cost for each option. This allowed the State to make an informed decision based on life cycle cost analysis to determine the best course of action to take in developing a subsequent IGA. As part of that IGA, which we also completed with TEN, we further evaluated several options to convert the central plant from coal to another fuel source and then assisted the State in the design.

1. The following heating and cooling projects were selected for completion:
2. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion
3. Steam Plant Upgrades using Kewanee Boiler
4. Hot Water (HW) Plant Upgrades (Convert 800 hp CB from steam to HW; 2 new 350 hp HW boilers)
5. HW Distribution Piping Replacement (above ground piping replaces existing buried piping)
6. Chilled Water (CHW) Distribution Piping Replacement (above ground piping replaces existing buried piping)
7. Central CHW Plant Upgrades
8. Cooling Towers Replacement

We provided engineering services for the design and construction of the Steam and Chilled Water Plant and Piping upgrades.