Ameresco, a provider of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies, announced today that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has entered into an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Ameresco to implement energy and water conservation measures at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Butner in North Carolina.
The contract, valued at $53.1 million, is designed to reduce energy intensity throughout the 776-acre prison complex, which includes a large federal medical center and multiple correctional facilities.
“Ameresco is proud to partner with the Federal Bureau of Prisons on implementing this budget-neutral energy project at FCC Butner,” said Nicole A. Bulgarino, senior vice president and general manager, Federal Solutions, Ameresco. “Under the ESPC, the complex will receive cost-effective facility energy improvements which will contribute to recurring reductions in utility costs and overall facility renewal.”
The ESPC project will upgrade FCC Butner’s infrastructure and will reduce energy and water costs, while increasing the operating efficiencies of its utility-systems.
More than two million square feet of correctional buildings and facilities will be addressed by the energy improvements, including a large federal medical center, two medium-security federal correctional institutions, a low-security correctional institution, and a minimum security federal prison camp.
Ameresco will install interior and exterior LED lighting fixtures and controls, as well as comprehensive HVAC control system upgrades to reduce electricity use and enhance the functionality of the buildings. The project will also provide for chiller replacements, refrigeration system improvements, and utility sub-metering installations.
Overall, the measures are designed to reduce total energy usage of the complex by 30 percent. Ameresco will also construct a 3.1 megawatt solar photovoltaic system to provide more than 15,300 MBtu of on-site renewable energy annually, approximately 8.4 percent of FCC Butner’s current electricity demand.
The project will also reduce water consumption by more than 115 million gallons annually through domestic and non-domestic water conservation measures across inmate housing, laundry facilities and kitchens.
Combined, the measures are expected to reduce total water consumption by 40 percent. As a result of the project, FCC Butner is expected to save more than $3 million annually in energy and water costs.
Construction on the project is expected to begin this fall and is scheduled to be completed in 2019. All correctional buildings will continue to be fully-occupied during the construction period.
The ESPC project at FCC Butner will support the BOP in meeting several federal sustainability requirements, including those outlined in Executive Order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade. The project will also support the BOP in its commitment to the Presidential Performance Contracting Challenge.
An ESPC is an alternative contracting mechanism that utilizes private-sector financing to implement comprehensive energy savings projects without relying on federal appropriations. The ESPC at FCC Butner is the single-largest ESPC task order awarded by the BOP to date.
Rajani Baburajan