NCJ Number
80168
Date Published
1981
Length
22 pages
Annotation
As part of an LEAA program for improved energy conservation in correctional facilities, this report details the findings of an energy conservation survey conducted at the Chisago County Jail (Minnesota) in April 1981 and outlines measures to reduce consumption.
Abstract
The national LEAA program involves site surveys of selected maximum security prisons, minimum security prisons, and jails, as well as an energy conservation handbook and regional workshops. This survey of the Chisago County Jail first examines the ventilation system during the heating season. Because overventilation and energy waste were discovered, methods are described to decrease the exhaust and supply air while increasing the return air. A device which controls the flow of heated air through boiler and domestic hot water stacks was also recommended to achieve energy savings. Other suggestions include lowering the domestic hot water temperature from 130 degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit and recalibrating the building's thermostats to produce a space temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the average 73 degrees Fahrenheit measured by the survey. Room temperatures in areas which are not occupied at night, such as the library, gymnasium, office, and kitchens, should be lowered to 55 degrees Fahrenheit by an automatic thermostat. Investigation of the outside air reset controls for heating system hot water revealed unnecessary energy losses, and biannual checks to recalibrate these controls are proposed. Based on a survey of the lighting system, the report recommends that existing standard fluorescent lamps be replaced with energy conserving fluorescent lamps and that all incandescent fixtures be replaced with single tube fluorescent fixtures. Energy savings, energy cost savings, and costs of improvements are calculated for each recommendation.