Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, SCI Dallas

Dallas, PA

Project Overview

The PA Dept of General Services (PADGS) retained Energia to overhaul their GESA process.

Energia’s work with PADGS began with a pilot project at the State Correctional Institution Dallas (SCI Dallas). At that time, the EPA had recently announced that facilities must remove coal as a fuel source or face significant fines. This presented a serious problem for SCI Dallas, which was relying on coal to heat its facility.

The GESA project that Energia initiated, designed, and managed allowed SCI Dallas to use guaranteed energy savings to fund a complete boiler plant upgrade and switch from coal to natural gas. This brought SCI Dallas into compliance with the EPA’s mandate, modernized its core infrastructure, and reduced operating costs dramatically. All of this was accomplished with zero taxpayer or budgetary impact using Energia’s new GESA project model.

Highlights

The Central Boiler Plant Upgrade

Due to new EPA regulations, the coal firing operations at the central heating plant were terminated in April of 2014, forcing the facility to be completely reliant on their aged and expensive oil-fired backup boilers. The project facilitated the installation of two new Cleaver-Brooks Nebraska dual fuel fired boilers utilizing existing #2 fuel oil as back-up fuel. This included negotiating with UGI Gas, the local utility, to provide several miles of natural gas pipe to the facility. The installation of the natural gas line allowed this facility to install modern high-efficiency steam boilers and fire them on natural gas as a primary fuel at substantial cost savings when compared to #2 fuel oil.

Five Energy Conservation Measures:
  • LED Lighting Upgrades
  • Central Boiler Plant Upgrade
  • Steam Trap Replacement
  • Water Conservation
  • Waste Water Treatment Plant Process Improvements

Project Statistics

Project Size

$19.6 Million

Projected Energy Savings (Annual)

$2,179,617

Actual Energy Savings (Year One)

$9,808,499

Reduction in Energy Costs

46.3%

Completion date

November 2016

Project Type

Guaranteed Energy Savings Act (GESA)

Energy Services Company

Energy Systems Group

CLIENT REFERENCE

Julien Gaudien of PA Dept. of General Services
(717) 787-5996

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections EXCEEDED Year One Guaranteed Cost Savings by 350%! Between the efficiency improvements and fuel rate reductions, the ACTUAL cost avoidance was $9,808,499 which is $7,628,882 BEYOND the guarantee during the construction phase and year one of operation. These savings resulted from electric measures, fuel switch savings, capital improvements, and waste water treatment plant process improvements that were implemented in the GESA project.

O. Von Banks

Regional Director of Development, Energia