Constellation Wins $45 Million Prison Contract To Implement Solar + Energy Efficiency At FCC Coleman In Florida
A $45 million contract to implement energy + water efficiency measures, and to install a 2 megawatt (MW) solar system, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Coleman, Florida (FCC Coleman), was recently awarded to the company Constellation.
The fulfillment of the contract — which was awarded by the Federal Bureau of Prisons — is expected to save the bureau roughly $79 million in energy costs over the next 19 years.
This project serves as yet another example (along with the US Navy’s moves toward solar in Florida) of those with an eye towards the substantial benefits of solar energy deployment in Florida embracing the technology — in spite of the hostile (but improving?) political/legislative environment in the “Sunshine State.”
“Constellation is delighted to serve the FCC Coleman and support its effort in achieving its federal energy and environmental performance mandates,” stated John Dukes, executive director of federal and public sector sales for Constellation. “Working as a team with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and FCC Coleman personnel, we developed an energy project that is expected to deliver an exceptional volume of renewable energy generation and replace antiquated, inefficient infrastructure and equipment with new energy efficient infrastructure and equipment. The upgrades are designed to improve energy security while providing significant cost savings through energy and water intensity reductions and increasing the use of renewable energy for the site.”
Altogether, the fulfillment of the contract is expected to reduce total energy use intensity at FCC Coleman by 35%, and reduce water use intensity by ~50%, according to Dukes. The estimate is that ~18 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and 194 million gallons of water will be “saved” annually thanks to the upgrades. That results in the offset of around 323,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next 19 years.
For a bit of background — FCC Coleman is composed of 5 different facilities, 2.4 million square feet of building area, and is home (in a way) to over 7,400 inmates.
Construction work is currently expected to be completed sometime in 2017.
Image Credit: Constellation
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