NCJ Number
141500
Journal
Large Jail Network Bulletin Dated: (Summer 1992) Pages: 10-11
Date Published
1992
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The West Valley Detention Center in San Bernardino County (Calif.) was designed with an emphasis on energy efficiency and operational efficiency and therefore used a technique known as ice storage as an alternative cooling system.
Abstract
The facility was designed to house 1,781 inmates initially, with a maximum potential capacity of nearly twice that number. To minimize operating costs, it uses an electromechanical system and a fluid based on antifreeze to cool the facility during off-peak hours. Energy is used at off-peak hours to cool a water/glycol fluid, which is then circulated through stored water to create ice. During the day, the water/glycol fluid system transfers stored cooling to the facility. The central component of the ice storage system is a 1,500-ton electrical, centrifugal chiller plant that provides sufficient coolant capacity to condition the facility's air 24 hours a day. The chillers remain idle during the peak hours of noon to 6 p.m., even on the hottest days. A highly sophisticated energy management computer controls the system. Using a variety of weather data, the computer calculates how much ice will be required to cool the facility during the next demand period. The correctional facility also has backup generators so that Southern California Edison can remove the jail from the normal power grid during peak demand periods, with 10-minute notice to the jail operational staff. These and other factors have increased the cost savings achieved by the system.