Performance Contract to Save FCC Butner Millions in Water, Energy Costs

The Energy Savings Performance Contract project aims to upgrade FCC Butner’s infrastructure and reduce energy and water costs, while at the same time increasing the operating efficiencies of its utility systems. Photo Credit: BOP
The Energy Savings Performance Contract project aims to upgrade FCC Butner’s infrastructure and reduce energy and water costs, while at the same time increasing the operating efficiencies of its utility systems. Photo Credit: BOP

BUTNER, N.C. — The U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has entered into an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Ameresco of Framingham, Mass., to implement energy and water conservation measures at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Butner. The contract, valued at $53.1 million, is designed to reduce energy intensity throughout the 776-acre prison complex, which includes a federal medical center and several other correctional facilities.

An ESPC is an alternative contracting mechanism that uses private sector financing to implement comprehensive energy-saving projects without relying on federal appropriations, according to a statement by Ameresco. The ESPC at FCC Butner is the single-largest ESPC task order awarded by the BOP to date, and is expected to save the complex more than $3 million annually in energy and water costs.

“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, in a statement. “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 aims to upgrade FCC Butner’s infrastructure and reduce energy and water costs, while at the same time 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.

As part of the ESPC, 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, according to a statement by the company. The project will also provide for chiller replacements, refrigeration system improvements and utility sub-metering installations. Ameresco will also construct a 3.1-megawatt solar photovoltaic system to provide more than 15,300 MBtu of on-site renewable energy annually, or approximately 8.4 percent of FCC Butner’s current electricity demand. Overall, the measures are expected to reduce the complex’s total energy use by an estimated 30 percent.

Officials also expect to 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, according to a statement by Ameresco.

Construction on the project is expected to begin this fall and is scheduled for completion in 2019. All correctional buildings will continue to be fully occupied during the construction period.

The ESPC project at FCC Butner will also help the BOP meet several federal sustainability requirements, including those outlined in Executive Order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade. The project will further support the BOP in its commitment to the Presidential Performance Contracting Challenge.