Prison Runs with Wind and Solar Energy

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – Electricity costs at the Federal Correctional Institution at Victorville was reduced significantly when a wind and solar energy system went into operation in March.

The system, expected to generate $420,000 in annual energy savings, is the first project to combine wind and solar power production through an innovative financing program.

The showcase project, which includes a 262-foot-tall wind turbine and an array of solar panels, is being funded and built under a federal program called Energy Saving Performance Contracting. It was designed and developed by NORESCO, a Massachusetts-based energy services company.

NORESCO’s backing financed most of the project, and the development was further bolstered by a payback in energy cost savings and through state and utility incentives. No funds from the facility were required.

The wind turbine is expected to produce about 30 percent of the prison's peak electrical demand and nearly 10 percent of the annual electrical consumption. The turbine will generate 750 kilowatts of power, enough to keep lights on at several hundred homes, according to Fran Morin, a general foreman at the prison.

An array of photovoltaic panels, set on a rooftop to generate power from the sun, will become operational in May and will produce 70 kilowatts of power. Officials say the project could become a model for future wind and solar energy programs.

The new energy system will serve the 1,700-inmate medium-security correctional institution No. 1, the 300-woman prison camp nearby, and the facility's power house that generates electricity for heating and cooling.

The 5-year-old prison complex also contains a second medium-security institution and a high-security federal penitentiary. FCI Victorville was chosen for this pilot energy project in 2001, a time when planners were not sure of the potential for energy savings.

State incentives and incentive payments from Southern California Edison bolstered the project. After subsidies, the installation of the turbine, solar panels and energy-efficient equipment on-site totaled $3.8 million, officials said.

NORESCO provided investment capital and guaranteed that energy savings would be achieved. The firm also will provide ongoing maintenance to ensure the project's long-term operation.