The Federal Bureau of Prisons proposes to use geothermal heat pump technology in their facilities when possible. Geothermal is not only energy-efficient, but also improves prison security, as the ground loops are buried underground and there is no rooftop mechanical equipment. The camp buildings are medium security areas separate from the larger prison. The camp is a self-contained facility with separate housing, dining, medical and classroom spaces. Because the Mendota Federal Prison Camp is a facility within a larger institutional facility, the FBOP decided it was a good site to pilot the technology.
Meline Engineering designed the 87-ton system, which includes 8 heat pumps and 108 vertical loops that will condition 37,000 sf of Camp Housing and Camp Core buildings.
Mendota, California
Project Start: June 2004
Project End: Completed 2011
Contractor: Lewis C. Nelson and Sons, Inc.
Owner: Federal Bureau of Prisons
SF Heated/Cooled: 37,479
Heat Pumps: 8
Ground Loops: 108 total to 330 feet
System Size: 87 tons