A geothermal energy project received a $5 million grant to help a new jail being built in Lancaster County become more efficient in heating and cooling. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the grant, which was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2008, on Oct. 29.
Out of the 37 projects that received funding nationally, the grant was one of only three to receive the highest available amount.
The Lincoln-based District Energy Corporation, which is connected with the Lincoln Electric System, will receive the grant to install a ground source geothermal heat pump demonstration project.
The project will provide heating, cooling and back-up power to the new jail facility. The new jail in Lancaster County is scheduled to be completed in 2012, said Mike Thurber, director of Lancaster County Department of Corrections. The correctional facility, located at SW 40th Street, will house 778 beds on seven acres, which is about twice the size of the current jail in downtown Lincoln.
The geothermal heat pump system will save 20 to 30 percent of what the cost would be to power the facility, said Krishna Amancherla, project manager for the District Energy Corporation. More than 60 geothermal wells that are 300 feet deep will be built to extract heat from the ground, with colder heat being provided in the summer time and warmer heat being provided in the winter.
“(The percentage of savings) is a pretty substantial amount of money,” said Don Killeen, Lancaster County Property Manager.
Amancherla estimated that the cost for the geothermal project was around $12 million before the $5 million grant. The jail, which broke ground in July, is expected to have the largest geothermal ground-source loop field system for any county detention facility in the United States.
“(For the geothermal system) the cost is less, and the efficiency is much greater,” Amancherla said.
There are many reasons the geothermal system is being built for the jail facility, Amancherla said. The biggest reason is space, as the seven acres would allow the project to expand. Another is that the company found that the ground at the construction site’s conductivity was efficient to transport energy.
“We decided it was the perfect fit to extract energy,” Amancherla said.
The Lancaster County jail currently in use has been overcrowded since 2000 and out of compliance with jail standards since 2002. The new facility will have 778 beds, with a 1,000 bed core, which means that more beds could be added if the occupancy of the jail increased.
“Because the jail does run all the time, it is good to be energy efficient,” Thurber said.
The new jail will be the only facility in Lancaster County, and those in the current detention center will be moved to the new location during spring 2012, Thurber said.
“The facility won’t provide many more job opportunities when it first opens, though if it gets larger, it will require more people,” Thurber said.
The biggest benefit is that it will bring in more money for Lancaster County. There are currently 75 people housed in other counties, because the current jail facility doesn’t have enough space. The new facility will “bring in more” for Lancaster County.
“It’s not about the savings but more about the money being spent,” Thurber said.
The geothermal project will also have benefits for Lancaster County, as well as the state and the country, Amancherla said, because it utilizes a renewable resource, and not coal, natural gas or oil.
The construction materials that are bought outside of Nebraska will also help stimulate the economy in other places.
“It is good for sustainability and stimulates the economy,” Amancherla said. “Everyone benefits.”
paigecornwell@dailynebraskan.com
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