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State of the Art Energy Submetering at Texas Department of Criminal Justice Industries
Abstract
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Utilities and Energy Department (TDCJ-U&E) has
completed the first phase of a detailed energy use
submetering system that will be one of the largest
such installations in the United States at the second
largest state prison system in the nation. Through
responsibility accounting, TDCJ unit wardens and
other staff needed to be able to monitor and justify
the utility and energy use and expenses for the
various prison industries and agricultural operations.
These facilities are scattered at many locations
around the state and cover a diversity of prison
industries and agricultural operations from meat
packing operations to metal fabrication, furniture
restoration, garment and shoe factories, vehicle
restoration, soap and detergent plants, mattress
making and graphics that include sign and license
plate manufacturing. The Energy Systems
Laboratory (ESL) with New Horizon Technologies,
Inc. (NHT) proposed to install a state-of-the-art
submetering system that would meet the needs of the
TDCJ system well into the future. Upon award of the
contract, TDCJ-U&E assisted the ESL and NHT in
conducting numerous surveys of the proposed
metering locations, coordinated installations of the
equipment with local unit wardens and staff, then
installed the system hardware and software. The
system uses a web-based user interface and is capable
of real-time data acquisition and display. SquareD
supplied the components for the field metering
installation and local plumbing contractors either
retrofitted existing gas meters or installed new meters
as required. Preliminary testing began in late
summer of 2000 and the system is collecting 15
minute interval utility and energy consumption data.
This paper will describe the issues involved in
implementing a project covering such a large
geographic area, tight security issues and using
inmate labor.
Citation
Bryant, J. A.; McBride, J.; Merka, T. (2001). State of the Art Energy Submetering at Texas Department of Criminal Justice Industries. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /5085.