Hopkins County Jail

The Challenge

When a technician noticed rust on the gas heat exchangers of the rooftop units at Hopkins County Jail, the safety of employees and inmates was a serious concern. The rooftops were at risk of leaking CO2 into a building that housed hundreds of inmates who could not be easily moved. The jail took quick action to alleviate the critical situation, requiring that improvements be completed within a condensed timeframe in order to coordinate inmate displacement. With the upgrades, the facility also sought to improve energy efficiency and its system controls and communication.

The Solution

The jail was declared a state of emergency, enabling acceleration of the procurement process. Familiar with the concept of cooperative purchasing, the county moved forward using The Cooperative Purchasing Network (TCPN), selecting Trane, a pre-approved TCPN vendor, as their upgrade partner.

Accelerating the procurement process

TCPN allows large and small government entities to leverage their purchasing power. All TCPN contracts are competitively bid and evaluated by a government entity, with contracts awarded in accordance with state procurement laws, and based on quality, proven performance, customer satisfaction and pricing. By using TCPN, Hopkins County Jail was able to significantly reduce the time required for the traditional vendor selection process of developing bid specifi cations, evaluating proposals, selecting a supplier and negotiating price, freeing up staff to address other needs of the jail.

Improving reliability, energy efficiency and comfort

Twenty-three durable Trane Voyager™ rooftop units provide reliable operation, reducing downtime and improving comfort. The units include a wide-range of factory-installed options, allowing for fast installation and reduced labor costs. With three stages of cooling to match output to cooling demands and industry leading efficiency, the Voyager units help to lower energy costs. The units also improve indoor air quality with MERV 8 and MERV 13 air filters to remove contaminants from the air.

Managing energy and system communications

Data collected from new energy meters is used to determine baseline consumption of lighting, water, and energy to identify peak usage times and help optimize building operations. The jail's single workstation controller was replaced with a web-based Trane® Tracer® SC building automation system (BAS), allowing convenient access to systems from any location, using a web-connected device such as a smartphone or tablet. Facility managers use the BAS to perform daily tasks such as scheduling, troubleshooting, alarm management and data analysis. Trane® Air-Fi™ wireless technology was used to provide a redundant, self-repairing mesh to prevent communication failures, even when signals are obstructed.

Ensuring optimal performance

Trane factory-authorized service professionals maintain and monitor the equipment with Intelligent Services to keep the system performing at its best, reducing the expense of high-cost emergency repairs and allowing the jail staff to focus on other immediate needs. Trane Building Performance uses metrics defined by Hopkins County Jail to gather critical operational data to analyze equipment performance, help reduce energy consumption and operational costs, and improve equipment life. Trane Active Monitoring provides 24/7/365 building support with critical building alarms and notifications; and quick, accurate diagnosis of problems to enable prompt corrective action.

The Results

Using TCPN, Hopkins County Jail reduced procurement time by more than sixty days, allowing quick implementation of HVAC upgrades, critical for the safety of inmates and staff.  Installation of twenty-three Trane Voyager™ rooftop units, completed in just two weeks, has lowered maintenance costs and reduced downtime to provide a comfortable environment. A web-based Trane Tracer SC BAS with Air-Fi wireless technology has improved system communications and enables convenient system access for streamlined operations and energy management. Trane Building Performance and Active Monitoring help ensure optimal system performance and reduced costs.

“We've improved energy savings and dramatically reduced downtime. I also like the convenience of being able to access the systems with my mobile phone,” said Captain Mike Lewis, Hopkins County Jail. “We aren't air-conditioning experts here. With Trane handling our service and maintenance, we can take HVAC off our list. They do what they do best, so we can focus on providing the best possible service to the citizens of Hopkins County.”