BROAD Absorption Chiller Delivers Energy Efficiency and Reliability
The Pinellas County Jail in Florida, USA, is a large-scale correctional facility that houses over 3,000 inmates daily and supports law enforcement across the county. In 2015, the county approved a $100 million infrastructure upgrade project to modernize key facilities, including a new central energy plant.
At the heart of this new energy plant is the BROAD multi-energy absorption chiller, integrated into a state-of-the-art Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) system. This upgrade not only ensures reliable power and cooling for the facility but also improves sustainability and efficiency—making Pinellas County Jail a national example of energy-smart infrastructure.
How the Multi-Energy CCHP System Works
- Continuous Operation: The CCHP system operates 24/7 year-round, reducing costs and ensuring uninterrupted energy supply.
- Heat Recovery: Waste heat from a 2 MW gas engine is captured through exhaust and jacket water to produce up to 1,000 tons of “free” cooling.
- Multi-Energy Flexibility: The BROAD absorption chiller can run on exhaust heat, hot water, or natural gas, ensuring reliability even when the engine is under maintenance.
- Backup Security: With natural gas as backup, the system provides redundancy and stability, keeping the facility safe under any condition.
Project Value and Energy Savings
The installation of BROAD’s multi-energy absorption chiller has delivered measurable benefits:
- High Energy Efficiency: Achieves up to 83% overall efficiency, compared to less than 55% for traditional power plants.
- Massive Energy Savings: Cuts 3,500 MWh of electricity use per year for cooling, equivalent to 11,428 MMBtu of fuel savings annually.
- Carbon Emission Reduction: Lowers CO₂ emissions by 1,837 tons annually, equal to planting 30,310 trees over 10 years.
- Flexible Cooling: Meets 80–100% of the facility’s cooling needs, reducing reliance on conventional electric chillers.
- Strong ROI: The system’s simple payback period is just 4.5 years.
Why Multi-Energy CCHP Matters for Critical Infrastructure
Facilities such as prisons, hospitals, airports, and data centers demand uninterrupted and resilient energy solutions. By adopting multi-energy driven absorption chillers, these facilities can:
- Ensure continuous operation under any condition,
- Cut operational costs significantly,
- Improve energy efficiency with waste heat recovery,
- Reduce environmental impact, and
- Strengthen energy security and resilience.
BROAD Indonesia: Delivering Reliable Energy Solutions
The Pinellas County Jail project is a global benchmark that demonstrates how BROAD absorption chillers empower facilities with reliable, flexible, and sustainable energy solutions.
For Indonesia, where hospitals, government facilities, industrial plants, and smart cities require energy stability, BROAD’s multi-energy CCHP systems offer:
- Reliable backup energy during grid outages,
- Cost savings through efficient fuel use,
- Environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and
- Future-ready infrastructure aligned with Indonesia’s sustainability goals.