HVAC for prisons
Various considerations towards the design, construction, and operation of correctional facilities such as jails and prisons in the US, are presented. Security level of the facility or the area of the facility that vary as per minimum, medium, and maximum security, include suicide-resistant grilles and barrier grilles/bars specified in all ductwork penetrating the secure perimeter walls. For life safety, the air-handling unit serving the dayrooms and cells should provide makeup air to the area in a smoke purge event by ramping up via a variable frequency drive (VFD). Selection of a good security system is based on considerations such as costs and an efficient operators for system maintenance long after the project's completion. Water conservation in these correctional facilities is made possible through cogeneration, massive solar arrays, and photovoltaics.